Backup Cam Back Up Again

For about ten months now, I've been dealing with my computer screen in my car going blank and staying blank. (I blogged about some of is on the It All Went Dark post.) But this problem wasn't one and done.

The screen is the only way to control or use a few things in my car: The backup camera, the seat warmers, the radio, being able to hook my phone up to the system and listen to my podcasts on the car's speakers, navigation (I mostly use my phone), and being able to use the phone hands free.

After the screen came back, it stayed on for a while and then it went blank. Repeat this a few times with the blank time becoming longer and longer. In May, I went dark for so long, I thought it was dead and then the system rebooted itself months later and stayed on for weeks.

Until it went out again.

It was still out when I went for my oil change at the beginning of December and I asked the Ford dealership to look at it. Luckily I came in on the right day of the week, because the guy who fixes the Sync system is only there one afternoon a week and I picked the right day. I still had to wait because I'd gotten there early in the morning, but at least I didn't have to come back another day to have him look at it.

So the Sync guy tried to reset it three times, but it kept going dark. I needed to replace the module. It was expensive, but I'd already priced out the part and it was right about what I expected. There was no doubt about replacing it. I like that backup camera and it's winter. I need the seat warmers. :-)

I went back the next week to get it fixed. I even took the day off from work since I had another appointment in the morning. They'd received the wrong part.

The following week, I called to see if the part was in, didn't receive a callback before I had to leave for my 2pm appointment and drove all the way out there to find out that the part hadn't come in. The following week, the Sync guy was off because it was the time between Christmas and New Year's Day. This was fine with me because I was on vacation, too and didn't want to spend a day waiting for the car.

First week in January and I called the day before. The part was there! So I went out there the next day and got my module replaced.

It's glorious!

Backup camera. Seat warmers. Radio. Navigation. And I discovered something new when I hooked my phone up to the new system. I can listen to my phone on my car stereo via Bluetooth!

This never worked on my old system because I looked for it. I figured maybe it was just too old to have it. Maybe it was, I don't know, but I do know I have it now. On the plus side, this is a nice alternative to plugging the phone in to use the speakers. On the other hand, I had been listening to a podcast at home, force quit the app I use to play my podcasts, got in the car, and my podcast started playing. O_O Um, no, thank you. I'll tell you if I want you to play.

It's silly, but I kind of feel as if I have a new car. And when I went to the grocery store, I was able to park wherever I wanted instead of pulling through because I had the backup camera. This is so awesome!

Camera Dependency

Saturday is errand day which includes grocery shopping for the week. This involves a fair amount of parking and backing out of parking spots. Atlanta drivers are extremely impatient and literally can't wait five seconds, so they will shoot behind you even if you're backing up. Or at the grocery store they will walk behind the car with their cart, not caring that you're 3/4s of the way out of the spot and can't see them! (Don't get me started!)

This Saturday, parking took an unexpected turn. Everything was fine at stop one and stop 2, but stop 3? Not so much. My car decided to update the system which meant no backup camera!

OMG! I didn't realize how dependent I am on this camera mounted on the back of my car until it wasn't available.

I waited a little while, but the screen remained blank. I was going to have to do this without technology.

It wasn't a secret to me that I loved my little backup camera. I routinely wipe it off after it rains or if it seems a little dusty because I like it. What I didn't realize is that I would be anxious trying to drive without it. The screen even stayed blank long enough that I started to worry that it was down completely.

I did manage to successfully back out of my spot, and as I drove down the aisle, I received the message about system maintenance. By the time we reached the main road, everything was back to normal. I learned something, though. Sit in the parking spot until the backup cam comes back online.

Adventures In Moving: Driver's Edition

I took yesterday off from work with the intention of getting my Georgia driver's license and my car license plate taken care of. My plan was simple, get up around 7am, get to driver's license place early, and then move on to the plates.

Georgia doesn't make this as easy as it could be. First, the driver's licenses and license plates are issued at two different locations. In Minnesota, it's one stop shopping. You go to the government center and take care of both at once. Second, the service centers (plural) for my county are both 40 minutes away from where I live. In Minnesota, it was like 5 miles from my house.

My plan also was sabotaged by me. I didn't want to get up at 7am. I'd stayed up late the night before writing and I wanted to sleep. So I did. Until 9am and then I ditzed around--drinking coffee, checking in on the internet, etc.

Okay, so plan B. Get everything taken care of before the two service centers close. Driver's license had to be first because I needed that to get the license plates. I arrive and worry that GPS got me lost. It directed me to a strip mall. I drive around, finally find the Drivers' Services store front. In the strip mall. For real.

There was a line. I filled in my paperwork and waited. I'd already checked out what I needed to bring with me online, so I was good to go if only they'd call my number. It ended up taking an hour, which I didn't think was too bad considering I got there at 1:40.

Now on to the license plates. First, this involved driving on weird one-way streets that suddenly become two way. I just about had a stroke at one intersection when I looked up and on the other side was a car headed right at me. Gah! But after that little adventure, I finally found the right place.

This one was harder because despite searching online, I wasn't sure what the hell they wanted to see for license plates beyond a Georgia driver's license. I figured they'd want proof of insurance, so I had that with me, and since the car is financed, I brought along my payment coupons in case they needed the information about the bank and their address and my account number.

It turns out they needed the vehicle registration. Um, yeah, what is a vehicle registration? I've only been pulled over once in my life and the officer did not ask for registration, just my driver's license. This was in Minnesota when I was in college, so maybe things have changed, but what is a registration?

So I went back out to my car, looked through the glove box, but there was nothing there remotely like a registration. That could only mean one thing--it's in Minnesota at my parents' house. They have a fireproof filing cabinet and all my car paperwork is in there. Apparently, GA wants the registration in the car. Huh.

One day off work. Two missions. One complete. After my dad mails all my car paperwork down to me, I'll try the second mission again.