Car ownership - a rant

graeme_s-2

Maybe this should be called My wife - a rant.

We just have one car, which my wife uses as her magic leaving the house machine. I generally walk and cycle everywhere. Our current car is a new VW Polo which is about 6 months old. Last night we were out together in the car when we heard and felt a thumping which seemed to be coming from one of the wheels. When we stopped and checked it we discovered a large screw through the front right tyre. The tyre was still inflated so we carefully drove the short distance home.

My wife is off work this week so we agreed that this morning she would go and get the tyre replaced. We also had a look at the spare and discovered that it's a proper full spare tyre, although it's on a crappy rim. We agreed that she would get the spare tyre swapped onto the front right wheel, and either see if she could get the screwed tyre repaired, or buy a cheaper tyre for the spare.

This morning when I came out of the house to cycle to work I had a look and saw that the tyre was unsurprisingly now completely flat. I shouted up the stairs to my wife, that if she came down I'd help her change the wheel for the spare. She has once before changed a wheel, I barely drive so have never done it before. She was still in bed, and couldn't be bothered to get up, so said she would do it herself later. I reminded her that we have roadside assistance so if she got stuck she should ring them.

When I got to work I received a text from her telling me:

1. she jacked the car up without finding the jacking point and has ruined the sill/trim under the driver's door
2. she successfully removed all the bolts but couldn't get the wheel off anyway
3. she's now waiting for the roadside assistance

The worst thing about this is she said she didn't know about the jacking point, but the one time she previously jacked a car up to replace a wheel she didn't know to find it then either and a friend and I told her how lucky she was that she didn't damage the car and that the car didn't fall on her while she was doing it.

So now we need a new tyre and the sill/trim replacing because she couldn't be arsed to get out of bed and let me help her do it first thing this morning. :evil:

bompington

So what you mean is "Wife ownership - a rant"

Anonymous

The 1st time I changed a wheel I had no assistance and had never done it before. Its really not hard. If I had to ask my wife to help me, I certainly wouldn't be bragging about it.

Sounds like you need to sell it and buy her a bike.

graeme_s-2

coriordan wrote:

The 1st time I changed a wheel I had no assistance and had never done it before. Its really not hard. If I had to ask my wife to help me, I certainly wouldn't be bragging about it.

Sounds like you need to sell it and buy her a bike.

Happily would sell the car. She's keen to keep hold of it.

And I'm not making myself late for work to change a wheel on her car if she's not even going to get out of bed!

spen666

coriordan wrote:

The 1st time I changed a wheel I had no assistance and had never done it before. Its really not hard. If I had to ask my wife to help me, I certainly wouldn't be bragging about it.

Sounds like you need to sell HER and buy another bike.

FTFY

gtvlusso

I am in the same position; I cycle or walk everywhere. My wife takes the car daily.

Hence; our car is never washed, cleaned out, fixed or serviced. Issues are only spotted when I drive it. If something goes wrong when my wife has the car, my wife simply takes it to the most expensive place she can and then puts the charge on my credit card....this was the case until recently.

Our old Mercedes, that I rarely drove, got a bit smokey - My wife paid out £3500 for a service, they basically rebuilt the engine. I sold the Mercedes and bought a crap Honda for £1500.

She hates the Honda, but, I told that if she is unwilling to look after a car, then I am unwilling to pay for it.

**The clutch is starting to go south on the Honda now, only noted because I drove it this morning and noticed it slipping. On speaking to my wife about an hour ago I was told; 'It has done that since I reversed up a hill a few weeks back....' :shock:

So, I feel your pain.

danlikesbikes

Spouse did something similar less the damage to the car sill.

The wheel can get stuck on & in car tyre places they use a rubber mallet to bash it off. I don't own a mallet but if you lower the car a bit to the touch the ground with the wheel unbolted the weight will cause the wheel to come loose. Then just jack it back up to take the whee off.

DrLex

gtvlusso wrote:

[worryingly familiar recollections]

Is it a gender trait or could my wife and yours be close-relations?

graeme_s-2

To be fair, she's been driving longer than I have and is more car savvy than I am, but if I'm not sure about something I'd have checked before ramming a jack into the bodywork on the car.

