1st oil change frustration
08-18-2014, 05:29 PM
#34
Race Car
My best DIY story (one that is actually true):
32 years ago I'm on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and there's a striking young woman in a very nicely filled out bikini sitting in a chair in the sand. Like many guys that day, I approach her and am blown off. That's pretty typical for a day at the beach though and I figured I'd get shot down before I even spoke, but what the heck. She was a little outside my league if you know what I mean. After a couple hours she packs up to leave and I head over the parking lot as well to grab a cold brew out of the trunk. She gets into a blue Triumph Spitfire and it won't start. I can hear it cranking but it won't light off. So I approach her again and say:
"Having Car Trouble?"
"Yes, it won' start - do you know where there is a phone around here so I can call my mother?" (this was in the days before there were cell phones)
"Mind if I have a look under the hood? I'm pretty handy with cars."
"Go ahead" she said.
So I pop the bonnet and having owned an MGB before I know its the points - because these Leyland cars are just old tractor engines and thats about all that ever keeps them from running, and I also know I can clean in them in about one minute. I decide to take my time and not rush...get to know this girl a little, she's a captive audience now. I tell her I need some help and have her hold the Distributor Cap while I fuss around in the points and take much longer than need be while we chat, at least 10 minutes. Cleaned the points with a white business card, popped the cap back on and told her to try it. It fired right off and settled into a nice idle. She thanked me very much.
"You know you kind of blew me off out there on the beach when I was just trying to talk to you" I said
"Yes, I didn't mean to be rude but I get tired of guys hitting on me when I just want to read my book on the beach".
"That's cool, I get that. So, would you be up for a dinner out with your hero rescue mechanic?" I asked. She laughed and said 'OK', and I'm still married to that beach babe today.
Years later the conversation came up on why we married one another. She said "You weren't the most handsome guy (I beg to differ!) but I always liked men who can fix things and can make me laugh".
I'd don't think I'd have got that first date if I told her to call the dealer.....lol
32 years ago I'm on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and there's a striking young woman in a very nicely filled out bikini sitting in a chair in the sand. Like many guys that day, I approach her and am blown off. That's pretty typical for a day at the beach though and I figured I'd get shot down before I even spoke, but what the heck. She was a little outside my league if you know what I mean. After a couple hours she packs up to leave and I head over the parking lot as well to grab a cold brew out of the trunk. She gets into a blue Triumph Spitfire and it won't start. I can hear it cranking but it won't light off. So I approach her again and say:
"Having Car Trouble?"
"Yes, it won' start - do you know where there is a phone around here so I can call my mother?" (this was in the days before there were cell phones)
"Mind if I have a look under the hood? I'm pretty handy with cars."
"Go ahead" she said.
So I pop the bonnet and having owned an MGB before I know its the points - because these Leyland cars are just old tractor engines and thats about all that ever keeps them from running, and I also know I can clean in them in about one minute. I decide to take my time and not rush...get to know this girl a little, she's a captive audience now. I tell her I need some help and have her hold the Distributor Cap while I fuss around in the points and take much longer than need be while we chat, at least 10 minutes. Cleaned the points with a white business card, popped the cap back on and told her to try it. It fired right off and settled into a nice idle. She thanked me very much.
"You know you kind of blew me off out there on the beach when I was just trying to talk to you" I said
"Yes, I didn't mean to be rude but I get tired of guys hitting on me when I just want to read my book on the beach".
"That's cool, I get that. So, would you be up for a dinner out with your hero rescue mechanic?" I asked. She laughed and said 'OK', and I'm still married to that beach babe today.
Years later the conversation came up on why we married one another. She said "You weren't the most handsome guy (I beg to differ!) but I always liked men who can fix things and can make me laugh".
I'd don't think I'd have got that first date if I told her to call the dealer.....lol
08-18-2014, 06:52 PM
#36
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08-19-2014, 12:29 AM
#38
I'm too smart to post a bikini photo of my bride, but here's one with our not quite 2-year-old daughter who as you can see is not real happy, from 1992. Now my little girl is the beach babe at 23 years old (takes after her mother, not me), and no - you can't have a current photo of her!
08-21-2014, 08:22 PM
#39
Drifting
The car has what, a nine quart sump? Putting in seven quarts and running it for a while won't hurt anything (unless you're on a steeply banked turn at 7000 RPM) and is a lot safer than overfilling. Put in seven, drive it for 9 miles until the computer tells you the oil level, add some more, drive some more.
If you're still not sure, take it (the car) over to drcollie's place in Virginia. Bring beer and cheetos. If you're in NC, you can bring it to my place but I only drink dark beer and I prefer dry roasted peanuts.
Don't even think about showing up with that low salt crap.
If you're still not sure, take it (the car) over to drcollie's place in Virginia. Bring beer and cheetos. If you're in NC, you can bring it to my place but I only drink dark beer and I prefer dry roasted peanuts.
