Pretty simple reason actually. People waste thousands of dollars on silver bullet parts swaps all of the time, and then when they are unsuccessful they show up at a shop and now they don't have any more money to spend. In fact they often times act as if the effort required to test correctly is some kind of a scam because someone told them something like "all they needed to do was spray a little penetrating oil somewhere". Meanwhile these same people who cut down on our routines have no idea that there is a real way to test and prove what is wrong, and it doesn't even take very long to do it. I don't suppose you have ever been in the position where you spent several hours figuring out a complicated diagnostic situation, only to have the customer then come into the business, after you have proven what the vehicle needs, and be met with an angry and distrusting attitude. I can't tell you how many times someone else has arm chaired a diagnosis, or else under cut the repair pricing once the diagnosis is made when they have not made the investment up front for the education and equipment that was required to identify the root problem. Many times in these cases a customer will treat us like we did something wrong, because they have been misinformed by a third party for whatever reason. BTW, I am relaxed, and I know you really didn't write that to be confrontational. Just remember this, every time something like that happens in the business, and not on some web forum, it costs a small business real money that can never be replaced. In the end it impacts the employees of the business in both continuing education as well as tooling and equipment that they need in order to stay up to date with the technology that is already on the streets today. Some day, and in many ways that day is already here, cars will routinely be presented at the shops with problems that the shop and its techs are not trained and equipped to solve. BTW, its the same symptom, not the same problem unless she somehow got your old door ajar switches into her truck. VBG.....

I think if you got a walker you could put it around the stairs and she would be comfortable climbing up the step stool. Especially if you have a big guy on each side. She might have trouble with her balance and that's why she is not comfortable not having something to hold on to. Maybe there is some kind of lift too. Call a pharmacy who sells surgical appliances. You might get some info from nursing homes or hospitals or anyone who deals with the elderly, too if you call and tell them your story.

Latest update...the electrician is working mightily, though some stuff will be faked for the inspection (three-ways not activated for example). The cabinetmaker I hired a week and a half ago (someone I'd worked with previously) to take over one part of the job...in the probably vain hope that the other cabinet maker and GC will then finish the painted cabinets on time...has already made and installed the oak upper cabinets. The custom wood hood is here and going in Thursday. But the carpenter didn't show up again today, so still no trim on the windows and doors, no grout on the backsplash, no stain on the patched floor. And the AWOL GC and cabinet maker apparently made a brief appearance, installed exactly 5 of the 25 plus missing doors and drawer fronts and left...again. Marcolo, I'm willing to allow a certain amount of judicious faking because the money does not get released to the GC. It goes directly into my bank account and it's up to me to decide when to pay it out and there's a deadline on my loan. If it isn't done by the fast-approaching deadline, I can no longer draw on it and any untapped amount comes off the principal owed. So...better to get the funds under my control. Believe me, I'll have no trouble refusing to pay until everything is perfect. I just wonder if I'll be in my grave before that happens. Melissa

About 10 years ago, my husband and I moved to a new house in a new development. Only one street in and out, with just 12 houses total in the development. I got up to go to work one morning and noticed that one of my husband's truck was not in the driveway. This was not unusual as he has two and he often let his staff drive one overnight if they had personal car trouble. BUT, as I was driving to work, I thought, geez--wasn't his truck in the driveway when I shut the garage door before bed? So I turned around, drove back home, went inside and asked my husband, "where's your truck?". His answer "outside", me: "no, it's not", him: "yes, it is:. Me: "NO, IT's NOT". He goes outside and of course his truck is not there. Call the county sheriff office and he says "I'll be right there". Less than 5 seconds later, he's coming down the street from the cul-de-sac. Every house on our street that had a vehicle outside of the garage was broken into, and when they got to our house, they stole the truck to haul everything off! The truck was recovered 3 days later in another county after they ran out of gas. We couldn't believe not one single person on the street heard anything that night!