This probably could go in one of the "understanding wimminz" threads, but perhaps merits a thread all its own.

Basic problem: LiK had a very nice little Chevy S10 pick-m-up that was barely broken in, with only about 120,000 miles on it and just a few dents and dings (it went to Winfield for the festival many times). There had been some complaints about it being 19 years old, but that didn't seem too critical a factor. She had begun making "noises" about how nice it would be to have something newer when we got a new truck to tow the camper with after dragging the guts out of "my" ancient Chevy van, but it was pretty casual for a couple of years.

Curiously, she decided early on that there was only ONE particular model line that would be acceptable "when we got her a new vehicle. She insisted any replacement must be a Chevy HHR "because it's cute." (They don't make the HHR any more.)

It did eventually become necessary to replace her li'l truck when she suffered a stroke that impaired left arm and leg function, and the S10 was a stick shift, so she needed something with an automatic tranny.

Serendipitously, LiK reached the point in her rehab therapy to get her doctors/therapists to say she's ready to drive at about the time we were making the last payments on the new tow truck, so I agreed we could get serious about a replacement vehicle for her.

UNFORTUNATELY by this time she had decided that not only was an HHR the only acceptable vehicle, only an
               ORANGE HHR
would be acceptable.

So far as I could determine, there were only two orange HHRs for sale in the US at the time, but fortunately(?) the apparently better of the two was at "Jerry's Flybynight Used Cars" in Wichita. My banker was cooperative (and in fact gave us an intererest rate a little below market?) so we bought the local one.

The one she got is, I suppose, "CUTE," – although I don't really understand the importance of that concept. She says that's 'cause iamnotagrrrl. I decline to devote further effort to developing a rational explanation and will simply "accept what is."

On closer insepection at home, the first discovery was that the single key provided would NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR, and the single four-button "remote entry fob" only had two buttons that worked (sometimes). A quick trip to the nearest Chevy dealer re-pinned the door lock cylinder and produced three working keys and two fully working fobs – for a mere $484.00.

I also found that the "remote controlled outside mirrors" failed to operate remotely, so I adjusted them manually. I'll tell her about that later, if I get a chance to investigate ….

Generally, the vehicle appears to be in pretty good condition, for 6 year old used car. LiK has been driving it for about a month and seems "happy," but …

She took it for a visit to her relatives in Texas a couple of days ago, and just called about an hour ago. It seems that the headlights she expected to turn off automatically didn't, and she's got a dead battery. There was no operator's manual with the car, but I had downloaded what was available from Chevy when we decided to get it, so she called with the trivial question … "Where's the &%^$%#@! battery?"

As it turns out, the "official" operator's manual for the HHR doesn't say where the &%^$%#@! battery is! It has eight separate entries about how to change the battery in the remote entry fob, but NOTHING ABOUT THE VEHICLE BATTERY. It also says when you should change the oil, but doesn't give a spec for what oil to use, and doesn't specify a minimum octane rating for fuel. (At least one optional HHR engine does require a higher octane, according to other sources.)

The "manual" does say that there's a "jumper post" on the fuse block where you can connect a positive jumper, although it doesn't say where the fuse block is located. It also says there's a "negative jumper terminal" that appears to be a bare nut on the top of the right front shock strut, but she and her immediately available accomplices couldn't find anything with the " NEG or – " label that the book says should be there. She say's "he" (the only male accomplice) was afraid to hook up to anything else, so it's not clear whether they even attempted a jump start.

She called again a little while later to say that now she can't get the key out of the ignition, so they left the doors open. They've called "Dick" (????) who's supposed to be the local car genius and he'll take a look at it tomorrow. ("Genius" and "Higgins Texas" don't' really seem compatible terms, but ya never know I guess.)

It's only 280 miles down and back if I have to go get her, I guess.

John