When the day started I said what the heck and dumped $15 worth of gas into the Tribute, Rader sure wasn’t. Besides if I was going to have to wait on a reimbursement I might as well make it worthwhile. Service department hours are 8 to 12 on Saturday, so I waited until 9 AM to call. Kellie said the tech got in at 8:30, but hadn’t looked at my car yet. He was going to do a couple others first, because they were there waiting. She said she would call when the car was done. As I’m always a little slow on the uptake, it wasn’t until Donna reminded me that I had been waiting since Thursday for my car, that I got a little upset, after all, it should have been a ten minute fix. Its kind of like getting to the counter in a shop ready to pay or ask a question and the phone rings. The clerk immediately answers the phone and starts to help them, ignoring you. Maybe everyone figures you are content because you have a loaner car.
Kellie calls at 10:45 and says the car is done and I can pick it up anytime. The service department closes at noon (the techs probably go home at 11:30) but she would leave the key to my car with Scott as the sales crew will be there until 5 or 7 depending. Scott is an occasional reader of The Diaries (everybody say, ‘Hi Scott!’) and having noticed my car sitting on the lot all day Thursday, checked in here to see what was up and how bad I was beating up his place of employment. So when Kellie gave him my key he took the car for a little spin, for two reasons; 1) make sure the repairs were really right and 2) fill it up with gas. I needed more than a half a tank and because the car requires premium we are probably even on the gas front. I don’t know what they are paying him over there, but it ain’t enough. Why could Scott do this and Kellie could not? In my entire experience at Rader, Scott has been busy trying to cultivate a long-term relationship while the service department has been trying to sabotage it.
The Miata sits quietly in my garage tonight, home again and happy. I just hope it lasts. I’m sorry, it is my nature. There are stories on Miata.net of folks having to get the TSB done a second time, because the shudder returned. Most of those were early on in the process and Mazda supposedly has an updated disc that seems to do the trick. I’m sure after a while I will forget about the shudder and go about my way, but my subconscious will be worrying on the issue, so if it does return, I won’t be surprised.
Comet Incubation Period: 8 days