Robbed by My Dealer

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"Eighteen dollars for ONE plug?!" I asked in shock. The service manager nodded. "I can buy high performance iridium ones for six dollars each." I said. Staring at the bill as its numbers burned into my wallet, I asked, "Isn't this a tad excessive?" She only shrugged and replied curtly, "I'm sorry. That's what we charged."

Unbelievable. My car had died last week. But I managed to revive it long enough to get it to the dealer, Lee Hyundai of Fayetteville, NC. Initially, the service center called and told me that the plugs and wires were shot. Not surprising with 140,000 miles of use. They gave me an estimate of $300 because 'the plugs are in a difficult place and will take some time.' Since my baby was dead, I had no other option. Besides, I had come to trust them for my service and price. But no more.

While they worked to bring my beast of burden back to life, I checked online for prices. My car, a 2001 Tiburon, is not a high maintenance, racing car. Just a 4 banger that's great on gas and has a sleek, sexy, exotic look. Sort of like of me. (Quit laughing, I said "sort of".) Anyway, a set of high performance wires is about $55 and plugs at $6 each. Four plugs would be $24. Cut to the dealership with me getting the bill. Wires, $62 -- Ok, dealer prices are a little higher. Plugs, $18 ... for ONE! The set of four was $72. Add in labor and I was a few pennies shy of $300.

UPDATE: It wasn't the plugs that were the problem. Nor was the throttle control or the air control sensor that they replaced. No, after several returns back to the shop and after an additional $800 in repairs and parts, the crack technicians at the dealership finally determined that it was a hole in the engine gasket. Once that was replaced, all was well with my car.

What have we learned? Avoid dealerships if you can, especially Lee Hyundai in Fayetteville ,NC!

I didn't see any sign

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I know that my life is under construction but good grief! This past week on the highway of life has been nothing but monstrous potholes, messy detours and bugs in my teeth as I try to smile through it all.

Frustrating? As bad as driving behind someone who going half the speed limit and you have no way of passing them.

But it's not been so bad that I want to pull to the side of the road and breathe deep on the exhaust fumes from the tailpipe. Tomorrow is another day. Let's hope that this road construction makes things a little smoother before I reach my final destination.

70 virgins without exploding

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Let's see, a suicide bomber in Iraq wants to blow himself up because he wants to get into heaven to be surrounded by 70 virgins? When he walks in the middle of an Iraqi marketplace and find himself surrounded by a sea of burqas, isn't there a good chance he's already surrounded by 70 virgins if not more? And when he arrives in his version of heaven, you got to think that it must be hell for the virgins. I wonder what did they did that was so terrible?