How much punishment can one car take?
Discussion
My step daughter refuses to maintain her car. She commutes two hundred and fifty miles a week and, you would be forgiven for thinking, she would need a reliable car. Tyres and brakes are replaced when they fail the MoT.
This is a familiar exchange:
"You should have your car serviced."
"I can't afford to have it serviced."
"No, you can't afford to not have it serviced."
The weeks go by and then she'll ask me to check the oil or water.
Yesterday I put four litres of oil into car that hasn't been serviced for years and yet still functions.
Did I hear you ask what car it is that takes this abuse without a murmur? An MGF, a car famed for its unreliability that boasts a four and a half litre oil capacity.
This is a familiar exchange:
"You should have your car serviced."
"I can't afford to have it serviced."
"No, you can't afford to not have it serviced."
The weeks go by and then she'll ask me to check the oil or water.
Yesterday I put four litres of oil into car that hasn't been serviced for years and yet still functions.
Did I hear you ask what car it is that takes this abuse without a murmur? An MGF, a car famed for its unreliability that boasts a four and a half litre oil capacity.
The minute you go near it with spanners it will expire as the delicate balance will be upset, at the moment its the sludge in the sump and the silt in the rad holiding it together !
Why is it young women are so dumb when it comes to maintaining cars, they only take an interest when it wont take them to the Trafford Centre or similar to look at shoes ?
Why is it young women are so dumb when it comes to maintaining cars, they only take an interest when it wont take them to the Trafford Centre or similar to look at shoes ?
People are stupid, rahter than address a problem they box it off and bury it at the back of their minds, sometimes they get away with it, I think Karma is quite lenient on the stupid.
I was riding to work on my bike this morning, a kid on a BMX was riding up the wrong side of the road with headphones on, he pulls to my side, nearly colliding, I gave him some stick and just got some back for being in his way, stupid sometimes just gets away with it.
I think sometimes the dilligent and cautious let the stupids get away with it, me suggesting the kid should ride on the side of the road where the cars go in the same direction without headphones, you suggesting she maintain her car, I think we make too many allowances.
My cousin crashed her Mini (old type) into the back of another car, wasnt her fault apparently as her tyres were bald and didnt give enough grip.
I was riding to work on my bike this morning, a kid on a BMX was riding up the wrong side of the road with headphones on, he pulls to my side, nearly colliding, I gave him some stick and just got some back for being in his way, stupid sometimes just gets away with it.
I think sometimes the dilligent and cautious let the stupids get away with it, me suggesting the kid should ride on the side of the road where the cars go in the same direction without headphones, you suggesting she maintain her car, I think we make too many allowances.
My cousin crashed her Mini (old type) into the back of another car, wasnt her fault apparently as her tyres were bald and didnt give enough grip.
Edited by J4CKO on Monday 17th May 12:32
It is amazing.
I had an old vectra and one day I decided I was not going to do anything more with it. The suspension bushes were knackered, the electrics (doors, displays etc) had begun to fail and it was generally looking very tatty and was worth nothing so I decided I'd just run it into the ground, just topping up the oil every now and again.
After two years of abuse (revving it hard from cold to get the heater to warm up more quickly, not slowing for speed bumps etc) I took it on two track days (and let my Dad, friends etc thrash it round) and even then it refused to die, I was sure if someone didn't crash it it would surely explode... I finally gave it away to a friend of a friend who did some work on it, got it through the MOT and sold it for £500. This was two years ago, I've just checked and it's still on the road! It even survived the scrappage scheme...
I had an old vectra and one day I decided I was not going to do anything more with it. The suspension bushes were knackered, the electrics (doors, displays etc) had begun to fail and it was generally looking very tatty and was worth nothing so I decided I'd just run it into the ground, just topping up the oil every now and again.
After two years of abuse (revving it hard from cold to get the heater to warm up more quickly, not slowing for speed bumps etc) I took it on two track days (and let my Dad, friends etc thrash it round) and even then it refused to die, I was sure if someone didn't crash it it would surely explode... I finally gave it away to a friend of a friend who did some work on it, got it through the MOT and sold it for £500. This was two years ago, I've just checked and it's still on the road! It even survived the scrappage scheme...
