Fall in Florida and car frustrations

I realize that for the rest of the United States, fall is characterized by changing leaves and tones ranging from crimson red through cheery orange down to a dark and earthy brown. Here in Florida I'm sitting outside at Panera bread, enjoying the greenery and the fact that it is 88 F and barely humid.

This week was marked by some fantastic weather and some good times catching up with old friends, as well as a new wrinkle in car maintenance for me. After a routine visit to the dealer to have the car checked stem to stern and have some bearings changed out, I received something that strikes fear into the hearts of car owners everywhere: the maintenance required light.

Upon further examination and using my boyfriend's code reader, I found that the electric load detector needed to be replaced. It's part of the fuse box assembly and regulates the current passed to various electric devices in the vehicle. With a quick google search, I found that the part was a mere $35. Not bad, considering it's importance to the car's electronics system. However, calls to a couple different dealerships yielded some frustration. When I specified the part, along with the model and year of my car, I was told it was part of the fuse assembly and could not be sold separately. Most maddening to me was the parts department employee who suggested I bring the car in to be looked at.

Then, my boyfriend calls one of the SAME dealerships I spoke with. They tell him it's a $35 part.

I guess the message that women can fix their own cars (gasp!) has not trickled down to some members of the automotive industry. If you are reading this and are in that industry, know that there are women who change their own oil, have access to code readers and google, and are not afraid to get their hands dirty.