Yes. I’ve been at it 49 years. My wife dragged me to Christmas Tree Shops in Jersey today. One of those insufferable novelty stores that has Christmas stuff out two weeks before Thanksgiving. I finally found a bench to plop down on and another elderly gent asked if he could share it. Then he said ‘ How long are you in for?” The Shawshank Redemption immediately came to mind..we both laughed.
Having a non-car person other half - the things they do.
- Thread starter pezzy84
- Start date
One of my art teachers back in the day had the final generation Escort sedan with the updated 2.0 SPI, our school was off a 55 MPH state road in Minnesota and it was a pretty steep uphill grade to leave the school. She had that Escort redlining to 60 MPH from a cold start on a daily basis leaving school. Looking back her cars never lasted more than a few years and she was very much the hippie artsy fartsy type so it would not shock me if she just drove them to the ground in a couple years via no maintenance and redline runs on a cold engine.
Had a co-worker show up at work one sub-zero morning saying he thinks he needs a new car now. I asked why. He said he was ticked off this morning, so he floored it and shifted it at redline every time without letting it warm up, and then when he got to work he heard a loud knocking sound from the engine. 
Ah, yes, that brings back memories of travelling to Grandma's house on Christmas or Thanksgiving in an icy cold car! What is it about mothers..... Can't they understand the heat is free and produced in abundance by the engine? I am sure it wasn't my dad who voted in favor of driving 90 miles with the heat off, all of us bundled in heavy coats and gloves and the windows completely frosted over.
I do all our vehicles servicing/fixing. And my wife is generally good at comprehending when I explain why doing this or that is not a good idea.
But she is utterly convinced that having the HVAC on high temp, high fan speed will warm the interior up faster even on a cold engine. I have explained to her, but her experience apparently is different. It’s fine, but somewhat annoying when I start her vehicle and the fan is on full blast blowing in my face and the temp is 20* F. I try not to drive it anymore than I have to. She doesn’t like cleaning the windshield either apparently..
I’m just happy she will mention if the vehicle is making a different noise/brake grinding, etc.
But she is utterly convinced that having the HVAC on high temp, high fan speed will warm the interior up faster even on a cold engine. I have explained to her, but her experience apparently is different. It’s fine, but somewhat annoying when I start her vehicle and the fan is on full blast blowing in my face and the temp is 20* F. I try not to drive it anymore than I have to. She doesn’t like cleaning the windshield either apparently..
I’m just happy she will mention if the vehicle is making a different noise/brake grinding, etc.
My wife apparently always came up just using the wipers to clear the windshield. FIRST THING in the morning no matter how cold or how much snow.
I told her aside from potentially damaging wipers which are frozen to the glass this is VERY hard on the wiper motor and linkages and even the wiper arms.
I just got the "Well I've always done it that way" response. Sigh....
I told her aside from potentially damaging wipers which are frozen to the glass this is VERY hard on the wiper motor and linkages and even the wiper arms.
I just got the "Well I've always done it that way" response. Sigh....
My Mom doesn't really believe in a warm up. It's been start, put it in D and drive down a couple hundred yards to the highway and use about 50% throttle until its going 55mph. The only car they've had that has suffered a serious engine problem was her 91 Escort GT which got driven around with a blown headgasket for a couple days before my Dad noticed. Maybe related? who knows.
Everything else doesn't seem to care.
Everything else doesn't seem to care.
If you think your other half is covering 100% expenses on this vehicle, just wait until something expensive breaks on that car. All of the sudden it will be “our” problem.😉
My wife tends to wait till the last minute to leave for work. I think the only thing preventing black marks in the road is the low HP of the cars. I tend to over maintain the cars so not too worried. The Focus did die.. I'd blame it on her but I want to live a little while longer.
Wife used to drive with one foot on the brake pedal in case she had to stop quick. Took me 30 years to break her from that habit. I got tired of changing brake pads under 20,000 miles.
Oh the climate control (both auto and home) - another pet peeve of mine that I have just decided not worth the battle. This crosses over to home HVAC - I still have friends who think the setting you put the thermostat on dictates the temp coming out of the vents. Ya know the 'well if I set it to 80 it will warm up faster' thought process.
My parents have not and will not use auto climate in their cars. They don't like that it blasts the fan when the car interior is hot during the summer and during the winter 'it takes too long for the fan to come on', instead they just fiddle with the controls constantly and max out the temp control to LO or HI. Don't even get me started on the fact their recirculate button gets pushed as soon as they buy the car and never gets turned off unless the button is accidentally pushed, they smoke in their cars so maybe they are hoping the nicotine glue will prevent any coolant or refrigerant leaks in the heater core or evaporator.
