Auto owner quirks

[doublebase]

Getting gas yesterday and a guy was walking around his car at the pump, letting just a little bit of air out of each tire. Very meticulous about it. I asked if they were all overinflated, and he said, yes...I overinflated them and then gradually let out a little bit each time I fill up. It makes them last longer. And then I fill them up again. Then he started rain-x ing his windows down.

Any quirks out there, because I found this one^^peculiar. But then again, we all do something.

Personally, I apply white lithium grease to the oil and tranny pan to keep them from rusting out. This all started when years ago a new car I bought started weeping at the oil pan gasket... was thinking about getting it replaced under warranty when someone said, let it be, it’ll never rust out. And almost 300,000 miles later, they were right. That pan was probably the only thing on that car that was in pristine condition.

I usually wax the paint every 3 months. I also go out of my way to avoid almost every single pot hole/road imperfection I can.

Anyone have any automobile quirks?

 

[Skippy722]

Windshield must be clean. And not just “clean” but as spotless as I can manage within the area of the wipers. If a bug explodes in my field of view I will stop at the earliest convenience and clean it off. The windshield wipers must also be silent, the second they start chattering I’ll try cleaning them to see if it helps otherwise they’re getting replaced.

Also, sequential sweep wipers are superior to radial and I will die on this hill defending it.

 

[doublebase]

Windshield must be clean. And not just “clean” but as spotless as I can manage within the area of the wipers. If a bug explodes in my field of view I will stop at the earliest convenience and clean it off. The windshield wipers must also be silent, the second they start chattering I’ll try cleaning them to see if it helps otherwise they’re getting replaced.

Also, sequential sweep wipers are superior to radial and I will die on this hill defending it.

Haha. I don’t go to that extreme (the bug exploding in my field of vision), but I HATE A noisy windshield wiper! that drives me nuts. Streaky wipers drive me crazy too. I’ve replaced my wipers twice now in less than six months...honestly I think it’s because i had a windshield replaced in July. For some reason it just streaks. Not sure what to do.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Getting gas yesterday and a guy was walking around his car at the pump, letting just a little bit of air out of each tire. Very meticulous about it. I asked if they were all overinflated, and he said, yes...I overinflated them and then gradually let out a little bit each time I fill up. It makes them last longer.

Good lord. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

 

[RooflessVW]

Windshield must be clean. And not just “clean” but as spotless as I can manage within the area of the wipers. If a bug explodes in my field of view I will stop at the earliest convenience and clean it off. The windshield wipers must also be silent, the second they start chattering I’ll try cleaning them to see if it helps otherwise they’re getting replaced.

Also, sequential sweep wipers are superior to radial and I will die on this hill defending it.

Same. Same same same same same.

People live their lives with dirty windshields, dirty glasses, etc. I can't stand it.

 

[Zee09]

When I turn a vehicle off everything in the vehicle is off. I don't leave things on. Never did.

 

[eljefino]

When I turn a vehicle off everything in the vehicle is off. I don't leave things on. Never did.

I used to do this, I'd stop and idle, turn off the lights and HVAC, then turn off the car. I hoped the alternator didn't know it had a surplus and it was all going into the battery.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I don't do it quite like the OP's guy, but I do overinflate, and then release air bit by bit until they hit the desired pressure. This helps with the OCD-stirring TPMS readout showing different pressures between each tire. I found that simply inflating up to the desired pressure can leave variances in pressure, while slowly weeping them down with a digital gauge gets them more even with each other. I like to do this in the morning before the sun has a chance to shine on a tire, or on the garage floor.

The other one I've been caught doing and was accused of having a mental disorder is wiping people's fingerprints off the top aft corner of the passenger window. Everyone who rides with me closes the door using this corner of the window. The fingerprints get wiped off before I go in the house / office. That drives me crazy.

 

[ryster]

When I turn a vehicle off everything in the vehicle is off. I don't leave things on. Never did.

I do this as well as that is what I was taught to do. The theory being it places less of a strain on the electrical system when starting the car (radio is off, HVAC is off, etc.)

I also always set the parking brake, even if I am getting out of the car for just a minute or two.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I also always set the parking brake, even if I am getting out of the car for just a minute or two.

It's better than retrieving your car from the bottom of a hill....especially if it's someone's living room.

 

[Kira]

Four wheels gotta roll evenly and in line.....gotta.
NO questionable batteries.

Does parking far, far away from the crowd count?

 

[levi]

Getting gas yesterday and a guy was walking around his car at the pump, letting just a little bit of air out of each tire. Very meticulous about it. I asked if they were all overinflated, and he said, yes...I overinflated them and then gradually let out a little bit each time I fill up. It makes them last longer. And then I fill them up again.

Bat-poop-crazy.

 

[PF52]

When I turn a vehicle off everything in the vehicle is off. I don't leave things on.

Same here. I get annoyed if I start a different car (or my own car, if someone has borrowed it) and the fan or the radio come on as soon as it starts.

 

[Zee09]

I do this as well as that is what I was taught to do. The theory being it places less of a strain on the electrical system when starting the car (radio is off, HVAC is off, etc.)

I also always set the parking brake, even if I am getting out of the car for just a minute or two.

Me too-always

 

[Zee09]

Four wheels gotta roll evenly and in line.....gotta.
NO questionable batteries.

Does parking far, far away from the crowd count?

Do the wheels in your head roll evenly???

 

[PF52]

One thing I've noticed other people doing that annoys me: People with stick-shifts who shift into Neutral and promptly "test" the stick by violently shaking it back and forth, just to be sure it's really in Neutral. As a new 2021 WRX owner, I've found myself watching a lot of WRX videos, and it seems many or most young WRX drivers do it. Maybe they think they have to shake it out of gear? Admittedly, the WRX 6-speed is pretty clunky and notchy compared to the precision feel of, say, a Honda shifter, but it really doesn't need to be violently shaken to be sure it's out of gear.

 

[JoelB]

I really dislike driving my car super short distances. For example when I wash the car I will put it in neutral and just push it into the driveway. Then I start it to pull it back in. Or ill go around the block at least.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I really dislike driving my car super short distances. For example when I wash the car I will put it in neutral and just push it into the driveway. Then I start it to pull it back in. Or ill go around the block at least.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Mine got pushed out of the garage on Sunday for a wash. I learned from my Dad as a young kid that quick starts and stops should be avoided if possible. We pushed his '78 Blazer out of the garage many times to get washed.

 

[Silver]

That man is not mentally stable. That's all.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I check tire pressures in my vehicles every Saturday morning. Been doing this for about 15-20 years.