Automobile Ailment

We're just back from a drive to Lisburn. The fun all began yesterday, when I started the old two-seater to reverse out of the garage. On ignition it started misfiring and the engine warning light illuminated.

I made my way slowly to the local mechanic and he didn't want to know about it. He was too busy, on holiday the next day and couldn't look at it till Monday. This perplexed me a touch; I told him the symptoms and asked whether he thought it could be driven safely until Monday. He replied that it was probably something like an ignition coil problem and it should be OK to drive.

I drove home and got the details of my aunt's car mechanic, who said he'd come over and have a look. At any rate, the gist of it all is that a new ignition coil was needed; and I was charged ninety-five pounds for the part as well as his time and labour.

The warning light still had to be reset and he gave me the address of a car showroom-cum-garage in Lisburn. Consequently, we were there this morning and they plugged in one of those diagnostic meters to reset the warning-light at another cost of twenty pounds.

C'est la vie...