Exo's Exposé

I had an engine light that wouldn't go off and when I finally googled it in the forum devotd to that car it turned out to be the dimmer switch on the light went up and it was draining the battery. Have you googled it? You never know but all the best anyway. You're going to have a fab holiday no mater what you do.

I do hope that you can get that pesky light fixed @Exoplanet and your planned trip away is wonderful. We often focus on all the things that are or could go wrong when the reality when we get there is much better. Try to think of all the wonderful things that you will experience and look forward to them

I take the car into the local mechanic next Wednesday, 2 days before I leave. It's going to be the best part of another grand. I decided to have the injectors replaced as well, even though that's not coming up in the errors. It's a crank shaft sensor error, so that sensor has to be replaced. As I've chosen to replace the injectors it'll have to have a new fuel filter as well . . . it all adds up! I started thinking about selling it, but I don't want that stress & I love my little car. They don't make little utes any more, it's the last of it's breed 😉 I have looked it up @Wanda , online & in the owners manual, what I read said nothing about crank shaft - it said it was an emissions problem; All I could think of was that the fuel isn't being burnt properly in the cylinders . . . & that's was being 'sensed' in the emissions, but I've just had the timing belt replaced. This mechanic said the the wire from the sensor is brittle & that it may have been damaged during the work on the timing belt. I decided to replace the injectors because I haven't been using premium fuel, I did when I first got the car {I've had it about 5 years now - I've put about 100 000kms on it!} But the first time the engine light came on, I was told it was probably fuel. There's only 1 servo out here, a BP & I was told that BP had had a bad batch of premium - so I stopped using it. When I first got the car I looked it up on forums & the likes & repetitively read that you have to use premium, add that to the fact that my late Father drummed it into my head that premium was by far the better fuel; the cheaper fuel may appear cheaper, but it doesn't travel the car as far a distance, add that to the fact that it gums up everything in the motor . . . & suddenly it's far from cheaper. So instead of the stress of selling my car & looking for a another, that wouldn't be a small ute - there are none under 5 years anymore; I'll deal with the stress of the cost of maintanence & repairs. This little car has done a lot of work for me, it's time I footed the bill for a lot of work to be put back into it 😉 My reality is that I'm not likely to be here in 5 years, it becomes a problem if I am, as I'm about to run out of savings; when that happens if anything goes wrong I'm stuffed. I'm still determined to enjoy my holiday @Zoe7 🙂 to enjoy water-watching, walking on the beach with my puppies, wallowing in all the fancies the cabin has to offer 😄 I think it's just natural anxiety kicking in, having a warning light still on my car & not being able to have it sorted by now, that it's 2 days before I leave being the last chance I have to fix it - well I'd say it's understandable anxiety 😉 I can feel it building in my chest, in my breath; it's all part of the excitement which I see as the joy of fear. Another one of my realities is that fear is ever present, though it's not always obvious fear; sometimes it's a lot more like anger & confusion. When your dealing with something as complicated as an electo-chemical biological process, it's never just black or white, good or bad, fear or courage - it's every shade inbetween!

Love to all that need or want it

Hearing you @Exoplanet we are complicated beasts I love the sound of walking on the beach with the puppies and enjoying water watching - sounds like my perfect holiday so I hope you enjoy all the fancies the cabin has to offer and the time away with your fur babies

I'm up early this morning, taking the car to the mechanic again. The engine light still isn't on & I've used the car twice since this mechanic cancelled out the errors. I wonder whether this sensor simply hadn't been plugged in properly & he was first one to notice it? Never the less, after today I'll know it has a new one, the oxygen sensor is less than a year old, it'll have new injectors & a new fuel filter, it just got new air & oil filters, new spark plugs & ignition leads; it also just got a new timing belt, wheel bearing, sump plug & indicator bulb. I'll know I've tried my best to have a reliable car for my trip away that I start in 2 days 😉 I need something to take my mind off the fact that my only daughter still isn't talking to me. I have no idea how she is, where she is, what children are with her, how they are. September will be 12 months since I had cancer removed, it's quite common for cancer to return 12-18 months after removal; I guess that's why they give you a percentage chance of surviving 5 years, usually it takes some time to end after it returns.

I certainly hope the cancer does not return for you @Exoplanet, the light issue on your car is fixed and you can look forward to many more adeventures in the future. Love to you Hon

I finish packing & head off today 🙂 I'm not leaving until this afternoon, but I'm sure I'll keep myself busy packing every nook & cranny I can find in the car to fill 😄 It still doesn't feel like it's happening & I sort of feel like I don't want to go . . . but I guess that's the norm for me. It's overcast but thankfully not raining. I put a tarp over the car yesterday as I've already attached the roof rack bag & packed some things into it. Bedding, food & bits & pieces to go.

I certainly hope the light issue on my car is fixed @Zoe7 I think it'd be spending good money after bad to try any harder.

Feeling for you @eth , I've had family members tell me things I have absolutely no recollection of, it's so hard to believe & then my conspirital brain kicks in & starts thinking they're lying to me & just want to hurt my feelings, make me feel guilty. I actually think it's why I've become so very solitary. My dogs don't hold anything against me, they just accept my good days & my bad. I have a very stong feeling that those that have been around me, only do so because they feel a responsibility to do so, not because they want to. If anyone wanted my company they'd visit on occasions particularly now & nobody does. I hope you enjoy your visit to the farm, I hope you have a fire to watch

I'll be going to my Sisters first, she is one of the pre-mentioned family members. She has come to my place during times of crisis or emergencies & I have to accept that I'm a difficult person so I can then realize how much effort she puts in to remaining in contact with me. I really do appreciate her strength, but I think it comes from guilt. When she was 12 she watched one of the men take me away in his car, she was playing a game of detective & made me a part of it - I have tried to lessen her guilt by telling her it happened before & it continued happening afterwards; but I think I am grateful for her guilt, because she is now the only human being left who actually speaks to me.

Well, I don't know what my brains doing, I should be excited for the beach but instead I'm racking through difficult feelings - go figure?

Love to all the need or want it

@Exoplanet Once you get out on the road and then to the water and beach to sit and let the world go by I hope you find that sense of serenity that you often find on these journeys Hon. All those feelings you have now will dissipate and you can enjoy spending that time away with your dogs. Fingers crossed also for you that the pesky engine light does not come on either. Hugs and hugs - travel safely and enjoy the trip

Hi @Exoplanet typed you a longer reply but lost it coz my internet keeps dropping out. Have a fab trip xoxo