Car issues...

Well my little Beamer started making some odd noises a while back. Needless to say I was alarmed, and because I am kind of paranoid about the well being of this vehicle I rushed it right down to the dealership to have Chuck, the diagnostic person drive it around and evaluate the noise. Chuck was pretty great. We drove a couple of miles. He was very chatty. He said that the problem was just that my back tires are wearing out, and that when these tires get bare they start to cup and make a lot of noise. He said that he didn't believe there were any other problems and sent me along my way.

This was fine, and with Chuck's reassurance I continued to cruise along in my car without concern. Then the other day when I was flying along the 73 at well...maybe it was somewhere between 95 and 105. It's hard to say though. Anyway, I noticed that the original noise was gone, but there was sort of a whine every time I accelerated a bit. Additionally between 60-90ish the original noise was so loud that I just was having a hard time believing this was a tire issue.

Because everything seemed to still be running smoothly I didn't rush it right in. Then on Saturday the airbag light came on, and at that point I felt like maybe it was time to get this checked out. So I took it in this morning. I dropped it off and they put me in a gigantic SUV for the day. Let me just tell you, cars that size were not designed for the 405 in rush hour. Anyhow they called me this afternoon to inform me that the racket was in fact the tires, and at this point they recommend getting the two rear tires changed ASAP, and they estimate that another 1,000 miles or so and it will pose a safety concern. I'm relieved that it's just the tires. I've been expecting that, so I can handle it.

The whine has been attributed to a cracked belt which apparently could give way at any point in time. Not a cheap repair, but it's not going to break the bank either.

Additionally they want me to have the power steering fluid and fuel injector system flushed. I told them that would have to wait until I can financially recover from the issues that are requiring immediate attention. Oh and the airbag light was some sensor in the seatbelt latch that went out, but thankfully that's covered under the warranty. :)

So my little car is going to be in the shop for at least one more day. I'm not thrilled about this, especially since I stupidly left my text books and study materials in the trunk and I have a test Wednesday evening right after work. It's not a problem to go get them out tomorrow before work, but truthfully I'm a little nervous about navigating that gigantic SUV around a lot crammed full of shiny new BMW's. Just go real slow and stay ultra-alert I guess... :(