My parents have not and will not use auto climate in their cars. They don't like that it blasts the fan when the car interior is hot during the summer and during the winter 'it takes too long for the fan to come on', instead they just fiddle with the controls constantly and max out the temp control to LO or HI. Don't even get me started on the fact their recirculate button gets pushed as soon as they buy the car and never gets turned off unless the button is accidentally pushed, they smoke in their cars so maybe they are hoping the nicotine glue will prevent any coolant or refrigerant leaks in the heater core or evaporator.
Not an "other half" story here but I think it fits well:
Back when I was 17, we went to my stepmother's family's house for Thanksgiving. They lived a couple states away and this was the first time to meet the family. The uncle was a driving instructor for a well known law enforcement agency and claimed to know everything automotive, even claiming, "you don't know fast until you've gotten a ride in one of our p71's!"
He personally owned a 4 cylinder Altima. We needed to run to the store to pick something up and he offered to drive. He started that poor car up in 15°F weather, dropped it into gear and held his foot to the floor, tires spinning and engine rattling, with a huge grin on his face. I'll never forget the sound. There's no way that poor 2.5 lasted more than a couple winters.
Back when I was 17, we went to my stepmother's family's house for Thanksgiving. They lived a couple states away and this was the first time to meet the family. The uncle was a driving instructor for a well known law enforcement agency and claimed to know everything automotive, even claiming, "you don't know fast until you've gotten a ride in one of our p71's!"
He personally owned a 4 cylinder Altima. We needed to run to the store to pick something up and he offered to drive. He started that poor car up in 15°F weather, dropped it into gear and held his foot to the floor, tires spinning and engine rattling, with a huge grin on his face. I'll never forget the sound. There's no way that poor 2.5 lasted more than a couple winters.
Pics of the "other half" to determine if you are being a butthead......
I will say.....I do weird things w climate control in my vehicles, too. I like fresh air and often drive in the winter with the heat blasting and window at least partially down.
I remember when I was young and broke I'd rarely use a/c because it of course can cause mileage to suffer. Now I often find myself driving with my window down (or top open on the JL) and a/c blasting.
I only do this stuff when I'm alone so no passengers are annoyed by it.
I've never liked auto climate control in a vehicle regardless, I just want the control over temp and fan speed. Sign me up for the Luddite Club!
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As far as auto climate control goes, I prefer lower fan speed than what it normally uses. With a manual mode, I like to turn off the fan and use "ram air" if it is cool outside. Mazda/Toyota generally allow this, our Wrangler shuts off the outside air intake when the system is off.
Mine were the same way with cruise control. They absolutely would not use it in any circumstances! Sure, maybe they were used to the old-style vacuum-operated cruise modules which did seem to engage more abruptly then the modern ones do, but even with their new Impala they never used it at all, not once. Even on a road trip to Colorado or Florida or wherever. And that car engaged cruise totally unobtrusively.
After my dad died, I'd drive my mom around in the Impala and I'd use the cruise all the time..... I don't think she even realized it.
I was shocked to learn my then girl friend used her left foot for braking. She said your reactions are faster that way. I told her the let foot is for the clutch only. I had a '65 Plymouth Belvedere II with the 225 Slant Six and three on the tree. She could not drive that car to save her life. When I bought a new '75 VW Rabbit she finally learned to drive a stick, and why the right foot is for braking. Now she drives a Civic with an automatic transmission, but that is because age has an effect on joints. She can still drive my Jetta, but won't even try the Model A.
Now the motor will die at 200k rather than 300kSo other half is not a car person outside of they like to admire cars and drive but knowing the mechanical aspect is about zero. We typically take my car (EV) during weekend driving to save gas so I don't really ride in the GLI too terribly often.
This morning was our first below freezing day and we hop in, other half starts the car and immediately starts revving it to 4500-5000 RPM.
Being a car person with other half not a car person is a tricky balance.
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My wife is all gas and all brakes, doesn't know what coasting is. We have been happily married for 33 years now, and many cars have come and gone in our household in that time, so does it really matter?
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I do all of the automotive maintenance and repairs in our house. Years ago I told my wife that, when it comes to her vehicle, unless she listened to me and followed my instructions, she would be totally on her own when it comes to her vehicle, whatever it needs. "Do what you want but don't call me when your vehicle won't start, breaks down, gets a flat tire, needs an oil change, a brake job, or ANYTHING else". Tough love, but that solved the problem of her ignoring me about her vehicle.
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