Zen and the Art of Vehicle Maintenance

[Serkanner]

I've got one dogwood and seven giant oak trees in my front yard and three in back. I'm covered.

I have two tomato plants ... I am getting there.

[SadisticCynic]

Isn't CO2 what plants breath?

They 'breath' both CO2 and O2, oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Respiration produces CO2 and photosynthesis produces O2, but even though photosynthesis only occurs during the day, the net output is O2 over a 24 hour period. Quite interesting actually.

[Omphalos]

Isn't CO2 what plants breath?

They 'breath' both CO2 and O2, oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Respiration produces CO2 and photosynthesis produces O2, but even though photosynthesis only occurs during the day, the net output is O2 over a 24 hour period. Quite interesting actually.

Please don't tell Freak this. He'll just blame the plants for greenhouse gasses.

[SandChigger]

I blame Freak's beer farts.

(Please don't think about the weight of the solid pollutants in that case. NOOOO! I said DON'T think about them. Eeeeew! )

[Freakzilla]

Isn't CO2 what plants breath?

They 'breath' both CO2 and O2, oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Respiration produces CO2 and photosynthesis produces O2, but even though photosynthesis only occurs during the day, the net output is O2 over a 24 hour period. Quite interesting actually.

Please don't tell Freak this. He'll just blame the plants for greenhouse gasses.

Since you mentioned it...

I read on report about how the recent increase in trees in northern lattitudes decreased the amount of sunlight reflected back into space by snow.

[SandChigger]

NUKE THE TREES!!!

After those fucking whales, that is! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!

[Freakzilla]

NUKE THE TREES!!!

After those fucking whales, that is! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Abortion fetus stem cells too!

[SandChigger]

Nah, feels too much like overkill.

Just stomp on the test tubes!

[Freakzilla]

Nah, feels too much like overkill.

Just stomp on the test tubes!

Good god man, this is war, not a garden party!

[Freakzilla]

OK, where was I...

Two weeks ago I had AAMCO reseal the transmission in my Ford Windstar. Now it needs a torque converter and doesn't shift correctly. But, it doesn't leak! That was $650. Still won't pass emissions anyway. Parked in the driveway, given up on it for now.

Mr. Transmission is taking my Cadillac transmission apart right now, just to see what's wrong with it. That's $700, but I have a coupon for $100 off. Yeah! They are supposed to call me at lunch to tell me what's wrong with it. Hopefully I will be able to afford the parts to fix it.

Once that's done, I have to get it's emission test done, go pay for the tag and put it on the car, so I don't get pulled over by the police, who like to arrest me. The tag expired last month, I was planning on getting that done the week it broke down.

On the lighter side, I should get 1 mph better gas mileage with the transmission fixed. That adds up when you drive 110 miles a day round trip to work and back.

[Freakzilla]

Got the diagnosis from Mr. Transmission...

$2300 for OEM parts and a 3-year warranty.

It will be ready Thursday or Friday.

Which is a good thing, I may need ot live in it.

[SandChigger]

Dayum.

[trang]

Ouch, went thru the transmission failure crap myself back in august, tranny blew on the highway in my 96 lumina. Took it certified transmission, 2400 bucks with same warrenty installed, cars only worth 700 bucks, so scraped it. Got 94 ford ranger, 4 banger.. its running ok for now about same dam milage though 22mpg.

as for trees and co sucking, I love how they generalize those numbers, um I know all trees are the same size right?? Pencil neck geek who did the test probably hasnt been to a forest. In an acre of trees you could have 50 different type and sizes. I highly doubt a 20 foot tall tree with a 4-6 foot diameter trunk stores the same CO as a 40 foot tree with a 20 foot diameter trunk.

Everyone planting trees is a good idea, but the end game is a little lenghty dont ya think? um trees take anywhere from 5 to 25 years to reach maturity right? Dont think thats gonna meet or equal the output of cars each year.

another service of hysteria and statistics warped to work for those writing the numbers.

Drive you car... smoke your cigiaretes... burn incandescent bulbs.. release the smog from stacks.. it will all balance in the end.. mother earth will filter it and shake us off like ticks off the back of a dog.

ya want to know what to do to help the environment? Eat as much cow as you can as fast as you can!!

[Freakzilla]

Eat as much cow as you can as fast as you can!!

Mmmm, cow...

[SandChigger]

Yum! COW! MMMMM!!!

[Freakzilla]

The Cadillac is back!

[SandChigger]

YEA! (?!?)

[Freakzilla]

YEA! (?!?)

No more sittin' in the dirt at the drive-in!

I just picked it up Friday from the shop, had the transmission "custom" rebuilt. I've spent the last month mostly at my mom's house during the work week so she could take me to and from the carpool.

Pimpin' ain't easy.

[SandChigger]

(Ahp, I did remember the details. The "?!?" was due to a momentary lapse into eco-consciousness. I'm over it: BURN THE EARTH! NUKE THE TREES! FUCK THE WHALES!!! )

[Omphalos]

Congratulations, Freak. With all the cash you just sunk into it, its officially worth the cost of the other repairs you probably have to do.

[inhuien]

^^^ You said it, cars cost more than kids.

[Freakzilla]

Congratulations, Freak. With all the cash you just sunk into it, its officially worth the cost of the other repairs you probably have to do.

I think I spent a little less on this repair than it's worth.

But I look at it this way; where am I going to get a car for $3,000 that nice, that seats six and has no problems... at least none that I don't know about?

BTW, I passed my emissions test this morning and got my tag.

[Omphalos]

Ive got my 13 year-old Ford pickup truck. Ive had several of them over the years, and they never let me down. The most expensive repair I have ever had to do is a new starter (they go out a lot in Fords). Although now I need a new O2 sensor and that will probably cost $180 or so. Can't fix six in it though.

[Freakzilla]

Ive got my 13 year-old Ford pickup truck. Ive had several of them over the years, and they never let me down. The most expensive repair I have ever had to do is a new starter (they go out a lot in Fords). Although now I need a new O2 sensor and that will probably cost $180 or so. Can't fix six in it though.

O2 sensors for my Ford Windstar are only $50.

I'd be wary of replacing those, though. Usually it's a sign of something else going wrong and rarely are the O2 sensors actually bad.

[Omphalos]

Ive got my 13 year-old Ford pickup truck. Ive had several of them over the years, and they never let me down. The most expensive repair I have ever had to do is a new starter (they go out a lot in Fords). Although now I need a new O2 sensor and that will probably cost $180 or so. Can't fix six in it though.

O2 sensors for my Ford Windstar are only $50.

I'd be wary of replacing those, though. Usually it's a sign of something else going wrong and rarely are the O2 sensors actually bad.

Maybe, but that is what the computer is saying the problem is. If its something else, its something else. I doubt it though.