Don't even think about showing up with that low salt crap.
08-21-2014, 08:48 PM
#40
I did 8 qts then measured. Ended up using 8.75 to bring it level. The e dipstick, while annoying, is better than BMW's. It is weird though to have a gray box above "max" line. It's like I want to turn it green too!! Maybe too much Tetris back in the day...
08-24-2014, 02:27 AM
#41
Great stories,
Its really convenient when you are mechanically incline, as for others that don't want to do it, I can respect that. We all have a reason to do or not to do it, either you don't have a garage, or the time, or like getting dirty, or just so rich that you don't mind a $300 oil change. All have personal reason not to get underneath a vehicle and we all need to respect that. Doesn't make them less of an enthusiast imo if they love driving and into great cars.
By the way just found a 1 inch nail in the rear driver side tire. So I jack up the rear, dismount the tire, took the nail out, plug the tire, put in some air, check for air bubbles and finally mount the tire in 20 minutes.
Like to hear more cool stories from drcollie, the real ones.
Its really convenient when you are mechanically incline, as for others that don't want to do it, I can respect that. We all have a reason to do or not to do it, either you don't have a garage, or the time, or like getting dirty, or just so rich that you don't mind a $300 oil change. All have personal reason not to get underneath a vehicle and we all need to respect that. Doesn't make them less of an enthusiast imo if they love driving and into great cars.
By the way just found a 1 inch nail in the rear driver side tire. So I jack up the rear, dismount the tire, took the nail out, plug the tire, put in some air, check for air bubbles and finally mount the tire in 20 minutes.
Like to hear more cool stories from drcollie, the real ones.
08-24-2014, 02:37 AM
#42
I just spoke with my official local service center and they said I bought the car in March and I don't need to come in until 10,000 miles (only at 3500 now) or March 2015. He mentioned something about how that can be reset at his dealership and he said there is a glitch regarding this in the system. Maybe it has to do with when the computer was first turned on or something. He got my vin # and checked it out.
08-24-2014, 05:09 AM
#43
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LOL, I bet ole Doc Collie went over there and pulled out the plug on the distributor cap! Oh the distributor cap is what.... Oh never mind.
But I do have one for you. Trying to get my son into Porsches I bought him a 1982 928 Weissach edition. (No I dont go over to the 928 forum because no matter WHAT the thread is about they will end up in a flame war, they JUST dont like 911 guys) anyway as soon as it gets home the gas tank has a hole in it. SO I buy a used tank from 928 international and take it to my mechanic and he replaces it I find out later its not that bad a job. So fast forward to 8 months later its leaking again. turns out the guys who replaced the tank didnt replace a gasket on the assy. that feeds fuel to the fuel pump. SO me and my son pull that part of the tank assy. down and replace the gasket and that stops the leak. Then the steering gear need to be replaced so the same day we get some lucas stop leak and some valvoline high milage power steering fluid and pour it in there and we save about $600 of parts and labor both leaks fixed.
But back to our oil change, I am an engineer so we are always tinkering with thing so an oil change is easier than waxing the car and when your dealer is 100 miles and $200 away, its better to do your own. If you do track days alot of guys change their oil between Sat and Sun sessions.
It doesnt hurt to change your oil after 200-1000 miles and then again at 3000 then follow their maintenance schedule. Especially in these DFI engines. Use the techroline and stuff.
But I do have one for you. Trying to get my son into Porsches I bought him a 1982 928 Weissach edition. (No I dont go over to the 928 forum because no matter WHAT the thread is about they will end up in a flame war, they JUST dont like 911 guys) anyway as soon as it gets home the gas tank has a hole in it. SO I buy a used tank from 928 international and take it to my mechanic and he replaces it I find out later its not that bad a job. So fast forward to 8 months later its leaking again. turns out the guys who replaced the tank didnt replace a gasket on the assy. that feeds fuel to the fuel pump. SO me and my son pull that part of the tank assy. down and replace the gasket and that stops the leak. Then the steering gear need to be replaced so the same day we get some lucas stop leak and some valvoline high milage power steering fluid and pour it in there and we save about $600 of parts and labor both leaks fixed.
But back to our oil change, I am an engineer so we are always tinkering with thing so an oil change is easier than waxing the car and when your dealer is 100 miles and $200 away, its better to do your own. If you do track days alot of guys change their oil between Sat and Sun sessions.
It doesnt hurt to change your oil after 200-1000 miles and then again at 3000 then follow their maintenance schedule. Especially in these DFI engines. Use the techroline and stuff.
08-24-2014, 08:02 AM
#44
Drifting
One key takeaway here for the non-mechanically inclined is that this is easy work that any mechanic can do. If you pay $300 for an oil change, you're getting ripped off.
