Why some people are too stupid to own a car

[sd455dan]

Never heard of changing brake fluid til about a decade ago lol

DOT 3 Lasts a good long time no matter the recommendations
DOT 4 Not so much it absorbs water much more readily but has a higher boiling point

 

[sd455dan]

It my understanding that Ford Explorers were what mandated TPMS on cars. Ford had a little bit lower tire pressure on them for ride quality and then people let them get to low, then roll overs. I think Ford pointed the finger at the tire maker also.

Good Old Firestones...


Most older folks also remember the Firestone "500" series... Saw a lot of those ripped to shreds.
Those tires Were defective... not as sure with the ones used on the Explorers.

 

[Dftodd]

Wow,this thread is making me feel good about myself. I at least know how to change the air in my tires.

Regular or synthetic?????

 

[dodge man]

I remember the Firestone 500 debacle. When I was in college I never had a car but rode home with someone from a nearby town. His car had one of those Firestones separate on the way home once.

 

[masseyrider]

Good Old Firestones...


Most older folks also remember the Firestone "500" series... Saw a lot of those ripped to shreds.
Those tires Were defective... not as sure with the ones used on the Explorers.

My old man bought a new truck and paid extra for Firestone 721s.
Not one made more than 6000 miles. Belts separated and bounced the truck all over the road.
The first few they replaced. Then they started prorating them.
The last one after about the 6000 miles the prorated difference was more than what a complete new tire cost.
Never have or will have Firestones again.

 

[Jstpssng]

In Canada a US built vehicle is a foreign vehicle so no problems driving what ever you want.

My priority's for cars are a comfortable ride and excellent fuel mileage. A standard transmission is also a big +. VW's and Dodges deliver.

The local NAPA tells me that the most popular vehicles around here are F-150's and TDI Jettas. I live in a very rural community and vehicle mileage is a concern.

For a long time many GMs had a “Made in Canada” sticker on them. I bought a 1983 Ford Ranger as soon as they came out with them. Somebody was constantly giving me a bunch of crap about not supporting US industry… until I pointed to the sticker on his truck. I didn’t care, ut had grown tired of listening to him.

 

[sixdogs]

With all the stuff on vehicles today, I'm surprised there isn't a low-oil indicator light or shutdown. I'll bet 98% percent of average drivers today think the oil light means "add oil". My lawnmower and pressure washer have a low-oil shutdown feature.

 

[KennyG]

With all the stuff on vehicles today, I'm surprised there isn't a low-oil indicator light or shutdown. I'll bet 98% percent of average drivers today think the oil light means "add oil". My lawnmower and pressure washer have a low-oil shutdown feature.

A lot of cars (especially the more expensive ones) don't have dipsticks anymore and have oil level sensors. I have to admit to being very lax about checking oil level. I haven't owned a car in the last 40 years that used any oil between changes.

 

[3930dave]

My lawnmower and pressure washer have a low-oil shutdown feature.

Apparently, we are smart enough to expect them on $400 utility appliances....... but not on a $100k vehicle......

Me, included .

Rgds, D.

 

[Jstpssng]

With all the stuff on vehicles today, I'm surprised there isn't a low-oil indicator light or shutdown. I'll bet 98% percent of average drivers today think the oil light means "add oil". My lawnmower and pressure washer have a low-oil shutdown feature.

It does. I believe that the check engine light will come on.

 

[Oaktree]

Ex wife drove 300 miles at night with only daytime running lights on. Couldn't figure why the lights on the loaner car were so dim or why people were flashing her. When she arrived where I was I politely turned them on for her. Didn't communicate for a week after that.

Nothing new. Maybe 50 years ago I carpooled with a guy who was one of those who wouldn't turn on his headlights unless it was pitch black. One day I pointed out to him it was getting kinda dark, might be a good idea to turn them on...he just turned on the parking lights! Not sure if he was absent minded or just didn't like being able to see/be seen. Stopped riding with him shortly thereafter.

 

[Oaktree]

Funny conspiracy theory of mine when tpms became mandated for passenger cars gas stations started charging for air lol

Gas stations did away with free air looong before TPMS came along around here.
And that doesn't even take into account the number of coin-op air pumps that don't work (especially in cold weather), so you're out a quarter and still are low on air.

 

[jjeff]

Around here they have cc swipers and it's not .25 I can understand in this day and age why they have to alert some folks to put air in tires weather for safety or better gas mileage and id take advantage of this if it was on my only vehicle with duals it's not though, for me anyway it is annoying and just something to fix or relace when it stops working like it should. The only idiot light on my 15 yr old winter beater is the tpms light tires are always at 35 psi and a piece of black electrical tape is how I fixed the annoying glow on my dash.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I quite like the air stations that allow you to set the pressure, then it beeps when you reach the correct PSI; very convenient!

