Broken Truck

Seems like we just got the truck back...oh wait, we did, in November. Well, then it broke again.

Before I start the story, I'm going to ruin it for you all and tell you the ending - all is well, the truck is fine.

Last Tuesday, I was at Fred Meyer (visiting my sister in law's soon-to-be-husband - what does that make him to me? Brother in law? My sister in law's husband? Ricky's brother in law? Huh). When I was ready to live I was supposed to go pick up Janelle and we were going to dinner. However, the key would not turn in the ignition. I don't mean that I turned it and it wouldn't start, but it literally would not turn.

I called AAA, who sent a locksmith. She determined that my key was too worn down to do any good, so she tried to make me a new one. However, mine was so worn down that she ended up having to take the door panel off to get the lock code (this is an important part of the story). She made a new key from that and voila! worked great in the doors...but not in the ignition.

At this point she says our only option is to take it into their shop and they can fix it, for $170. So AAA towed it home so that we could decide what to do.

Ricky ended up tearing it apart and getting the ignition out. He called around to get a new part - $102. Better than he $170 to take it to the locksmith, but still not great. So Ricky asked the Toyota dealership is there was anyway to fix the old ignition. He said, "no, we can't. Only a locksmith can do that." So Ricky took it to a locksmith, who fixed it for $35. Much, much better than our original quote of $170!

The ignition is back in the truck, and the truck runs fine now that the key will turn. I am happy to once again have my truck back, and I'm really happy to have a handy husband who knows how to take things apart and put them back together again.

PS - the part about the door being important? Well, when she put the door panel back on she didn't connect the handle right so you can't currently open the passenger door from the inside. Last night when Janelle and I were running around town, I had to open her door for her so she could get out every. single. time. I felt very chivalrous :-P Don't worry, the locksmith knows it's wrong and they are going to fix it, I'm just not sure when yet.