The Gifted

It is a treasure to come upon someone who is gifted. One area where I am ungifted is in the realm of mechanical issues. I am expert at finding problems with my truck. I can detect when something just doesn’t look, feel or sound right, but that is the limit.

I’ve had a new problem come up with the truck. When the engine is cold I’ll turn the key and the starter will make a minor effort, maybe a half turn and then there is silence. Next I turn the key again and it starts right up on the second try. It starts the first time with a warm engine. I figured the starter is going.

Lately my step son has been visiting on Sundays. His mother told me I should have him look at it. This kid is a gifted mechanic. He learned his trade while working at some garage in Idaho. They loved him because he has thin hands and can reach mechanical objects that most thick fingered mechanics couldn’t even attempt. He’s helped me out on several occasions with things I couldn’t reach.

Anyway, he came over on Saturday and I explained the symptoms I was having with the starter. Without and questions he said, “Your ground wire from the battery is loose.” I thought, ”WTF?”

I took him out, he popped the hood and easily lifted the connector from the battery ground terminal. I tightened it down and the problem was solved.

Any shop could have easily convinced me that I needed to replace my starter. It’s nice having a gifted mechanic in the family.