Ahh.....The Difference a Screw Makes....

First, get your mind out of the gutter!!

Second, here is the Taming of the Screw....(yes a poor play on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and actually nothing like that tale but whatever....)

A few months ago, okay many months ago, I noticed that my wonderful little, 8 year old Honda CRV had the back door ajar light on. I got out confirmed that both the door and window were tightly closed. I opened and slammed shut multiple times....yep closed. However, the light was still on. I think to myself "hmm, that is odd but it is probably just a glitch in the wiring. I'll get it looked at eventually."

A couple of days later I notice that my external key lock button has stopped working as well and intermittently the locking button on the inside has stopped working. So I think again "hmm, there is REALLY something wrong with the wiring." About this time The Queen noticed the flashing door ajar during our carpools and that each time the light on the dash would flash, the door light that would normally just come on when the door is open would also illuminate and then go out. So, just to be on the safe side that the battery wouldn't go dead, I turned the big light off and said to myself "yep, need to get that addressed."

Christmas came and went and I got a new job and made the decision that I was going to purchase a new car in the next couple of months. Well, actually, I'd made the decision that I wanted to get a new car before Thanksgiving and had mentioned that I'd be getting rid of my baby when I did, but not until some time after the first of the year. My sister or BIL mentioned to his sister and husband (also big fans of Hondas) that I was thinking about divesting myself from my vehicle. They offered to buy it from me for their daughter in college, when ever it is that I make the decision to get rid of the baby. I thought it was/is a great idea and swore to myself that before I turned the keys over to them I would have this whole electrical issue looked at.

Well, this afternoon I was running some errands and chunking stuff in the back of the car. I went to shut the door and heard this odd "thunk" and the door wouldn't catch. I think "oh great, now what.... I can't drive this baby with the back door flapping in the breeze..." so I try to shut it again a couple of times (because I think if it didn't work the first time or the second time or the third time eventually slamming the door it will actually catch... I'm a firm believer that I'm crazy because I really do continue to do the same things over and over again expecting a different outcome...but that is for another time).

After I determine that slamming the door just isn't going to work I start poking around at the locking mechanism to see if maybe it has gotten stuck in some way...nope. So then I look to the jam of the door and realize that the hook catch part is falling off...in fact one screw is completely off and the other was barely attached. So, I got them both screwed back in (thanks to my key to the castle).... lo and behold.... the door shut AND the door ajar light no longer was on. I got home and tightened up the screws and bing bang snap crackle pop.... the door now shuts and I think my "electrical" issues has been addressed!!

(And don't worry, I'm still going to have the car totally checked out from stem to stern before I sell it to my BIL's sister.....)