How mechanically knowledgeable is your partner ?

[Rodge]

Big Shock yesterday. At lunch I casually asked my wife how her hybrid Civic was going. Oh she says, funny you should ask that, there's all these lights going off on the dashboard. #@cK I thought to myself but calmly replied, what lights ? Oh there's a red brake light, and orange light named DSC or something like that and a triangle light with an exclamation sign on it.

Hmmm, me thinks this sounds pretty serious. Popped the bonnett and sure enough, couldn't see any brake fluid in the resivour whatsoever !!

Naturally I promptly checked the oil and coolant and that was okay.
Anyway the brake cyl;inder took about 300 ml's !!!

Test drove properly including a couple of really hard panic stops and no sign of any of the lights and brake performance was good for vehicle type. But to take this much brake fluid there could well be a leak in the system ?? I've sjown her how to top it up and asked her to check the level every time before she drives it for the next week and we'll see if the level drops and may need to get it inspected by Honda.

Anyway I was really shocked by her gross negligence in terms of her own safety not to mention any passangers she has from tiem to time. I asked her, what were you waiting for, the Car to ask you in a loud english voice that the car needs attention !!

She now knows this was a very very serious matter but has kind of fobbed it off as sort of normal female behaviour when it comes to cars.

Phew, I am just so relieved that netiher she or anyone else was seriously hurt, please tell me you have a better, more negligent story that this...
Obviously I have now taken on board the task of giving her car a good looking over once a month and will also test drive it each month as well, (yeah what fun, NOT).

I guess I should get the brakes bled in case any air has entered the system ?

[Yellow_Festiva]

And if you didn't ask... how long would it have been till she asked you why her dash is gradually looking like a Christmas tree I wonder???

My wife is the same... when I got her the new car I told her that if anything comes on in the dash while driving she is to stop and call me straight away.

300ml drop in a newish car is something that should be looked at ASAP. Def a leak.

I dated a girl who filled the mower with engine oil.... that took me 2 hrs to flush to get it going again. Same girl was reversing out of the garage, nicked the plastic interior trim I had leaning against the wall from the Festiva causing it to push more parts over that fell behind the car. She stopped to look in her review mirror.. nope can't see anything so must be my imagination, then proceeded to reverse straight over the bloody lot....

That relationship didn't last long.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

And if you didn't ask... how long would it have been till she asked you why her dash is gradually looking like a Christmas tree I wonder???My wife is the same... when I got her the new car I told her that if anything comes on in the dash while driving she is to stop and call me straight away.

300ml drop in a newish car is something that should be looked at ASAP. Def a leak.

EXACTLY !!!! Yeah I do believe you're right, I've asked her to keep her trips short, left 500 ml's of brake fluid in the car and showed her how to top it up and said ring me if ANY light goes on. We'll watch it like a hawk for a good couple of weeks because you're right to take that much fluid in a 3 year old car is highly irregular.

[flappist]

My wife knows how to use google and wikipedia and understands that the majority of things she sees on television or in a computer game are not real so I suspect that puts her mechanical knowlege just above the average AFF member.......

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Rodge

the Car to ask you in a loud english voice that the car needs attention !!?

this is probably a good idea. and voiced like "the electric car of tomorrow" in the simpsons...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiWnLG-G6E

[StrokedXT]

I hopped in my wifes fiesta a few weeks back and the brake pedal pretty much went to the floor and the tyres were almost flat - she said it had been like it for a while and was going to get it fixed next service - 5000ks away :(

After the millionth chat about letting me know if anything doesnt feel right she promised to behave in future

And what makes it worse is shes been around modded cars since the day she was born.

[blueoval]

I have spent many years and months modding my car, having to explain what parts are that I want to do to my car to the point where my mrs knows what certain parts are on a car and what they are designed to do.

Now you might say, how cool is that! But be aware this also has a bad detrimental effect on future mods. I can no longer say to my wife "oh the car needs a new cam put in for fuel economy" or "the car needs attention and I need to fit a new supercharger/turbo to the motor to get it to run smoother", even the old "I got a flat tire and need new 18in wheels and tires" and "the diff bearing is making some noise, I need new diff gears and KAAZ diff" doesn't work any more.

