This weekend, I took advantage of the good weather to do a little maintenance on the truck. Nothing much. I changed the air filter and replaced a blown headlight bulb.
When I fired it up, I noticed the RPM's were a tad high, but thought it might be from the new air filter. The old one was pretty gunky, and I thought it would even out once the computer got used to getting more air.
But when I took her out on the road, I had an unpleasant surprise. The brakes were extremely stiff, and I had almost no braking power. Further investigation yielded nothing. I got her back in the driveway with no crashes.
I know little about fixing modern brakes, so I called my mechanic after he opened this morning.
He said it sounded like either a power booster or master cylinder, or both. A quick check of a parts website showed that parts alone would run into the $200 range, and then add in labor and taxes. Plus a rental car to get around for a few days while he ordered parts. Ouch.
So, with trepidation and thoughts of my ammunition budget for the next couple of months flying away, I nursed the truck to the garage.
He took a look, started the engine, and then put a brake hose back on that I didn't see when I knocked it loose.
Charge - nothing except a handshake.
As I drove home, my brakes were good as new, and my RPM's were exactly where they belonged. I guess the engine was working overtime trying to get pressure into that hose, and that's why it was racing.
Someone earned himself a box of donuts tomorrow morning and a recommendation every time someone in Louisville is looking for a mechanic. We've bought tires and such from him in the past, and Irish Woman takes her car there when something goes wrong that I can't fix. I think I'll be taking my cars there more often too.
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