For Sale...Hunter Green 2004 Chevy...

Colorado, 84K Miles, Z71 Package, 4WD, Extended Cab, XM Radio, Line-X Bedliner, Bug Guards, well cared for...

Actually, it isn't for sale, but if you can find someone to give me $13,000 I would be one happy camper.

(Dearest Ouzts' please know that I really do appreciate your gift of a vehicle to Andrew when he got into med school.  I am pretty sure we would still have my old accord if it was not for your generosity in replacing the jeep for Andrew..however, the truck and I just don't get along...)


Let's just summarize the past two days with Andrew's (paid-for (thanks Ouzts'), which is why I am only slightly serious) truck...

1) It needed: Oil Change, Rotate and Balance, and according to Chevy - Transmission flush
2) Plus: the fan to the A/C and Heat has started sporadically not working...
3) So we take it to the GM place to have all this work done, since there is the issue with the fan we decided to take it to GM and not an independent oil change place.
4) Call to check on it yesterday afternoon and they tell me that they would rather me buy new tires than rotate and balance these, and that they can't get the fan to stop working and unless they "see" it happen they can't figure out what is wrong.  I tried to explain that it seems as though it is shorting out, since it will work from time to time.  He wouldn't believe me.  I told them not to replace the tires (mainly because we need to plan for a purchase like new tires and these are fine for another couple thousand miles anyway).
5) So I go to get it...they drive it around to me...turn it off...hand me the keys...I get in...crank up...the check engine light comes on and stays on.  NOTE: The check engine light has not been on previously - it wasn't on when we dropped it off and the service tech said it wasn't on when he drove it over to me.
6) I turn it off, and tell the service manager, who then comes to make sure I know what the check engine light looks like because he doesn't believe me.
7) They take it back over to the shop to hook it up to the computer and check all the basic things that would make it go off...gas cap not on properly, forgot to reset it after changing the oil, etc.
8) Can't get it to go off and can't get it hook up to the computer.
9) They discover two broken wires that go from the truck's computer to the truck's plug for their computer.  Tell me that they don't have time to fix it then before they close and that it is minor so drive it home and bring it back in the morning (today).  So I do.
10) On my way home, I start smelling an odor...when I get home it stinks so badly and so much like the entire electrical system is melting/burning that I refuse to park it inside.  Andrew laughs, says, "it can't be that bad.  you just don't like my truck."  I tell him to go see for himself.  He stops laughing and pulls it back out into the driveway and leaves it while we go to dinner...free...at sal and mookies...where I got to see Sam...
11) Get ready to leave the house this morning in it and the fan stops working...check one up for me...now I can't turn it off until the service manager and service tech see it so they can figure it out.
12) By the time we get to the shop and they get to check me in, service manager says, "Wow Mrs. Gray you do have a strong odor coming from the truck like you mentioned last night.  Can you turn it off for me?"  I say, "Nope because the fan isn't working now and if I turn it off and you turn it back on, it is likely to start working again, so I need you and your tech to see this..."  He says okay, then gets my information again and away I go.

But hey - at least it isn't the brake lights this time, right?  In all seriousness...I sure as heck hope they get this figured out because otherwise we are going to be really considering our options.

UPDATE:  The issue with the A/C is the blower motor...the computer wires have been fixed and there was no reason for the check engine light to be on so "the computer must have had a hiccup."  Oohh and the odor, yeah he is know saying that he couldn't smell anything and that he thinks it is the A/C.  Ohhh so now that you told me how much it is to fix the A/C and I declined, you are now going to tell me that this new odd odor that you smelt this morning is the A/C???  Sure thing, jack-turd...

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:  Got the call that is was ready and that when I come to get it I should drive it around a little while to see if the check engine light comes back on.  Guess what?  It did.  As soon as they brought it around to me, turned it off, handed me the keys, I crank it up, the check engine light is back on.  ....Insert four million curse words here....  I go back to the service person (my buddy is on lunch so I had to explain everything to another one)...they take the truck back to the same service tech to try to figure it out again.  I call my coworker who had just dropped me off and ask him to come back and get me.  He had just made it back to the office when I called...if I can get the check engine light off and the air working, I am going to CarMax to get an offer tonight...I am pissed.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:  They once again ran out of time today to figure out what is wrong with the truck, so it is spending the night at the shop.  I wish them better luck tomorrow...for my sake only...

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE TO THE...:  So I have been told the truck has been repaired and it is now functioning properly.  In fact, they took it for a test drive before calling me this time.  (I don't think my buddy the service manager wants to see me or this truck again).  The problem: it seems that the fuse box is located in the wrong position.  DO WHAT? Are you telling me that when the truck was built the fuse box that controls the computer was located in the wrong place because I can assure you we have not gotten a wild hair and decided to move the fuse box for poops and giggles.  I wanted to ask the guy to double check the truck to make sure nothing else was installed in the wrong location...but I held my tongue for now.

FINAL UPDATE:  I got the truck back, the check engine light stayed off while I was driving back to work.  We did not get charged for any of the computer/fuse box issue, which makes me think that they did something to it and knew it.  Sooo...here is my theory...the fuse box surely couldn't have been installed improperly, rather, while trying to figure out the A/C on Monday, they checked the fuses and put one back in the incorrect slot.  Not positive about this, but I sure as heck hope it is the case.  And if I find out that they disconnected the check engine light I am really going to be hacked.