Cupid Stunt said:
Explain the price of a service then explain the price of the repair if it ran dry of oil & died on her. That should make her realise what you mean when you say she can't afford to not have it serviced
Ahhhh...what you are doing wrong here is suggesting the OP apply logic to a discussion with a female!Continue to tell her to service the car and then point out the errors of her ways when it dies on the side of the road.
All variations of these arguments have been tried and all fail.
The bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
The bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
In the case of my Focus, about 98,500 miles.
It's had regular servicing but i've not been particularly light footed with it... 8 years of running faultlessly and in the last month it's been like a bloody clown car.
Back wiper died, coil pack died, central locking died, and now it looks like the speed sensor is on the way out
It's had regular servicing but i've not been particularly light footed with it... 8 years of running faultlessly and in the last month it's been like a bloody clown car.
Back wiper died, coil pack died, central locking died, and now it looks like the speed sensor is on the way out
DickyC said:
All variations of these arguments have been tried and all fail.
The bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
This is the problem with the driving test IMO, people are taught how to drive (sort of) but not about proper car care and maintenance. I'm no saint, I check my oil occasionally when the bonnet is up, I fill up my windscreen wash regularly because I hate any dirt on my windscreen and I check my tyre pressures weekly as I fear I may have a slow puncture in one of them. The bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
No doubt her insurance is half what I'm paying too
Talking to a bloke years ago about engines and oil and he said when they were lads he and his mates took an old Anglia into a field, drained the oil and water, fired it up, screwed the throttle adjuster wide open and waited to see how long it would last. It ran for a lot longer than any of them thought (I forget how long) but he said the whole engine was red hot before it seized.
I told this to Mrs C after the four litres of oil in the MGF incident yesterday and she said, "I feel sorry for the farmer."
Ah! So that's how to kill a good story.
I told this to Mrs C after the four litres of oil in the MGF incident yesterday and she said, "I feel sorry for the farmer."
Ah! So that's how to kill a good story.
ArtVandelay said:
This is the problem with the driving test IMO, people are taught how to drive (sort of) but not about proper car care and maintenance.
You mean the driving test that now includes "show me, tell me" questions on car maintenance?DickyC said:
All variations of these arguments have been tried and all fail.
The bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
I now think you have 2 options. Either leave her to it, let the engine die & leave her to deal with an expense she feels she can't afford but should have avoided in the hope that she learns her lesson (she probably wont) or look after it for her as you are doing, stop her from killing herself & the car & accept she'll never learn. Seems as it's family I'd do the latter, some people will just never learn, she sounds like 1 of those people so you might as well save her the expense & griefThe bizarrest sub-plots happen as well. The last MoT resulted - to my intense suprise - in nothing worse than alerts for the tyres and brakes.
"Which would you replace?" she asked.
"Neither at the moment. It's a warning that tells you they will need replacing soon. Certainly before the next MoT." The last bit being a weak attempt at humour.
"I have five hundred pounds and I should replace one of them. Which would you do first?"
"The brakes."
"Oh."
"Why, "Oh"?"
"Well, I would have thought tyres. I'm interested in safety."
Ignoring the temptation to tell her she's not all that interested in safety, I said, "They're telling you both tyres and brakes are okay at the moment but if you have to spend the money, spend it on the brakes. You can see the tyres and will know when they need replacing."
"I'm going to buy new tyres."
OnTheOverrun said:
Roop said:
Let her drive it into the ground. When the garage tell her it's basically written off as it's siezed the big ends then she might think twice about knackering the next car...
No, she'll blame the car and the garage and expect the OP to pay to fix it.Roop said:
OnTheOverrun said:
Roop said:
Let her drive it into the ground. When the garage tell her it's basically written off as it's siezed the big ends then she might think twice about knackering the next car...
No, she'll blame the car and the garage and expect the OP to pay to fix it.DickyC said:
Roop said:
OnTheOverrun said:
Roop said:
Let her drive it into the ground. When the garage tell her it's basically written off as it's siezed the big ends then she might think twice about knackering the next car...
No, she'll blame the car and the garage and expect the OP to pay to fix it.
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