Vehicle maintenance and women drivers

[casts_by_fly]

11 hours ago, throttleplate said:

When the battery goes bad its gonna be pretty tough takin it out and walking it into Auto Zone.?

 

While that's true, its not something I'm worried about.  The vast majority of teslas on the road have not had battery failures.  Especially the higher end batteries from the model S and model X (what we have) which are NCA, there are few reported failures relative to the numbers sold.  The NCA batteries in the model S starting circa 2012 are rated for 300-500k miles and those numbers are born out in real use.  We also change out her car on a 3-4 year rotation so there is never an issue with any type of long term wear.

 

The bigger worry for me with that car is tires.  It doesn't come with a spare (no place to put it) and you can't realistically put run flats on it.  Given the size and type, no one carries them in stock so if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, its a 2-3 day fix for a new tire.  I carry a repair kit which will work for some things, but not everything.  I am considering buying a spare tire (not rim) and having it at the house for just such emergencies (we'd travel with it under the floor if I can squeeze it in)

[TOXIC]

The 2 women in my life have been schooled on maintenance of their vehicles.  My wife is hard on everything, it better be heavy duty if it’s coming in my house and that goes from appliances to cabinetry. My daughter inherited my 93 Jeep Wrangler with 200,000 miles on it and I taught her how to change the oil and drive a stick with it.  She still has it with now 475,000 miles on it.  It’s rough, but still running.  Because  we live in the country and she now lives on a farm, that jeep has killed more wildlife than Ted Nugent.  4 deer, countless birds, bats and even a bear.  I’ve done most of the maintenance on it but now I told her she is on the hook.  What really peeves me is that people don’t understand how modifying their vehicles can really mess them up.  I’m on a Silverado site that is filled with complaints and when you dig a little you find trucks have been lifted, huge rims, rubber band tires and they’re griping about u-joints and upper control arms and driveshafts and transfer cases failing.  

[casts_by_fly]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

The 2 women in my life have been schooled on maintenance of their vehicles.  My wife is hard on everything, it better be heavy duty if it’s coming in my house and that goes from appliances to cabinetry. My daughter inherited my 93 Jeep Wrangler with 200,000 miles on it and I taught her how to change the oil and drive a stick with it.  She still has it with now 475,000 miles on it.  It’s rough, but still running.  Because  we live in the country and she now lives on a farm, that jeep has killed more wildlife than Ted Nugent.  4 deer, countless birds, bats and even a bear.  I’ve done most of the maintenance on it but now I told her she is on the hook.  What really peeves me is that people don’t understand how modifying their vehicles can really mess them up.  I’m on a Silverado site that is filled with complaints and when you dig a little you find trucks have been lifted, huge rims, rubber band tires and they’re griping about u-joints and upper control arms and driveshafts and transfer cases failing.  

 

I've always wanted to tinker with vehicles, things like basic lifts/levelers, fun wheels and tires, etc.  You know, the things that add a little bit of function and a little bit of cool.  Very quickly you learn (or don't) that you either have to do it right (which costs 4x the 'easy route') or just don't do it.  I'm now too old to want any of that.  I value reliability now more than anything.  I need to know that my truck will start, run, and get me home no matter the time of day, air temperature, or anything else.  I'd rather spend the money on routine maintenance.

[TOXIC]

53 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

I've always wanted to tinker with vehicles, things like basic lifts/levelers, fun wheels and tires, etc.  You know, the things that add a little bit of function and a little bit of cool.  Very quickly you learn (or don't) that you either have to do it right (which costs 4x the 'easy route') or just don't do it.  I'm now too old to want any of that.  I value reliability now more than anything.  I need to know that my truck will start, run, and get me home no matter the time of day, air temperature, or anything else.  I'd rather spend the money on routine maintenance.

Exactly.  My truck is bone stock.  No problems.  My motto was always that when I fixed anything on my vehicles to step it up to the next level of quality.  My modification days are behind me.  I modded a 68 Charger with a 440 magnum and a 73 Formula 350 Firebird.  After numerous transmissions and tires and speeding tickets, I got out of the game. ??

