@se certified!

A little known fact about me: Despite the fact that several people have suggested that I consider culinary training as an alternate career, I've always wanted to be an ASE certified technician. Seriously. If I woke up tomorrow and weren't doing what I'm doing, I'd want to know how to fix cars. Since I don't plan on switching tracks (and I love what I'm doing), I won't be dropping out of Southeastern tomorrow.

But today I did have a significant car problem...

I couldn't get my car in gear! The shifter was just stuck/jammed and I had to put my back into it to get it "unstuck." Even though the transmission seemed fine and once I was driving the car ran smoothly, I could see the bills running up as I thought threw what this repair might cost me! Oh, dread washed over me.

Instead of giving up, however, I made phone calls. Lots of calls. And I also called on Google. Unfortunately, nobody I called (3 Toyota dealerships included) had ever seen my problem, and Google came up empty as well. How could Google not know what I was talking about?

On my way to the dealership, I tugged on the center console, and it started to come loose! So I pulled over, and pulled it off.

Oh boy! This was more than I was probably prepared for.
Once at the Toyota dealership, I went to the Parts department, and told them what was broken. They said they only sold the ENTIRE gear kit, a whopping $640 (for the part alone, not to mention labor)! That's more than I can afford. I went back into my car, drove it over to the Service department and explained my situation.

I would pay money to have a picture of the expression on those technicians' faces when they saw my discombobulated interior - and realized that I had taken it apart! :D
We pulled off the last piece together (I was afraid to break it, so the foreman helped here), and we got to the source of the problem...
Ready for it?
A tiny 2" piece of plastic had moved off of a tiny 2cm notch! That's it! $640.


I drove my car home, still in pieces, and then put it back together again.
I think I made my dad pretty proud.
I might not be ASE certified, but I did do something impressive @SE (at southeastern)!