How mechanically knowledgeable is your partner ?

[gtxb67]

most men know nothing about cleaning, so isn't it up to us to keep the fluid levels etc. up to the required levels. maybe we should take the wife's car for a drive every week or so, to make sure it is up to scratch

my wife neither knows anything about, or cares about cars and yet she knows to listen for things and notice lights on the dashboard - she doesn't know what they are for but she has been told to let me know about noises or lights. either way, if there was a light on, i would see it within a day or so

if we know our ladies are so ignorant, then it is our fault if we just let them keep driving on, without us checking to make sure they are safe

[Peuty]

I agree gtxb67. There is probably a thread somewhere in internet land about how someones partner couldn't believe he didn't know the vacuum cleaner needs a new filter twice a year.

Some people don't see cars as a hobby or a toy, they see them as a way to get from A to B and nothing more.

[FGII-XR6]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

most men know nothing about cleaning,

I know about it I just prefer to let her do it

[DJM83]

She isnt.

[svo supporter]

My misses will get grese underneath her finger nails. She changes the oil and filter. Any noises, she reports to me and then she's right beside me finding out what they are.

She'll check the tyres for pressure and wear. She'll even chenge a flat. Me being nice, even bought a cigarette lighter operated rattle gun, just to make her life easier doing it.

Came about by me drumming it into her head, "look after the car and it'll look after you"

[BadMax]

My ex, can change tyres, check and top up fluids with the correct fluids, service cars, brake pad changes etc etc. I blew a clutch in my toy car many years ago, I cbf changing it and she was keen to drive it again. I said to her, you get the gearbox ready to lift out and I'll do it.
Few hours later she walks back in saying 'ready now'. Yes she had it to the point I had to just slide underneath the car, slide the gearbox out in an RX7. I did the clutch and lifted it back in, she did the rest. It's no biggie to me.

I'd be more inclined to to ask how many blokes can't drive a manual? I have an apprentice and a tradesman at work who struggle to drive a manual car. My ex never drove an auto until she was 26, even her old duck didn't buy an auto until she was over 50 years old.

[Franco Cozzo]

Ciggarette lighter powered impact gun? Would that even be able to undo a wheel nut torqued to 110nm? Or a dealership special 700nm with the half incher haha?

[vibe_xr6]

Mines actually pretty good, pitty she cant wash or clean her car for crap

[Yellow_Festiva]

I once pulled up at the air pump and put a little air in the tyres. Rough looking girl pulls up next to me in a Korean Barina with 15 inch wheels.

I was belting up and starting the car. In the background I kept hearing the beeping of the air pressure machine (electric one) would have been 20-30 beeps. I'm thinking... what the hell, how much more / less than 36psi does she need?

She was pumping her tyres up to 63psi!... I was going to tell her it was a little on the high side but she looked like the sort of girl who didn't want advice from a guy.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Jack960

Well my GF got in my car not long ago and was curious as to why it had three pedals.

[music189]

its taken a long time but finally I get notice within 48 hours that the car is doing something not normal

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Ciggarette lighter powered impact gun? Would that even be able to undo a wheel nut torqued to 110nm? Or a dealership special 700nm with the half incher haha?

You obviously haven't been round to long. I bought mine from Repco. So nexttime their catalogue comes out, open it up and have a looksey. You might be surprised.

Oh and yes, they'll undo a wheelnut tensioned upto 110NM (80FT/LB) Don't ask me how I know either.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

You obviously haven't been round to long. I bought mine from Repco. So nexttime their catalogue comes out, open it up and have a looksey. You might be surprised.

Oh and yes, they'll undo a wheelnut tensioned upto 110NM (80FT/LB) Don't ask me how I know either.

I might have to take a looksy, 12v 10amps Max usually for a cigarette lightter socket.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

if we know our ladies are so ignorant, then it is our fault if we just let them keep driving on, without us checking to make sure they are safe

I agree but sometimes we don't realise just how ignorant someone we think we know well can be. I've been married to my wife for nearly 20 years and usually update her vehicle every 3 or 4 years so this is the first time anything like what I posted in the Op has happenned. I am still recovering from the shock of what nearly happenned, a complete brake failure around the extremly hilly area we live could have been really, really

[aquahead2001]

I know my wife has limited mechanical capabilities, but only one of her three brothers has any mechnical understanding as well! My wife will just keep plugging along until the car stops, then she'll ring me and say, "The car wont go"... My reply always is, "Have you called the RACV?". I pay all this money to have emergency breakdown assistance and she calls me, even when I'm not even in the same country!

But not just dissing on my wife, I also know plenty of blokes who have no understanding of anything mechanical what so ever! If they have to lift the bonnet for even the smallest of issues, they'd struggle I reckon!

