136,735 Mile Update: Start Me Up!

Long time, no update! Vic has been putting along just fine... until yesterday.

I had noticed it sounded a little funny the last time I had started it up. The "funny" seemed familiar. I filed it away in my brain for future reference, and it came in handy not long after... like yesterday morning when I was about to go out and run some errands. Not to mention my mother wanting to also get out of the driveway.

I turned the key, and CLICK. Wouldn't start. Wouldn't crank.

Tried it a second time, DITTO.

All the dash lights went on like normal, and I could hear the fuel pump go on, so when it did start on the third try, I knew it was most likely the starter going bad.

A phone call later, I was on the way to Taxi Guy for repairs. I lucked out and got the job done along with an overdue oil change before the evening rush hour!

Thing is, I swore I had already had the starter done in 3.0. But Taxi Guy said it looked original, so it must have been 2.0. I believe that makes one for each Vic. And given the wide variety of miles on each car, they must wear out with age.

Why share a photo of Vic 3.0 next to some boring office building?  Well, that building is the headquarters of Welch's, as in Concord Grape jam and juice, and those green things behind Vic are actual grape vines growing from cuttings of the original vine!  I knew I was probably on camera so I didn't pick any of the grapes, but I did pick one up off the ground and it smelled just like their juice.