So I dropped my car off at Mazda Tuesday. They call me Wednesday, say it’s all set, come get it. I ask what was wrong and they say the same part that failed two weeks ago failed again. I express some skepticism. I start the car in the dealership lot, drive less than 10 yards and pop, the check engine light comes on again. What’s most surreal about this is this is the second time this exact thing has happened to me with this car. Thank god I’m pretty even keeled about things. I had to walk right back into the dealership and not lose my temper.

Anyway now they’re thinking it’s a short circuit in the wiring of the car and have ordered a wiring harness from Japan which will take a week or so to get here. The explanation seems reasonable, but so have several other explanations I’ve been given (defective gas cap, bad car computer that needed an update, vacuum hose leak), so I’m still skeptical.

Meanwhile I am driving the car around with the check engine light on. I complained about this at the dealership, along the lines of ‘can I get a guarantee in writing that if the temp gauge or oil or fuel systems fail and my engine pops while this is going on, you guys are buying me a new car?’ but they weren’t having it, basically their point of view is everything is still under warranty and I’ll be covered no matter what happens. I guess we’ll see. The biggest bummer is I am on vacation next week and was planning to drive all over the place to hike. Now I have to decide whether it’s wise to do that or not.