Basically I have educated the wife about mechanical components so much so that any swindling, and underhanded conduct gets picked up on instantly. I mention a cam to her and she asks, "why do I need more power, and won't it just be more thirsty", a mention on changing diff gears often results in "your speedo is going to be thrown out, and you'll end up speeding", even the thought of doing a turbo conversion was looked at with major contempt.

While it is great my wife knows cars and I have taught her what they do, she knows ALL my excuses and tactics for modding that I have to tell the truth now about what I want to do with the car.

But come hell or high water, she refuses to change a flat tire, and would rather call the RAA out to do it for her.



PS. Part of the above have been embellished for comical purposes

[OzJavelin]

Probably the next stage for passive safety features - disable car if low brake fluid, low coolant, low oil, low tyre pressure, dirty windscreen, etc, etc. Only time most people would bother looking at their car would be when it won't start ..

[TheSneakiness]

I know my wife will turn off the car if any warning lights come up on the dash. But she doesn't like me touching anything under the bonnet and requests that it gets done by a mechanic.

[Road_Warrior]

If something felt wrong with the car (ie like when driving) she would tell me straight away or as soon as practicable. But she has ignored (or not understood the importance of) warning lights on the dash before. That said I think if something started beeping or flashing at her she'd tell me.

[GTP-814]

It has taken me 3 years to drum into my 20yo daughter the importance about car maintenance & now that she has bought her own car (with her money) does she noiw take notice, which pleases me & she is v good. Now all i have to do if to get the wife to fork out her own cash.....na never will happen

[FgNewbie]

One of my sisters had an LJ Torana. She had the red light (brake warning) on the dash issue. To solve the problem an auto electrician pulled the bulb out.

[FGII-XR6]

Mine used to manage 2 taxis and now owns 2 hire cars, she can do most minor mechanical repairs such as a service , brake pads etc . she also knows her falcons well and can normally pinpoint faults quickly.
she only gets a mechanic to do major and heavy work

[Geez Louise]

Since pulling apart a car, stripping it bare - both externally and internally, as well as the motor, stripping it down and now rebuilding it, I think I know a little more about how a car functions than most.

[buggerlugs]

I bet you do, Will you have it ready for Echuca ?

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

Since pulling apart a car, stripping it bare - both externally and internally, as well as the motor, stripping it down and now rebuilding it, I think I know a little more about how a car functions than most.

Can I trade my wife in for you luv

[Geez Louise]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

I bet you do, Will you have it ready for Echuca ?

No. It won't be ready for Echuca. Maybe the next one

[Geez Louise]

Originally Posted by Rodge

Can I trade my wife in for you luv

Hubby has been trying to trade me in for years...he has wised up that I come with a whole Kincrome tool set...so I am therefore a keeper!

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Rodge

Big Shock yesterday. At lunch I casually asked my wife how her hybrid Civic was going. Oh she says, funny you should ask that, there's all these lights going off on the dashboard. #@cK I thought to myself but calmly replied, what lights ? Oh there's a red brake light, and orange light named DSC or something like that and a triangle light with an exclamation sign on it.

Hmmm, me thinks this sounds pretty serious. Popped the bonnett and sure enough, couldn't see any brake fluid in the resivour whatsoever !!

Naturally I promptly checked the oil and coolant and that was okay.
Anyway the brake cyl;inder took about 300 ml's !!!

Test drove properly including a couple of really hard panic stops and no sign of any of the lights and brake performance was good for vehicle type. But to take this much brake fluid there could well be a leak in the system ?? I've sjown her how to top it up and asked her to check the level every time before she drives it for the next week and we'll see if the level drops and may need to get it inspected by Honda.

Anyway I was really shocked by her gross negligence in terms of her own safety not to mention any passangers she has from tiem to time. I asked her, what were you waiting for, the Car to ask you in a loud english voice that the car needs attention !!

She now knows this was a very very serious matter but has kind of fobbed it off as sort of normal female behaviour when it comes to cars.

Phew, I am just so relieved that netiher she or anyone else was seriously hurt, please tell me you have a better, more negligent story that this...
Obviously I have now taken on board the task of giving her car a good looking over once a month and will also test drive it each month as well, (yeah what fun, NOT).

