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Council has opted to wait until a definitive diagnosis of Jeep #2310 (the black and white Jeep) is provided by a mechanic and a more accurate cost of repairs is given, before authorizing any money to be spent.

Council President Dan DePaul was seeking approval of “No more than $400″ to be spent “if” it needs an alignment, or tie rods replaced, or both to be done. There seemed to be no guarantee that doing any, or all, would tighten the steering. Steering boxes on Jeeps can become sloppy.

There is also a “Check Engine” light that has come on. The light could be any number of issues, including a maintenance notification (requiring no more than a reset), a bad oxygen sensor, a MAP sensor, or another problem. Some are expensive.

No diagnosis of why the light came on was performed. Check Engine lights, if not corrected, are a reason for inspection failures if they remain lit.

While Councilman Lewis and I can butt heads on occasion, we were on the same page this time. We were against authorizing any money being spent toward the Jeep on a “might be” repair and voiced those concerns. We wanted to know what was wrong with it and how much it would cost to fix it, before spending money.

Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t authorize my own mechanic to start making repairs to my vehicle unless he told me those repairs will definitely correct the problem.

It’s easy enough to find out if it needs an alignment with the right garage equipment. A physical inspection of tie rods will indicate if they should be replaced. A $20 code reader available at Auto Zone will tell you why an engine light came on.

Following a motion from Mr. Mammana to authorize up to $400, that failed due to a lack of a “Second,” Council agreed to make a determination of any money to be spent at the next meeting in November.

Sometime in the next two weeks, the Jeep will be delivered to a mechanic, who is to provide Council a more accurate diagnosis and cost of repairs.