Topic: So, I changed my sister's oil today.... UPDATED 9/5/09

[Hope]

Due to my sister's messed up situation where her husband tried to kill her & I had to go get her in the middle of the night from the neighboring stat back in June, I lent my Nissan Sentra to my sister....

Since then I have been looking around for a little minivan for her so I can get my car back.  I've been thinking that a minivan would better suite her & her 2 kids' needs.  Lately, I've been kind of thinking about how her wear & tear is different than my wear & tear and that it might be in my best interests to let her have it.

When I discussed the issue with an acquaintance who I was going to have look at used cars with me, he said that it was better to just let her have it than get it back and find stuff wrong with it and be mad at her forever....  Good point.

When you think about it, I am fortunate to have my 4x4 truck and motorcycle, and for me to want the car back might be just plain greedy on my part...  I mean do I really have to have the car?  The answer is NO.  The car will save me on gas (it gets 30 mpg & the truck is getting 14mpg).  But when it comes down to the math of the matter vs. the emotion of getting a neglected car back & holding a grudge, which would you do?

P.S.  the car was 6K past an oil change, low on brake fluid, and tires needed to be rotated....  I know, I know, I am a good sister.  

[troppo]

P.S.  the car was 6K past an oil change, low on brake fluid, and tires needed to be rotated....  I know, I know, I am a good sister.   

Since your such a good sister just give her the car and buy yourself another one if you can afford it, like you said she seems to neglect them a bit ao tell her the car is hers, and so is the responsibility and expense of maintaining it

[74cb750]

doit legally by giving her the title and have it registered/insured in her name, just in case.

[tramp]

i have a idea what your going through
they need help and you want to help
but
sometimes you can help too much and it's not letting them get back on thier own
if she's not taking care of what you let her borrow
then she doesn't really think much of it if you know what i mean
be carefull when you help
let them help themselves too

[333]

I don't think you're a good sister.  You are just a good person.  It shows.

The car would be a better vehicle for her with gas prices what they are.  And it would give you the chance at a new one for you.

[Hope]

doit legally by giving her the title and have it registered/insured in her name, just in case.

Can't right now.  If I do, then her jerk-off husband might get MY car in the divorce.  I will just have to give it to her when the divorce is final.

[Hope]

I don't think you're a good sister.  You are just a good person.  It shows.

The car would be a better vehicle for her with gas prices what they are.  And it would give you the chance at a new one for you.

Doubt I do new.  I am more likely to do affordable.  I will probably find the cheapest, reliable thing that needs as least amount of work as possible that has comparable gas mileage and is probably as equally old as the car that she has.

Fellas, my extra money goes to school.  I am a senior at a state university.  I work full time.  I own a cool old bike.  I have very few spare dollars laying around, and I have even less time to work on another car.  No new car for me.

[333]

I kinda figured so.  I meant new to you.  I get the impression you(like most of us here) enjoy working on machines.  Even though it meant about an hour and a half of work every week or so, i thoroughly enjoyed replacing the crankshaft on a Honda lawnmower.  A friend gave it to me after hitting a rock with it.  It runs better the the Honda I already had.  I'm sure I'll enjoy tearing it down to find what is making the weird noise.  I have a boat project in mind for that motor.

So, not that you'd go looking for a junker, but if you found a vehicle (example) you've always wanted, the fact that it may be a junker probably wouldn't stop you from getting it.  Am I correct?

Off topic; What are you studying?  Or did I miss this in another thread?

[MCRider]

doit legally by giving her the title and have it registered/insured in her name, just in case.

Can't right now.  If I do, then her jerk-off husband might get MY car in the divorce.  I will just have to give it to her when the divorce is final.

Be SURE your insurance will cover another driver for an extended period of time. Just call your agent. $100 in premium ought to cover it.

[Hope]

So, not that you'd go looking for a junker, but if you found a vehicle (example) you've always wanted, the fact that it may be a junker probably wouldn't stop you from getting it.  Am I correct?

Off topic; What are you studying?  Or did I miss this in another thread?

I'm going for my BA in sociology.

I think I am going to keep my eye out for something like a Honda Civic that needs some work.  Something good on gas & cheap.

[fuzzybutt]

well, you could do worse than an older saturn like mine, nearly half a million miles on it now and still running good

[Hope]

well, you could do worse than an older saturn like mine, nearly half a million miles on it now and still running good

I'll probably end up with something cheap.  Ideally I would like a Civic that needs some work.  I was looking at a 92 Dodge Spirit 2 door for $800...  but it's gone now.

[FunJimmy]

Sorry. I was drawn to the title "So, I changed my sister's oil today...." and could only dream of the tale.

Bad Jimmy   

Hope it all works out for you and your sister.

Cheers
FJ

[Hope]

Sorry. I was drawn to the title "So, I changed my sister's oil today...." and could only dream of the tale.

No, it's not that kind of party, Jimmy....

[333]

Jimmy- STOP!!!

The thoughts entering my mind would not only get this thread deleted, but also get me banned!

[Hope]

I kinda figured so.  I meant new to you.  I get the impression you(like most of us here) enjoy working on machines.  Even though it meant about an hour and a half of work every week or so, i thoroughly enjoyed replacing the crankshaft on a Honda lawnmower.  A friend gave it to me after hitting a rock with it.  It runs better the the Honda I already had.  I'm sure I'll enjoy tearing it down to find what is making the weird noise.  I have a boat project in mind for that motor.

So, not that you'd go looking for a junker, but if you found a vehicle (example) you've always wanted, the fact that it may be a junker probably wouldn't stop you from getting it.  Am I correct?

