Engine Clanging -- And she drove off!

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StevieC

StevieC

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So I'm sitting at the lights today minding my own business and this lady with 3 kids in a late 90's Caravan pulls up beside me.

The engine was knocking and clanging pretty bad...
shocked2.gif


So I put down my passenger side window and say to her that she should check her oil because it sounds like there isn't any in the engine (3.0 Litre Mitsubishi).

She thanks me and pulls over. I pull over too and offer to give her a hand the friendly guy I am.

She pops the hood and pulls the dipstick and there is nothing on it at all.. I tell her that I wouldn't drive any further and to call a tow truck or I offer to go get her some oil at the service station up the road.

She says not to worry and that it's an old van and has been making that noise for the last couple weeks and she just hasn't had a chance to get it looked at.

I told her that if she drove any further it might seize completely and she would be looking at a replacement engine.

She thanked me, got back in her van and drove off.

I got into my truck, shaking my head at what just happened and proceeded to drive off.

Well I pulled into a Tim Hortons on my way home on the same road to get a much needed afternoon coffee.

Wouldn't you know it, she was on the side of the road further up the road with her 4 ways on...

I stopped again and she said that her engine stalled and wouldn't start.

I had one listen and it was definitely seized.

I called her CAA and left.

What's with people???
shocked2.gif
 
You did a nice gesture my friend! I thank you for that. Its not everyday people that would do that first of all.

As for whats with people?? I dont know either. The only thing we can say to them is: sorry lady, I tried to help you.. now you deserve it.. but not your kids!

I dont know.. I'm asking myself the same question!

What is going on with people?!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Spykem4e
You did a nice gesture my friend! I thank you for that. Its not everyday people that would do that first of all.

As for whats with people?? I dont know either. The only thing we can say to them is: sorry lady, I tried to help you.. now you deserve it.. but not your kids!

I dont know.. I'm asking myself the same question!

What is going on with people?!


Thanks for the kind words... I wouldn't stop for just anyone, especially with all the crazy's in the world but she seems like a nice lady and had 3 kids and I felt really bad not telling her with my mechanical knowledge and especially with these engines being oil users.

But then she gets in and drives off only to find out I was right...

grin2.gif
 
I got a good story too.

A girl I used to work with started up her "new" used car as we were all leaving one night. As soon as it fired up,I heard a loud metallic knocking. I told here to cut off the engine so I could check the oil...........dipstick dry! I had a quart in my trunk (I always keep a quart of oil,water,tools,etc in my car) and I put it in her engine. She started it up and it purred like a kitten! She was really down on her luck $$ wise,so I told her next time she came over to hang out,I had a jug of oil (Mobil 1 10W40 HM)I`d give her under the condition that she would either keep it full,or get it changed. I gave her the oil.

Long story short,she calls me at work one day. She said her engine locked up while she was driving,wouldn`t re-start,and she was stranded on the side of the road. Where oh where was that jug of Mobil 1 I gave her? In her trunk UNOPENED!!!!!!!!........and the diagnosis of her seized engine? NO OIL! Good freakin lord!!!!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: StevieC
What's with people???
shocked2.gif



Usually, it's either:
1. Because they didn't hear it on TV or on the internet, they assume you don't really know what you're talking about.
2. They think they know more than you do.

The fact that she said, "it's an old van and has been making that noise for the last couple weeks", makes me think she fell into #2.

Maybe next time she'll actually listen to advice. I see the same [censored] everyday, the world is rife with "experts"... or so it seems.
 
You did all you could. Self-destructive behaviors come in all sorts of forms... Id say that respect of your equipment, even if old, is one... It sure is a good way to create a poor financial position...
 
Some possibilities
1. She's an idiot
2. She doesn't listen to anyone
3. She figures her husband will buy a new vehicle for her
4. Or she's got more money than brains


Anyway you tried to help her but sometimes the best lessons are learned through stupidity.
 
Well, you tried, StevieC and that's the main thing.
As I like to say: He/She done been told.
Not your problem.
 
Trying to educate/help some people turns against you many times too! ... "It was working fine till YOU looked at it or touched it" Happened more than once with me...

But it was very nice of you to try to help. Especially with kids involved.
 
The old saying to effect of "God looks after fools and drunks" both catagories make a wide swath these days in my experience.

Another one that comes to mind is "[censored] always floats to the top." My wife works for a financial firm who deal with investments, this firm handles peoples' financial futures and her bosses can't balance thier cheque books and are overdrawn at many businesses in a small everyone knows every thing community, they still run a staunch investment/financial business. Go figure, my best advise is "dont try to figure it out, do your job collect your paycheck, drive on, whatever ."

I worked for one contractor decades ago in my apprenticeship, he would never check oil, he would bust his [censored] all day in grueling physical work, earned every penny he made the hard way, yet never checked oil and spent a lot of money on more work trucks, again, go figure? Even the people who work hard for thier coin along with the ones who have things come too easy in life can be daft in the cliche of "an ounce of prevention"

Cyprs
 
She's probally on some housewife chatroom now telling her side of the story...

"yeah, I was driving my van that always ran fine, until some psycho stalker ran me off the road and said, ohh.... something is wrong with your engine, I "KNOW" it (like he has some psychic powers). Then he popped open the thing and did something to ruin the engine. I didn't make it home in time for Oprah!".
 
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