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Need to teach the wife to checkthe oil

3

37chief

Well-known Member
Location
California
Last week I changed the oil in the wife's car. It was down almost 2 qts. The car has never used oil. The problem was a leaking drain plug rubber gasket. I doubt the wife couldn't even open the hood. I think it is time for a little check the oil school. I dropped the ball on that one. That would never happen to my tractors, I check them every time they go out. I have the grand daughter trained on checking the oil in her car, even adding if needed. Remember when you got gas, and sat in your car, and the attendant came out put in gas, checked the oil, and cleaned the front window. There is a town where I live. Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. that still does that. if you pull up in a Caddy, MBZ, or a Rolls. Stan
 
We bought a very used Chevy after I totaled our car. I told the wife to use the full service pumps till we knew if the car would use oil. After the first fill up she decided it was all right, 1500 miles later it locked up at 60 mph. (It was 4 qts low,it only held 4.5 with the filter)
 
(quoted from post at 00:52:08 12/01/14) We bought a very used Chevy after I totaled our car. I told the wife to use the full service pumps till we knew if the car would use oil. After the first fill up she decided it was all right, 1500 miles later it locked up at 60 mph. (It was 4 qts low,it only held 4.5 with the filter)
Click to expand...
That had to be a pleasant conversation!
 
Asking the wife to check the oil? If I did that the next thing that would happen is I would be cooking and washing clothes.
 
That's one of life's little realities. You won't make her mechanically inclined, you'll just make her mad. Make believe its one of the tractors, and do it yourself once in awhile. Happy wife, happy life.
 
I will say that you can save yourself a lot of grief and aggravation if you just check the oil yourself whenever the car is at your location - and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that it is done right.
 
I checked the oil in my wife's van the other day and it was low. I put in a quart of oil and it's still 1/2 a quart low but in the ok range. It's a 2010 Chrysler but I talked to a bunch of co-workers who had the same or similar van, and they all said the vans used a little more oil than you would think they should. It's near needing an oil change but I go until the van says to do so.

Did the same with her last car.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Its good you had that conversation,,,,,now,,,,you can check the oil,,,,in between cooking,and doing housecleaning and laundry,,,,,youll have extra time,,,there will be no bedtime activity,,,,,,,,(lol)
 
If you are old enough to have a grand daughter it is all ready established it is YOUR job to check the oil. I check everything on Sunday morning and have the kids do the same.
 
Two or three years ago a station in Berryville ARK had two TWO!! guys run out to your car, check everything, fill 'er up, clean windshields, I couldn't believe it.
 
Had a senior neighbor with a fully grown daughter with a couple of kids. Don't remember the initial problem but he said in the process of fixing whatever was wrong he got to the oil. He said that upon removing the filter nothing came out and turning it upside down, nothing came out of it either.

She needed a baby sitter.

Mark
 
Yesterday evening my wife and I were in her car, I was driving. Evidently I ran over something or something came off one of the cars coming toward us. Something hit the car, sounded like it hit underneath...

"What was that?!" she exclaimed.

"I don't know, I didn't see anything".

Her next statement caught me by surprise!

"Better check the gauges!" she said.

Guess something is sinking in!
 
That's like the new tilt-in PeachTree windows in our house, I showed wife, "Look, honey, you just tilt them in and you can clean them inside and out!! Easy!"
I got a long long silent look.
Ain't been cleaned yet.
 
I'm surprised cars don't come with a "low oil sensor", they have sensors for about everything else incl. tires and it dings at you about oil changes on a different schedule than what you already did.
 
It was pretty common to see those on the Cadillac and Buick models several years back. Then I think they quit installing them ?
 
my sara only makes sure she has enuf gas to get home ,, don't and wont chek oil ,and would not know where it goes, however , she has sciatica , hip surgery , bak surgery ,now she has an excuse ,don't want to hijack your thread , but this does kinda go with,, Women Go FIGURE ??,, My 1st wife ,helped me remodel 2 houses , put in clutches , motors transmissions ,swap grain heads, was way up inside a combine titening bolts ,hatch chix,birth pigs and calves castrate pigs , shovelchit, ground feed alone ,rake and bale hay ,stak hayeven while growing a baby , tend a garden and children and me ,and a house ,,and told me she loved it all ,, What A Girl!.. but wanted a change ,after 17 yrs . so she took to nursing school , 2 yrs later she left
 
I chnge at 7k. Anytime I see a number divisible by seven (21K 49K 140K)on the odometer, I know it's time for a change.
 
GM dealers are telling people that new vehicles that use a qt. to 1,000 - 1,500 mi. Is normal. Glad I own Fords, have never had a problem with one using oil yet.
 
don't I know it ,, Every Gmjunki ever had ,used oil like that ,My SARA had a new Corsica ,if I did not watch it ,it would run itself dry ,,Cept'for Minivans ,, every Chryser Product I ever owned is still Here in use ,,every Ford I ever traded off ran for someone else another 5 yrs ,EVERY SINGLE GM product BUILT AFTER 1980, I owned was only fit for the junkyard when they left,,, however, I still have a sweet 58 chevy grain truk and fond memories of64 and 65 impalas ..
 
Dip sticks were eliminated from some German made cars about 4 years ago. Engine has sensors that provide data plus the driver can actually check oil level while driving and when oil change is required. Computer keeps track of mileage, engine starts with trip length and the months since last changed. And to think a simple dip stick, a rag and a pencil did that for a hundred years.
 
I remember in the Back To The Future movie when in 1955 5 guys came out and serviced the car when they were pumping gas. It almost looked funny. When I was little I remember being in the car and watch the guy clean the windows. For some reason that was fun lol.
 
How much extra per gallon does that station charge for full service? An extra 10 to 25 cents per gallon was common back in the 1990's.

Choose your battles carefully. For me checking over one more car once a week is much more enjoyable than having to wash my own dishes or clean the bathroom. This way all three jobs are also "done right", LOL.
 
I had a 94 Ford Aerostar van with low oil light as I remember it operated at 1 qt. The first time it came on I thought it was the low pressure light. That van went 240k between my son and I and he sold it still running.
 
Hi some of the early 80's to 90's ford cars in the U.k had electronic dipsticks.
Problem was they used to tell you it needed oil when it didn't. my buddys brother had one . it started smoking blue real bad one day.
we actually took the dipstick out, and the oil came up the tube and overflowed. it had about 10 or more liters to much in when we drained it.
We kinda quizzed him, and his reply was every time the light came on he added a liter or what ever like the book said.
Yeah that's fine if the sensors worked properly!. i saw lots of those used cars with the wires cut off the dipsticks, to stop that happening. Guys had to manually check it!
It was a good idea but bad technology at that time.
Regards Robert
 
I keep track of my wife's Chrysler T&C. It will take about a quart in 3,000 miles. My Dodge Grand Caravan with the same engine and 35,000 more miles won't drop an 1/8 of an inch in 3,000.

Never have figured it out.
 
Lemme see, you screwed up and oil was leaking and the WIFE needs to CYA????

I doubt that's gonna happen, 'cept in a few abusive relationships.

Checking the oil is (obviously) good, but didn't anyone notice puddles or drops of oil in the driveway or garage?

I have to BRAG that I have saved an engine or two from demise by being observant, and noticing an oil mess and checking to see where it was coming from!

(Usually from something I screwed up!)
 
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