I woke up this morning feeling a little sick thinking about having to take my car to be tested and then waiting to hear the bad news of a big price for repair. After I got up I realized that I was actually hungry. Had a good breakfast but still had that empty feeling knowing that the car had to be repaired and no money to do it. I sent an instant message to Brian asking him for a recommendation for a place to take the car to have it checked. He told me to take it to an automotive store and they would check it for free. I called NAPA in Ruston and the guy said yes they checked for free so I got dressed and took off for Ruston.
When I arrived at NAPA the guy came out to check the car with his little hand held computer like instrument and the results said “Catalyst efficiency below threshold.” He turned off the car and checked again and it said the same thing. I was pretty sure but I asked anyway if that meant that I should have the catalytic converter replaced and he said yes. I asked him for recommendations as to the best place to have the work done. He gave me the names of two places. I checked at the first one and they quoted a price of $150 to $350 for the converter. I then went to the second place and there the guy got on the ground, looked under my car and said, $140 installed. Needless to say I will go to the second place. It is the same place where I have the front end aligned and I really like their work. I asked all three guys if it would be all right to drive the car for a while before I had the replacement done and they said it would be all right but that I might notice a loss in power. The funny thing is that on the way home from Ruston the check engine light went OFF. Then I had to go to the grocery store and the light still did not come back on. This will be the second time that I have replaced the catalytic converter replaced. The first time I had it diagnosed at Toyota where I bought the car. I was very thankful to the service guy for telling me to go to Midas or somewhere else where I could get the converter replaced for about a third what Toyota would charge. Midas charged me almost four hundred so am glad that the guy today gave me a better recommendation.
The information I received today was the answer to another prayer. I had prayed that whatever was wrong with the car would not cost so much. Granted, $140 is more money than I have right now but at least it is a lot less than $350. I was really down Saturday night, yesterday, and this morning but now I am feeling great again.
I want to be in bed by midnight for must be up by eight thirty tomorrow morning to get ready for Bible study. Since it is now after eleven, I need to go prepare the fruit salad that I am going to take tomorrow for the potluck lunch so that I can make my bedtime deadline.