Last weekend, I gave my yuppy BMW driving cousin a quick, "this is how you check the tyre pressures, together with my 13 year old daughter and her 11 year old cousin. The girls were great students, all of them had a go and were very proud of their new found capability.

So I think that it's our responsibility (those who know and have a Kingchrome toolkit!) to provide some simple skills to those who don't. I purposely left the last statement non-gender specific as I think this covers both male and female!

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Rodge

I agree but sometimes we don't realise just how ignorant someone we think we know well can be

does she let you loose with the iron . . . .

at least in this case, it all worked out much better than it may have. no matter how vigilant anyone is with their cars, mechanical problems can happen, so thankfully your wife and everyone else in her vicinity is ok

some of the silly things that have happened with my car over the years are quite laughable . . . . now. i am not having a go at your situation personally because i have been ignorant on many occasions but it is almost essential that anyone with a slight bit of mechanical knowledge help out their more ignorant partner. to some extent, expecting a lady (stereotypical i know) to have common knowledge with cars is like expecting a toddler to have common knowledge around the many dangers in the household. sometimes we have to baby - and be babied. i haven't had any issues with burning things with an iron or cooking, because put simply i haven't done it much. with the amount of driving women do, they probably do a very, very good job, when considering their total lack of interest in cars


if all else fails, just make sure they are aware, that any prolonged watching of dash board lights will mean there is less money for shoes and clothes

[coupecouple04]

I just hate the fact my wife expects me to get excited over her new bag yet won't acknowledge anything on my car .I am looking at new rims her response is there wheels they all do the same thing turn the car why do you want to change.This is the woman with more bags than I can count.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by coupecouple04

I just hate the fact my wife expects me to get excited over her new bag yet won't acknowledge anything on my car .I am looking at new rims her response is there wheels they all do the same thing turn the car why do you want to change.This is the woman with more bags than I can count.

and she says to her friends

I just hate the fact my husband expects me to get excited over his new wheels yet won't acknowledge anything to do with my fashion .I am looking at new bags his response is there bags they all do the same thing carry your stuff why do you want to change.This is the man with more car accessories than I can count.


something about mars and venus comes to mind
the part i don't like is normally venus wins :(

[coupecouple04]

I do make an effort though to get a little excited

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by Jack960

Well my GF got in my car not long ago and was curious as to why it had three pedals.

Three pedals????

[XYLINC]

Around 20 years ago when we were living in Melbourne my first wife came home one afternoon, strolled into the house and said "can you go have a look at the car, its making a funny noise". She drove a nissan exa back then, I went out to inspect the car and found she had a flat on the front left and the tyre was now half off the rim. Knowing she had travelled down the westgate fwy then thru suburbia I went back inside and asked her when it starting making the "funny noise" and why didnt she do anything about it. Apparently it started on the fwy and her "quick fix" was to turn the radio up! I took her outside to show her the problem. I still shake my head when I think about that one. Current wife is no better though.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by XYLINC

Around 20 years ago when we were living in Melbourne my first wife came home one afternoon, strolled into the house and said "can you go have a look at the car, its making a funny noise". She drove a nissan exa back then, I went out to inspect the car and found she had a flat on the front left and the tyre was now half off the rim. Knowing she had travelled down the westgate fwy then thru suburbia I went back inside and asked her when it starting making the "funny noise" and why didnt she do anything about it. Apparently it started on the fwy and her "quick fix" was to turn the radio up! I took her outside to show her the problem. I still shake my head when I think about that one. Current wife is no better though.

Thanks for sharing. I think that's right up there in the silly and danger stakes

[black54]

Water and oil doesn't mix! Ladies and cars, same anology!
Well, mostly.....

[FgNewbie]

Disparaging generalisations about women and cars is tiresome. There are plenty of males that could be tarred with the same brush.

Relative to my own ability, my other half is only as "ignorant" as her apathy dictates.

[black54]

Sure, but generally true!!
Happy to pique your appetite for a response fg.
Ciao.

[FgNewbie]

Originally Posted by black54

Sure, but generally true!!
Happy to pique your appetite for a response fg.
Ciao.

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by FgNewbie

Relative to my own ability, my other half is only as "ignorant" as her apathy dictates.

This is me...

Having said that, if my car doesn't sound right, I don't drive it...so far it hasn't been driven for about three months...it sounds even less right now than it did before...so it will probably be another three months before I drive it again... :P

Besides the FG goes better

[Scooter79rs]

A couple months ago I met with a friend, we were standing next to his FWD and I noticed how flat his tyre's were told him that. A couple weeks later he told me how much better the car was driving.