Women and Changing Oil- RANT

Afboy143 · 12-02-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wicsmith1997

I have a 97 OHV and changing the oil in it is the easiest of any vehicle I have done. Oil drain Plug didn't cause any mess landed right in the pan underneath. Filter was easy to get to and also didn't make any mess being that it is mounted Vertically and not Horizontally like on my Ranger.

My Fiance is a rare Girl. She is quite knowledgeable on car Maintenance. Where a good friend of mine (guy) once drove 500 miles on a transmission 4 qts low on fluid.

How did you know the fluid was low? My gf's mustang has a transmission leak. It's tiny, but it's just enough. Once it got so low, it wouldn't shift out of 2nd (automatic)

Since it's barely driven now, it just sits, but it's something I'd want to fix before selling it.

We took it to a shop, and they said the pan was bent? They tried to charge us $250 for a new one + labor. I got one off ebay for $35, but they wouldn't install it. I did it myself, still leaked.

JCat · 12-02-2010, 09:39 AM

Woman are good for makin sammaches and wash'n cars CLICK

*2TimingTom* · 12-02-2010, 10:10 AM

My 2004 Saturn VUE (4 cylinder 5 speed manual) has an OLM (oil life monitor). Basically it takes all the input from the various sensors and plugs that into an algorythm and estimates oil life. I've owned the VUE since new and have gone by the OLM since about 5,000 miles. Typically, I get around 7,500 miles per oil change. It has about 75,000 miles on it and doesn't have a single issue.

Both of my previous Mazdas ('91 626 and '03 Protege) the owner's manual both said 7,500 mile intervals per normal driving. I usually changed them around 5,000.

The 3,000 mile/3 month mantra, while relatively cheap insurance, is basically a relic left over from a time when air filters and oil weren't as good as they are today.

wicsmith1997 · 12-02-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afboy143

How did you know the fluid was low? My gf's mustang has a transmission leak. It's tiny, but it's just enough. Once it got so low, it wouldn't shift out of 2nd (automatic)

Since it's barely driven now, it just sits, but it's something I'd want to fix before selling it.

We took it to a shop, and they said the pan was bent? They tried to charge us $250 for a new one + labor. I got one off ebay for $35, but they wouldn't install it. I did it myself, still leaked.

OK this is a story all to its self. My friend is a big Dukes OF Hazard fan and he lives in Augusta, GA. Well a few years back Dukes Fest 2008 was held in Atlanta, GA. Well we decided to take his Dodge Darango on the trip since it was him, his wife, his three kids and myself going. Well the water pump decided in mid trip to seize stranding us. Found a garage open and they fixed the pump and informed us that the Transmission was 4 to 5 quarts low and they were nice enough to top it off for us. He said he had noticed it wasn't shifting right for a while.

I check all my fluids and tire pressure before taking an out of town trip. His wife just said that is him he doesn't take care of his vehicles she on the other hand makes sure the oil and fluids in her car is up to par.

Afboy143 · 12-02-2010, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2TimingTom

My 2004 Saturn VUE (4 cylinder 5 speed manual) has an OLM (oil life monitor). Basically it takes all the input from the various sensors and plugs that into an algorythm and estimates oil life. I've owned the VUE since new and have gone by the OLM since about 5,000 miles. Typically, I get around 7,500 miles per oil change. It has about 75,000 miles on it and doesn't have a single issue.

Both of my previous Mazdas ('91 626 and '03 Protege) the owner's manual both said 7,500 mile intervals per normal driving. I usually changed them around 5,000.

The 3,000 mile/3 month mantra, while relatively cheap insurance, is basically a relic left over from a time when air filters and oil weren't as good as they are today.

I agree on the last statement, especially since I run full syn. I still change at 3k- why? It's been embedded into my head ever since I was a young lad. And for some reason I get this warm fuzzy feeling in my body when my truck has fresh oil and a filter

*SuRrEaLNJ* · 12-02-2010, 06:10 PM

oil life monitors are complete and utter bs

cadillac had a problem with the monitor not going to zero on the SRX in particular. motor would blow the timing chains and still not want fresh oil...

