Bought a car today...
- Thread starter Altron
- Start date
Altron
Well-Known Member
Das Boot just gave me the first of probably many scares. It took like 25 tries to get it started. There is no RPM meter but I'm pretty sure that a few seconds after it finally started, the idle RPMs dropped to like 200, because the engine pitch changed and the whole car rumbled. The Mazda would do the same pitch change and rumbling, and the RPMs dropped. After some online troubleshooting at the Mazda forum we figured that the oil was cold. I'm guessing that the same thing is happening to the boat, especially considering that it is January (although >40*F/~10*C)
Altron said:
Oh I don't think she's gonna let his over protectiveness stop her. From what I hear she's got a mind of her own and Prof is gonna have many a sleepless night worrying about his little girl who just won't stay little
Cause he threatens now that he'll shoot them but what loving father actually would when their daughter looks at them with her big beautiful eyes and proclaims that she loves this boy 
chcr
Too cute for words
Altron said:
Psst. Tachometer, if you care.
Might drop some Heet gas dryer in there. If it was sitting for any length of time ther's probably moisture in the gas from condensation. It can stick around even if you fill up becaus the water doesn't mis with the gas. Gas dryer is mostly ethanol and it combines with the water, which lets it mix with the gas. Hard starting and low idle can be lots of things, but this is an easy cure if it's all that's wrong.
Professur
Well-Known Member
Nixy said:Oh I don't think she's gonna let his over protectiveness stop her. From what I hear she's got a mind of her own and Prof is gonna have many a sleepless night worrying about his little girl who just won't stay little
You, my dear, are a heartless bitch. You would do that to you poor, defenseless old dad, wouldn't ya?
The 16-18 is a family rule. At 16 she'll get her first license, but that doesn't make her a good driver. Experience is the only teacher for that. So she'll get chauffeur duty until her 18th. By then, she'll either be a good driver by my standards, or she'll not drive at all.
Professur said:
Yeah and if the day comes with my mom...although I don't really see my mom having an issue with whomever I choose as a husband since the psychic who told my mother that my dad "liked what she'd done with his truck" and many other things she couldn't have known, I mean...how was she to know my dad owned a truck and my mom fixed it up after he died?? NO my mom didn't drive it to the session. Anywhoo...she told my mom I'd get married once and when I did I would know what I was doing. So, really, I don't see my mom protesting. But, if she does and if I feel what I'm doing is right I'll pull out the big eyes and revert back to calling her "Mommy" for that conversation and all that jazz
Professur
Well-Known Member
Me, simple. I take a book and read while they're driving. Glance up once in a while (I've excellent peripheral vision) without letting them see you look. But it's more a matter of forcing them to develop good habits and not letting them practice the bad. After 2 years, they'd have to work at being a bad driver.
What Nixy doesn't know is that I'm already teaching her how to drive, by talking to her as I'm driving. Asking her why she thinks I'm always looking out the rear side windows (checking blindspots) etc.
I've no doubts that she'll be a solid driver when the time comes.
What Nixy doesn't know is that I'm already teaching her how to drive, by talking to her as I'm driving. Asking her why she thinks I'm always looking out the rear side windows (checking blindspots) etc.
I've no doubts that she'll be a solid driver when the time comes.
SouthernN'Proud
Southern Discomfort
I was driving solo on the roads at age 9. By the time I got my license at 16, it was a snap.
Then again, I recognize the fact that metropolitan driving differs from around here.
Then again, I recognize the fact that metropolitan driving differs from around here.
greenfreak
New Member
Teaching Rusty was quite different than teaching a 17 year old. Good because he's past the "driving fast is fun!" thing but bad because he can be set in his ways. Driving together to work was great too because I was able to teach him how to anticipate the stupid things other people do and he was able to learn from their bad example.
Professur said:
From the time I was about 12 my dad let me drive at our trailer park. There was one corner that was pretty tight, the road was bordered on both sides by trees and before you got completely out of the turn it went over a creek and the road was JUST wide enough for one car, either you were on the road or you were in the creek, no in between. I've never had a problem staying within my own lane
Also, he would sometimes have a company pickup truck and he'd let me boot 'er through the hilly fields for fun, kinda helped with the thrill factor when I was old enough to get my actual licence, it was like "been there, done that". Of course, when we did it in the company truck I was instructed in NO uncertain terms to NEVER EVER EVER attempt that in a vehicle he owned or I would never be allowed to drive again I should add that our car at that point was a Caprice Classic...no small car...needless to say I had no issues when I did my driving test in a Corolla and the first vehicle I drove solo was my mom's caravan...again, no issues. Everyone should learn to drive on a boat of a car or a pickup.
greenfreak
New Member
I agree. This is what I took my road test in:Nixy said:
Professur
Well-Known Member
Don't let that worry you. Every car burns a little oil. A quart per oil change is actually reasonable. Just check your oil once a week, at the same time as you check the coolant level (cold) tranny fluid (hot) wiper fluid, steering fluid and tire pressure. Anywhere between full and add is fine. Don't go over full or you'll cause foaming which will really ruin your day. Under and you're not in any danger yet, but you're reducing the volume of oil and it'll retain more heat (not good). Your car will actually run fine with 2 quarts missing .... so long as you've enough to keep the level in the oilpan above the intake for the pump. But don't do that. And don't mess with synthetics either. If the engine has run for this long on regular oil, introducing synthetics will have you pissing oil everywhere. It'll clean out all the little build-ups around the seals, and since the synth molecules are smaller, they'll leak.
Personally, I'd change the tranny fluid and filter (garage job, trust me). You're supposed to do it every 60,000, but noone ever does. And check the coolant mix. Too many people just top off with water and weaken the mix. Eyeball the belts for glazing, or nicks. And squeeze (cold) the hoses. They should all be strong enough to prevent you crushing them. If you can deform them at all (and I'm including the heater hoses here) replace the lot. Any green corrosion around any of the hose clips means they're done too. Changing only the one hose is just retarted. They've all been on there the same amount of time, with the same fluid in them. Hoses, coolant and thermostat all get tossed at the same time. Costs a lot less than a tow off an interstate in rush hour traffic.
Personally, I'd change the tranny fluid and filter (garage job, trust me). You're supposed to do it every 60,000, but noone ever does. And check the coolant mix. Too many people just top off with water and weaken the mix. Eyeball the belts for glazing, or nicks. And squeeze (cold) the hoses. They should all be strong enough to prevent you crushing them. If you can deform them at all (and I'm including the heater hoses here) replace the lot. Any green corrosion around any of the hose clips means they're done too. Changing only the one hose is just retarted. They've all been on there the same amount of time, with the same fluid in them. Hoses, coolant and thermostat all get tossed at the same time. Costs a lot less than a tow off an interstate in rush hour traffic.
Altron
Well-Known Member
Well, it took five-ten tries to get it started today, and there is a very squeaky belt which I believe is on the fan. It's amazing how you start it cold on two separate days and it runs fine then you drive it around for a half hour and there's no odd noises when it's at the seller's house, but as soon as the transaction is completed the belt gets really noisy and the engine takes several tries to get it started.