The Car Wash

A while back I needed to fill up my car. So sweetE and I hurried things up and got out the door early on our way to preschool. The boys love going through the car was. And since the car was dirty and we had time I told him we could go.

Got gas, no problem. Drove around to the car wash, no problem.

We were guided in by a former student. There was a problem. I thought I heard a funny noise, but with the windows up and the radio on, I couldn't tell for sure.

I chit-chatted with my student. He was a reasonably smart kid who has made a series of poor choices. Which is why several years out of high school he is working at the car wash in February.

He scrubbed my car and off we went through the car wash. With a strange grinding noise the entire way. I turned off the radio and everything. We come out on the other side. SweetE wants to go through again. As we start to drive off, the scraping, grinding noise gets worse. I open the window to be sure. It is me.

Oh, crap. The previous summer, the belly pan on my car came loose and was scraping on the ground. So pull over and climb out to inspect. I am dressed for work. Lovely. And wouldn't you know it, but there it was again.

As I am trying to shove it back into place, I realize that it has been ripped in two. And seeing that it was a former student, I don't want to go rat him out for guiding me badly into place. And I assume that it will be less than $100 to get it replaced. It was loose anyway, so I don't go let them know. So I get it off the ground and get in the car. And immediately call the mechanic. They hate my car. Only because it is small and must be taken apart to do almost everything.

I need an oil change too, so I thought I would just schedule both. So I schedule the oil change and then mention that the "plastic thing on the underside of the car needs to be replaced." He isn't quite sure what plastic thing I was referring to. I want them to have it for when I come in at the end of the week, so I agree to swing by and let them have a look on the way to work.

I drop sweetE off at school and head off to the mechanic. Which means no coffee for me on the way in. Bummer. They take a look and ask if I have a minute and they will just take it off. Sure. This is why we stick with a mechanic, so they will help us out in a pinch.

He comes back out and tells me that it was a good thing they took it off, it was rubbing on some moving part on the engine.

A few days later, my car is at the shop and they call to say that it needs a belt and a filter. By the end of the day, my oil change has reached $600. A mere $250 is a new belly pan, installed.

I am leery of returning to the car wash. A car wash should not cost over $250, ever. I don't know if my former student is still there or not.