It turns out that my car needs new brake hoses before it can go in for inspection. I've never even heard of brake hoses. In French, a brake hose is called un flexible de frein.The flexibles on my car are craquelés — cracking, deteriorating — and the official vehicle inspectors don't like to see that. I don't like the idea myself. The mechanic said he has to order the replacement hoses.
July 2011 — the Peugeot seen from the terrace
I'll take the car back in next week and the mechanic said he will take it personally to the inspection station after doing the repair and make sure it passes. He said it won't cost me any more that way, so I'm glad to have him do it. I won't have to sit in the waiting room for another hour or two.
Walt and I have decided to rent a car for two days so that the Peugeot can spend the night at the mechanic's if necessary. We wanted to go to Tours to do some shopping, so while our car is being repaired and inspected, we'll drive the rental over to Tours (a 90-mile round trip).
Also July 2011, some my most recent photos of the car, I think
Luckily, our local SuperU supermarket rents vehicles. According to the web site, the little car we can rent will cost 34 euros for 48 hours and 90 miles — a deal. Plus gas, of course, but we'd have to pay for that anyway. I have to go today and reserve the car (a little Fiat).
Today it's snowing all around. It's still dark here so I don't yet know whether we have snow on the ground. But TéléMatin reports some snow at Tours, and a couple of inches all around Paris. I heard it raining overnight, I think, so I'm going to be surprised if I see snow when the sun comes up in a few minutes.
P.S. At 8:15 a.m., no snow at our house...
No snow down here, either, Walt... but the Staffette said that she heard rain hitting the windows as the Staff got up to feed us this morning. My brother's been out... but moi, in the wet? Never!!
ReplyDeleteThe Staff says he knows all about "flexibles" and the perils of them cracking... fuel hoses too!
Tell the Staff that it's been 40 years since I had my last older car, so I'm out of touch with repairs and maintenance besides oil changes and brake pads! But it makes a lot of sense to keep an old car, since we drove it a total of 5000 km / 3000 miles in 2012.
ReplyDeleteDedene said that it snowed at her house. I can't wait to see snowy photos from your house :)
ReplyDeleteKen, don't you get tune ups regularly? In a way, it might be a good thing to get a compulsory inspection every two years otherwise people might not bother with tune ups? (sorry, I just don't know much about cars).
ReplyDeleteWe are now getting into winter moods here. It is warm outside, it is just the darkness that gets to us. Day light saving change has not helped.
Great deal on the rental and I agree with driving older cars for saving money.
ReplyDeleteNadege, I get a winter mood too, but we are about to hit bottom. My mood improves a few days after New Year with longer days.
We had snow in Nogent sur Marne. It was snowing when I got up, but had stopped by the time I finished breakfast, was turning to slippery slush on the sidewalk when I went out just after nine and it was raining when I came home after noon.
ReplyDeleteJust a bit more than 2 weeks and the days will start getting longer. I can't wait!
I've never heard of brake hoses either, but there has to be some way to get the brake fluid to the brakes. We don't put many miles on our car either. Basically, it's to the super market and back home.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great deal on the rental car!
ReplyDeleteMy most recent estimate from Hertz for a "compact car" here in the States (nothing as fuel efficient as in Europe) would cost $400 to travel during Christmas!
I'm looking forward to reading more about the holidays in France -- surely not so consumer-oriented I imagine...