Check Engine

The other day (Saturday, March 20, 2010) our 2003 Honda CR-V threw up its dreaded “check-engine” light.
A tiny yellow icon glaring on the dash display.
As far as I can recall, this is the first anomaly over seven years of ownership; almost 60,000 miles.
That car is as-purchased. Everything is original except the battery, which I just replaced. It lasted seven years.
Even the exhaust system. Must be stainless steel. Years ago I woulda been on the second or third exhaust by now.
Plus the tires. —I replaced the stock tires and wheels shortly after purchase with alloy wheels and performance tires.
Those tires wore out last summer, and were replaced with another set.
60,000 miles isn't much, but now that we're retired we don't drive as much.
In fact, it's the first anomaly a Honda has thrown at us over 20 years of Honda ownership.
So I took it back to good old Ontario Honda, where I bought it brand-new years ago.
I've always thought the world of Ontario Honda.
They correctly realigned our previous Honda, after a minor accident, which is the BEST car we've ever owned.
That car, an '89, lasted 13 years and went 160,000 miles, and we might still be driving it had it not been crashed.
The insurance company totaled it, but I was tempted to fix it anyway.
We didn't. We were afraid it might have been pranged.
I had the dealer in Rochester, where we bought it, align it, and they messed it up.
I had to align it myself. I could. I purchased tools for doing so from some classic-car restorer in Penfield.
I couldn't align it after the minor accident, because a tie-rod bolt had froze.
By then we were living out here, so I farmed out the job to Ontario Honda.
They did it right, unlike that dealer in Rochester.
And that was despite that frozen tie-rod bolt, and alignment made wonky by that minor accident.
The CR-V also needed inspection, so I went to Ontario Honda yesterday (Tuesday, March 23, 2010).
“It won't pass inspection with that 'check engine' light on,” said the service-rep.
First they would analyze the check-engine light.
Off to the waiting-room.
“General Hospital” was on.
Yelling and screaming between two protagonists facing each other.
I been on this planet over 66 years, and have never experienced as much insanity as transpires on that program in one week.
Next was Oprah, who kept being “shocked.”
Something about “distracted driving” and cellphone usage and texting while driving.
Tearful interviewees were trotted by recounting tales of horror and mayhem.
It's true, of course.
I nearly got backed over by a cellphone user in the parking-lot of the Honeoye Falls MarketPlace.
Who then acted like it was my fault she nearly hit me, and kept right on yammering.
Another time I got run off the road on my way to the mighty Mezz by a young lady in a black Volkswagen Jetta applying make-up while yammering on her cellphone and reading the Democrat & Chronicle.
When I drive my cellphone goes in my back pocket.
If anyone calls, it goes to voicemail.
Recently my wife served a lady at the West Bloomfield post-office who was incensed the NY State-Police had nailed her for cellphone use while driving.
Driving takes 100 percent concentration.
It's my having driven bus for Regional Transit.
Madness and insanity are everywhere.
It takes 100 percent concentration to avoid accidents.
The service-rep came out and told me the evaporative canister and valve, which purges gasoline fumes from the gas-tank, was wonky, and needed to be replaced.
400 smackaroos, but no more “check-engine” light.
The CR-V passed inspection today (Wednesday, March 24, 2010).

• “Ontario Honda” is the Honda car-dealer just north of Canandaigua. (“Canandaigua” [“cannon-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.)
• “Penfield” (“penn-feeld”) is a suburb east of Rochester, NY.
• RE: “Living out here.....” —We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western NY, southeast of Rochester. Before that we lived in Rochester.
• The “mighty Mezz” is the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, from where I retired over four years ago. Best job I ever had.
• The “Democrat & Chronicle” is the daily morning newspaper based in Rochester.
• RE: “Honeoye Falls MarketPlace......” — “Honeoye (‘HONE-eee-oy’) Falls” is the nearest village to the west to where we live, a rural village about five miles away.”MarketPlace” is a private supermarket therein.
• My wife of 42+ years is “Linda.” Like me she’s retired, but she once worked part-time at the West Bloomfield post-office. She retired as a computer programmer. She no longer works at the post-office.
• Cellphone use is against-the-law in New York state.
• For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service, the transit-bus operator in Rochester. My stroke October 26, 1993 ended that.