******* women and cars

[Garage_Doors]

Er, I already said that the car tells me if anything isn't working or if the tyre pressure is wrong.

Are you suggesting that I should check everything manually every time I drive it and if so what's the point of the system that does it automatically?

Yes, unless you system tells you that you have a nail in the tyre, or there a chunk missing out of the side wall when you kerbed it.

As i said we don't, but you are supposed to check lights, tyres, horn fluids etc each time you drive if a police officer stops you and asked why you tail/brake light is not working. will you tell them the're wrong because its "system" did not tell you? , ignorance is no defence in law.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I have no idea what the OP is talking about either.

If he used the technical explanations to his fiancé that he used explaining it on this thread, it's not surprising she got it wrong.

Like others on this thread, I have no interest at all in cars, other than driving them and wouldn't have a clue about pistons, sump thingies etc.

Not everyone has the same understanding or interest in car engines.

 

[fat old seagull]

I have no idea what the OP is talking about either.

If he used the technical explanations to his fiancé that he used explaining it on this thread, it's not surprising she got it wrong.

Like others on this thread, I have no interest at all in cars, other than driving them and wouldn't have a clue about pistons, sump thingies etc.

Not everyone has the same understanding or interest in car engines.

This is the correct answer, my partner knows nothing about the mechanics of a motor vehicle, but she is a splendid dancer. I on the other hand am a crap dancer, but am also devoid of any mechanical knowledge. Women 1 Me 0 ! .... I need a striker!

 

[wellquickwoody]

On the oil subject, recently bought an Audi A5, it's oil consumption is ridiculous, I reckon I will have gone through 5 litres in barely 1000 miles. That can't be right surely. It's in my garage most of the time but no sign of an oil leak

Known problem on certain Audi's, check it out as it may be sorted by Audi, or at least you will know what to do to avoid further problems.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Yes, unless you system tells you that you have a nail in the tyre, or there a chunk missing out of the side wall when you kerbed it.

As i said we don't, but you are supposed to check lights, tyres, horn fluids etc each time you drive if a police officer stops you and asked why you tail/brake light is not working. will you tell them the're wrong because its "system" did not tell you? , ignorance is no defence in law.

Yes it detects any difference in tyre pressure/balance so a nail would notice. Had this in the previous car (older/ lower spec model) a couple of times and it worked, this one is better and has shouted at me that the tyre pressure is wrong a couple of times when it's turned out to only be a tiny bit out.

I do actually check for if it's been kerbed but mainly because it means I'll have to shout at my wife for wrecking the alloys again and get them fixed.

Brake light? Yeah it tells me if any lights are out. Same with washer fluid etc. The bloody thing even tells me to stop and have a rest if it thinks my driving style has changed on the motorway.

This is why I just get in it and drive it. I take your point but in a decent new car I reckon it'd be pretty odd to be going round checking everything manually every time you drove it.

 

[Dave the OAP]

No you pay them to repair and service it, not look after it on a day to day basis.

Really? I wouldn't even know what is under the bonnet...my old car was a Morris 1100 and I could strip it down and service and rebuild it...my series 1 118 has all sorts of covers on the engine so I have no. Idea what's what!

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

I hate to be all politically correct but I've met women that know about cars (and football!) and other "manly" stuff.

 

[spongy]

The car was towed to my work last night so she dropped me off in my car at 6.30 so I could get the sump plug out and drain the oil out before I started work.

Was a pig of a job as had to use mole grips to undo it but it did come off. She'd over filled it by 1.5 litres.

I left it all morning draining and re filled with oil at lunchtime. A bit smoky for a bit but managed a trip to Crawley and back this evening without any issues and no plumes of smoke out the back.

Think we've got away with it.

From now on I'm going to stop trying to teach her about these things and look after it myself.

Why do some women say they love their car, but don't pay attention to it and then bitch and moan when it breaks down? I know modern cars have all kinds of systems to alert you to possible issues but paying it attention every now and then will help spot issues before they become serious!

From now on I will be checking her car over but it annoys me. A car is usually the second most expensive purchase you will make except for a mortgage. Bloody look after it!

Rant over.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Yes it detects any difference in tyre pressure/balance so a nail would notice. Had this in the previous car (older/ lower spec model) a couple of times and it worked, this one is better and has shouted at me that the tyre pressure is wrong a couple of times when it's turned out to only be a tiny bit out.

I do actually check for if it's been kerbed but mainly because it means I'll have to shout at my wife for wrecking the alloys again and get them fixed.

Brake light? Yeah it tells me if any lights are out. Same with washer fluid etc. The bloody thing even tells me to stop and have a rest if it thinks my driving style has changed on the motorway.

This is why I just get in it and drive it. I take your point but in a decent new car I reckon it'd be pretty odd to be going round checking everything manually every time you drove it.

My car, well the wifes mainly, does all that your does, to the point after i bought after just a mile i had to take it back because of a warning light, it was the tyre pressure ! i was driving it "enthusiastically" as it was new
But i still check everything occasionally.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Beyond the basics I've got next to no knowledge about the workings of my car and, truth be told, I'm happy with that.

I've never got the superiority complex that some have when it comes to being able to fix their car, as if it's some sort of essential sign of manliness.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Beyond the basics I've got next to no knowledge about the workings of my car and, truth be told, I'm happy with that.

I've never got the superiority complex that some have when it comes to being able to fix their car, as if it's some sort of essential sign of manliness.

Fixing or the the very least servicing your own car saves you an awful lot of money.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Fixing or the the very least servicing your own car saves you an awful lot of money.

