Anyone ever sneak a check ofother people's oil ?

[callbay]

I have a friend that often checks other peoples oil. Guests to his house or his kids friends cars etc. Anyone parked at his house. The interesting part is that the other people don't konw he does this. He adds oil, water to the battery or anything else he notices that the car needs to have added. Even air in the tires. I guess he feels he is performing a service and helping the people. Kids cars, ladies cars, and "company cars" need a lot he says. He once found a company car that need three quarts of oil.

Any thoughts?

 

[SAJEFFC]

Closet maintenance freak huh? I must admit that i do it to family members cars also. I just can't stand the thought of a car running around low on oil.

 

[GMFan]

I check my brothers, sisters and parents oil all the time. They know I keep an eye on their car. I sometimes find them down 1/2 a quart and I top it off for them. I have never checked the oil for anyone else.

What does he do anyway? Pop the hood with a screwdriver? I think it's kinda strange personally. Why not just ask them? I'm sure they'd oblige. I'd feel weird doing it without them knowing I was touching their car.

 

[hate2work]

All I can think of is what would happen if I came out and a stranger had my hood up and was goofing with my engine

I mean, it's a nice thing to do and all, but when you sneak around doing it....that's a little too weird for me

 

[Ben99GT]

I would never do this without permission/being asked.

 

[bullwinkle]

The closest I get to that is worrying about my long term rental vehicles (while the co. van is getting it's big money dealership repairs-singlehandedly saving FORD!).

 

[labman]

I would slam the hood down on the arm of anybody I caught messing around with my car.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: labman
I would slam the hood down on the arm of anybody I caught messing around with my car.


+1 especially if it is my E-150 or Jeep. I'd slam more than his arm under the hood!

 

[CharBaby]

You can't even pay for service like that anymore!

 

[webfors]

I check anyone's oil if they ask... and I suggest periodically to friends that I know are neglectful when they are about to go for a road trip.

If it was my kids (not for 12 more years thank goodness) I would do it with them beside me so I could educate them at the same time!!

 

[addyguy]

Yeah, bit weird and sneaky for me. I can understand wanting to do it, but I don't go near the engine or 'drivers side' of anyone else's vehicle without permission.

 

[bustednutz]

I don't sneak it, but a friend of mine at work is taking a road trip. So he brought in his car and put it on one of our lifts. He bought fresh MobilClean 5000 and a K&N filter. He also bought fresh coolant as well. Needless to say I was in hog heaven for about an hour while I helped him do this.

 

[GOPHER FREAK]

I check for my siblings and parents. All are mechanically retarded. I once added 2 qts to my Dads Dakota. I once added 2.5 qts to my brothers Mercury Sable, and then added 1.5 gallons of 50/50 water/coolant mix. He showed up at my lake place (5 hrs north of his house) saying his car was running hot. How he has gotten 200,000 miles out of that car I'll never know.

Both my sisters drive very new cars so not such a big issue.

 

[silverrat]

Originally Posted By: GOPHER FREAK
I check for my siblings and parents. All are mechanically retarded. I once added 2 qts to my Dads Dakota. I once added 2.5 qts to my brothers Mercury Sable, and then added 1.5 gallons of 50/50 water/coolant mix. He showed up at my lake place (5 hrs north of his house) saying his car was running hot. How he has gotten 200,000 miles out of that car I'll never know.

Both my sisters drive very new cars so not such a big issue.


Dude, I guy I used to work with at a quick LUBE SHOP was driving around his Prelude, 3 liters low when I finally topped it up for him. Funny that he would powerwash his floor mats every week but couldnt be bothered to top up his engine oil.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: GOPHER FREAK
I check for my siblings and parents. All are mechanically retarded. I once added 2 qts to my Dads Dakota. I once added 2.5 qts to my brothers Mercury Sable, and then added 1.5 gallons of 50/50 water/coolant mix. He showed up at my lake place (5 hrs north of his house) saying his car was running hot. How he has gotten 200,000 miles out of that car I'll never know.

Both my sisters drive very new cars so not such a big issue.


I've added 3 quarts to a 4 quart sump before on a car that was being daily driven regularly.. It was my ex-GF, who refuses to take care of a car, me, being a BITOGer, this was one of the reasons (underlying) that we broke up I think. It [censored] me off so much.. haha!

 

[Patman]

It might sound weird but I bet the guy's intentions are honorable and we need more good samaritans like him in this world! In that case there where he found one engine was down by 3 quarts of oil he probably saved that person's engine from an early death.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: callbay
I have a friend that often checks other peoples oil. Guests to his house or his kids friends cars etc. Anyone parked at his house. The interesting part is that the other people don't konw he does this. He adds oil, water to the battery or anything else he notices that the car needs to have added. Even air in the tires. I guess he feels he is performing a service and helping the people. Kids cars, ladies cars, and "company cars" need a lot he says. He once found a company car that need three quarts of oil.

Any thoughts?


I'm more of a "I told you so" kinda person. It's hard to say "I told you so" when I'm doing all their maintenance.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: callbay
I have a friend that often checks other peoples oil.
Any thoughts?


I have a co-worker who sold a car to another co-worker. The original owner still checks the oil, tires, battery, washer fluid, etc. for him in the parking lot. I guess it's still his "baby".
Whenever I'm with a few co-workers and the subject of motor oil comes up, I play the "dumb blonde" and sometimes throw in a line or subject that turns into a catalyst on the subject.
I heard a co-worker just say last week that he did 2,000 mile OCI on Pennzoil and everything was fine for the whole life of his car.....until he changed to Valvoline. Before he could do the next oil change the car was back at the dealer getting all the sludge scraped out of his engine.
Both he and the dealer believe that all that parafin wax was the problem of Pennzoil and a single dose of Valvoline broke up all this buildup and ruined his engine. Sure it did.....
You can't argue with guys and their engine oil.

 

[yeti]

he obviously has good intentions, but to sneak around and do it -- it could be a cry for help.

 

[andrewg]

While his intentions MAY be good, I think he's doing something he should be asking permission for. It's most assured here that this guy has some sort of odd compulsion like some people do with constant washing of hands etc. If it was my car and I saw somebody doing that I would feel that he was being intrusive.
While being a decent thing to do in concept, it ISN'T proper nor showing the respect one should exhibit towards another persons property. If he asked first, then all would be good.