*blueka* · 12-02-2010, 06:19 PM

Firstly, if a chick washed my car like that, I'd smack her with a broom....

secondly, my gf does her own oil changes.... she gets the stuff and monkey boy here does the dirty work....

I once missed that the old seal had stayed behind when I swapped the filter... so I double sealed it... driving down the road, there was a flickering oil pressure gauge.. we went straight back to the shop to find oil everywhere... took the filter off... and whoops... took one seal off and filled it up..
She said she'd never let me change the oil on her truck again... but funnily, I've done 3 more since then!

Si

ragajungle · 12-02-2010, 06:54 PM

My sister is a welder fabricator for Super Steel for 20 years... she actually taught ME how to weld. She helped me Mig my transmission case. Say what you want about Females, but I know a few that would hurt some feelings when it comes to fabricating and car maintenance. Just sayin

Afboy143 · 12-02-2010, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragajungle

My sister is a welder fabricator for Super Steel for 20 years... she actually taught ME how to weld. She helped me Mig my transmission case. Say what you want about Females, but I know a few that would hurt some feelings when it comes to fabricating and car maintenance. Just sayin

As always, we just speak about the majority- not all women are like this :-p

BSlusser · 12-02-2010, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afboy143

Im waiting for the day my car just tells me what’s wrong so I don’t have to guess.

“Fuel filter is clogged, change it”
“The fuel pump is about to go, change it quick!”
“The tie rod end on the driver side is busted. Fix that thing”

And so on…and life would be easy

lol someday...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2TimingTom

The 3,000 mile/3 month mantra, while relatively cheap insurance, is basically a relic left over from a time when air filters and oil weren't as good as they are today.

I've taken an automotive fundamentals class and I was sternly told that the people pushing the 3,000 mile marker are the same people producing the oil and providing the labor to change it. In other words, yes, 3,000 is obsolete, but I was also told you can't change your oil too often, so to each his own.

I change at 3,500 but judging by the color (coffee-ish but not ink black) I shouldn't go much longer than that

**SoBeLover** · 12-04-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2TimingTom

Where did you guys get your Fumoto valves?

Directly from their site, You have to send away for it

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com

Same product new business name

Afboy143 · 12-04-2010, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoBeLover

Directly from their site, You have to send away for it

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com

Same product new business name

good call love these valves!!

johnvosh · 12-06-2010, 02:11 PM

There are some good stories on here! Here is one of my own.

I used to work at a Pick N Pull auto junk yard. It is amazing how many vehicles come in. They could have next to no rust on them, decent tires and such, but the power train is done. At the end of most days all you could smell was burnt transmission fluid. And even diff fluid is something most people never changed as well. People need to start realizing that if they actually followed the maintenance schedule in the back of the owner's manual their vehicle would probably last a very long time and there would be fewer going to the junk yard.

Even when I've been out looking at used cars, the first things I check before starting it up is the oil and transmission fluid. If the tranny fluid smells burnt I ask when the last time it was changed. Most people will always say, never. And the other fluid that never gets changed is the coolant.

I know with my vehicles I change my oil every 5,000 KM's on the older ones and when the oil life monitor tells me to in the new ones. I change the transmission fluid and filter when it should be and I change the power steering and brake fluid at the same time.

With the Explorer that I have, once winter is over I am changing the front brakes, changing the fluids on the front/rear diff, transfer case, transmission, brake fluid, power steering fluid, thermostat and coolant, O2 sensors. I am hoping this thing makes it at least another 100,000 KM's before I have to get it rebuilt!

johnvosh · 12-06-2010, 02:14 PM

And you know besides changing the fluids of the vehicle, a lot of people don't realize you need to change your spark plugs. Granted with the new vehicles spark plugs are needed to be changed until around 125,000 KM's or so. On my older vehicles I changed the plugs roughly every 50,000 KM's whether they need it or not.

My dad was doing a tune-up on a 2000 Chevy 1500 pick up with the 4.8L in it. The truck had basically 200,000 KM's on the original spark plugs. It was no wonder he was complaining about his fuel economy. There wasn't much left of the plugs by this time!

