Stupid People! (Or don't offer to "fix" cars if you don't know what you're doing)

[mathnerd]

So I drove a 99 Honda Civic until the wheels fell off this past March. I do most of my own work, and boy did this car give me grief sometimes. It's a small car, so some things are just difficult to get to. Anyway, I don't have that car any more, but bf's daughter has a 2000 Civic. It's pretty close to the same (hers is an automatic, mine was a manual, plus mine was a first run 99, when Honda played around with some things, discovered it sucked, and went back to the way the rest of the 98-2000 civics are done).

So, bf's daughter asks my 15 year old if he's willing to do an oil change and (under my supervision) replace the brakes. He says sure, as he's always looking to earn extra money. Not a problem by me either, so she gets the necessary supplies/parts and out we go to get things done.

So, there's a two part complaint here. First, whomever has been doing work on her car prior to now needs to be taken out to a back field and shot. Or at least smacked upside the head with an engine block. The oil filter that came off the car was the wrong part (way too small), and she didn't actually need new brakes. The problems she was reporting are more than likely caused by the fact that all but one of the 16 lug nuts were loose enough to take off without the aid of tools. The one that wasn't that loose was missing entirely. Oh, and that wheel stud was broken in half as well. Now, if these tires were held on by 5 or 6 lug nuts, it wouldn't be a big deal, but it's a Civic. It's a small car, and there are only 4 wheel studs, so a missing one can be a big deal.

Anyway, back to the vent. The way the freaking wheels are set up it's nearly impossible to replace the studs. I have the old one out, but can't get the new one back in (at least not without taking out the bearing, which I really, really, really, really, really, really don't want to do). Now this woman's car is in pieces in her Dad's driveway, and I'm not sure what to do to get around that, except vent on CS. Which doesn't actually solve the problem, but does make me feel better. Grrrrrrrr. Seriously, this person who's been "helping" her has added so much more work to actually make the damned thing safe again.

In better news, it took roughly 10 minutes to replace the radiator reservoir on my van this morning, with no unexpected issues, and even managed to not spill any coolant anywhere.

[wolfie]

First, whomever has been doing work on her car prior to now needs to be taken out to a back field and shot. Or at least smacked upside the head with an engine block. The oil filter that came off the car was the wrong part (way too small),

Series 60 good enough, or do you need something bigger (perhaps from GM's electromotive division)?

How can you put too SMALL a filter on a Civic? If you look up the FRAM guidebook, my car takes the same filter as a Civic, and it's a really small filter. Don't know how anyone could make one smaller.

On another forum, I've seen a thread about how some absolute morons have botched the timing belt replacements on VW TDI engines so badly that the engines self-destructed in a few hundred miles. You might be thinking "If it's that complex, why don't you take the car to a VW dealer to get the work done?" - problem is, they DID take it to a VW dealer.

[mathnerd]

I have no idea how they managed to find a smaller filter. I played with the one a bit and it only held about half the volume as the proper filter. Now, I can understand why somebody would want a smaller filter. It's a pain in the ass to get to and even more irritating to get back in. But still, put the right damned parts on the freaking car.

As for the wheel stud, I'm going to ask bf's daughter to drive my car tomorrow and deal with it then. I'm running out of daylight, and taking off the wheel bearing is just too much work for the daylight I have left.

[Argabarga]

In a related story, an online pal of mine just sent me a "25 dumbest repairs by non-mechanics" list, with pictures. Gruesome, gruesome pictures. You can't SHOW them to ASE certified folk without signing a waiver first, they'll give the poor mechanics fits.

The worst one was the guy who overheard they made a product called "Seafoam" for cleaning out engines.

He went to the store... and instead of buying Seafoam, he bought self-expanding sealing foam....

The poor engine didn't stand a chance.

[mathnerd]

I saw that list. I nearly went into fits myself.

The thing is that I know I'm not a professional mechanic and I know where my limits are. If something is beyond what I know I can do, I get help. I'm always willing to learn new things, but I'm not going to attempt anything major if I'm not comfortable with it.

But the kind of stuff going on with this car is just basic stuff, like not tightening things down all the way and not making sure bolts are truly straight (gonna have to tap out the threads on the caliper casing and get new caliper bolts. They're not completely stripped, but they have been cross threaded). This is stuff my 12 year old knows better than to do.

[XCashier]

In a related story, an online pal of mine just sent me a "25 dumbest repairs by non-mechanics" list, with pictures. Gruesome, gruesome pictures. You can't SHOW them to ASE certified folk without signing a waiver first, they'll give the poor mechanics fits.

I don't suppose you have a link? I tried to Google it and got nothing.

[mathnerd]

I know Car Talk posted the link on their page. Lemme rummage and see if I can find it.

ETA: Found it!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukebailey/mechanic-problems

Though this list was 23, not 25. Maybe it's a different list.

[Seanette]

In a related story, an online pal of mine just sent me a "25 dumbest repairs by non-mechanics" list, with pictures. Gruesome, gruesome pictures. You can't SHOW them to ASE certified folk without signing a waiver first, they'll give the poor mechanics fits.

The worst one was the guy who overheard they made a product called "Seafoam" for cleaning out engines.

He went to the store... and instead of buying Seafoam, he bought self-expanding sealing foam....

The poor engine didn't stand a chance.

O. M. G.

I'm no mechanic and I know how very bad an idea this is.

Link to this list? I think my husband could use a laugh (he's not a professional mechanic, but is a pretty competent DIYer).

[mathnerd]

The expanding foam picture is in the link I posted, but I'd definitely love to see Argabarga's list if it's different.

[Crossbow]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukebailey/mechanic-problems

Though this list was 23, not 25. Maybe it's a different list.

Oh holy hell! #8 on that list had be twitching, and I'm not a car guy...

[Parrothead]

OK, non-car person question time: How do you do that to a tire? (#8, #10) And what am I supposed to be looking at? (#19)

(This list)

[Mytical]

Ok beyond how to check oil levels, etc... I know next to nothing about a car. I mean complete and totally clueless.. but even I can see the issues with several of those. I honestly think that to reach that level of .. lets call it weird for censors sake.. I would have to put a bucket over my head and run as hard as I could head first into a brick wall... and like some I ask.. how in the HECK are some of those possible???

[mathnerd]

OK, non-car person question time: How do you do that to a tire? (#8, #10) And what am I supposed to be looking at? (#19)

(This list)

Unless there's something else in the picture (19) I'm not seeing, the thing that had me rolling my eyes was all those drawers hanging out on the large toolbox. Unless that thing is bolted to the wall, it could tip over quite easily, as tools can be very heavy.

[Crossbow]

Unless there's something else in the picture (19) I'm not seeing, the thing that had me rolling my eyes was all those drawers hanging out on the large toolbox. Unless that thing is bolted to the wall, it could tip over quite easily, as tools can be very heavy.

That and it's an unholy mess. With that lack of organization, how is anyone supposed to find anything?

#8 is a severe failure of the tire sidewall. Why that thing hasn't gone BOOM is beyond me. My guess as to the cause would be overinflation.

#10 was either a very poor (and failed) re-tread, or someone wanted a hill climbing tire and went at it with a chisel.

[Argabarga]

As tires age they can develop sidewall bulges as a reinforcing cord breaks, or, a natural defect in the tire just becomes a weak spot.

Once they bulge out, anyone with half a brain gets them replaced, or, if they don't, they'll fail their next safety inspection in this state and be forced to replace them.

That person apparently doesn't live in such a state, and just kept right on driving, and it kept breaking out in more and more bulges until it looked like it currently does.

I'm amazed it hasn't popped yet either.