start me up....

this is a picture of my car from an old manly mustache blog post.  if you don't understand the arrows, just go back and re-read the original post.  but this isn't the point.

i love my car.  i really do.  we've been through a lot together.  i can't tell you how many miles i put on that car during both high school and college.  i've taken so many road trips it's ridiculous.  that car and i are attached at the hip.

lately i've been having a ton of problems with it.  as with almost all neons...at the 150,000 mile mark i had to replace the water pump and timing belt.  about 6 months ago i also (finally) had the rear struts fixed.

i don't want to admit how much i had to pay for all of that.

what can i say, i'd rather rebuild a neon than buy another car.  i mean, even if i have a bionic neon, it's still a neon...right??

so about 6 weeks ago i had the strangest problem.  i would put the key in the ignition, turn the key, and nothing would happen.  if i held the key in (for literally upwards of 10 to 15 seconds) it would slowly begin to "chug" until at last it "caught" and the car started.  needless to say this was pretty inconvenient, so after about 6 different times of this happening i took the car into the shop.

the car gods must have been smiling on me that day...because it turned out to be the stupidest problem: my battery cables were simply corroded.  this makes sense since i do not have a garage--i just leave the neon outside on the street year-round.  i'm sure the combination of rain, snow, sleet, sun, and whatnot caused the cables to turn to crap.  so, for $36, i got the cables replaced and the neon started perfectly every single time.

but now, about 6 weeks later, i am starting to have a similar problem.  only this time when i put the key in the ignition and turn it, it "catches" immediately but at a very weak level.  after about 1/2 second, the car just dies but all of the electric remains on.  i don't know what the problem could be.  there is no "clicking" noise, so i'm almost certain that it's not the starter.  the cables are still in great shape, so i know that there isn't any new corrosion.  the battery is not that old, so i'm sure it's not dead yet.

i'm hoping (very much so) that the neon isn't on its last legs.  that would be all i need right now.

so tonight, right before you go to bed and say your prayers, be sure to say a little one for lenny.  lord knows i need him alive in my life.

until next time, keep it toasty.