For the third time in a month and a half.
Exhibiting the exact same behavior all three times.
The first time, I just chalked it up to being a 12 year old car with 200,000 miles on it. One of the local mechanics here in town whom my parents trust replaced the slave and master cylinders and it ran great again.
The second time came 3 weeks later and 200 miles away while I was visiting family in Vernal. Though frustrated, I was willing to believe it could be a similar problem they simply hadn't caught the first time. The family-trusted mechanic out there replaced the slave cylinder (again). I had to use the Probe for a week until it, too, bit the dust and I was totally without transportation for another week (as my bike was also in the shop for a pair of broken gaskets).
I got the car back the Saturday before last, and it was kind enough to get me back from Taylorsville where I work to the county courthouse just a couple blocks from my house. After picking up yet another new lisence plate for my motorcycle (another rant for another time), it had given all it could give, and I had to gather up my things and walk home.
I took the key down to the mechanic who fixed it the first time and told him the story. He told me because the slave cylinder had been replaced again by someone else it would no longer be on warranty with them, and I went home. Thinking about it later, I got to wondering. If the slave cylinder went bad and had to be replaced 3 weeks after he supposedly fixed it, how does that absolve him of liability for what was obviously a brittle, shitty, malfunctioned part? I understand I didn't take it back to him to get it repaired again--BECAUSE I WAS TWO HUNDRED MOTHER FUCKING MILES AWAY!!
Thankfully, as I said, my parents have been long-time customers of his, and my Dad said he'll talk to him to see about getting something done; because having to pay for the third repair on a problem they should have fixed correctly the first time--especially if it involves replacing another mother fucking cylinder--is, quite frankly, bull shit.
At least my motorcycle is fixed and working properly again so I'm not totally without transportation. My car going out of comission again does create a problem with moving this weekend, though. Before, all I'd needed was a truck to transport my bed, as everything else I own and care to move can fit in my car (the biggest thing being my computer desk, which can be broken down). Now that's shot to hell.
I'm about one more slight mechanical problem away from swearing off cars forever and moving down south where I can just ride a motorcycle year-round.