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| 13 MAR 2008 at 12:02am |
ButterproofSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 299
Joined: 9 NOV 2007
Status : Online | Put a remainder on the tank cap, that way, each time you open it to refill the tank, you'll see it.
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| 13 MAR 2008 at 12:29am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | I really enjoyed reading this Chrono.... stay tuned for the next instalment, same time, same channel.... [smiley=rofl.gif] Reminds me of the promo for the old Adam West Batman series....
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| 13 MAR 2008 at 1:19am |
chronotigger65Journeyman
Posts : 1143
Joined: 23 FEB 2005
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Butterproof (13 MAR 2008 12:02am)
Put a remainder on the tank cap, that way, each time you open it to refill the tank, you'll see it.
Why haven't I ever thought of this before?! I put some duct tape with the words 'check oil' written on it on the cap after reading this. Thanks.
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| 13 MAR 2008 at 1:40am |
ButterproofSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 299
Joined: 9 NOV 2007
Status : Online | You're welcome... or you can draw an oil can like the one on the dashboard, so it's easily recognizable.
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| 13 MAR 2008 at 12:13pm |
TechnoSpikePrivate Detective
Posts : 581
Joined: 26 APR 2005
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Most likely you have a leak somewhere. From my experience, in my car (which has 20 years), I have a small led in the front panel, behind my steering wheel, that light's up when it detects that is running low on oil. When that happens, that doesn't mean that the tank is completely empty, but its a signal that is time to have an oil change.
Hum, now that I remember, I have that light on and still haven't checked if its low on oil or if it's the electrical system playing pranks on me again.
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| 13 MAR 2008 at 11:56pm |
chronotigger65Journeyman
Posts : 1143
Joined: 23 FEB 2005
Status : Offline | Well, they finally checked my car and it turns out it does have a oil leak; a very big one. Seems a part for the engine that is circular or some big part (I forget which) is broke or became loose and needs to be replaced. There's no damage to the engine itself. Their first going to try to seal the thing with something before trying to replace the part. They did find another problem with the turning mechanicism for the wheels and needs to be looked at too. They be doing all this tomorrow morning. In the mean time I'm driving one of my dads cars. I talked to my mom and she says that if the costs for repairs are very big we might end up just buying a new car. More postings later tomorrow.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 1:17am |
alkis21Schattenjger
Posts : 2112
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: GR
Status : Offline | I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Cars are like women; if you don't have one, you've got a problem. If you do, you've got a million problems.
Originally Posted By chronotigger65 (12 MAR 2008 11:56pm)
I was driving my car and the oil light went on. [highlight]I made it home[/highlight] and checked my oil and found that almost nothing was in the car.
Just keep in mind in the future: When the oil light goes on, you stop the car the first chance you get! You don't carry on driving until you're home, that's a very dangerous thing to do.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 3:05am |
ButterproofSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 299
Joined: 9 NOV 2007
Status : Online | Originally Posted By alkis21 (14 MAR 2008 1:16am)
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Cars are like women; if you don't have one, you've got a problem. If you do, you've got a million problems.
Originally Posted By chronotigger65 (12 MAR 2008 11:56pm)
I was driving my car and the oil light went on. [highlight]I made it home[/highlight] and checked my oil and found that almost nothing was in the car.
Just keep in mind in the future: When the oil light goes on, you stop the car the first chance you get! You don't carry on driving until you're home, that's a very dangerous thing to do.
Alkis is right: when the light goes on it's usually somehow late and a lot of wear was done to the engine. You don't even have to see that light go on never. That's why you have the stick under the hood
What's that it's broken? If it's the oil pan it shouldn't be expensive to replace.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 5:13am |
chronotigger65Journeyman
Posts : 1143
Joined: 23 FEB 2005
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Butterproof (14 MAR 2008 3:05am)
Originally Posted By alkis21 (14 MAR 2008 1:16am)
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Cars are like women; if you don't have one, you've got a problem. If you do, you've got a million problems.
Originally Posted By chronotigger65 (12 MAR 2008 11:56pm)
I was driving my car and the oil light went on. [highlight]I made it home[/highlight] and checked my oil and found that almost nothing was in the car.