Afboy143 · 12-07-2010, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnvosh

And you know besides changing the fluids of the vehicle, a lot of people don't realize you need to change your spark plugs. Granted with the new vehicles spark plugs are needed to be changed until around 125,000 KM's or so. On my older vehicles I changed the plugs roughly every 50,000 KM's whether they need it or not.

My dad was doing a tune-up on a 2000 Chevy 1500 pick up with the 4.8L in it. The truck had basically 200,000 KM's on the original spark plugs. It was no wonder he was complaining about his fuel economy. There wasn't much left of the plugs by this time!

Building on this, fuel filters are something usually not ever changed as well! People don’t realize that the fuel we pump isn’t always exactly clean. It sits in an underground well and gets pumped up.

BSlusser · 12-07-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afboy143

People don’t realize that the fuel we pump isn’t always exactly clean. It sits in an underground well and gets pumped up.

It's good to be a Chevron customer

manimal · 12-11-2010, 02:19 PM

My fiance has a 94 Corsica. Had 90k miles when we started dating four years ago. It dripped oil out of the pressure sensor at about a quart a week! Fortunately this taught her how to check and add oil, and though I did fix the leak, I'm sure that leak kept it alive as she never changed the oil otherwise. When I tore down the engine to replace LIM/head gaskets, all of the lifter hydraulic plunger cavities were full of sludge. I have no idea how they weren't all collapsed. That car has 160k and the engine runs like a bat out of hell. Too bad everything around it is completely falling apart.

Good friend of mine wanted me to teach him how to change oil, check and change brake pads, etc. During that oil change lesson he revealed that he never checked the dipstick because he thought the oil pressure guage in his S-10 was an oil level indicator.

Forgot to add, same buddy had a 5-speed '91 Explorer Sport that was sent in to a local shop to have oil and ATF changed in the M5OD. They never tightened the drain plug, it fell out on the drive home only several miles away, but by then the transmission was gone. To their credit they replaced it, but come on?

My cousin, who was/is always good about keeping his vehicles maintained, was unfortunately in the throes of meth addiction several years ago - he's now clean and living successfully, but at the time he was getting ready to go into treatment, he had driven his old F-150 so long on the same change of oil that the starter was having difficulty turning the engine over. We changed the oil and it was like we put in a new starter. That 302 had well over 300k miles too. He ended up blowing the man trans on the freeway.

I also have to add that when I knew NOTHING about vehicles and bought my first Bronco II at 17, I screwed up big time. I bought the BII from my uncle who had taken really good care of it, aside from smoking in it. They had garaged it when they bought an Escape, and it had sat in there for several years. I came over and started it up without even checking or changing the oil, the oil and filter were trash, and I most likely had no oil pressure and wiped out the 2.9's cam bearings. The performance got progressively worse over the 40 mile drive home, and when we brought it to a mechanic later they found that several lobes on the cam were totally gone. My uncle swears up and down that the engine ran perfect before he stopped driving it, and I have no reason to doubt him, so all I know is that I blew it by not changing the fluids on a truck that sat for several years before starting it. I'll never do that again if I buy a used vehicle that's sat for any amount of time.

I have to add that Excel is awesome for keeping track of vehicle maintenance and keeping tabs of repair costs, but some of you may not want to even know what the totals add up to.

rokr1292 · 08-07-2011, 10:01 AM

Not a story about a woman, but another" oh my god what is wrong with you" story about oil. My uncle, when he was young had 2 corvettes, one maroon and one blue. One he wrecked in an accident (can't remember which) but the other he drove for some time. One day the light came on that said" check oil". And that's what he did. He checked it. Didn't change it, didn't add oil, just checked it. A month or so later a corvette stingray was on a flatbed headed to a scrapyard with a seized engine. Lmao its not just women.