But this is only possible with the required skills, knowledge, tools and equipment.
35 years ago I could easily change the points and condenser and with my £4.99 strobe light and £2.99 Haynes manual, set the timing, change the spark plugs, set the air screw and tick-over, drain the oil and replace the oil and air filter.

Now I know all modern cars now have electronic ignition and fuel injectors but my car has glow-plugs and a particulate filter - so, with service intervals extended through long-life oil - I'll leave it to the experts now [avoiding main-dealership rip-off prices].

Plus, I prefer not to dirty my hands these days ....

Edit: Even changing a bulb in a modern car is not as easy as it used to be ....

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Fixing or the the very least servicing your own car saves you an awful lot of money.

In the long run it quite possibly does, but from my own driving experience thus far (a decade, so I'm well aware it'll pale in comparison to others) I wouldn't say that there's been much in the way of crazy expense. Yet.

Even then, to pick up the required skills, equipment etc. to the required degree would likely take enough time (that I personally don't have) so as to make paying someone else the more worthwhile option.

It's not a direct parellel by any standard but I wouldn't blame anyone for paying to have their pc fixed, despite it being easier and cheaper (from my perspective) to sort it out themselves. If you've not got any real knowledge of what you're doing the risk is always there that you'll make it that much worse...

 

[Honky Tonx]

I needed a new wiper blade so went to halfords. I could not fit it myself so asked for help. You can guess how embarrassed I felt when a young lady changed it for me. She did have a very nice bottom which made up for it.

 

[Spicy]

I hate to be all politically correct but I've met women that know about cars (and football!) and other "manly" stuff.

So it isn't women in general that don't know about cars, it's YOUR woman that doesn't know about cars.

I can do all the basic maintenance jobs on my car, unlike a male friend of mine who waits till he gets a warning light before filling up with petrol or oil.

 

[Spicy]

My stupid dozey fiance properly funked up today.

She's got a vauxhall astra on at 03 plate. The 1.4 gutless one.

On start up the valves click for 30 seconds or so until oil has been pulled up from the sump. It's not supposed to but due to hydraulic lifter seals wearing a bit it always has done. I've just told her to keep an eye on her oil level and keep it topped up.

Today at lunch she's checked her oil as the oil warning light came on yesterday. And the dipstick said it was on MAX. She was on a slight hill so thought the reading was a bit off.

This had all happened unknowing to me but this evening she's phoned me really upset saying the car was playing up on her way home from work, billowing white smoke out the exhaust and no power with juddering. This is when she's decided to tell me that she checked the oil. Saw it on MAX but thought it was wrong so put "the rest of the oil from the container" into the filler cap.

When I questioned her as to how much "the rest" was she said "about a quarter"

Seeing as it's a 5l bottle I reckon that's over a litre overfilled. So I've jumped in my car and driven the 8ish miles to meet her and have a look.

I've checked the dipstick and the reading is about 2" over max.

She was on her way to the childminder to pick up our daughter so I've told her to take mine to get her and I'll try and limp hers to home so I can drain the excess out. I got about a mile, I daren't drive it any further. The smoke and smell was horrific and I was crapping it thinking the piston rings might go or the engine will blow so I've pulled into a lay-by and phoned a friend to bring some tools to help me drain the excess out there and then.

All well and good you may think but the previous owner has rounded off the sump plug so I can't drain it.

So I've been sitting in a lay-by freezing my tips off waiting for the RAC to turn up and tow the car to my work car park.

So instead of working tomorrow morning I've got to take half a day off to try and get this sump plug out and do an oil change in the hope something more serious hasn't happened.

What a ******* dozy cow.

I've always told her to check oil when it's been warmed up a bit and on a flat Road. Not when the engine is stone cold on a bloody hill. And never go above max. Ever.

Did she listen? Did she ****. I'm fuming.

And this after last year when she went to top up her coolant and put 2 litres of coolant in the oil filler cap and drove to bloody 15 miles to work!!!!!!

Aarrgghh. ****ING stupid stupid stupid bint.

Why don't you do it for her rather than blame her?

 

[spongy]

Because I'd like her to actually do something for herself for a change instead of relying on me?

I get quite a lot of phone calls from her along the lines of "what does it mean if......?" and "what happens when I do......?"

I've been trying to teach her the basics but nothing has sunken in obviously. So this should just be another thing to add to the already long list of stuff that I already do for her then?

Not trying to sound patronising in any way but it would be helpful if she even had just a little bit of enthusiasm to things and learn for herself rather than relying on me. Not too much to ask is it? I've got enough to look after without pandering to her all the time thanks.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I'm a bloke and have:

Overfilled the oil
Put Petrol in a Diesel
Locked my keys in the boot (with a virtually new born with me)
Reversed into a brand new Jag
Reversed into a Garage
Reversed into a post
Reversed a DB9 into a tree (that's expensive BTW)

Bloody women drivers, eh!

 

[TomandJerry]

I'm a bloke and have:

Overfilled the oil
Put Petrol in a Diesel
Locked my keys in the boot (with a virtually new born with me)
Reversed into a brand new Jag
Reversed into a Garage
Reversed into a post
Reversed a DB9 into a tree (that's expensive BTW)

Bloody women drivers, eh!

How did you pass your test

 

[5mins-from-amex]

I'm a bloke and have:

Overfilled the oil
Put Petrol in a Diesel
Locked my keys in the boot (with a virtually new born with me)
Reversed into a brand new Jag
Reversed into a Garage
Reversed into a post
Reversed a DB9 into a tree (that's expensive BTW)

Bloody women drivers, eh!

Shouldn't be on the road then.