Over two days

Quick update on the Passat generator repair. Friday night I managed to put the car in the "service lock position" which consists of tearing down the bumper cover and removing about twenty screws and bolts. Saturday I took the generator, which I'd removed the night before, to AutoZone and they confirmed it was bad. Luckily I'd convinced them to order a replacement in advance so they quickly swapped out the parts and I headed home. Later that evening I replaced the unit and reassembled the car. All in all about five hours for the job plus the extra hour or so I spent checking for bad grounding connections.

I'm still waiting on my next shipment of parts to arrive but I already have the CV Joint / Axle assembly ready for the change out on the 5th. The plan is to "borrow" my dad's lift to make the job easier and to replace a return hose on the power steering reservoir and an ABS wheel speed sensor. Thought I was kidding about the car maintenance issues huh? So were my neighbors but now they've started to deride the Volkswagen and calling me Mr. Goodwrench.

Ahh, what the hell I'll take it

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With fuel prices over $4 a gallon nearly everyone is trying to save gas these days. This week's Friday site doesn't just give you hints for better fuel economy it also helps you track your mileage. CleanMPG is a forum for hypermilers to share gas saving tips and to take pride in achieving fuel economy well in excess of the EPA estimates.

I admit that some of the techniques can be a bit odd or even dangerous but others are valuable especially for folks who are caught driving a car or SUV with a less than stellar MPG rating. As one columnist noted these days it may be more cost effective to simply squeeze a few more miles out of tank than to incur the transaction cost of unloading a gas guzzling beast.

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Despite the responsibility there are few life and death scenarios. Though we occasionally get a wake up call at 3am, unlike doctors we IT people rarely deal with situations where life hangs in the balance. Sure a server may crash and burn but no one is going to be injured unless they happen to be sitting atop the unit when it goes.

The downside, pay grade aside, is that unlike doctors we do not have a fully stocked medical supply closet from which we can produce any tool we need or so desire. Scarcity of resources is one of the most frustrating things about working in tech. There are never enough computer cycles, system memory or hours in the day to get everything done. Technology is often left in service well beyond its expected life and is often retrofitted instead of replaced so as to save money in the short term.

Still despite the downside I still look forward to coming into work and rarely dread the impending crisis of the day. If only I could have the same attitude when home electronics or automobiles fail.

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Well I have the Passat back from the body shop and wouldn't you know it the battery light is on once again. Either something was knocked loose during the repair or the alternator is bad. More to come as it develops.

Simply put: I have no luck with this vehicle

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