Today I was sitting at Meineke getting an oil change when one of the mechanics came out of the back to show the manager a perfectly dry dipstick. This wasn’t wiped clean, it was dry. Listening to the discussion about it was even more entertaining. That particular car had been in for oil changes multiple times when it was out of oil. The manager showed the mechanic the service log. Twice they had told the owner the engine needed to be resealed as it was leaking oil everywhere. Twice the owner refused to do it. They were sending the owner notice they would no longer service his vehicle unless he was willing to either reseal or replace the engine.
Seriously? How many times do you have to be dropped on your head as an infant to keep dumping oil into an engine which is peeing it on the ground? It wasn’t low, it was out. Someone somewhere must have put Slick 50 or some other super duper additive in the engine because by all rights it should have locked up. No, the owner getting the oil change wasn’t paying for synthetic or blended oil, just basic dead Dino.
I admit most MBAs wouldn’t care about how many fish and other life forms they killed by puking oil onto roads and parking lots, but don’t you worry about getting stranded? Currently I’m in Oregon near Portland. You don’t have to travel very far to find yourself in the mountains. While it may be a balmy mid 40s down here most of the time, I see the nightly weather reports. Once you get above 5,000 feet of elevation it’s another world. If they aren’t fighting snow they are fighting fog. Do you really want to be the vehicle with a locked up engine in the middle of a fog bank when that double tanker comes cruising through the fog?
Yes, out here they have semi’s hauling two tanks of fuel, not one like most are used to seeing in other places. In fact, one wrecked when I was coming out here. The second tank went into the oncoming lanes and it wasn’t pretty. I understand the need to reduce transportation emissions and to cut costs, but, consider the unknown people in the oncoming lanes. When that truck wrecks the second tanker is going where ever it wishes and those people had best hope they both signed up for ObamaCare and have their Last Will and Testament on file with a lawyer.
Want to know the funny (as in odd, not ha ha) part about all of this? That particular Meineke has multiple vehicles per week coming in with no oil in them. Not low, empty. The manager was telling the mechanic he checked one this week where the book said it held 3.6 quarts and he added 3.5. That’s about as empty as it gets. Same thing. Leaking everywhere and the owner would neither reseal the motor or put in a new one.
The last bit of information to put this in perspective is both have vehicle emissions and inspections. Just how the Hell does a car oozing oil at that rate manage to pass visual inspection let alone emissions? Those rings have got to be shot from running dry.
I don’t mind vehicle inspections. I’m told in some parts they even hook up to the computers in newer vehicles and give you a report of any codes while they have the probe in your tailpipe. There you actually get something for your money besides a sticker or whatever. Most shops charge $75-$250 for diagnostic reports so the state inspection is probably cheaper.
Before today I didn’t think “Cash for Klunkers” was a waste of tax dollars or a gift to the auto makers. I honestly believed it was going to get the bulk of the “death mobiles” off the road. Maybe it did? Maybe this is the new generation of “death mobiles” with owners looking to prove Darwin was right?
