Why some people are too stupid to own a car

[jjeff]

Not really, there are some brake bleeding kits that aren't too expensive that makes doing it yourself pretty easy. I've done it on a couple of our vehicles.

Something like this,

https://www.amazon.com/Motive-Products-0090-Power-Bleeder/dp/B00O6FZJFG/ref=asc_df_B00O6FZJFG?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80195684681607&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583795260945664&psc=1

and they also have little bottles with a hose that fits on the bleeders so you don't get brake fluid all over.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L52B4CX/ref=sspa_dk_detail_9?psc=1&pf_rd_p=56b6d1e1-8781-4e32-a7bc-5298ad4b88ac&pf_rd_r=C8S7VYANS0DMXM50BXE1&pd_rd_wg=SSNhd&pd_rd_w=gKUPZ&content-id=amzn1.sym.56b6d1e1-8781-4e32-a7bc-5298ad4b88ac&pd_rd_r=49dcc5e1-b212-4b34-b993-1c94be94ab3b&s=automotive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFNVjhTR09DRURWSzgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxNTc2MjZOUVo1NjJaVEhRTiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzc4ODY2M1I0MDJSMjM1NkNZVCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbDImYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

These are not the ones I have but will give you an idea.

HF sells an ok brake bleeder also used it successfuly when I replaced a caliper. Very handy when your a one man operation.

 

[JethroB]

Guys, please remember I am a gun enthusiast...

Think about this...

You can be an idiot and own a car by passing a state issued driving test and hopefully carry insurance on your automobile, but thankfully driving is a privilege that has to be earned. Thing is, owning a gun is a right, and no testing needed!

I'm betting some of those people who are too stupid to own a car own guns.

This is the dichotomy I struggle with as a gun owner when it comes to people in general with privileges vs rights.

That said, I believe we can all agree that people in general should not be trusted for their common sense.

Humans breeding and becoming parents is considered a “right”. Perhaps some should just take a pass. But I suspect if that were the case our species would have died out long ago.

To paraphrase a movie: You have to have a license to drive a car. Heck you have to have a license to catch a fish. But any two idiots with a car with a back seat can make a baby.

All in humor. No harm intended.

 

[dodge man]

I personally have never been a fan of changing the brake fluid. Maybe if a vehicle gets older it’s a good idea though.

 

[5030]

I save about $1800 per year (40mpg vs 20mpg) driving my cramped econobox just in gas. Multiply that by 23 years = over $40k, some people have their price.

My little Ford Focus RS 6 speed will top 150 mph if I have the balls... I don't. It will shred the tires too. Don't do that either. Me, I'm a hyper miler so that 40 mpg for me is just peachy.

Actually, today it bumped up to 41 on the fuel computer.

 

[5030]

I personally have never been a fan of changing the brake fluid. Maybe if a vehicle gets older it’s a good idea though.

Not hard with the right tools. I use a Mighty Vac at the farthest point and suck the old out and replace it with nw. Brake fluid is hydroscopic so it reatins water and the older it gets the more it retains and that lowers the boiling point and old fluid can cause internal corrosion as well.

 

[Dftodd]

I jump on this wagon. Cummins has gone to a "Call Center" when ordering parts.

The call center consists of multiple "Parts Specialists" working from home, sitting around in their skivvies, eating cheetos and competing to see who can screw up the order the best.

You literally can't get a hold of the local Cummins parts guy over the phone he's so busy.

I took a chance, was busy and needed a water pump for a Cummins 2.8 diesel. Called, couldn't get a hold of "Jeff" the local guy, and got transferred to the call center.

Ordered the water pump, gave the person all the info they needed to get it shipped in to the local Cummins dealer.

1.5 weeks go by and no water pump I was on vacation, but expected a call on my work cell when it came in. Especially since the water pump was in Florence MS, which is a 4hr drive. Figured it would be next day or seconds buisiness day at the latest.

Followed up Monday when I got back to work. The order got canceled. Dude didn't apply the PO, left the contact info blank, and and picked a company location at random instead of using my location

So today, I had to make a special trip over to the Cummins dealer, see Jeff, find out what happened to my water pump, and to get some other parts I needed to order as well.

I also asked if they had a number I could call and bi##c really loudly about the "Call Center".

They did say they had a really good rating. I said "Yup, because they push for a survey at the end of the phone call when you order the part!!! But no survey following up after the fact to see if the order was correct or even arrived!!".

 

[Jstpssng]

Humans breeding and becoming parents is considered a “right”. Perhaps some should just take a pass. But I suspect if that were the case our species would have died out long ago.

To paraphrase a movie: You have to have a license to drive a car. Heck you have to have a license to catch a fish. But any two idiots with a car with a back seat can make a baby.

All in humor. No harm intended.

My brother and his wife took in foster kids, eventually adopting several. One woman kept making more, and said that she wouldn't stop until they let her keep one.
I asked why the state didn't do something; it's against her rights. What about the kid's rights?

I have a lot of respect for anybody who works with foster kids. I couldn't do it. They had to accomodate visitations from the parents, and tolerated a lot more than I would have.
I would be in jail if I had to put up with the crap they did. I'm not known for being tactful... or smart.
My brother had a heart attack about 10 years ago. His wife died of heart failure in 2020. Coincidence? Perhaps.

 

[Bearsixty7]

My brother and his wife took in foster kids, eventually adopting several. One woman kept making more, and said that she wouldn't stop until they let her keep one.
I asked why the state didn't do something; it's against her rights. What about the kid's rights?

