Author: benhamawy

Oh BMW, why are your repairs so expensive?

by benhamawy

So, after looking over my car and deciding what needed to be done, I was given a choice – walk away without my car or give the dealership $6,000 to fix it. Crap. Since I need a car, and the car is still worth more than that, I did what any rational human being in my position would do. I cried.

Well, maybe no actual tears left my eyes, but I was crying on the inside. Flight of the Conchords put it best with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pVT_mvvZLo.

So, now that I have poured $8,500 into my car over the past 2 months to fix the Air Conditioning and the oil leaks from the engine, I am getting tired of paying for repairs. But I also just spent $8,500 on my car, so I can’t get rid of it now, right? This is the death spiral. And with only 67,000 miles on the car (it’s a 2008), I have to think, “nothing else should go wrong, right?”.

I will begin my search slowly. And pray that I don’t get caught with another monster bill. I am scared.

In the market

by benhamawy

Well, I have been wanting to look for a new manual transmission vehicle in the near future, as my 2008 BMW 550i has been giving me minor, yet extremely expensive, issues. Well, I am sitting in a coffee shop a block from my vehicle, which is waiting to be towed to the dealership. The message came up “Engine Oil Pressure low, pull to the side of the road immediately and turn off engine”. Crap. Sounds like I blew something in the engine as I cruised at 20MPH through a school zone.

Looks like it is time to find a new vehicle. I will keep you posted.

First blog post

by benhamawy

I was born with manual transmission fluid in my blood. A blend of Western European and Middle Eastern bloodlines, D for Drive was never in my vocabulary. Raised in suburban NY, standing in between the front seats of VWs, Saabs, and a Toyota station wagon, stick shift was all that I knew (watch the elbow). As I continue to enjoy driving stick, it gets harder and harder to find new cars with manual transmissions (and I am not talking about SMG transmissions which are just glorified automatics – I am talking about 3 pedals).

I am dedicating this website to aiding and assisting those with my addiction – the need to utilize both feet and know what gear we are in.