Do the matinance on your own cars? Just wondering, dh has been using the family car, and I have been getting rides from dd, but now she has gone to college, and I have got the car and dh brings his work truck home. Today I had to go to the gas station, the car was down on transmission fluid, moter oil, and water, so I filled it all up. Seems like I am always the one to do this, does not take much time at all, but dh just can not seem to do it. My mother inlaw says that I know too much, that is why I end up doing everything. Ok I have a good one for everyone, dd borrowed my bil truck she got a few miles down the road and it starts shaking, pulls over and calls home, dh goes to look at the truck, and finds out it is out of water, so he starts telling me how bil should check his water and fluids etc,,, I said to dh hey you always running on no fluids!! and you know what he says lol, he said, well at least I know I have no fluids in the car!!! boy did I get a good laugh out of that one.

By Tunnia on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 04:37 pm:

I used to take care of my own car, but then I married a mechanic and I haven't touched it since. I figure that it's a fair trade. He hasn't done the dishes since he married me.

By My2cuties on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 04:45 pm:

LOL my dh does all the work on the car, even details it almost every weekend before we go out on a "date". He's so sweet. lol the bad thing is I know he is doing it for himself, he can't stand a messy car (or dusty for that matter.lol)

By Colette on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 04:53 pm:

I don't like to do work on my car. I can fill fluids as needed, change an air filter, and yesterday I figured out how to change a fuse, but that's it for me.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 05:03 pm:

Shhh... I'm more handy than DH. LOL! I pump my own gas, check and fill liquids, check tire pressure and add air if necessary, but leave the rest to the pros. If need be I know how to use jumper cables but would rather not change a tire if at all possible. LOL!

My sister is a different story. We affectionately call her a "wrench head". She's quite capable of doing all kinds of vehicle maintenance, repair and custom work. She just bought and fixed up and customized her second Jeep.

By Unschoolmom on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 08:21 pm:

I check fluids, change tires, used to change my oil and filter, air filter...all the easy stuff. I plan to attempt the brakes one of these days. Our car rarely goes to a garage because someone in one of our familes (or just DH) will do the work instead because it's just too expensive.

But heck, best way to learn how to do some of this stuff on your own...buy 10-15 year old beaters. I had a funny experience at an upscale book store I used to work at when a man in a very nice business suit brought a book to the counter to pay for it. It had a group of men huddled in a circle and I exclaimed that I must never have gotten a good look at the cover before because I'd always assumed it was a picture of a distributer cap. The man found it surprising that I'd know what one looked like since I was young and many newer cars didn't have them (or ones that looked like that). I laughed and explained the average age of my cars. It was pretty clear their was a big economic gulf between us but we both enjoyed the fact that that gulf had given us something to laugh over. It's neat when you can make a connection with someone because of a huge difference. Okay, I'm waay of topic.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 08:44 pm:

I will pump my own gas, but DH takes care of everyone else and he is pretty much a fanatic about it! So, I just let him take care of stuff! I was good about taking my car in to someone else to change the oil, though, before I got married and I was good about checking the oil, too, but now he does that and even if I did check the oil, he would double-check it anyway, so why bother.

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 11:41 pm:

My dad made me learn how to change a tire and check and fill all fluids before he would let me drive away from the house for the first time. And I could and I did. 13 years later I got married and suddenly became VERY stupid. DH does all the car stuff. Only thing I do is fill up the gas. And even that dh does alot for me. And I LIKE it.

By Missmudd on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 12:56 am:

If I let the DH be in charge of the fluids and maintance our cars would be rusting hulks in a field somewhere. Sooooo yes I do the maintanance but that usually means driving the offending vehicle to jiffy lube. I could if pressed jump the cars, change the tires, change the breaks, change the fuel filter and pump, change the water pump, gap and change the plugs, the distributor, the alternator.... Anyway I have always said that I have been blessed and cursed by fixer uppers. I know now I can handle most things, and I know when the car doesnt "sound right".

By Mrse on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 04:33 pm:

Well we have some talented women on this board! Glad to hear I am not the only one, who does all this stuff. As if I did not have eneough to do.

By Cocoabutter on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 12:34 am:

My dh is also a mechanic (on semi trucks), and I have learned a lot from him. I love my dad, but he never showed me anything except checking the oil.

I went to a parts store once to get brake parts for dh and the gut behind the counter was surprised to see how much i knew and understood about brakes.

Same here, Dawn. We have had a lot of older cars, too. Dh gets them on purpose because they're easier to work on than newer cars so he saves us a lot of money. Our newest car is a 1994 Dodge car, and our oldest one is a 1973 Dodge truck that is currently being transormed into a pro-street drag racing truck!

By Theresa_Momma on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 12:52 am:

My dh is a self taught mechanic so I am not allowed to touch my car. I have jumped my sisters car a few time while dh and my daddy were out of town, but other than that I just pump my own gas. If fact dh bought my car for me before we were married from junk yard and fixed so it was like brand new. Its a chyrsler convt. I love it, its so much fun. Although that was before we had ds so now that top doesn't come down very often at all! LOL Small price to pay for my little dumpling though!

By Jewlz on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 01:26 am:

i can do it all also... the fluids the air in tires and belts .... but when it comes to admitting it i deny it to my hubby in fact i tell him that i put the most exensive gas in cuz it was the first station i came to pump it and didnt bother to look at the pump price ... but i do honestly i just hate to pump it and this keeps me f rom having to most of the time ( i think he has figured out i dont really pump the expensive stuff asx i have left the receipts in the truck lol ) any way i had to learn to do this or i couldnt have my drivers lisence when it came thru the mail it was one of the requirements to have one in my house when i was younger

By Kernkate on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 08:31 am:

My DH ia a mechanic for a Chevy dealership so I never need to worry about any maintenance on our 2 Chevy cars. I have learned alot just watching him do side jobs, I could change oil, change a tire, check and fill the fluid in the radiator. Not that I ever have done it, but if need be I could.
The only thing I have never done is pump my own gas. Most of the gas stations around here are still full service, and I like that

By Vicki on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 10:12 am:

Well, both dh and I "can" check fluid levels and top them off, check tire pressure and add air, and I am sure dh could change a tire and I most likely could figure it out... dh could probably even change the oil if he was so inclined, but we don't! I figure it is our way of helping the emonomy!! LOL

By Eve on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 04:40 pm:

I'm sorry to say, I can't do much in this area. I don't even know how to check tire pressure or anything! I need to get on the ball, I guess.

By Mrse on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 05:34 pm:

One time, I went to a gas station, and I asked the attendant to check my oil, and he put the 10 w 30 in my brake system, I noticed it and jumped out and screamed stop..... the owner came out and he was fuming at the guy, he got an air hose and strayed it out, what a mess. I have not let the attendants check the fluids since.