Just keep in mind in the future: When the oil light goes on, you stop the car the first chance you get! You don't carry on driving until you're home, that's a very dangerous thing to do.
Alkis is right: when the light goes on it's usually somehow late and a lot of wear was done to the engine. You don't even have to see that light go on never. That's why you have the stick under the hood
What's that it's broken? If it's the oil pan it shouldn't be expensive to replace.
I don't think it's the oil pan. Whatever it is it's costing me almost $600 (that includes labor and tax and maybe ordering the part) and the price is going up for some other things. My dad says that they have to reassemble the engine and there's a slyte chance they may not be able to get it back together. This makes me think of the story of Humpty Dumpty and how they couldn't put him back together. I really want this car back in working shape cause I don't want to have to buy another car since I had this one for almost a year.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 12:41pm |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | My old IBM pc (W95) needed fixing while under warranty and the fellow who came out to do this had a handful of screws left over when he'd put it all back together again. Made me wonder what he'd decided was non-essential... :
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 3:22pm |
JelenaPrivate Detective
Posts : 587
Joined: 30 SEP 2007
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By alkis21 (14 MAR 2008 1:16am)
Cars are like women; if you don't have one, you've got a problem. If you do, you've got a million problems. Ahem! Don't you guys have a frying pan somewhere around here to use on alkis?
Temporary guest in your life.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 7:33pm |
chronotigger65Journeyman
Posts : 1143
Joined: 23 FEB 2005
Status : Offline | I finally got my car back! It runs just fine but it's strange though, the car feels different for some reason.
Originally Posted By Caroline (14 MAR 2008 12:41pm)
My old IBM pc (W95) needed fixing while under warranty and the fellow who came out to do this had a handful of screws left over when he'd put it all back together again. Made me wonder what he'd decided was non-essential... :
I know what your saying Caroline. I once opened a Atari 2600 system that I bought at a flea market to clean it I believe and when putting it back together I ended up with one screw left over. I think something similar like this happened years earilier with a musical organ I had. I spilt some Pepsi or Coke on it and it needed cleaning. I opened it up and cleaned it and reassembled it and was left some screws. Nevertheless it still worked.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 9:21pm |
ButterproofSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 299
Joined: 9 NOV 2007
Status : Online | The reason is that screws duplicate themselves. Each time I open my computer I end up with two or three screws that I don't know where they came from. I have a little box FULL of screws from each time I opened the computer. I really don't know what's going on.
EDIT (to chronotigger): Remember to be you the one to open the tank cap, and not the gas station employee. In that last case make the remainder an instruction to the employee. That way, if it's not an autoservice you won't forget to check oil.
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| 14 MAR 2008 at 11:06pm |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4941
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Forgive me for not being quite so charitable to the point of offering 'check-the-oil' hints, but when I gave the use of a car to my 2 children, it was with the clear understanding that driving a car is among the greatest responsibilities humans take on and that responsibility is even greater if you are not the one who will suffer the financial consequences if those responsibilities are taken lightly. If my son came to me and asked me for suggestions on something as basic as how to remember to check the oil, I'd take away the keys since if he's not up remembering something that basic because he's still 'young' then he's probably forgetting other important things such as some of the rules of the road.
The future ain't what it used to be!
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| 15 MAR 2008 at 1:04am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Let me see, the second (and last) time my mother lent me her car I scraped the side of it on the gate. :-[ Then before my father could see it someone rear-ended her so it got a re-spray and no one was any the wiser.
My own car has been gate-scraped (back and side - yes, by me) so what I could do with is a proximity warning bell. The dashboard has warning lights for all the other stuff which all seems to be attended to when I get it serviced. I've never checked oil, water etc, but I am fairly certain I could find the button to open the bonnet if I really had to.
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| 15 MAR 2008 at 2:59am |
ButterproofSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 299
Joined: 9 NOV 2007
Status : Online | It's usually a lever under the dashboard, between your left knee and the car side. Also, you should always check it Caroline! As far as I know, there isn't a light of: "oil warning light failing".
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| 15 MAR 2008 at 5:18am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Naaaaah.... she'll be right mate. (Dinky-di Aussie saying which I've always wanted to say along with 'she's apples mate'.)
