About two weeks ago, the right turn signal bulb in the van I drive for work burnt out. I've been meaning to fix it, but I just never got around to it. Several months ago now, I fixed the left one, and from what I remember, it was super easy.
The bulb sits in a socket that is twisted into place. You simply unscrew it with half a turn, lift it out, work the bulb sideways until it releases, pop the new bulb into the socket, replace the socket and twist.
Of any kind of repair I've ever made, it's got to be among the simplest.
So, that's what I was expecting to happen yesterday evening when I popped the hood and unscrewed the socket.
That's where the easy part ended.
Instead of rocking its way out, the bulb wouldn't budge. I tried pushing and pulling on what appears to be plastic tabs on either side of the socket, and another piece that looks like it slips into a groove in the plastic part of the bulb, but none of that worked. I did it several times, increasing the force quite a bit, over a period of at least three minutes. Nothing. I used a flat head screw driver, and ultimately only succeeded in breaking off one of the tabs.
By the time I was finished, the bulb was cracking and threatening to break off from its plastic insert bit, but not budging at all from the socket.
I figured throughout this whole process that I was misremembering how easy it really was the last time. I went looking for the van's owner manual, but it's nowhere to be found (and wasn't the last time I looked for it, either). After some searching, I finally found a YouTube video with the same socket with someone demonstrating how to remove and replace the bulb. Just as I remembered it.
Still, the bulb would not come out.
At the point, the only thing I could think of doing was getting a replacement for the socket.
I bought the bulbs at a local parts store, so around 7:50 pm, I drove into town. When I got there, the parts store was closed. I got there an hour too late.
There are two other parts stores within a stone's throw of that one, but for some reason, I didn't even think to see if they were open. I just drove away and went home.
Today, after I found out I wouldn't be working, I decided I'd go ahead and go back in and get the part. The store was definitely open this time, but they didn't have the socket in stock, and when they checked their supplier inventory, no one else had it, either. I asked where else to try, and was directed to the other parts stores.
So, I went across the street. In the parking lot, I decided to check if Amazon had the part with their phone app, just in case the same scenario of no part on hand and none in inventory played out again. Then, I went in.
Here, the parts guy couldn't find it, but said he could order it and have there by around 3 pm. That was faster than Amazon, which promised a Friday delivery, but the part store was going to charge $5 more. I decided expediency was more important than $5. He took my number and said they would give me a call when it came in. I paid for it and left, feeling a little bit better.
However, by 3 pm, no one had called me. I waited another hour, and when still no one called, I called them. I was told that yes, they had the part, and so I went in and retrieved it. Since I had the replacement bulb with me, I put it into the new socket. Bingo. Popped right in. Just for fun, I tried to remove it. No problem.
Only one thing left to do. When I got home, I put the socket in its place and tested the turn signal. It worked.
Mission accomplished. Finally. Three trips into town (though at least one of them was on me for not even thinking to check the second parts place last night), and several hours of frustration and futility over a fix that might actually take a minute.
But Wait—There's More!
As I was finishing up with the turn signal replacement, my wife called. She was at the store trying to use a $25 gift certificate she was given at Christmas by a doctor who apparently gave out a total of 20 or so to staff members. Only, the gift certificate wouldn't work.
When the clerk went to swipe it, it was rejected. When the customer service later followed up, it again declined.
My wife was given a phone number to call to try to figure out what was going on and see what could be done to fix it.
My wife isn't very good with tech support issues over the phone, so she was calling me not only to tell me what was wrong, but to let me know I had a job to do when she got home. I was to call tech support.
Great. More fun for me.
I called the number. The recording makes you sit through an automated message even if it doesn't apply to you. Then, there's a couple layers of menus. When I finally got to the one I thought I wanted, it told me I needed to follow the instructions on the back of the card to check the balance.
Okay. Card directed me to a website, so off I went. The website wanted the card number, plus PIN that you reveal on the card by scratching off the coating on top of it. I inputed all the numbers and clicked enter. A balance appeared. $25.
Okay. Site says yes, but store said no. Twice. Now what?
I got back on the phone and redialed the customer service line. Sat through the automated message, again. Went through the prompts, but this time I pressed nine for a customer service representative. I waited. As I waited, I occupied myself with other things. Eventually, there was a dialing sound, like when it transfers you to another line, except...
It hung up!
Great. Redialing for the third time. Listen to the message. Again. Go through the menus. Again. Wait. Again. Finally, a real person answers.
I tell them the problem, and that I checked the balance. They say just a moment, they need to bump me up to the next level.
Okay. Not even an attempt to help. Call screener at tech support?
Presently, someone else answers. I give them the information. Very politely and apologetically, she tells me, basically, that she can't help. The only way to find out what happened with the card is to either have a receipt of purchase, which my wife doesn't have, or to have the person who gave her the card call up customer service and walk through the process. They need 10 numbers from the card she used and the date she purchased the card. If she doesn't have the receipt with that info on in it, there's probably a statement of some kind, and surely she remembers which card she used.
All I can do is shake my head at this point. The system is trying to protect against fraud, she says, or fake gift cards. Like anyone would call up over $25 that they were trying to illegally set up themselves? Especially when the gift balance site states there's $25 on it?
