yes, i said it's not the wire, silly! read my post again; that was the general thing that i do understand. it's a '91 toyota camry, and it's true that mechanics totally take advantage of women. problem is, the guys i know don't know anything about cars, either, and also aren't good bullshitters, either ! there's just no winning in this racket. the guys who messed up my car in the first place last summer are "friends" of my roommate; they certainly weren't friends of mine . some connection .