I swapped out what is probably the most thoroughly destroyed struts I've ever seen. I was able to grab a brand new pair of struts from a wrecked HHR in the boneyard for $40, beats the $270 at AutoZone.
I knew the struts were bad when I bought the panel, the front was really low. After pulling these, I am amazed that they didn't make a ton of noise

 

Those are definitely beat! Aftermarket coils broken junk.
good score on the $40.00 ones!

 

noticed my coolant gauge is reading intermittently... thought it might have been a fluke yesterday when it was cold, because a couple miles down the road it popped on
but this morning it was reading as soon as I started it... and a couple miles down the road kicked back off, dashes on the display, gauge flatlined

anything easy I can check that they might have bumped when they were doing the oil change? or should I just look up a new sensor

 

It’s not necessarily the sensor, but the thermostat itself! The part number is AC Delco 131-158

today we drove over to close up Sweetie’s mom’s house for the last time, took photos of the meters and sent them in for final readings.

kinda sad , a tear or two was shed!

 

Pull and reseat the fuses and relays in the box under the hood.

 

And look for code P0128

 

Rockauto yesterday...
Wanted to see a couple of parts to order, amazed.
Usually, after the parts are in the basket, it is proposed to choose one of 2 or 3 delivery methods. One - two cheaper and one expensive but fast.
Yesterday I didn't see it (today, by the way, too). One way and very expensive. Something like ordering a pair of light bulbs for 15 bucks and getting a delivery offer for 60 USD. Naturally, buying light bulbs for 75 bucks is not reasonable.
Disappointed. I think it has to do with the news on TV, when gangs of blacks in Los Angeles massively smash containers with boxes of online stores. It's probably not just in LA... The police don't scare thieves, maybe it's the result of Rockauto making their shipping more expensive. What do you guys think?

 

Shipping costs everywhere is getting expensive, as we start to depend on online shopping, and then fast overnight delivery, fuel costs, labour problems, Covid caused absenteeism, from pilots to truck drivers, dock workers to order pickers , it all adds to the cost . The shipping container problem in the US really has more to do with the huge backlog of containers shipped way back in October or November. And now the insurance claims are also adding to the cost of shipping.

 

That story is from China government owned media. Other sources should be consulted too, to get a complete picture on any topic.

There is no suggestion in the video that “gangs of blacks” are responsible for the situation depicted, and such a description would likely to be regarded as racist in mainstream U.S. culture. It is true that many crimes of property theft are perpetrated by economically desperate people, and minorities in the U.S. are disproportionately in that category, by reason of history and racism.

The scale of the field of rubble in the video is extraordinary, and in my opinion is not adequately explained by an incident of looting. There must be more to the story.

Stories like that video are commercially successful for their sensation, and perhaps serve other agendas as well, but do not depict the norm. The logistics system in the U.S. is not in chaos but is definitely stressed due to unexpected rapid increase in demand for service combined with a profound reduction in surplus labor.

I think you should check other sources when you find cost with shipping unreasonable. Your total cost may include shipping from China to North America and then back to your continent. Rock Auto is an awesome source and I like to use them because they sponsor these forums and because they have an excellent website, but they’re not always the best deal with shipping.

 

Noticed that 'SISU' was getting harder to start, but she did.
Pulled out the voltmeter and read 11.91 volts.
And I checked it again with the motor running and had 14.4 volts.
So I bought and installed a new battery.
I found it odd that I had no other warnings.