The cost of climate control

No, I am not talking about fixing global warming; I refer to the cost of getting heat and air conditioning in my truck. If you recall, the blower failed – with the mode of failure being that it wouldn’t shut off – in Tennessee on our way south for the winter. I have been driving the truck with no heat (not a problem), air conditioning (a bit of a problem) or defroster (a real problem on cold/damp days) since then. There have been a few cool mornings when I have had to drive with the windows open to keep the windshield from fogging up.

I had almost forgotten, but prior to the blower failure I had experienced another problem: the heat/cool controls worked only on the passenger side. This was, I thought, a relatively minor problem as enough air passed through the passenger side to heat/cool the entire cab. But I mentioned that peculiarity when I took the truck into the dealer yesterday.

I had some hope that the problem(s) could be fixed for under $500. It had been suggested to me that the truck needed a “module” to fix the blower problem. And if that had been the fix for both problems I would have just about made it as the “module” (which I think included replacing the blower itself) cost about $600 installed. But the passenger/driver control was a separate issue and that cost another $400 to fix. So about $1000 to get my climate control fully functional again.

I know that the cost is always higher at the dealership and now that I am a resident of Fort Myers I should try to find a reliable independent mechanic to work on my truck, which seems to need regular repairs. But finding diesel mechanics is difficult.

Maybe get a new truck? Relying on one that is 15 years old is a risky proposition. So while waiting for the repairs yesterday I looked around the lot and saw a very nice 2016 GMS 3500 diesel dually with under 30,000 miles. Cost? Just $59,000.

Ouch. I may have to try squeezing a couple more years out of my beast.

C’mon, baby, you can do it. But please, please, please, do it inexpensively.

The upside of getting the truck fixed was that I could wait for it at the adjacent Bahama Breeze restaurant. It was a bit coolish on the patio but the shrimp and mahi combo bowl was delicious and the margarita almost made me forget the money that was being poured into my truck next door.