Car repair for the complete dork

[rikibeth]

I went to the auto parts store after work. I got coveralls, a case of oil, a new oil filter, a new air filter, an oil filter wrench, and a shop manual for my car... but they did not have just plain gaskets. A new oil filter cap would have been about $7, and a gasket should have been about a buck, and they said try the hardware store. So I did. When I got to the hardware store I opened the hood to pry the old gasket out of the cap so I could get a new one the right size... and discovered that the reason I was burning so much oil from under the hood was that I had not put the cap back ON after I put oil in on Friday.

I am an idiot.

It was a good thing I'd bought a can of engine degreaser too.

Then when I went into the hardware store they didn't have automotive gaskets. They said I needed the auto parts store, and I explained to them about the auto parts store not selling plain gaskets any more.

So for $2.79 I got a small sheet of gasket rubber the right thickness, and I cut it at home with a matte knife.

I also managed to wedge one of the ramps under the car the first time I tried to drive up onto them. I got it unwedged and up onto the ramps, but I am much too tired to try to change the oil and degrease the engine today. So I will take shadowflyer's car to work tomorrow and deal with my car afterwards.

I need a shower and sleep.

Comments

[neilfein.livejournal.com]

You could always look and see that the cap's back on, no?

[heck.livejournal.com]

This is true, but I never get back to the car until the next day and by then I never think of it. Yes, the entire household pretty much has the attention span of a gnat. Besides, I enjoy fussing with my little pain-in-the-ass car, and it gives me something to do while he cooks dinner. :)