Worst you've seen oil changes/car maintenance

[doublebase]

I always kind of appreciate this stuff (not sure if that's the right word)...amazed is more like it.

I've seen a woman go 15,000 miles on conventional - her first oil change on her Kia lease. When I told her she shouldn't do that she smiled and said, whoops, I shouldn't? Well it's a lease anyway.

Saw a girl go two years on a Honda CRV lease without changing the oil, when she turned it in they told her it needed brakes (metal to metal). She had us throw pads on her trashed rotors and then she turned it in to the dealer. Done deal.

I've seen people go well over 100,000 miles without changing coolant or tranny fluid. And 200k on plugs.

I've seen guys go the life of a vehicle without replacing hoses (and have no problems).

I once witnessed a guy putting five different weight and brands of oil into his car at once, because he had it laying around and didn't want to waste any of it. He had no problems.

I've seen 2x4's holding doors shut. I've seen vice grips crimping broken brake lines. I've seen foam insulation holding floors together and I've seen it stuffed in rotted hikes on frames (lol).

And on the flip side I've seen people be so meticulous with their vehicles as well...changing every fluid and component well before it was recommended.

But oil is the big one...people are all over the board on this one. Some will only change oil (and nothing else). And some won't change it unless someone reminds them to, years later. Crazy.

 

[FlyNavyP3]

This post seems familiar. I feel like I've seen this exact post before. Maybe it's just deja-vu.

 

[Kira]

SIL's '95 Saturn took 4 qts. oil. I found it had 1. I'll call that pretty bad.

Lady's car clacking wildly in a parking lot. I offered to check her oil.
THE STICK AND ITS TUBE WERE SO DRY THE HANDLE BROKE AWAY EASILY.
She never checked it ever.

So yes, you're correct. It's all out there.

 

[Lubener]

My brother bought a 79 Chrysler 300 to use as a short term beater and a part out. First oil change, a screw driver had to be poked in after drain plug was removed to get oil to flow out. The oil filter inlet holes were blocked with sludge. He had to do three oil/filter changes in 100 miles because the oil filter kept plugging up with sludge. Once he got over this he got a year of driving before parting out.Those beefed up 360's out of the 300's were hard to destroy.

 

[doublebase]

Originally Posted By: Kira
SIL's '95 Saturn took 4 qts. oil. I found it had 1. I'll call that pretty bad.

Lady's car clacking wildly in a parking lot. I offered to check her oil.
THE STICK AND ITS TUBE WERE SO DRY THE HANDLE BROKE AWAY EASILY.
She never checked it ever.

So yes, you're correct. It's all out there.


Lol. Saw a car come in two weeks ago...customer complained of oil leaking. Drove it in, put it in the air...it had a connecting rod through the oil pan. The thing still drove. It had been 15,000 since her last oil change...dodge caravan 3.8

 

[mlatour]

Mom purchased a brand new AMC Hornet in 1977 (258 CID inline 6)
in 120 000+ miles she probably had the oil changed 3-4 times at most.

I remember as a mechanicaly curious teen checking the oil it was always very watery/thin.
Despite that it never needed much top off oil to be added.
She daily drove it up to 1985, engine ran fine and even started pretty easily in below freezing weather.

Reason for finaly giving up on the car was multiple brake failures in later years
(brake lines, master cyl) and loss of confidence driving it.

Last time the brakes gave out she coasted to a stop, put it in park,
pryed the license plate off and phoned the salvage yard to pick it up.

 

[6lbsoft]

I bought a 95 Grand Cherokee Limited 4.0 off a buddy of mine's family. His younger brother was using it and has no concept of vehicle maintenance. I didn't complain because at $300 for a dent free Jeep with only 150k miles I couldn't go wrong. Well he must of gone 15,000 on the oil because it was as black as charcoal and I had to mutilate the filter to get it off. Not to mention it was down 2 quarts. I ran a Mopar filter and some cheap dino oil for 500 miles and changed it again. At 500 miles it looked like 4,000 mile oil lol.

