topic Re: The drive from hell!!!! in Among Friends

The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:40:49 GMT

Yesterday my son and I (with grands) made a six hour drive from Laughlin to Show Low(second day, 10 hour total drive). My son didn't get an oil change so maintenance light was on but it was Sunday, so we decided to just drive home before fixing it. Had decision (red oil light came on and a half hour before our destination the check engine last but came on. We were in a small town that is dominated by a very observant devious group so there was no place open for an oil change. Fortunately, an employee at a fast food place was nice enough to show me how to put oil in car. WE had no OIL!! I put in 3 quarts and we got home (the red light and the check engine light went off(thanks bel!l). Today my son takes it in for oil change!! This is a lesson he will never forget (he says, I hope).

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Still Stylish Lady — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:43:31 GMT

WOW. You were lucky the engine didn't burn out.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:45:59 GMT

@Still Stylish Lady : Indeed!

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

CrazyDaisy — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:54:23 GMT

3 quarts down is more than a maintenance issue.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

shaggygirl — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:56:15 GMT

Can you fill in a missing part of your story. You had no oil...but you put in 3 quarts. Where did you manage to buy some in that small town on a Sunday?

The way you describe that town sounds like you could have wound up in a scene from a bad movie! Happy for you & your & son and the kids that you made it back safe and sound.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

chrystaltree — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:08:28 GMT

Well, that is certainly good way to blow your engine. I'm speechless that someone would do such thing and then keep right on driving with the red light on. It ended well for you which is good on the one hand but not good since your son didn't learn anything from the experience.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

chrystaltree — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:09:42 GMT

@CrazyDaisy wrote:
3 quarts down is more than a maintenance issue.

Exactly! It's like he was deliberately trying to kill that car.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:19:42 GMT

@shaggygirl : The town is 10,000, they have a Wal-Mart (no garage) and I bought the oil at O'Reillys.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Kachina624 — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:19:49 GMT

@patbz. That was a rough trip. In our part of the country, there are places where service stations are few and far between. Hope the car wasn't damaged. I'm glad you made it home and weren't stranded in that evil town.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:24:22 GMT

@Kachina624 : The town wasn't evil, just small. You are right, in my part of rural AZ you can drive hundreds of miles and no towns at all. Believe me, I wasn't calm (I let my son know that this was very, very bad. He assures me he has learned his lesson (I believe him)!

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Travone — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:32:18 GMT

It sounds like your son needs to learn how to do basic maintenance on his car. Especially if he is driving around the children. If a tire went flat, would he have made you change it?

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:36:32 GMT

He does need to take such a course but neither one of us will change a tire (our roads are narrow or you are on the I 40. That's why we have triple A.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

I am still oxox — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:37:37 GMT

@patbz Glad you are safe plese clarify what a devious group is, many thanks, I have hilighted the group to show it in context

@patbz wrote:
Yesterday my son and I (with grands) made a six hour drive from Laughlin to Show Low(second day, 10 hour total drive). My son didn't get an oil change so maintenance light was on but it was Sunday, so we decided to just drive home before fixing it. Had decision (red oil light came on and a half hour before our destination the check engine last but came on. We were in a small town that is dominated by a very observant devious group so there was no place open for an oil change. Fortunately, an employee at a fast food place was nice enough to show me how to put oil in car. WE had no OIL!! I put in 3 quarts and we got home (the red light and the check engine light went off(thanks bel!l). Today my son takes it in for oil change!! This is a lesson he will never forget (he says, I hope).

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

patbz — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:39:27 GMT

@I am still oxox : Thanks for the catch (thanx to auto correct) it should say " very religious".

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Travone — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:42:19 GMT

@patbz wrote:
@I am still oxox : Thanks for the catch (thanx to auto correct) it should say " very religious".

Thanks for the much needed laugh. Love that auto correct takes religious and make it devious.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Love my grandkids — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:43:26 GMT

@patbz What do you mean by "devious"???

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Carmie — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:45:05 GMT

Wow, just wow.

if you own a car, you need to check the Oíl regularly. You often have to add oil between Oíl changes.

Not maintaining the car with the correct amount and type of oil is the number one reasons that cars end up in a junkyard.

If you have a drivers license, you should know how to check and add oil, pump gas and change a tire.

My husband always maintains our cars and all of my children know how to do simple maintance. My daughter does her own oil changes.

I have changed a tire a few times by myself.

@patbz Thank goodness, you were all okay and the engine didn't blow. Kids! You might have to remind him to check the car out before he takes another long trip. Oil levels need to be checked out more often.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Allegheny — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 17:39:31 GMT

You all are very lucky indeed. While some vehicles have maintenance reminder lights, but when a red light comes on it is telling you something needs attention immediately. The red light meant the car is low on oil, not that it needed an oil change.

"If you run out of engine oil, your engine will fail. ... The engine oil is the lubricant that keeps parts sliding against each other smoothly, instead of grinding each other down. If the engine runs out of oil, it will start to grind, and then seize up, stalling the vehicle. Your engine will be damaged and possibly ruined."

Please tell you son to get the engine checked for damage. Being rural myself back in the day, we used to carry a couple of quarts of oil and coolant in the trunk.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

Kachina624 — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 17:51:31 GMT

@patbz. Ten hours of listening to mom would be a strong incentive. LOL.

Re: The drive from hell!!!!

AuntG — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 17:55:10 GMT

Glad you made it. That guy is totally irresponsible and provides the reason why I won't buy a used car.