August 2004

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This is for all those of you who want to help a damsel in distress. Yes, you. And I'm said damsel. I'm looking for suggestions as to the best way to pop the hood on my car, which is a 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier. The hood release mechanism is kaput...the little cable broke and so did the handle. They broke several years ago, but it hasn't been a problem till now; with some careful work with the pliers, I could get the last bit of the handle to cooperate.

And why, you might ask, does our fair damsel need to get under that hood? Well, the car won't start. The best diagnosis-from-outside is that there might be a battery cable loose, or corrosion on a battery terminal. Knowing if I'm dealing with either of these before seeking my mechanics' help would go a long way toward helping me plan for the expense.

And this time, the hood won't release, no matter which combinations of cursewords and pliers and thumping against the thing I've tried. The flip side of this is if I didn't want the hood to open, it would if I were to drive across a traffic bump just right. I don't mean the bad-movie version of the hood flying up into my field of vision; I mean the little-bit-open that allows you to get to the main latch. Many days I have the pleasure of slamming the hood shut after I've parked.

But since there's no easy way to get the car to the nearest traffic bump, well, I'm looking for Plan B.

For those who remember that I have an AAA membership and wonder why I'm not asking them to help, well, if they show up and it isn't something they can fix here, the car will need to be towed to my mechanics' garage. AAA won't come twice for the same incident, and until my next paycheck clears I can't afford to have work done. So I want to hold off calling them until I can let them tow the car, if need be.

If you have advice on the matter, please tell the damsel. Thanks!