[clayton86]

Reviving my old thread trying to remember exactly when I did her brakes last. She needs them again thought I’ve been hearing the squealer when she pulls into the driveway. I had to drive it last night and yup needs brakes again it’s not metal on metal again with the pad sheared off but it’s getting close. At least the weather is finally better to be under car for brakes and oil change. 

[Bird]

It's driving style.

You won't drink a cup of coffee while my wife is driving.

It's a nose dive brake applying 5 feet from the stop sign then an aggressive takeoff.

 

I have a big F250 and a lifted Jeep Rubicon, she hates driving them....... harmony.

[Tatulatard]

Teach her to engine brake.  

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Wife running 2009 civic 86000 miles original brakes

[casts_by_fly]

8 hours ago, clayton86 said:

Reviving my old thread trying to remember exactly when I did her brakes last. She needs them again thought I’ve been hearing the squealer when she pulls into the driveway. I had to drive it last night and yup needs brakes again it’s not metal on metal again with the pad sheared off but it’s getting close. At least the weather is finally better to be under car for brakes and oil change. 

so how many miles did you get in 5 months?

 

feels like she’s a good candidate for lifetime warranty brakes. 

[clayton86]

9 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

so how many miles did you get in 5 months?

 

feels like she’s a good candidate for lifetime warranty brakes. 

I’m not sure she is constantly loaning her car out to her sister. I remember like back in late February looking at the back of the inspection sticker seeing the mileage when she got the inspection early January vs how many mile it had at the time and she put like 12k on it in a little over a month. Which blows my mind because they both work together at the college not 5 miles from where we live and the sister lives closer. I said something at the time about it and got the “idk we both just drive the kids around to friends houses it’s just mileage what’s the big deal”. 
 

Had one of the wheels off last night since it was flat putting the spare on it and checked those pads. Not the culprit of the noise but they were more than 1/2 gone. 

[Bird]

11 minutes ago, clayton86 said:

I’m not sure she is constantly loaning her car out to her sister. I remember like back in late February looking at the back of the inspection sticker seeing the mileage when she got the inspection early January vs how many mile it had at the time and she put like 12k on it in a little over a month. Which blows my mind because they both work together at the college not 5 miles from where we live and the sister lives closer. I said something at the time about it and got the “idk we both just drive the kids around to friends houses it’s just mileage what’s the big deal”. 
 

Had one of the wheels off last night since it was flat putting the spare on it and checked those pads. Not the culprit of the noise but they were more than 1/2 gone. 

The brake pad usage is next level.

Have you checked the rotors ?

 

We live in mountainous terrain and get 5 - 6 years out of brake pads.

You may need to keep pads on auto delivery, wow.

[Fishingmickey]

My ex used to speed up to a stop sign or stop light. Yaaah, brakes took a beating.

FM

[clayton86]

6 hours ago, Bird said:

The brake pad usage is next level.

Have you checked the rotors ?

 

We live in mountainous terrain and get 5 - 6 years out of brake pads.

You may need to keep pads on auto delivery, wow.

When I made this post originally it got pads and rotors. 
 

she wants to trade it in for something different says to many people have her car(Mazda CX-9) hate to break it to her but unless we sell the house and live out of the car she’s not gonna get a rare car lol. 

[N Florida Mike]

My wife doesn’t drive much anymore, but she was good with all her vehicles. Never had a wreck that was her fault. She would have been perfect had she not run into the side of the house once…

[Tatulatard]

Teach her that brakes are for coming to a stop only.  Also to maintain a greater following distance and react to vehicle speed changes by lifting the throttle and engine braking or even downshifting if manual or pushing the OD off button if its an automatic transmission.  Using the the brakes as a "slow pedal" is going to wear them our fast especially if she is tailgating and using brakes to modulate 0.5 mph speed changes.