I guess I should get the brakes bled in case any air has entered the system ?

umm.. you just poured fluid into an empty reservoir? are these new fangled cars self bleeding? yes they need bleeding and no way in the world should she be driving it until its done.

[PHANTMXR6]

The only way my missus would know there is something wrong with her car is if she went to start it and it didn't.

Doesn't check anything, yet when asked when the last time she checked something was she would reply last week.

Yeah right.

[Road_Warrior]

I remember one of my cousins siezed the engine of her Corolla because she left the oil filler cap off and drove it for a couple hundred klm. The engine bay was sprayed with oil and of course there was none left in the engine. Afterwards, I remember at a family gathering her saying "I just don't get the big deal about oil - it's just oil!"

Her Dad (my step-brother), my Dad and me went all

and explained to her the error of her ways. I'm not aware of any instances of neglect since, but she is pretty indifferent when it comes to cars.

[Tribal]

I learnt a long time ago not to make assumptions or ask seemingly simple questions (its safer that way)....

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

umm.. you just poured fluid into an empty reservoir? are these new fangled cars self bleeding? yes they need bleeding and no way in the world should she be driving it until its done.

Quite right, I'm on to it !!

[XARATE]

My other half had no idea when i met her, 2 years on she make me proud, she can correctly locate and name most parts on her subaru and my xr8. She loves the idea the important things she needs to check are all yellow. If its not yellow she wont touch it untill she learns what it is and what it does
I even taught her how to change her own oil 365,000km and its still alive

[wrongwaynorris]

If putting petrol in it counts then yes . Sadly that is where her knowledge ends though .

[The Yeti]

my Mrs was as hoples as her dad (thats pretty bad) when we met back in 95 but in 2000 we brought our ZC and she was working with me for the full ground up back to bare metal respary even colour sanding when she was 7months pregnant with our son, she can now reline drum brakes (I know current mechanics that wouldnt know where to start on that one), repalce brake pads, she can change oil, fliters and drive belts, etc, knows how to inspect for a blown fuse and use a test lamp / multi meter to test. and so on

its be come a little bit of a learned helplessness of late where as she seems to hav eforgotten how to use to the tyre gauge at the servo. problem solved though Ive set up a permanat compresser and gauge on the shed she doesnt even have to turn it on. this way the kids also know how to do it on their bikes and can progess to cars in time.

as for that my 8yo Daugher and 10yo son were helping me bead the brakes on the XP last night and my daugher even picked the bulgeing flexable line

yea some mite call it bogen or tom boyish but the way I see it 9/10 blokes today couldnt tell you if their car was an in line or V configuration engin much less d oday to day checks of oil and water, if my little girl can do it with out any one's help shes more self saficiant than the rest

I really hope my kids grow up to be better than their dumb mechanic dad but I also hope I atleast empart some knowlege on to them

but then again my kids dont mind giving their dad a hand in the garage


these ones were taken about 2 years ago, but shes just as keen to help now as she was then

[Franco Cozzo]

Mum checks her oil and brake fluid and will tell me if there is something wrong. Dad doesn't care, will drive on tyres until they are completely bald and slides around as cornered them says he needs new threshold, procrastinates fort 3 weeks then eventually buys a new set. Wont look at the oil until the oil light comes on then puts $5 black and gold 20/50 in.

Coming up for a timing belt in 6000km, reckon he wont replace it for another 100000km.

[SVTVNM]

Mines not to bad, her general knowledge is ok, But once we did have an incident that was good for a laugh. First and only time she got behind the wheel of the XY we were driving out he road and being at that stage in her early 20's, she asked how fast is 100k on the MPH speedo I told her sit on 60 mph and it will be fine. Next thing I know she sinks the boot in and we a flying, I said WTF!!!! she then replies we were only doing 30, Holy crap she was used to the speedo being on the left of the 2 main dials. So we where well on the way 120mph+

[Jack960]

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

[TheZHLANE]

Originally Posted by flappist

My wife knows how to use google and wikipedia and understands that the majority of things she sees on television or in a computer game are not real so I suspect that puts her mechanical knowlege just above the average AFF member.......

you caught me :o