I think a 3 strike rule should be made then something else needs to be done, Maybe that "right" is revoked for the sake of society and the children, she gets jail time, tubes tied, something, maybe she gets to pick.

 

[dstig1]

Brake fluid changes may be recommended for some cars every two years, but I think that's a little obsessive. For most people who's driving habits are average, flushing when you do a brake job should be adequate.

Yeah every 2 years is pretty obsessive and I typically do it when I do brakes or something like that. I get my wife to be the "Pressure Bleeder" by having her push the pedal and release as I open and close the bleed screw on each caliper, starting from the longest (RR, then LR) to shortest (RF, then finally LF) relative to the master Cyl. Usually takes a few min for the rears and the fronts are very quick. I always try to suck out as much old fluid from the reservoir as I can and fill with fresh to save time pushing more old fluid through the lines.

The need has been known for a long time, but it was really only common knowledge for a long time among those who either raced or had performance cars as brake fluid is very hygroscopic and sucks up water readily, and then the boiling point drops. Low boiling fluid means you lose brakes under hard braking (why racers cared so much), plus the water in the system can rust parts internally and plug up the works.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I built myself a pressure bleeder out of a 1 gallon yard sprayer. It works really well. You just hook it up to the reservoir, pressurize the brake fluid and bleed away to your hearts content. It's a lot faster than the old manual way of bleeding brakes. One downside is that you need to find other ways of spending quality time with your wife.

 

[masseyrider]

When I drove a van doing liquor delivery for my friends dad, the van was running poorly. I ask my friends dad when it was last serviced, he said about 2 weeks ago.
I pulled the stick and it had no oil.
That van died at 30K and I still think my friends dad kept going back to that station.
He knew nothing about cars, and the station people knew he had money...

My fathers friend bought a brand new Buick Skylark.
He went to the dealership for the first oil change and decided to visit Pa on the way home.
We were outside and could hear him coming.
When he got out we asked him what's wrong with your car?
"don't know, just got it serviced"
Opened his hood and checked his oil. Nothing on the stick.
Took almost 5 quarts to get to full.
Give the old small block GMs credit, he had that car for years without any issues.
But it was at the selling dealership they did this to him.

 

[dodge man]

One thing to remember is a lot of people on this forum do their own maintenance, they are inquisitive, they like to understand how things work, and understand the basics about how all the things on a car work. The average person is way behind most of us on that. I had my daughter call me when she was in college and ask how to add air to the tires.

 

[Jstpssng]

A former coworker put his 4 kids in his car and drove 100 miles to buy a new truck. He settled on a new 1993 F150; made the deal and headed home. He was 5 miles away headed up the interstate when "the engine blew"... which could mean a lot of things depending on the person. He got towed back to the dealer, tore up the paperwork and bought a new Dakota instead.
I don't know exactly what happened but have always suspected the filter was loose or the drain plug fell out.

 

[NoTrespassing]

One thing to remember is a lot of people on this forum do their own maintenance, they are inquisitive, they like to understand how things work, and understand the basics about how all the things on a car work. The average person is way behind most of us on that. I had my daughter call me when she was in college and ask how to add air to the tires.

Our shipping clerk had a low tire one day so we told him to pull it around back and he could use our air hose. The guy couldn't get the valve stem cap off. He was pulling on it as my coworker and I looked on in amazement. He looked back over his shoulder and said, "they just pull off right"? He's in his early 20's.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Something I always wondered:

You buy a new truck with a 100K powertrain warranty.
Let’s say the truck has 50,000 miles on it and the tranny (transmission) fails.
In the owners manual it says the transmission fluid must be changed every 25,000 miles.
However, records show the owner waited until 25,500 miles for first transmission fluid change.

Is the warranty voided?

GM is pushing pre-paid maintenance plans as "insurance" that they will honor their warranty.

Pre-Paid Maintenance Plans | GMC Protection

<p>GMC Protection Pre-Paid Maintenance covers oil changes, tire rotations, fluid top-offs, air filters, cabin air filters, fluid changes and more.</p>

www.gmc.com

 

[KennyG]

A lot of the manufacturers have nonsense in the maintenance requirements. I don't know if it's to negate warranties or just laziness. Years ago, I bought a Dodge 4WD truck and the maintenance said you didn't need to change the differential lube unless you operated in severe conditions and then you had to change it very often, like every 12,000 miles or something. Severe conditions included dusty conditions and OPERATION AT LOWER THAN 32 deg F. I changed it to synthetic lube after a year and my son is still driving it 18 years later.

 

[masseyrider]

One thing to remember is a lot of people on this forum do their own maintenance, they are inquisitive, they like to understand how things work, and understand the basics about how all the things on a car work. The average person is way behind most of us on that. I had my daughter call me when she was in college and ask how to add air to the tires.

Years back my girlfriends coworker took her new car back to the dealership.
The wind shield washer unit wasn't working.
Turned out she had used up all the fluid and didn't realize you had to refill it.
She was blonde.

 

[jjeff]

Years back my girlfriends coworker took her new car back to the dealership.
The wind shield washer unit wasn't working.
Turned out she had used up all the fluid and didn't realize you had to refill it.
She was blonde.

Did she at least fill up the blinker fluid?

 

[jjeff]

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.

 

[Cougsfan]

When you make cars that can go 100,000 plus miles with no more than occasional oil changes you tend to make "idiots" out of many car owners. I think that is just a natural phenomenon. Us "non-idiots" laugh at them, but all in all, owning a car these days requires a whole lot less expertise than it did in years past and maybe a bit of understanding is in order. Heck my kids, who could probably be classified as automobile idiots, laugh at me when I can't even make my phone text a picture that I just took.