Ben Benner’s Blog

I am going to be heading out to Dallas here shortly. However, this is just a quick day trip.

I will try to do a real post when I get back home tonight.

Laterz

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I was worried that the Corolla was going to need some major exhaust repair, which would make me question whether or not I should get it repaired, much like we did with the Achieva.

I currently have about 187k miles on the Corolla and I want it to make it to 200k, that is the line I have drawn in the sand as to when I want to look for a new car. I think 200k is a good run for the Corolla, not to say I will put it out to pasture, if it is in decent condition still by that point I am sure someone would buy it for a couple of thousand dollars.

Well, as I stated earlier today I had to drop the car off for some maintenance and there was obviously something wrong with the exhaust system as it had gotten quite loud recently. I had been really hoping something had just come loose, but the likelihood of that seemed to be pretty slim.

I got the call from the mechanic a little while ago and as it turns out the bolts that connected the ‘lower pipe’ or something to the exhaust manifold had come undone (disappeared is what the mechanic said). He got it all reconnected. He charged me like $43 bucks in labor for getting it all fixed up.

Needless to say I am very excited by the news that it is just merely something that needed to be reconnected and not totally replaced.

Now, I just need to get some new tires, it is definitely getting to be about that time. Oh yeah, I also need to call around to some junkyards and get a new seat-belt re-tractor thing, as my belt doesn’t retract properly right now. A new one is like $400 bucks or so, just for the part.

I am pretty confident at the moment that the Corolla will see 200k miles.

Back to the grind.

Laterz

bdbenner Cars, corolla Cars, corolla, lucky, repairs

And I don’t have any real plans.

I need to get the house straightened up, finish doing some laundry and what not.

I just got the call that my new glasses are ready, my prescription changed a little, like -.25 or something in each eye. I was almost talked into getting these black plastic frames with little skulls on the sides. However, I think that would only work if I was in a band or was back in college.

I am debating about what to do with my current glasses. I could keep them as a spare pair, or I could get new lenses (tinted) put in them for about $70. Because, I would really like to have a pair of sun glasses again, though I am quite used to being blinded when I go outside.

The Corolla needed an oil change so I dropped it off this morning. However, a couple of days ago the engine started to sound really LOUD, at first I thought maybe it was just because it needed an oil change, but the volume was significantly higher than just a rough idle.

I could smell just a wee bit of exhaust fume from when you open the hood, so after some searching on the Internet and Jeremy hearing it too, I am convinced it is something to do with the exhaust assembly in the engine area. I am really hoping that it is just something that has come loose. But more likely something has a hole in it.

Which makes me think that a 14 year old car back in Michigan would like be on at least it’s second muffler and likely it’s third one. I have never replaced a muffler on it and the car was only 4 years old when I bought it so it is unlikely that was replaced back then either.

I am awaiting the call from Brake Specialists to let me know how much it is going to cost.

In the meantime I am installing Asterisk 1.4 for a work project. Fun, Fun I love installing from source.

(I really mean that, btw)

Back to the grind.

Laterz

bdbenner Cars, corolla, travel, work Cars, gina, travel, work