Life's Little Pleasures...

[mecsw500]

My son and his partner drove non stop from Wisconsin to my home in Utah last year for Christmas before last. The whole way they said they tried to not use the brakes too much as they were screeching. They turned the radio on when there was a droning noise from the front.

As I always do, I kidnapped their car to take it for an oil change. I suspect they hadn't changed the oil since I last saw the car and changed the oil then. Yep, oil low and 15,000 miles on it since I last saw it.

It had no brakes, made a terrible noise when the pedal was pushed and the vibration was just awful. On the basis I'm too old to be messing with their vehicles, I took it to the local shop I use, very slowly. The steering was completely off too.

The front disks were ground to nothing. There was just a thin remainder of the pad backing plates grinding the front disks away. The rear was just starting to do the same. So, new rotors, pads and calipers all round, plus a fluid replacement. The calipers were so heat soaked I didn't trust them.

In goes real true synthetic oil as who knows how long before I get to see it again.

Once it was in the air, we checked the tires. The inside of the fronts had cables visible. So, four new all season tires and a complete four wheel alignment.

They drove all that way in a completely un-drivable car, at freeway speeds. I wouldn't have driven it to my mailbox.

This from two people who work in the IT industry with advanced degrees. Absolutely no clue whatsoever.

Guess what they got for their Christmas present? Yep, brakes, tires, and an oil change, along with its first car wash in probably two years.

Kids. Well I say kids, he's in his mid thirties. What are they going to do when I'm gone?

 

[BajaRon]

Kids. Well I say kids, he's in his mid thirties. What are they going to do when I'm gone?

Call a tow truck, most likely...

 

[Raven]

Die or kill somebody.
I hope you read them the riot act.
Sorry, rant over.

 

[mecsw500]

Call a tow truck, most likely...

Lol, that'll be good. Who do you think pays for their AAA cards?

 

[mecsw500]

Die or kill somebody.
I hope you read them the riot act.
Sorry, rant over.

Yes, we had a long and very stern chat about that. It wasn't a lecture he would want to hear again and although the fixes were a Christmas present it wasn't a very Merry Christmas kind of gift. He's got enough income to take the thing for an annual dealer service, so although it costs more there, at least it will catch issues early. His local dealer will even come and pick it up from his work and return it at the end of the day for a small fee. He can send me the dealer's video report and I'll say yes or no on his behalf to what the dealer says needs doing. His local dealer is actually pretty fair.

I should just let the things break down on him and let him figure it out on his own. It's just being a stepfather, I cannot bring myself to do it. I know I'm enabling, but like you say, I worry not only about other people's safety but his mother's anxiety too if something goes wrong.

What's worse is I have no idea how he actually passed a driving test, he's just an awful driver. Not fast, but he's not someone who drives naturally. I'm not sure which scares me most, his complete lack of mechanical empathy or just his lack of driving competency. I told him to sell his car and take an Uber as he doesn't go that many places. An Uber would probably be no more expensive. We shall see.