Text Size:  Whenever my lack of mechanical prowess threatens to
surface, I sure miss the solenoid. It was always there for us,
lurking under the hood somewhere, and always – always – it was
waiting to malfunction. It was handy, every mechanic knew where
it was - like tonsils - and it had a great name. Solenoid - like
asteroid or aranoid.  In the old days, b.c.c. (before car
computers), the solenoid was a little whatchit that was in the
engine area and without it you couldn't make the car go. And
that's an important thing for those of us who are mechanically
impaired to know.  I asked Vince down at the gas station gun
shop about solenoids and why we don't hear about them anymore.
"Oh, they're still in there," he said, "but now they're a part
of the starter and everything is run by a computer, so you don't
see them separately."  Vince began selling guns at the gas
station several years ago so he could combine his two great
loves: gasoline and gun powder. The place has never been held
up.  So the solenoid is sti