 

[LeakySeals]

A HS friend owns a 98 intrepid 6 cyl. She has not, and is afraid to change the oil. Just adds. It's been like that for 6 years I know of. Likely longer. When i bump into her occasionally I will check it... Nothing on the stick but sludge.. she's not even adding most of the time..so thats what it runs on, can't consume that. Too thick. Runs a little rough obviously but it gets her around..

 

[Nickdfresh]

When I was assistant manager at an IOC facility, as I just posted in another thread, I had a guy bring his 90's vintage Ford F-150 with the "straight-six" 4.9L for the first oil change at 40,000+ miles. It had the original (then) factory-gray filter and came out like chunks or tar! We subtly made fun of him for being cheap and dumb and the new stuff was a cloudy dark gray, IIRC.

Also saw people bring in lease vehicles with knocking at 20K for the first OCI! We always notated any of this on receipts...

 

[AirgunSavant]

I have had several leases and I take great care of them.
I've changed oil on rentals because I had long trips to take and the OLM gave little time.
I check the fluids, air pressure, and wash the car when I return it. ( rentals)
I don't like abusing anything.

 

[doublebase]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
I have had several leases and I take great care of them.
I've changed oil on rentals because I had long trips to take and the OLM gave little time.
I check the fluids, air pressure, and wash the car when I return it. ( rentals)
I don't like abusing anything.


You are the type of person I'd love to buy a car off of, your type is few and far between. You actually changed the oil on a rental car?

 

[AirgunSavant]

Thank you. Yes I do it often and I always have a line forming to buy my cars.
They look new many years after I get them. I also have tuned up rental cars and used additives in them. On long trips I get paid back. I do suffer from extreme mechanical sympathy- I was taught that you take care of something lent to you as good or better than you take care of something that is yours.


Originally Posted By: doublebase
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
I have had several leases and I take great care of them.
I've changed oil on rentals because I had long trips to take and the OLM gave little time.
I check the fluids, air pressure, and wash the car when I return it. ( rentals)
I don't like abusing anything.


You are the type of person I'd love to buy a car off of, your type is few and far between. You actually changed the oil on a rental car?

 

[Red91]

Who cares? These post are busy body post. It's not your car and not your problem, quit whining about it.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: Red91
Who cares? These post are busy body post. It's not your car and not your problem, quit whining about it.


Well you do...

 

[KrisZ]

Some people treat their cars for what they really are, transportation tools, and some treat them better than they treat themselves or other human beings. Who cares?!

 

[cb_13]

A lady brought in a Ford Taurus just about to go out of warranty(35,xxx)for an engine noise. Original filter and no oil on the dipstick. She said she never changed the oil because it was still under warranty.

 

[doublebase]

Originally Posted By: Red91
Who cares? These post are busy body post. It's not your car and not your problem, quit whining about it.


Here, let me see if I can help...I changed my oil yesterday and it came out brown, should I be concerned? That better?

 

[doublebase]

Originally Posted By: cb_13
A lady brought in a Ford Taurus just about to go out of warranty(35,xxx)for an engine noise. Original filter and no oil on the dipstick. She said she never changed the oil because it was still under warranty.


Wow, talk about about a way to ruin a brand new car. I love the new ford taurus's...then again I don't work on them...I have no idea how they are.

 

[AIRJAC3]

Flushed my Aunt's 96 Explorer radiator the other day because she said she wasn't getting heat. Opened up the overflow. Bone dry and brown sludge. Uh oh. Open up the rad. Straight mud. So thick I needed to scoop it out just to have an opening.

She never changed it since the factory filled in 20 years ago. Just put tap water in the overflow when it was empty.

Surprisingly just flushing with a Prestone flush kit, distilled water, and filling it with Supertech 50/50 the car has heat and is cooling properly.

 

[jayg]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
I've changed oil on rentals because I had long trips to take and the OLM gave little time.




HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That is ridiculous.