 

[dougtrr2]

Two stories

My brother and I worked at a gas station in high school. He and a friend went out to wait on a car (remember those days), and his friend who was "Mister Know It All" checked the oil. He found it a quart low and went and got a quart. Pretty quickly he was motioning for my brother and said......Bill, how am I going to get all this oil down that little hole??

I bought a Dodge Dart with the big slant six from one of my brother's friends that had "blown up" the engine on the interstate about 90 miles from where we live. I towed it home with a friend. It had a dash mounted push button transmission. I found that the Drive button had came off and no longer activated Drive. So, knowing this idiot, if that car would go 70mph in second gear, that is what he did... for 90 miles. The original plan was to swap engines as I already had a vehicle with a slant six. But after some trouble shooting I replaced the spark plugs (the porcelains were black), replaced the water pump, and replace the blown gasket between the intake and exhaust manifold. After my neighbor adjusted the valves (with it running) it ran for years afterwards, using a little oil.

Doug in SW IA

 

[masseyrider]

Two stories

My brother and I worked at a gas station in high school. He and a friend went out to wait on a car (remember those days), and his friend who was "Mister Know It All" checked the oil. He found it a quart low and went and got a quart. Pretty quickly he was motioning for my brother and said......Bill, how am I going to get all this oil down that little hole??

I bought a Dodge Dart with the big slant six from one of my brother's friends that had "blown up" the engine on the interstate about 90 miles from where we live. I towed it home with a friend. It had a dash mounted push button transmission. I found that the Drive button had came off and no longer activated Drive. So, knowing this idiot, if that car would go 70mph in second gear, that is what he did... for 90 miles. The original plan was to swap engines as I already had a vehicle with a slant six. But after some trouble shooting I replaced the spark plugs (the porcelains were black), replaced the water pump, and replace the blown gasket between the intake and exhaust manifold. After my neighbor adjusted the valves (with it running) it ran for years afterwards, using a little oil.

Doug in SW IA

In auto shop at school one of our projects was to change out a slant 6 that a teacher had blown in his car.
We goofed putting the engine mounts on the new engine and turned it into a straight 6.
And they say the LGBT people can't be changed. LOL

 

[3930dave]

When I started driving, you could still find free garage air, but I liked the idea of having a 12v compressor with me, so have had one in every vehicle since.

Some 12v ones today are programmable, to stop @ a certain pressure - you may still have to manually turn the compressor off, but it will stop filling.

The cheapest 12v ones start losing compression after xy run hours, but as the cost is not a big deal I consider it a rounding-error, when it comes to vehicle operation.

A friend gave me a dual-piston 12v compressor, suitable for light truck tires. Good compressor, impressive fill rate, the weak point on it is the power cable - hauls enough power that it ONLY comes with battery direct-connect clips which aren't really heavy enough for the job, and the cable is now failing @ the body junction...... when I quit being lazy and crack the case to re-cable it with something proper, it will be back in action fully....

Was attending a neigbour's wedding @ a local hall, when I noticed a nearly flat tire on the Best Man's CRV as they were heading to an arbouretum for wedding pics. Pulled out my 12v compressor..... no more flat tire, at least for a while...... BM said "Got to get me one of those...."....

I don't care what App my vehicle-dash supports; I do care if I have a 12v compressor in the trunk and some basic tools...... yeah, today, that makes me olde-skool..... I'm totally good with that....

Rgds, D,

 

[Dftodd]

It does. I believe that the check engine light will come on.

Check you manual. There should be a dedicated light that comes on when low on oil. My older Sierra would just flash up an alert that said "Low Oil" on the display

 

[3930dave]

Nothing new. Maybe 50 years ago I carpooled with a guy who was one of those who wouldn't turn on his headlights unless it was pitch black. One day I pointed out to him it was getting kinda dark, might be a good idea to turn them on...he just turned on the parking lights! Not sure if he was absent minded or just didn't like being able to see/be seen. Stopped riding with him shortly thereafter.

Read a report, many years ago, concerning accident rates w. and w/o headlights-on in high-latitude countries, and decided to always run my 1978 Chev with the lights on. Later read where Greyhound mandated always-on lights, somewhere around 1930..... the data has been there for a while......

As with many things.... I defer to Forrest Gump......

Rgds, D.

 

[masseyrider]

Talk about old school.
Pa would do an entire check if he was going anywhere more than half an hour away.
Check tire pressure, oil, rad level, master brake cylinder, washer fluid even if he had just done it the day before.
Then he met my future father in law. He hadn't changed the oil in his car for close to 100K miles, and none of his tires were even close in pressure to each other.
Lot of head shaking going on there.