I need to add a new label....

 ...to the top of my toolbox.  The one there already says "Check the Fuse first!"  This is there because I spent several hours tearing into a broken system only to find the problem was a blown fuse.  I really felt stupid, hence rule #1.

Today SCSIL (Sand Castle Sister In Law) offered to give the SCSon some driving lessons in her manual transmission truck. (he has struggled with my attempt to teach him)    After a few stalls, the truck wouldn't start.

A jump start didn't work, but a bump start did... that got them back to the SandCastle.  We checked fuses and checked battery capacity.  That's not the problem.  I'm beginning to think "starter".  I located what I think is the starter but it's nothing I want to get involved in.

The SCQueen called around and found a local shop open today (most are not).  Not too surprising, I'm on holiday today too.

Fortunately the shop apparently has some integrity...   They quickly identified the problem in the clutch interlock rather than the starter itself.  The car won't attempt engine start unless the clutch is depressed.  Problem is, the thing that hits the microswitch breaks and now the engine won't start.  Apparently this is a rather common problem for this make & model.  To their credit, rather than selling her a starter (+installation) they sold her the $5 part she needed.  Good on ya guys!  (A small person would complain about the $.01 part that costs $5 rather than celebrating the $125-200 they saved her by correctly diagnosing the actual problem.  I count that as a win).  

I found the above link in as the 1st or 2nd link of an 'net search after the fact..  Dang... I forgot about the clutch interlock.  In my defense, most of the cars I've owned didn't have one.  Wanna drive the car on the starter?  Go right ahead!  The car would allow that.

So new label on the tool box will read:

2.  Check the interwebs!

(and a special thanks to the SCSIL for taking time to work with the SCSon on learning to drive a manual transmission from someone who is not "dad".  A lot of time, just hearing the message from  a non-$PARENT makes all the difference.)

But what I think he really needs, is to take the car out on his own.    The real learning occurs after the instructor has left the car (this is especially true in airplanes).  Smart pilots look at a pilot's certificate as a "license to learn".

Yea, I'm talkin to you SCSon!