*Varsity* · 08-07-2011, 06:42 PM

I've heard about a few people who never take care of problems when they have the chance to. Like driving around with a CEL. "Oh, it's only my gas cap or something. It's fine." Then they leave the light on and don't know when something else goes wrong. Then they're like "WHAT A POS CAR!!" Kinda makes you laugh in a pathetic way. I guess if you don't have the time and/or money for a quick oil change, you have the time and money to deal when you're car gets destroyed.

lorelei2011 · 09-27-2011, 11:17 PM

This thread makes me think of my old 1988 Honda Civic I got the car for free cause it ran horrible. The guy had owned it since it had 150,000km on it he couldn't recall the last oil change I got the car at 316,000km. He never did a thing to the car as far as i can tell i did alot of work to get it running right. I sold the car a year ago at 336,000km and it's still going today.

Also I know how to change my own oil, plugs wires, do my own brakes including replacing rotors, I plan to lift my explorer myself with my boyfriend and one of his friends helping because I want to learn to do it, it annoys me if anyone else touches my vehicle without showing me what they are doing because i want to learn. I have intently watched everything my boyfriend has done to his toyota pickup and sometimes i think i annoy him asking questions while he's working lol.

I have taken my vehicle to a shop once and that was my explorer last month because I didn't know how to do the universal and my boyfriend didn't have time. I watched the guy closely while he did it so I have at least a general idea for next time.

I'm not your average girl my vehicle is more then just a means of transportation to me and i care about it so i look after it. I can't really explain it but i'm sure other vehicle crazy people such as myself understand what i mean.

I don't mind a little grease under my nails and mud on my truck (or myself for that matter when i take my quad out)

12-02-2010, 09:39 AM	#62
JCat Wannabe Elite Explorer Atlanta 98 Mountaineer Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 361 Vehicle Specs	Woman are good for makin sammaches and wash'n cars CLICK __________________ 1998 Mountaineer & Yamaha FXHO WaveRunner 1978 Ford F150 4x4 and 1998 Mountaineer 5.0 4x4 Chrysler Hemi Nissan 350Z Honda CRV 2012 Grizzly SE

12-02-2010, 10:10 AM	#63
2TimingTom Elite Explorer Highlands Ranch, Colorado '97 XLT Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,327 Vehicle Specs	My 2004 Saturn VUE (4 cylinder 5 speed manual) has an OLM (oil life monitor). Basically it takes all the input from the various sensors and plugs that into an algorythm and estimates oil life. I've owned the VUE since new and have gone by the OLM since about 5,000 miles. Typically, I get around 7,500 miles per oil change. It has about 75,000 miles on it and doesn't have a single issue. Both of my previous Mazdas ('91 626 and '03 Protege) the owner's manual both said 7,500 mile intervals per normal driving. I usually changed them around 5,000. The 3,000 mile/3 month mantra, while relatively cheap insurance, is basically a relic left over from a time when air filters and oil weren't as good as they are today. __________________ 1997 XLT SOHC Auto 4wd 132,000 miles Explorer registry Also in the garage: 2012 Escape Limited 4wd V6 auto AND 2004 Saturn VUE 4 cylinder 5 speed Colorado 4x4 Adventures

12-02-2010, 06:19 PM	#67
blueka Elite Explorer Saskatchewan, Canada 97 UK XL & 99 Sport V8 Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4,611 Vehicle Specs	Firstly, if a chick washed my car like that, I'd smack her with a broom.... secondly, my gf does her own oil changes.... she gets the stuff and monkey boy here does the dirty work.... I once missed that the old seal had stayed behind when I swapped the filter... so I double sealed it... driving down the road, there was a flickering oil pressure gauge.. we went straight back to the shop to find oil everywhere... took the filter off... and whoops... took one seal off and filled it up.. She said she'd never let me change the oil on her truck again... but funnily, I've done 3 more since then! Si __________________ '97 Explorer XL 4.0 SOHC V6 "Betty" '99 Explorer Sport Limited 5.0 OHV V8 "Pickle" My "Betty" Registry My "Pickle" Registry

