Well, I've tried just about everything and my lovely '89 740 continues to refuse to start. It has new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, and battery. It has premium gas with Heet in the tank, a new filter, and FPR. The starter is fine. The injectors are firing. Everything works, except no result. All I get from the car that did everything for me for four years is a strong gas smell and an interior that's falling apart.

It's getting cold, and I've reached the end of my money and time (college student). There seems to be nothing I can do but remove the battery, wash and wax, and roll it to a corner of my lawn and cover it. Don't worry, I'll plug the exhaust and air box and put rat poison in the engine bay. I've never felt this low.

It seems that my problems started when I decided to "put 'er down" untill I could afford to "fix" the tranny. A warning: DON'T DO THIS!!!! unless you are prepared to jump through hoops to get it running, and follow the storage porcedure to the letter. Even then, prepare yourself for the end of a friendship.

I'm not looking for advice, although many of you have helped me a great deal in the past. I'm just venting. If anyone who reads this, however, sees a mistake I'm making, please let me know. I'm not so stuborn to think I know what I'm doing, just confident that I have to do something to keep my pride and joy from turning into a pile of Swedish rust.

-- Aubrey Granner