How many flat tires do you get a year?

[brewnog]

I don't know what that is. Maybe timing gears are common in cars over there. Not here, though.

Definitely in the old days. Overhead cam designs, needing timing chains or belts are a relatively recent (past 15 years?) thing. Before that, most engines just had a camshaft driven by gears next to the crankshaft, and pushrods which open and close the valves.

Really? So I'm off the hook for my scintillating quetion "How many flat tires do you get in a year?" It's really a miracle the thread lasted half a page.

I was only apologising out of politeness. If you were a gentleman, you'd excuse me, own up to it yourself, and possibly bake me a cake as an "I'm sorry" present.

 

[Evo]

One time a mechanic told me that I needed to replace the belts in my car. I decided I didn't want that work done at the time. A few weeks, maybe a month later I was driving around town and lost a belt. I think it was the timing belt, but all my belts were bad. So my car stalled while I was going 30 mph around a turn. I lost my power steering and brakes. Fortunately there wasn't much traffic, so nobody got hurt. But I spent an hour trying to get a tow truck out there.

Another time I kept having problems with my battery. It wasn't holding a charge. I would drive to school and a few hours later try to start my car to go home and it wouldn't turn over. This happened so frequently that my friends were getting tired of finding me and my car and giving me a jump. I had a bad alternator. I tried to change that myself. HAHA. I guess it wasn't that hard, but I was trying to secure it in place and it didn't want to stay. I was lifting on the wrong part. So my alternator was a little loose and the belt squeeled so bad it was embarrassing. The battery problem was gone though.

I had a problem with a lawnmower last year. It wouldn't cut the grass. The blades weren't turning. So I turned it over to look at the blades and there was gunk stuck all around the undercarriage. I removed all that, but in the process of turning it over the oil went all over the inside. I started it up and the thing was smoking so bad I thought it was on fire.

Note to self - never let huckleberry near anything mechanical.

Most places show the parts without me having to ask. Those are the places I go back to.

How do you know that the part came from your car and not someone elses?

 

[brewnog]

How do you know that the part came from your car and not someone elses?

Because those of us with any nous dismantle their cars before they take them to the garage, and, using a permanent UV marker, mark every component which is likely to need replacing, before reassembling your car. Then, when they show you the worn out parts, you whip out a black light, and examine all the parts to find your little purple mark!

Easy!

 

[Huckleberry]

Note to self - never let huckleberry near anything mechanical.

Just figguring that out?

How do you know that the part came from your car and not someone elses?

I could always keep it. It is my part after all. I suppose if I don't see them take the part off and bring it to me then I can't be sure that it was from my car. But I know that they often send these parts away to be restored. I think it is more likely that they wouldn't keep old parts around for every model of car that comes through their shop.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I was only apologising out of politeness. If you were a gentleman, you'd excuse me, own up to it yourself, and possibly bake me a cake as an "I'm sorry" present.

I could do that, yes, but I'd much prefer to leave responsibility for this thread to you. Perhaps, though, it's all Evo's fault. She is the moderator. Could even be Greg Bernhardts doing, somehow.

 

[brewnog]

I could do that, yes, but I'd much prefer to leave responsibility for this thread to you. Perhaps, though, it's all Evo's fault. She is the moderator. Could even be Greg Bernhardts doing, somehow.

Ok, I'll let you off not apologising. We'll say it's all Evo's fault, she's more likely to give an amusing reaction than Greg.

I still want my cake, by the way...

 

[Evo]

I could always keep it. It is my part after all. I suppose if I don't see them take the part off and bring it to me then I can't be sure that it was from my car. But I know that they often send these parts away to be restored. I think it is more likely that they wouldn't keep old parts around for every model of car that comes through their shop.

I'm just teasing you and zoobie. A lot of people wouldn't know if it was even a part that was for their particular model, I wouldn't. "Maam, you've got a festering grommwidget, you were lucky you made it in here." They could show me a part from an old washing machine and I'd just nod my head and ask how much it's going to cost to replace it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Ok, I'll let you off not apologising. We'll say it's all Evo's fault, she's more likely to give an amusing reaction than Greg.

Maybe Chroot. Almost certainly, Ivan Seeking is to blame somehow. Could also be Hypnagogue.

I still want my cake, by the way...

What kind do you like?

 

[brewnog]

Maybe Chroot. Almost certainly, Ivan Seeking is to blame somehow. Could also be Hypnagogue.

