Ask someone the last time they checked the oil and

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: CTownIntegra
Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
I currently work at a national parts chain.

I'm amazed on a daily basis how completely clueless and helpless people are when it comes to cars. People depend on this machine to take them tens or hundreds of miles a day and have no idea the most basic concept of how it or its systems work.

I get embarrassed for grown men who need to have me put on wiper blades because they can't figure it out. They're always amazed when it takes literally 5 seconds per blade excepting non j-hook or gm hookups.

The whole "do it for me" attitude is so pervasive that a surprising amount of people get upset when I say I won't install a bulb or a fuse or check their oil for them for free.



When I worked for O'Reilly and someone that was perfectly capable wanted their oil checked or added, they got what I supported. Which was normally PP or Valvoline NG depending on the type of car.

Ignorance should be painful or costly. If I tried to educate you but "You'd rather have me do it" while your on the phone, then you got an involuntary upsell.

The wiper blades were tricky on the new GM's when they came out though in some people's defense. But after a few it was just as easy as the J Hooks.


I liked being a counterman. I hated the pay and hated working tires and service but I liked working the parts counter.

So many times I would try the upsell. I had the proper Mercedes Benz Valeo uni-wiper. "No, I want the $1.99 one." Cheap piece of polycarbonate with rubber made of extra chattery material.
Or when the blue APC headlight capsules came out. Of course I was to blame when it failed after six months. It wasn't the quality of the part that was questionable....oh no. I had obviously done it wrong.

 

[OB4x4]

I worked with a girl who proclaimed that she would never buy another Honda ever again. I asked her why. She said that her engine blew with just a little over 100k mi. My first question was how often did you change the oil. Her response was that she never changed it, she would just add a little every time the light came on. And she had a B.S. and a J.D..

 

[pandus13]

you have a great dad,
you are a great son,
you are a great dad!

 

[DinoOil]

Regarding when to check the oil level, I would become aware and get a feel for what my cars consumption rates were. For example, when my 98 Crown Vic wore a younger and lusterous skin, it might have used less than half a quart every 3k. So, I was reasonably confident and maybe checked it every month just to be sure. Now, almost 15 years later, I still pull the dipstick and now am required to add 1 qt every month. Like many of you, I know the engine's oil consumption rate and checking interval well. You get a feel for it...

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: Azeem
My BIL asked me to check his Tranny fluid level in his Ram with MT.


But you can check the fluid on a manual. Levels can and do drop in manual transmissions.

 

[nitehawk55]

Originally Posted By: RiceCake
I used to have a friend in University who refused to learn anything about his car, apparently it was too hard and difficult to, and since he paid the dealer good money to do basic maintenance, they must be doing a better, more complete job then he ever could. When the battery in his key fob went dead and wouldn't unlock the doors he took it to the dealer.

But then again, blame a generation of parents with more money then sense handing a kid a car and a pile of money to sit in University rather then actually doing anything.

University was rather common for stuff like that though in all due respect. Especially engineering, where people always seemed exceptionally confident they "know better then you" because they're in a Masters program or something. All book smart, all ignorant, no sense. I watched a guy try to pull start an automatic car because he knew engineering.


I work at a University , know exactly what you are talking about . Lord help these kids when they venture out into the real world , they are in for a shock or they will be living in mom and/or dad's basement till they are 50ish .

 

[zerosoma]

Originally Posted By: OB4x4
I worked with a girl who proclaimed that she would never buy another Honda ever again. I asked her why. She said that her engine blew with just a little over 100k mi. My first question was how often did you change the oil. Her response was that she never changed it, she would just add a little every time the light came on. And she had a B.S. and a J.D..


Surprising it lasted that long!

 

[Spector]

To some degree I blame the auto salespeople. When finalizing the deal they should go through the basic maintenance and how to check fluids etc. Of course that would not do anything for private resales but at least it might educate some people that certain things have got to be checked and changed periodically.

 

[johnachak]

I want to thank everyone for these posts. I think this was the most fun filled thread I ever started!

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Spector
To some degree I blame the auto salespeople. When finalizing the deal they should go through the basic maintenance and how to check fluids etc. Of course that would not do anything for private resales but at least it might educate some people that certain things have got to be checked and changed periodically.


LOL and they'd run over to the last dealer that never mentioned all this tripe that had to be performed on his models...

 

[SuzukiGoat]

I bought my Suzuki with 160k miles on it, a bad oil leak, a fram filter...and enough oil burned onto the dipstick that I should have RUN the other way. I knew how to change oil and brakes...nothing else.

Now... 30k miles later: I can do a timing belt in under two hours, its had 15-20 oil changes to clean her out, I swapped the entire suspension, gutted the interior and Bedlined, adjusted tps, blocked egr and countless other little things.

Well worth the 2k it cost me, and I would drive it cross country at a moment's notice... and did in January.

It Burns a little oil if left idling for 5-10 minutes and on startup. Less than a half quart every 3-5k. I check my oil every other time I get gas (fill up every 175 miles). Without fail I catch someone watching me each time. Some seem to be snickering to themselves that their newer vehicle doesn't require such behavior. Usually Iget my eight gallons, check my oil, and am flying out of the parking lot at 6500-7000 rpm while theyre still pumping away.

I've had a few new cars, none have been as fun, only one h. a

s been as reliable.

My next will likely be on 05-08 Lexus gs v8 ... it will likely have its oil checked every tank as well. Its a habit now.

 

[Torrid]

I always check the fluid levels when I stop for fuel. I've noticed that I get some weird looks sometimes. You can usually get a feel for those people who don't even know how to check the oil level.