Go to your local Autozone, get one of these, plus the oil collector pan (plastic, six bucks) and the oil and filter. You'll be fine.
Posted on 11/29/2004 1:59:05 PM PST by Clive
My fella and I were going out of town. He was driving his "super reliable" car into which he pours nothing less than premium gas and synthetic oil and which, incidentally, is so much better and safer than my car that the two can never even be compared.
To boot, his car just got a tune-up and that became the launching point for a lecture about car maintenance habits and how I do not have any.
He should know. He's been working on my car all weekend. So blah, blah, I never check my oil (I forget), my tire pressure (um, my tire pressure measuring stick is broken), my radiator fluid (as if I even know where my radiator fluid is ...) and so on and so forth.
In fact, my car is in such shoddy shape, I should not even drive it anymore. Instead, I should just drive his car (which I'll simply refer to as super reliable from now on) but I have to remember not to start it in second gear because that WRECKS HIS CLUTCH.
In passing, my car-savvy fella mentioned that during his tune-up, the mechanic told him to consider replacing an ignition module or something of that sort. The mechanic, my fella concludes, is probably wrong and there is no problem with the car.
You should listen to the mechanic, I said, using up all the car advice I felt authorized to give. With your luck (he has the worst luck of anyone I know) the car will break down in the middle of a road trip and you'll be stuck there forever.
About 45 minutes later we were sitting on the side of the highway with the hazard lights on waiting for a tow truck.
That's right, Mr. Awesome-car-care-premium-gas-guy was digging around under the hood swearing and, to make matters worse, we gave the tow truck the wrong directions and were stranded for almost two hours at sub-zero temperatures in a car that would not start.
Two hundred bucks later, super reliable was in the shop and is there still, waiting for several hundred bucks worth of parts and labour.
In the meantime, the car's owner is driving my car (the one that does not have enough radiator fluid, the back doors do not open and is, overall, totally unreliable) to work.
Before I point out why this episode confirmed my attitude towards vehicles, consider this.
A couple of years ago I was driving my super junky K-Car along Highway 2.
I was just past Leduc when my tire seemingly exploded.
I pulled over, stupidly, on the left side of the highway and immediately realized I was stuck in the middle of six lanes of whizzing highway traffic.
I got out of the car, examined the tire (yep, it was flat) and pondered what to do next. I decided to walk to Nisku and call someone.
But before the traffic subsided for long enough to cross to the other side of the highway, some guy had already pulled over, put on my spare and asked me out for coffee.
Now I know I should learn how to change a flat and check my air tire pressure, but where's my incentive?
Obviously obsessive car maintenance, synthetic oil and all, does not eliminate breaking down on the side of the road.
Furthermore, if all of a sudden I learned to care about my spark plugs or my air filter, then so many guys would be deprived of the car-related lectures and rescues in which they secretly delight.
Besides, not knowing anything about cars means I generally listen to my mechanic when he says something needs to be fixed.
And let's face it, if it had been me driving ol' super reliable when it broke down, I could have got a ride back to town, and probably coffee, instead of trying not to die from the frost while waiting for the tow truck.
As helpful as they (men) may seem, You can be assured they will stop pulling over helping the dame in distress when gravity tugs at their senses.
I met a college sweetheart after she had put coolant (glycol) in her battery instead of her radiator.
Being the driver of British Leyland's finest, I was able to help her.
Yep! My sweetie is sitting here snickering about this thread. She's MY mechanic, having performed all routine maintainance, including oil changes, on everything we own. this includes 2-Benz, 3-Nissan 300zx, Explorer, 2-Volvo, and an odd assortment of Isuzu's which she loves to play with(they are turbo rice rockets). She replaces starters, does brake jobs, and other misc small repairs. the big stuff, is usually done at a friends shop, with his help! I watch, but usually get run off for kibitzing...
The bug is simple if it an old one, but if you need help, get a manual from Chilton or Haynes, and give it a try...
Nothing ventured... nothing learned!
Check the body for tin worm!
Not so! Although I absolutely CAN change a tire, put on chains and loosen up the linkage with a tire iron, I haven't actually had to do any of those things for decades.
I'm no supermodel but every time I've had a roadside emergency, by the time I formed a plan of action, some dear guy has already pulled over and is busily testing his portable impact wrench.
Now, I've never had to accept any of these offers of help at night or in secluded places so I don't know about that angle but I've never had trouble getting help during the day.
Maybe quite a few guys really ARE nice! That's been my experience, anyway.
Oh, but you think she'll actually get the engine fixed when that happens?
No, it'll be "Well, I'll just buy a new car" and junk the old one.
Her fuel pump was hanging off the engine block by a few threads of one bolt. 95% of the gas was being pumped to the pavement. After fixing the problem the fuel economy improved dramatically over the .05 mpg she was getting.
She's sharp as a tack about pretty much everything else. Cars? Not so much.
Go Mopar!!
Go to your local Autozone, get one of these, plus the oil collector pan (plastic, six bucks) and the oil and filter. You'll be fine.
The continual smell of gasoline around her car didn't cause her any concern???
Drain it and replace it with synthetic taillight fluid, you won't be sorry.
Hey, tell her I had a TV/DVD combo quit working back beginning of this month...yesterday I took the back off it (even though it said not to, but "nothing ventured" as you say...) and right there plain as day was a blown fuse. I just happened to have the same fuse (it came with our Christmas lights we were putting up) and I replaced the fuse, replaced the back and it works like a charm today!
I am pretty sure I plugged it in to a bad socket.
I love doing stuff on my own. It's why my hubby and I want to get rid of our Ford Aerostar and get a VW. So we can work on it easily ourselves.
Always carry a sack of Beechnut and a package of Juicy Fruit when traveling on country roads.
If you spring a leak in your radiator, chew about half a bag of Beechnut and spit it directly into your radiator.
Do this before all the water runs out.
If a rock knocks a hole in your gas tank, chew the whole package of Juicy Fruit until all the sweet is gone and stick the whole wad over the hole.
Do this before all the gas runs out.
NOW! Don't you feel smarter?
Why do I keep parking by places that smell like gasoline?
Bunny - Pancake - Head
oy vay
My Ford minivan is giving me grief and we can't figure it out...it blows a fuse, then the odometer and dome lights, speedometer don't work. We got the right fuse isolated, but whenever we change it, it just blows immediately. We got it to work for two days, but then it just wouldn't allow it. Just blows immediately. We even disconnected the battery, changed the fuse and then reconnected but it blew again, right away.
As soon as this gets fixed, we're gonna try to sell it and get a Bug. In the meantime, I dream.
Well, my dad's a pilot and when he's out of flight line...whoa!
Don't forget to put the winter air in your tires and rotate the muffler bearings too LOL
MD
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