So I have this friend who recently bought a 1998

[davebarnum]

Honda Prelude. Under 155k, so not horrible I don't think. Problem:

The guy likes to "top off" his oil when he really doesn't need to and runs on fumes for the majority of the time.

Double whammy: fuel lubes the pump and too much oil isn't good either.

How do I explain this to him???

 

[RiceCake]

Tell him once. If he doesn't listen, stop giving a [censored], its his car. Clearly his top offs are a flawed obsession he needs to feel he's doing the right thing for instance.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: RiceCake
Tell him once. If he doesn't listen, stop giving a [censored], its his car. Clearly his top offs are a flawed obsession he needs to feel he's doing the right thing for instance.


This... After telling someone something once, I don't repeat advice. Let them dig their own grave.

 

[davebarnum]

Not sure I can thank you enough.

I've told him once, twice....you know the rest. But okay, I did my part- and that's really all I can do.

It is rather annoying to drain 7+ qts. out and put ~5 back in. But it's not my car...thank you.

Just needed some reassurance that I'm not going nuts!

 

[Quest]

I don't lose sleep over friend's ignorance/arrogance.

My senses are so numb these days I don't even feel a thing (insensitivity).

You shouldn't lose sleep over it either.

Q.

 

[Merkava_4]

Tell him that fuel keeps the fuel pump cool and if he continues
to run on empty, he's gonna burn up the fuel pump.

 

[eljefino]

Did he used to own a saturn s-series?

 

[davebarnum]

The corpse in his driveway is a 1998 Ford Taurus actually. Think it was hydrolocked going through big puddles last rainy season.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: davebarnum
Not sure I can thank you enough.

I've told him once, twice....you know the rest. But okay, I did my part- and that's really all I can do.

It is rather annoying to drain 7+ qts. out and put ~5 back in. But it's not my car...thank you.

Just needed some reassurance that I'm not going nuts!

-show him (once) that magic thing called dipstick/oil stick
-buy him a cup of THICK sourcream. tell him that will be his oil if he continues
-print a page with definition of engine + hydrolocked
-put a piece RED tape over his fuel indicator to cover up to 1/4. tell him that's his new limit
-have a cold one
-sleep easy
-it's not your car

 

[surfstar]

I routinely run my gas tanks as low as I feel comfortable with before refueling. Light on, 1/8 tank or less. Each tank. Last car was a '93 and it made it to 340+k miles on the factory pump.

Never had a fuel pump die. If fuel is flowing, its 'cooling'. Stop this internet myth please.

 

[Schmoe]

You can't....advise and then "forgettaboutit."

 

[davebarnum]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
-put a piece RED tape over his fuel indicator to cover up to 1/4. tell him that's his new limit


If it were only that simple...

But you're right- it's not really mine to worry about. I can tell as many times as I want, but it's still not my car!

 

[01rangerxl]

You already warned him, nothing else to do but sit back and see what happens. Not your car.

Often people who don't give a [censored] about their car take offense to someone else giving a [censored] about their car, and respond by giving even less of a [censored] than they did before. You may make it worse by repeatedly reminding him. Tell him once, then say "I told you so" when something happens.

I would give my friend/former roommate advice on his badly neglected and beaten Liberty when asked or when someone really needed to step in, but otherwise I sat back and enjoyed the abuse. I remember when we both started laughing hysterically during one transmission rumbling/shuddering event on the highway that was particularly violent, there was no other way to react.