The day after the last post, wherein the Amazon Customer Service rep was supposed to call me back, I called Amazon Customer Service again. I waited until about noon, which for the package arriving in California, would probably still be on the truck for delivery. I really didn’t want to wait to see if I would get a call back from the original rep, as she’d probably just tell me to get an RMA number and send the package back to the Amazon warehouse.
So I call and get a new representative. Not to be racist or anything, but she sounded like a white girl, as in I was able to understand everything she was saying and had a very white girl name. She seemed very nice, which tells me she probably doesn’t come from the Western Pennsylvania/Eastern Ohio region.
She asked what she could do for me and I explained that the situation was all screwed up… Someone hacked my account, got a refund on an order that I had delivery months previous, got the refund on a gift card on my account, used that gift card to purchase items, sent them to themselves using my name, and signed me up for prime. Also I had called about this the night before and was told to wait for the package to arrive and then refuse to to get a refund, which obviously was impossible.
She agrees that’s not a great situation and tries to transfer me to the correct department, which apparently they are unable to do. So she has a for to fill out and then sends that to the department. A couple hours later I get an email that everything in my account has been put back to how it was, any possible pending orders have been canceled, and that I need to change my email address.
So far, so good.
In the mean time, it’s been cold as fuck in this area. It started last Sunday, with a sudden snow storm. It’s been an unusually mild winter thus far, so although we knew it was supposed to snow I wasn’t mentally prepared for it. So Sunday, I go out in the snow and put on my brand new studded winter tires. Just the rears. I’ve never needed snow tires on my previous vehicles, but I had been told that my 1993 RWD Mercedes 190E sucks ass in the snow. So I purchased the tires to prepare for the snow and had them installed on a couple extra rims that were given me for the purpose. When my dad owned the car, he would carry 2 80# bags of concrete for extra traction. By the time I got the car one of the bags was used for something. So, I went an bought another bag of concrete and 2 50# bags of salt. One bag of salt I brought in the house to use for the sidewalks, the other bag I left in the truck, figuring more weight is better.
I had waited until the last possible minute to install the snow tires because I was having brake issues. I replaced the rear brakes and discovered my parking brakes were bad. Ordered the parking brakes, and eventually found another part I needed for them. The next day I installed the front brakes, which were much, much worse. My brakes didn’t feel great, as I had to push the pedal to the floor to stop despite bleeding all the calipers (I also replaced all the hoses). So, in addition to parking brake parts, I also order a new master cylinder. I have yet to install any of these new parts, but I’m used to stopping this way. It has about the same feel as the gas pedal (as in you have to move the pedal about half way before it actually moves the throttle… that’s how the linkage is designed for some reason).
So equipped with my new brake pads and rotors, my studded rear winter tires, and the new weight in my trunk, I head off to the plasma donation center where I usually donate twice a week. It’s about a 25 minute drive from where I live and was a little nervous about the trip as this was my first trip in the snow with this car.
It handled well. I didn’t speed like I usually do.. In fact I drive a little on the slow side. I made it though and did my donation.
In the 2 hours I was at the center, the weather got worse. I opted to not take the interstate back home, as it has a bunch of construction as per the usual and didn’t want to risk crashing into orange barrels or other barricades. I took the state routes… which ended up being less clear than I anticipated. Driving slower than my trip out, and keeping adequate distance between myself and the cars in front of me, it was a slow trip back. Also a little nerve wracking. It turns out my car does indeed not like to drive in snow. I’d ease on the brakes quite a distance back, and as I got closer to red lights and stop signs my ABS would kick on as I tried desperately to stop. I went completely through at least one red light.
At one point I thought I had a leaking tire, as a week previously I had to plug a hole in one, so I pulled into a parking lot. Big mistake. The parking lot had not been plowed yet and was much worse than the road I was just on. Stopping was basically just slowly crashing into snow banks. My tire wasn’t flat. It was just slush build up in the wheel wells.
Getting back on to the road, I finally met my turn off for the last major highway of my trip, which is still about a 10 mile stretch. As luck would have it, I got behind a group of cars that were all following the snow plow/salt truck, who went all the way to my turn off.
Having not eaten up to this point, and now wanted to venture out again in this weather, I stop at the local Speedway, as it’s conveniently located between work and home. Stopping was again a crash into a snow bank… hard enough to jump the curb onto the sidewalk. I got my food and left.
Finally on the last leg home. One redlight left, I take it slow and easy and stop completely with plenty of room between me and the car in front! Apparently my ABS did not like that one bit and started pumping away actually making me start moving again and not letting me stop. Luckily the light turned green and I was able to get moving again. I made it home with no other issues and didn’t leave the house the rest of the day.
I took the rest of the week slowly and only drove when I had to. Thursday, I go out to my car to leave work, it was an even colder day than we’ve had to this point.. and nothing. Car was dead. I had a coworking jump it and got it home. ABS, Air Bag, Defrost lights, and radio were all cutting in and out. I got the car home, turned it off, then tried to restart. Dead. Of course. Needed a battery.
By this point it was dark and about 6 degrees out, and I had zero ambition to go out and get a new battery, that would have to wait until after work the next day.
The following day after work I fought the cold and removed my battery. It was a battery. I have no information on it. No cranking amps. No cold cranking amps. It’s just a battery that is battery shaped and would start the car in non-cold temperatures. I replaced it with the highest cold cranking amp battery I was able to find. I’m not dealing with this bull shit again.
On a more positive note, they hired a new guy a work to take over my old department after the last guy finished up his last 2 weeks. This week I worked in my old department and got everything caught up. Things should be smooth sailing from here… provided the new guy doesn’t freak out and quit.
