We got a surprise over the weekend. It was an e-mail from the guy who runs the landscaping service we've been using for the past 10 years or so for hedge trimming taking down dead trees. He had told us a few months ago that he would send out his crew to trim our tall, wide bay laurel hedge in December. And then we didn't hear from him for a while. Suddenly he contacted us again a couple of days ago and said he'd send out the crew on Monday morning. And he did.
Problem was, the weather was lousy. We were having high winds and heavy rain showers. He said it wasn't possible to do the work under those conditions. It was too dangerous. So now he's supposed to show up this morning to start the job. We hope to see him at 8:30 or so.
Meanwhile, we took the Peugeot to our car mechanic's shop yesterday morning at nine o'clock. I had made the appointment before Christmas. The car, my 24-year-old Peugeot 206, needed a new timing belt. It's a maintenance job that needs to be done every ten years or one hundred thousand kilometers. Our Peugeot 206 has just 200,000 kilometers (125,000 miles) on it, but this will be its third timing belt job since I bought it (used) in 2003.
In French, the timing belt job is called la courroie de distribution, and having a new one put in costs about five hundred euros. That includes putting in a new water pump. I had the Citroën C4's belt changed last year, which was a couple of years early. But I felt better having the job done, since the Citroën is already 17 years old. It has just 103,000 kilometers (64,000 miles) on it. I bought it used in February 2015 — nine years ago already. It looks and drives like a new car. We don't drive much, compared to all the miles I drove when we lived in California, where I had a long daily commute.
If the timing belt breaks, the result can be a trashed engine, and replacing the engine would cost a lot more than 500 euros. In fact, many cars don't have timing belts. They have timing chains instead. The chains aren't really susceptible to breaking, but they do require periodic inspection and maintenance (lubrication). They are noisier and heavier than timing belts, which are made of reinforced rubber. Compared to cars with belts, cars with chains get lower mileage.
My other occupations right now, besides cooking and laundry, have to do with the new micro computer I just bought. It was delivered yesterday, but I haven't had time to plug it in yet. The winds have died down since yesterday afternoon, so I'll work on that today. I don't want the little computer to be damaged by a power surge. Yesterday, we had short power outages several time over the course of the day.
Upkeep is important on a car, they always say. Even if you don't have the miles on the car, the age is a factor with the rubberized components, I've always heard, so... good for you giving good new life to your treasured Peugeot.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the new computer!
I'm interested in that mini computer. We try to keep up with car maintenance also even though we don't take long trips anymore.
ReplyDeleteAhhh timing chains. I had mine break on a car while it was in the car wash. That was a fun day for me lol! You are wise to stay ahead of the curve.
ReplyDeleteI remember having trouble with a car's timing chain back in the early 1980s. I can't remember what car it was. One of the links in the chain had been damaged somehow, if I remember correctly, and the car wouldn't start if that link ended up at a specific location when the chain moved. I don't ever remember having to have a timing belt replaced in a in the US. I did a lot of driving back then, from N.C. to Illinois, Ill. to Florida, D.C to Albany NY. Walt and I had three differen Subarus over the years, and I think they all had timing chains. I had three VWs, and I know one of them had a timing belt because I sold it to a woman in S.F. who called me about a year after buying it that the timing belt had broken. She wanted me to pay for the repair. I said no and told her to take it up with VW. It was one car that I hadn't put too many miles on while I owned it because we were living and working in Silicon Valley and my commutes were short.
DeleteMy car was dropped off today for a clutch job - I haven't gotten a call back, yet on the exact diagnosis. It is 17 years old and 105, 000 miles. I checked online and my car does have a chain timing belt but my Honda Fit does not need it to ever be replaced - lifetime timing belt! I will ask the technician what he thinks about that when he calls me! What shows on American TV are you excited to watch?
ReplyDeleteI like to watch MSNBC or CNN when I get up early in the morning to see what's going on in the U.S. I can't only watch those American networks on the internet because my satellite channels don't include them.
ReplyDeleteThat's me, Ken, above. Good luck with the clutch. I had to have my Citroën's clutch replaced in 2023.
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