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| 15 MAR 2008 at 11:15am |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By Caroline (15 MAR 2008 1:03am)
Let me see, the second (and last) time my mother lent me her car I scraped the side of it on the gate. :-[ Then before my father could see it someone rear-ended her so it got a re-spray and no one was any the wiser.
My own car has been gate-scraped (back and side - yes, by me) so what I could do with is a proximity warning bell. The dashboard has warning lights for all the other stuff which all seems to be attended to when I get it serviced. I've never checked oil, water etc, but I am fairly certain I could find the button to open the bonnet if I really had to.
Tssk! Tssk! I told you long ago in another thread already that you need a new pair of glasses, my friend. [smiley=angel_smiley.gif]
Well, I'm one to talk. One day our gate wasn't working properly. Instead of opening all the way, half-way through it would stop and start closing again, but I didn't realise it was malfunctioning. :-? So yours sincerely only looks to see that it's started opening, and puts pedal. Whammmm! [smiley=doh.gif]
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| 15 MAR 2008 at 9:34pm |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4941
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | My car is a male and definitely does not have a bonnet!
The future ain't what it used to be!
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| 16 MAR 2008 at 12:52am |
jenmarieIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 62
Joined: 4 OCT 2007
Status : Offline | I remember my dad asking me to pop the hood on my car so he could check the oil quick and I said, 'hold on, I have to find the lever'. After which he freaked out on me since obviously I had never opened the hood and therefore never checked the oil.
But he only told me to get the oil changed every six months, which I did. He didn't tell me I should check it myself!
"Undoubtedly, Sputnik inspired Americans, perhaps for the last time, to the idea of being frontiersmen,"&&&&For the LAST time? How depressing...&&How can we not be inspired to be frontiersmen? Let's go explore.
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| 16 MAR 2008 at 3:20am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By SirDave (15 MAR 2008 9:33pm)
My car is a male and definitely does not have a bonnet!
Bring it to me. I'll give it not only a bonnet, a 2 inch coating of Adelaide dust (to protect from rust), but a ding in the rear and possibly, if I take it visiting my mother-in-law, a nicely coloured crease down the side from her red metal gates.
Your cars have boots though, right?
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| 16 MAR 2008 at 11:23pm |
alkis21Schattenjger
Posts : 2112
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: GR
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By jenmarie (16 MAR 2008 12:51am)
But he only told me to get the oil changed every six months, which I did. He didn't tell me I should check it myself!
Uh.. we're not talking about *changing* the oil. We're talking about checking its level every once in a while just in case you need to pour some more. These are two different things. Are you saying you never check it? This could be dangerous.
And by the way chrono; I know that's what most people do, but checking the oil level in gas station is WRONG, unless you're pushing it there instead of driving it. The oil needs to be checked while the engine is cold, otherwise the reading you get is false. It's not hard to learn to do it yourself, say about 2-3 times a month (depending how old the car is).
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| 16 MAR 2008 at 11:53pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
Alkis is right and his point is very important for anybody who wants to avoid really high auto repair bills.
Checking the oil level in your car is the single most important maintenance operation you can do in between regular oil & oil filter changes - especially in extreme weather (hot or cold). It gets even more critical as your car gets older because many engines start burning and/or leaking oil faster as they age.
Just remember that the second your oil drops below a certain level, the moving parts inside the engine no longer get adequate lubrication, the friction rapidly increases and the system super heats - often causing the entire thing to seize up. Once that happens, in most cases you can kiss the whole engine if not the whole car goodbye.
Also, the most crucial moment for the oil to flow through the system on a day-to-day basis is at start-up / ignition. That's because as the car sits still with the engine off for any period of time, the oil recedes from the internal parts and must be pumped back through quickly before any severe damage is done.
For this reason alone, the oil needs to have the proper weight and viscosity for your make/model and your climate. So check the owner's manual for the right type of motor oil and adjust it accordingly if you live in an extremely hot or cold area. Your mechanic can advise you on this too.
Happy motoring and...
Cheers, Terry
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| 17 MAR 2008 at 11:48pm |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4941
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Caroline (16 MAR 2008 3:20am)
Originally Posted By SirDave (15 MAR 2008 9:33pm)
My car is a male and definitely does not have a bonnet!
Your cars have boots though, right?
Nope- only hoods and trunks.
The future ain't what it used to be!
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