Come to think of it, I reckon Danger, Trib, Russ, Astronuc and Doc Al have all got their fingers in the blame pie too!

What kind do you like?

Well I've OD'd on chocolate birthday cake today. Time for some Carrot Cake, I believe. Make it a big one.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Come to think of it, I reckon Danger, Trib, Russ, Astronuc and Doc Al have all got their fingers in the blame pie too!

I'll have them rounded up and start the "interviews".

Well I've OD'd on chocolate birthday cake today. Time for some Carrot Cake, I believe. Make it a big one.

Good choice!

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'm just teasing you and zoobie. A lot of people wouldn't know if it was even a part that was for their particular model, I wouldn't.

That's true, but what you're looking for is some kind of disapointment on their face when you grab it and take it with you. If they looked bummed out you know they've lost their bumwidget decoy.

 

[Huckleberry]

That's true, but what you're looking for is some kind of disapointment on their face when you grab it and take it with you. If they looked bummed out you know they've lost their bumwidget decoy.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't know what it was either. I would just take the junk home with me. It would end up in danger's backyard with all my other old auto parts.

 

[Moonbear]

That's true, but what you're looking for is some kind of disapointment on their face when you grab it and take it with you. If they looked bummed out you know they've lost their bumwidget decoy.

That's not a bumwidget, it's a grommwidget!

Seriously, that's why if I'm really unsure and don't have time to call my stepfather, I ask them to explain exactly what the part is and what it does. You look for the hesitation as they try to make up something. Seriously, I grill the mechanics if they name some part I've never heard of. If they can't answer my questions, then at best, they're guessing what parts to replace to fix something and at worst, they're trying to swindle me. Either way, it gives me reason to go for a second opinion.

 

[Danger]

Time for some Carrot Cake, I believe. Make it a big one.

I get very concerned whenever you order a big carrot, even if it does come with a cake.

 

[brewnog]

I get very concerned whenever you order a big carrot, even if it does come with a cake.

Hey, I've got to feed the reindeer something!

 

[Mk]

Jellyfied coke!

 

[BobG]

Was that general advice or directed specifically at me? I know to get tires rotated. I thought everyone knew that. And if you don't know, every time you bring the car in, they ask if you want it done. I just get it done whenever I bring the car in for any other random things it needs.

In general ... and not everyone does know. If you're buying tires on the budget plan, you're only buying the cheapest tires available and two at a time at that. Move the old to the back and mount the new on the front. There should be a rotation or two in there someplace, but not everyone worries about it. I didn't on my first cars - I only bought used tires. No sense in buying tires that will outlive your car.

I was just surprised they wouldn't notice the pads were getting a little thin. You can get a really good view of them when you're changing the tires. I guess that wouldn't really be fail safe in any event, unless the person rotating your tires had enough experience to estimate how much longer the pads would last - and they don't last the same amount of time.

 

[brewnog]

In general ... and not everyone does know. If you're buying tires on the budget plan, you're only buying the cheapest tires available and two at a time at that. Move the old to the back and mount the new on the front. There should be a rotation or two in there someplace, but not everyone worries about it. I didn't on my first cars - I only bought used tires. No sense in buying tires that will outlive your car.

Lots of garages won't do this any more, especially main dealers. I asked a garage to do this a few months ago, and they wouldn't let me. They said they had to put the newest tyres on the rear.

The reason for having the more worn tyres on the front is that the car is more likely to understeer than oversteer, and in their opinion understeer is more dangerous than oversteer.

 

[Moonbear]

Lots of garages won't do this any more, especially main dealers. I asked a garage to do this a few months ago, and they wouldn't let me. They said they had to put the newest tyres on the rear.

The reason for having the more worn tyres on the front is that the car is more likely to understeer than oversteer, and in their opinion understeer is more dangerous than oversteer.

They tried telling me that last time I had just two new tires put on. I told them "nonsense, just do it the way I requested." I think they were going to protest some more, but seemed to have judged correctly that I'd have either taken the car somewhere else for tires instead, or come back in an hour for my first tire rotation. I can be a real pain in the butt sometimes.

 

[brewnog]

They tried telling me that last time I had just two new tires put on. I told them "nonsense, just do it the way I requested."

You just be careful on those wet roundabouts, Ms Bear!

 

[Adrian Baker]

How come we now have an EIGHT page discussion on a subject such as Flat Tires?

Do you think some of us spend too long online... ;-)

 

[brewnog]

Nine pages now matey...