Some people and their cars

[KennyG]

Odd that it was thin, I'd have thought that old oil would be thicker, if for no reason other than the amount of crud suspended in it.

It did seem odd. After I changed the oil a couple of times, it didn't use much and when I finally rebuilt it there wasn't an unusual amount of crud inside the engine.

 

[alexpops]

I seem to have learned from other people's mistakes... usually the hard way. Buy high, sell low. right?

I have fixed a few smoking engines simply dumping a quart of transmission fluid into the crankcase and running it hard for about 100 miles. If it's just dirty valves that can be the best way to clean them out. I normally don't believe in oil additives but when it appears the engine is on it's way out anyhow there is nothing to lose.

Quart of tranny fluid or kerosene was my go-to for crankcase sludge/crud back in the 70's when I'd get an oil change on something that was WAY overdue. BUT ... like Jstpssng said, short run then drain & change filter. Sometimes it worked ... other times it simply eased the engine's passing to the other side.

 

[dodge man]

I worked with someone who had a Jeep. He bought the expensive extended warranty. I towed him into work one day, he said the oil pressure had been flickering for a while. It took 5 quarts to bring it to full. Turns out he had driven the thing 60,000 miles and had never checked or changed the oil. Engine was toast, and this is a guy with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

 

[alexpops]

Guess he slept through the "Mechanical" engineering classes. Still ... degree or no degree, I don't think I'd want to spend much time UNDER a bridge he designed given the lack of common sense.

 

[Richard001]

I ordered a new '92 GMC Safari van, picked it up from dealer, at home saw temperature gauge pegged...52 miles on odometer. I called an attorney who said stop payment on my check and have dealer pick up THEIR van which I did. They towed it back and called saying thermostat stuck and please get it. I knew heads would be warped (V6). Stupidly I had them deliver it and paid them. Sure enough at 1,800 miles I had oil in coolant and coolant in oil. They picked it up...of course warped heads, blown head gaskets.
They had heads milled, gaskets, delivered back. Then 6,500 miles it sounded like a meat grinder (differential). They tow it back (dealer was 50 miles away). They ordered & replaced rear end. Picking it up the service manager (owners son) chewed me out "I don't know who has been doing your service but rear end was bone dry...not a drop of grease in it!". When he finished I said "Want to know who?" As I showed him the service book..."It was YOU! See the initial check list and the 5,000 mile check up?...That's YOUR signature!". His face turned bright purple as he handed me the keys.
I traded it in to a different GMC dealer who ordered a pickup for me. What a lemon it was.

I had a similar experience with the local Chev dealer. I used to take my Z28 to their shop for oil changes and regular checkups. One time when I brought in the car, I ask if they normally check the differential fluid level, the answer was NO. i ask why not, and believe it or not, the service guys explanation was that if the oil was not leaking out of the axle seals or the input shaft, then the oil had to be OK. ?? REALLY ?

So i ask him to make sure that they would check the oil level in the differential. They wanted to charge me more for that, I said, you already have it up on the hoist, just check it, I'm not paying extra. They did and I didn't.

 

[dodge man]

I had a friend who worked for a locksmith. They offered a 24 hour 7 days a week service to get your locked keys in the car open. He said the best one was the person who hadn’t noticed the passenger window was rolled down.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

This thread shows why the move to EVs cannot happen fast enough for some.

Fewer and fewer cars are owned by gearheads clearly.

 

[/pine]

What's the difference between a cactus and a BMW...A cactus has the pricks on the outside...!

 

[jjeff]

My dad used to take his car into a specific shop he swore by. Drove his car down to visit me it was leaking oil on my slab. Found the leak, the oring from old filter came off during removal and was fused to the mating surface, obviously double orings make it impossible for a good seal. I told my folks if they insist on not finding a different shop I'll change there oil for them when I'm up visiting.

 

[Jstpssng]

Here's one about an owner, not the garage. Harry lost the fuel pump in his pickup one Saturday night. His friend hooked onto it with a chain and they towed it about 20 miles to the shop. Monday morning he called and told them to replace the fuel pump, so they did. It's easier to pull the bed then to drop the tank...

Even with the new pump the truck still wouldn't run. It was out of gas.