12-06-2010, 02:11 PM	#73
johnvosh Wannabe Elite Explorer Stony Plain, Alberta '93 Sport Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 243 Vehicle Specs	There are some good stories on here! Here is one of my own. I used to work at a Pick N Pull auto junk yard. It is amazing how many vehicles come in. They could have next to no rust on them, decent tires and such, but the power train is done. At the end of most days all you could smell was burnt transmission fluid. And even diff fluid is something most people never changed as well. People need to start realizing that if they actually followed the maintenance schedule in the back of the owner's manual their vehicle would probably last a very long time and there would be fewer going to the junk yard. Even when I've been out looking at used cars, the first things I check before starting it up is the oil and transmission fluid. If the tranny fluid smells burnt I ask when the last time it was changed. Most people will always say, never. And the other fluid that never gets changed is the coolant. I know with my vehicles I change my oil every 5,000 KM's on the older ones and when the oil life monitor tells me to in the new ones. I change the transmission fluid and filter when it should be and I change the power steering and brake fluid at the same time. With the Explorer that I have, once winter is over I am changing the front brakes, changing the fluids on the front/rear diff, transfer case, transmission, brake fluid, power steering fluid, thermostat and coolant, O2 sensors. I am hoping this thing makes it at least another 100,000 KM's before I have to get it rebuilt! __________________ Johnny V 2013 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline\|3.6L\|5spd auto\|white w/ red stripe 2013 Ford Mustang GT\| 5.0L\| 6-spd\| Magnaflow cat-back exhaust\| NAV, backup camera\| GT Performance brake pkg\|Recaro's\| Sterling Grey

12-06-2010, 02:14 PM	#74
johnvosh Wannabe Elite Explorer Stony Plain, Alberta '93 Sport Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 243 Vehicle Specs	And you know besides changing the fluids of the vehicle, a lot of people don't realize you need to change your spark plugs. Granted with the new vehicles spark plugs are needed to be changed until around 125,000 KM's or so. On my older vehicles I changed the plugs roughly every 50,000 KM's whether they need it or not. My dad was doing a tune-up on a 2000 Chevy 1500 pick up with the 4.8L in it. The truck had basically 200,000 KM's on the original spark plugs. It was no wonder he was complaining about his fuel economy. There wasn't much left of the plugs by this time! __________________ Johnny V 2013 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline\|3.6L\|5spd auto\|white w/ red stripe 2013 Ford Mustang GT\| 5.0L\| 6-spd\| Magnaflow cat-back exhaust\| NAV, backup camera\| GT Performance brake pkg\|Recaro's\| Sterling Grey

12-02-2010, 06:54 PM	#68
ragajungle Wannabe Elite Explorer Chicago, IL 89 BroncoII & 05 Taurus Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,042 Vehicle Specs	My sister is a welder fabricator for Super Steel for 20 years... she actually taught ME how to weld. She helped me Mig my transmission case. Say what you want about Females, but I know a few that would hurt some feelings when it comes to fabricating and car maintenance. Just sayin

