Bills show domino effect

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Columnist

You know how one thing always leads to another? How come that's the way it is when you take the car in for repairs?

The other day my car needed the smallest of fixes. It was so small I probably could have done it myself, but I didn't have the time, and besides I have low mechanical esteem.

So I was driving right by the dealer and figured, what the heck, why don't I just pop in and let them take care of the nagging little problem right then and there? How much could it cost, anyway, to get my glove compartment door unstuck?

The answer is $236.42. And it could have been worse.

Actually, unsticking the door was free. It was just the way one thing led to another that ended up costing so much money.

They didn't even need a mechanic to unlock the glove compartment. The guy with a clipboard did that in 30 seconds with the end of his pen. The only problem was that I had somehow lost the tiny little spring that went with the lock on the glove compartment. They didn't have one in stock, so we ordered one from the Mainland.

That cost $32.95, and you know where this is headed.

While I was paying for the $33 spring, a helpful attendant noticed my safety sticker had expired. Of course it had. It's hard to get your car inspected when you can't get into your glove compartment to reach the auto registration and insurance card. So I told them to go ahead and do that too, as long as I was there.

That was $29.95.

I spent a pleasant 45 minutes drinking bad coffee out of a Styrofoam cup, reading old Motor Trend magazines and staring at the Ko'olaus. Then one thing really started to lead to another.

One of my brake lights was out. So was another one. My muffler was rusted and had to be replaced. And the muffler was connected to something called a B pipe, which also was rusted and needed to be replaced, and that was connected to the catalytic converter and ... Pretty soon I was staring at a bill of more than $500 because I had stopped in to have my glove compartment door unstuck.

Eventually, the friendly guys at the service desk admitted they couldn't find a B pipe on the island. I could either wait three weeks while they ordered one or have the work done by a local muffler shop for half the dealer's price.

What a deal! I could wait three weeks and pay over $500 or get it done today for something like $236. What's the catch?

"Their muffler doesn't come with a lifetime guarantee."

Considering my car is 10 years old and has 120,000 miles on it, I figured I could live with a less-than-lifetime guarantee. I had my car back on the road the next day.

Just once, I guess, one thing didn't lead all the way to the last. When you're dealing with cars and parts and dealers, you count days like that among your small blessings.

Mike Leidemann's columns appear Thursdays and Saturdays. Reach him at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com