Unlike my turn signal bulb, this situation remains unresolved. My wife thinks she'll see the doctor who gave her the gift card sometime next week. She forgot to use it for six months, so what's another week or two or three?
Whatever. I'm not going to lose sleep over that, or anything else. I'm just glad the turn signal bulb is fixed. Now I just have to find out why the tire indicator light is coming on again and get it removed, this time, hopefully, for good.
All images courtesy of Glen Anthony Albrethsen
One wonders how much extra money they make on faulty gift cards that people just give up on, because it's not worth that much effort for $25.
Hey, @minismallholding.
That's a good question. The lady was nice, though, but it is amazing how things like that get automatically turned onto the one who just wants to use the dumb gift card, rather than it being some kind of scam on their parts. :)
I'm sure she gets an earful a lot, too, and as you say, it really wasn't worth it to get riled up over.
The card has been given back to the person who gave it to my wife to try to figure out what's wrong with it.
More of a case of passing the buck, you mean? That also makes a lot of sense. It could also be a method of dealing with those trying to con them.
Oh, I'm sure it's their method of dealing with fraud, I was just saying that it plays out like you're guilty and have to prove your innocence as opposed to the other way around. The opposite of what it should be.
Even so, I'm not sure how they could prove one way or another that the card we had was good or bad, without having the person who gifted the card getting involved. Unless there was some way to pick out fraudulent cards like there is with counterfeit bills, which surely there could be. I don't know. I'm thinking out loud. :)
A 100 dollar bad valve stem. Then to get it fixed since it is likely the valve stem you need to go to a tire store, then you have to pay them to remove the tire. Then they need to remove the valve stem and the bad sensor that is attached to the inside of the valve stem. Then you need to wait for them to put the tire back on the rim, after they replace the valve stem, and then put it back on your van. then they need to set the air pressure in each tire, then they need to go through the reset rig-ama-role. Then they warn you come back in 50 miles to have your tire re torqued. Then when you get halfway home the tire light comes back on, so it is turn around time back to the tire store and say the butt light is on again, then they do another check which only takes half the time the first one did and re-set the system again.
Cheaper solution, get a tire pressure gauge, check the tire pressure to ensure they are all within two pounds of each other, and put a piece of electrician tape over where the butt symbol shows up so you don't fret over it.
Hey, @bashadow.
Okay, so I can't help but think you're speaking from experience here. :)
They couldn't find anything specific. Tire pressure on all four tires was pretty much the same, so the tech did something to make the system relearn where the tires were. That's supposed to help.
Oh, and it did need a front alignment. I guess I need to go back for that. Not quite $100 for it, though. :)
It's a company van, so I'm not fretting over the light so much as I'm just wanting to make sure if something does happen, it's not because of my negligence. :)
For now, the light is gone. We'll see if it comes back.
Yep, during seasonal tire change over, no butt symbol when I took it in, but then supposedly two of the sensor suddenly went bad. I mean it could happen I suppose, I sort of seriously doubt it. I could have made a stink about it and all, but fact of the matter is, I have taken my cars there for a lot of years.
The lock down and covid bull shit has taken a toll on local business, so I ignored it. I would rather have an owner make believe covid tax on my tire switch over than have to start going to one of those tire places that are all over the county like walmarts of tire emporiums, The Johnson Tire store did not last long here. They tried undercutting all the local tire places but after the walmart, k-mart, and other big brand name places people just refused to go there.
Some times unusual times require unusual restraint.
And you wonder where your day went. Ha, but that's life. These things happen to the best of us - if that is any consolation. :-)
Hey, Vincent.
re: consolation
No, not really. :) But that's okay. If I had a dime for every time something like this has happened to me, I wouldn't be super rich, but I bet I'd have more than a couple of bucks, too. :) Over the course of a lifetime, stuff like that can add up.
Never mind, these things are sent to test us. haha... You learn from the experience. That's how life works. 😊
Sometimes it seems that nothing is going ones way, turn signal bulb-housings do their best to confound us and gift cards seek to trip us over...Let's not mention being on the phone on hold...
One thing I notice in your post is the lack of anger although you may have felt it. Frustration too. I think you've handled this well and hope that tomorrow is a better day but if not it's certainly going to be e new day, so that's something.
All the best Glen.
P.s. I have my own turn signal change over story...Much the same as yours, more broken parts...Most of which I broke in frustration. Lol.
Hey, @allover.
It must be a turn signal epidemic, then. :)
re: lack of anger
Well, I don't think I got mad over it, but there was definitely a level of frustration. It tends to filter out to a degree when I'm writing, but I think you've seen it on the other post, or at least in my comments. I get fed up. This time around it was more like, "This shouldn't be so hard."
Calling any kind of phone support is generally the last thing I want to do, especially over stuff like the gift card. A phantom $25 floating around somewhere out there, just not where some card reader can see it.
I'll admit that I am prone to frustration in some things. Engine bays with no access to headlights and turn signals are one of them. It's like they want to make it so difficult to replace a bulb that you give up and buy a new car. Nearly worked with me once.
Please don't get me started on phone support...I have had a lovely day, don't want to ruin it. I have some time on the phone coming up I think, trying to claim some flight back...I'm not looking forward to it.
@tipu curate
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