12-11-2010, 02:19 PM	#77
manimal Wannabe Elite Explorer Bremerton, WA '91 Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 43 Vehicle Specs	My fiance has a 94 Corsica. Had 90k miles when we started dating four years ago. It dripped oil out of the pressure sensor at about a quart a week! Fortunately this taught her how to check and add oil, and though I did fix the leak, I'm sure that leak kept it alive as she never changed the oil otherwise. When I tore down the engine to replace LIM/head gaskets, all of the lifter hydraulic plunger cavities were full of sludge. I have no idea how they weren't all collapsed. That car has 160k and the engine runs like a bat out of hell. Too bad everything around it is completely falling apart. Good friend of mine wanted me to teach him how to change oil, check and change brake pads, etc. During that oil change lesson he revealed that he never checked the dipstick because he thought the oil pressure guage in his S-10 was an oil level indicator. Forgot to add, same buddy had a 5-speed '91 Explorer Sport that was sent in to a local shop to have oil and ATF changed in the M5OD. They never tightened the drain plug, it fell out on the drive home only several miles away, but by then the transmission was gone. To their credit they replaced it, but come on? My cousin, who was/is always good about keeping his vehicles maintained, was unfortunately in the throes of meth addiction several years ago - he's now clean and living successfully, but at the time he was getting ready to go into treatment, he had driven his old F-150 so long on the same change of oil that the starter was having difficulty turning the engine over. We changed the oil and it was like we put in a new starter. That 302 had well over 300k miles too. He ended up blowing the man trans on the freeway. I also have to add that when I knew NOTHING about vehicles and bought my first Bronco II at 17, I screwed up big time. I bought the BII from my uncle who had taken really good care of it, aside from smoking in it. They had garaged it when they bought an Escape, and it had sat in there for several years. I came over and started it up without even checking or changing the oil, the oil and filter were trash, and I most likely had no oil pressure and wiped out the 2.9's cam bearings. The performance got progressively worse over the 40 mile drive home, and when we brought it to a mechanic later they found that several lobes on the cam were totally gone. My uncle swears up and down that the engine ran perfect before he stopped driving it, and I have no reason to doubt him, so all I know is that I blew it by not changing the fluids on a truck that sat for several years before starting it. I'll never do that again if I buy a used vehicle that's sat for any amount of time. I have to add that Excel is awesome for keeping track of vehicle maintenance and keeping tabs of repair costs, but some of you may not want to even know what the totals add up to. __________________ '91 Sport - Duff 3", 31" retread ATs, sloppy M5OD, and 250,000 miles of fun. '04 Wrangler - 2" BB, 30" ATs, DD. Last edited by manimal; 12-11-2010 at 03:25 PM.

08-07-2011, 10:01 AM	#78
rokr1292 Wannabe Elite Explorer richardsville va '01 Explorer Sport Trac Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 304 Vehicle Specs	Not a story about a woman, but another" oh my god what is wrong with you" story about oil. My uncle, when he was young had 2 corvettes, one maroon and one blue. One he wrecked in an accident (can't remember which) but the other he drove for some time. One day the light came on that said" check oil". And that's what he did. He checked it. Didn't change it, didn't add oil, just checked it. A month or so later a corvette stingray was on a flatbed headed to a scrapyard with a seized engine. Lmao its not just women. __________________ Gold 2003 Ranger regcab 2.3 xlt. (Old dd, handed off) Silver 2001 Explorer Sport Trac 4x4 (new dd as of 3/7/11)

08-07-2011, 06:42 PM	#79
Varsity Elite Explorer Chicago Ridge, IL '00 Sport Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 432 Vehicle Specs	I've heard about a few people who never take care of problems when they have the chance to. Like driving around with a CEL. "Oh, it's only my gas cap or something. It's fine." Then they leave the light on and don't know when something else goes wrong. Then they're like "WHAT A POS CAR!!" Kinda makes you laugh in a pathetic way. I guess if you don't have the time and/or money for a quick oil change, you have the time and money to deal when you're car gets destroyed. __________________ *2000 Sport Registry*

09-27-2011, 11:17 PM	#80
lorelei2011 Wannabe Elite Explorer 1996 Ford Explorer XLT Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 16 Vehicle Specs	This thread makes me think of my old 1988 Honda Civic I got the car for free cause it ran horrible. The guy had owned it since it had 150,000km on it he couldn't recall the last oil change I got the car at 316,000km. He never did a thing to the car as far as i can tell i did alot of work to get it running right. I sold the car a year ago at 336,000km and it's still going today. Also I know how to change my own oil, plugs wires, do my own brakes including replacing rotors, I plan to lift my explorer myself with my boyfriend and one of his friends helping because I want to learn to do it, it annoys me if anyone else touches my vehicle without showing me what they are doing because i want to learn. I have intently watched everything my boyfriend has done to his toyota pickup and sometimes i think i annoy him asking questions while he's working lol. I have taken my vehicle to a shop once and that was my explorer last month because I didn't know how to do the universal and my boyfriend didn't have time. I watched the guy closely while he did it so I have at least a general idea for next time. I'm not your average girl my vehicle is more then just a means of transportation to me and i care about it so i look after it. I can't really explain it but i'm sure other vehicle crazy people such as myself understand what i mean. I don't mind a little grease under my nails and mud on my truck (or myself for that matter when i take my quad out)