Wonder where I've been?  I've been at the Taurus owner's club asking them questions about Ford Taurus's and how to repair them.  In true SOHC'er style, I went and asked my neighbor how much she would take for her 97 Taurus that has been sitting for a year.  I ended up giving her $400 cash and then dumped some of my motorcycle battery acid in the Taurus battery and put some gas in the tank and managed to drive the car from her driveway to mine. 

So far I've replaced the oxygen sensor, crankcase position sensor, crank case position synchronizer, spark plugs, spark plug wires, muffler, swaybar link, battery groundwire cable, and EGR sensor.  The car was still stalling, so I started draining the tank.  Seemed like there was no end to the yucky nasty gas...  I ended up dropping it to find a very rusty tank (which I am familiar with because I tinker with these old bikes.)  So, it seems that I have cleared all the codes, and the tank is the only thing that is keeping this bull from running.

So, looks like my new used car is not going to require as much work as some people might have guessed for a $400 car.  Hold on to your hats fellows, she's a looker:









Power everything.  Vulcan V-6.  This car begs for long road trips.  Thank God the U Pull It junk yard is having a half off holiday.  I'm getting a tank tomorrow.  The blue bull should be back on the road tomorrow.

I'm not feeling so bad about giving my sister the sentra because I think this Taurus is going to work out for me.   333, thanks for having faith that I could find a decent car and build it back to be roadworthy.

[333]

That tank did look nasty.  Good work.  Except for it being a Ford(I'm a GM dude) it looks real cool.  And blue is my favorite color.

[eldar]

Nice death trap there. Will we be reading your obit soon? Sorry but I had the mercury version of that car. IT SUCKED ASSS! It was such a piece of junk, it should have been driven straight into the crusher from the dealer. Make absolutely sure you check the connection from the rear sway bar to the skinny pressed metal suspension arms. They COMMONLY break on both sides. Also, you may need to replace the shocks even if they seem good and make sure you have excellent tires. When I had that car, it would slide into intersections when the pavement was WET after it had rained a long time. Traction was horrid. Almost bit it on a curve. The rear tires leaned in a little because the swaybar links were broke and so rear traction as almost non existent. My 1993 olds ciera made that mercury look sick. The olds was faster to go, faster to stop WITHOUT abs, got through snow probably twice as good, and was built much better and stronger.

If it works for you, great, but I would only put a person I wanted to die in it.

[DarkRider]

There is a reason those cars have the nickname Toreass....Transmissions in the early cars were horrible in design and had much the same issues as the other Ford transmissions of the era. Brake lines are routed in such away that they rapidly deteriorate and start leaking. Brake failure being  contained to one front one rear tire? Heh forgetaboutit....When they go...its all or nothing as i found out one winter afternoon with the Taurus i had...Only reason i got out of that mess was because of something learned from my father to aim for the ditch if you are loosing control of a vehicle for any reason. Makes sense really...hit the ditch and chances are greater for getting out of the situation intact rather then going into oncoming traffic.

[edbikerii]

You guys must have been the unlucky lemon owners.  There were literally MILLIONS of these cars made.  If they had any sort of regular production problems like you guys are claiming, Ford would have been sued out of existence a long time ago.  My first hand experience with both the 3G and 4G Taurus has been excellent.  They are extremely reliable, they drive very well.  They handle very well.  The vulcan engine is a bit anemic, but it makes up for it by being bullet-proof.

There are a few key common failure items that need to be attended to, but once taken care of, these cars are bullet-proof.  Crankshaft position sensor comes to mind.  Just look on the Taurus Club's website.  They are well documented to the many anthusiasts there.

[seaweb11]

You give me "Hope" on humanity.   

[eldar]

Lemons? considering I know a number of people that had them and always had problems, maybe you just got lucky. Oh wait, if it was ok for you, then your opinion is right, sorry I forgot.

[Hope]

Make absolutely sure you check the connection from the rear sway bar to the skinny pressed metal suspension arms. They COMMONLY break on both sides. Also, you may need to replace the shocks even if they seem good and make sure you have excellent tires.

I already changed the sway bar links.  I spied the problem that problem as soon as I saw it on the racks.  I just bought some aluminum wheels from the junk yard (half price holiday for Thanksgiving) and will be putting some new, good tires on the wheels.  I'll be tossing the old ones, and had already determined that I need new rear shocks.  Thanks, Eldar, I'm all over those issues.

Brake lines are routed in such away that they rapidly deteriorate and start leaking. Brake failure being  contained to one front one rear tire?

Brake lines and all the brakes have been changed.

The vulcan engine is a bit anemic, but it makes up for it by being bullet-proof.  There are a few key common failure items that need to be attended to, but once taken care of, these cars are bullet-proof.  Crankshaft position sensor comes to mind.  Just look on the Taurus Club's website.  They are well documented to the many anthusiasts there.

Yep, I have the Vulcan.  The folks in the Taurus club are indeed very enthusiastic about their Taurus's and have been helpful.   


I went and got my tank from the junk yard yesterday and applied some of the techniques I learned here to that tank.  I cleaned it out at the car wash, then brought it home and rinsed it, and then tried to slosh out any stuff that might be in the tank.  I towel dried the inside, then put a leaf blower on the tank to dry it, then, finally put a hair dryer on it for about 4 hours to get the moisture out of the tank.  (Learned when I POR15'ed my tank.)  My tank is now clean and bone dry waiting to be welded.  (They punch a hole in the tank to drain the fuel at the junk yard.)  Tomorrow, it will be welded, and then back on the car and the car should be ready to go.

[333]

Gotta love a junkyard that has a sale.

[eldar]

That tank has no drain hole? Wow ok.