The tyre has apparently been repaired now, so the only real expense from this entire endeavour is the bodywork damage that was completely unnecessary!

Pretty sure next time she'll find the jack point.

Anonymous

My mother is DAMN good at looking after our car actually. She spots everything, shops around for a good price and refuses to start poking mechanicals and electrics without consulting the owners manual.

She's quite happy changing the wheels on a Discovery (defender is more tricky as the jack is a bitch) and has the forethought to put down something solid under the jack as we live on a gravel drive.

Not at a all a manly lady either - a hereditary peer in Europe - also certainly no averse to rolling her sleeves up and gutting dead birds.

rjsterry

Similar situation here - only Mrs RJS drives our car - but she probably knows more about cars than I do, partly . Which is a good thing judging by the above stories. Sadly an unawareness of the need for maintenance (and reading the instruction) seems remarkably prevalent these days.

Dalton

Struggling to understand why you didn't put the spare wheel when you got home? Would have saved trying to get the wife out of bed to help this morning and some considerable expense I expect.

graeme_s-2

She did say that she checked the manual but it doesn't mention the jack point. This seems possible as the manual is absolutely shit. Some bits in it seem to be referring to a different car entirely. Still don't understand how she could have forgotten the conversation we had about this last time she jacked a car without finding the jack point.

graeme_s-2

Dalton wrote:

Struggling to understand why you didn't put the spare wheel when you got home? Would have saved trying to get the wife out of bed to help this morning and some considerable expense I expect.

Yeah, it's a fair point. Certainly in hindsight I wish that is what we'd done. The tyre hadn't gone down at all (it has pressure sensors and they hadn't activated) and there's a tyre place round the corner. It was only when I was about to go out the front door this morning when I thought "balls, I bet the tyre will be flat".

davmaggs

Top tip for anybody is to go through the wheel changing process when you first get the car. You do not want to be learning when stuck by the side of a busy road when it is raining and it is dark. Have a practice run with the owners guide in hand in the dry comfort of your driveway.

Also never ever presume that the garage that fitted the tyres did you the courtesy of not over tightening them. Loosen and tighten them yourself.

tailwindhome

Graeme_S wrote:

Dalton wrote:

Struggling to understand why you didn't put the spare wheel when you got home? Would have saved trying to get the wife out of bed to help this morning and some considerable expense I expect.

Yeah, it's a fair point. Certainly in hindsight I wish that is what we'd done. The tyre hadn't gone down at all (it has pressure sensors and they hadn't activated) and there's a tyre place round the corner. It was only when I was about to go out the front door this morning when I thought "balls, I bet the tyre will be flat".

Why did you need your wife to get up so you could change the tyre?

Just change the tyre.

Now instead of her husband changing the tyre she has had to phone 'a man' to do it.

BigLights

I totally feel your pain man. I love my car, it's been immaculately serviced, engine tuned up, chipped, freeflow exhausts, top end tyres, custom soundsystem, the whole 9 yards.

My wife parks it like a fire engine, so now all bumpers are scraped to oblivion, alloys screwed, painful. I think the girls just don't get the whole emotional attachment to a vehicle thing, at all.

danlikesbikes

TailWindHome wrote:

Why did you need your wife to get up so you could change the tyre?

Probably because the OP said in his post "I shouted up the stairs to my wife, that if she came down I'd help her change the wheel for the spare. She has once before changed a wheel, I barely drive so have never done it before."

Kinda suggests that they would be helping each other.

rjsterry

coriordan wrote:

My mother is DAMN good at looking after our car actually. She spots everything, shops around for a good price and refuses to start poking mechanicals and electrics without consulting the owners manual.

She's quite happy changing the wheels on a Discovery (defender is more tricky as the jack is a *****) and has the forethought to put down something solid under the jack as we live on a gravel drive.

Not at a all a manly lady either - a hereditary peer in Europe - also certainly no averse to rolling her sleeves up and gutting dead birds.

Ahh, the aristocracy. I suppose living in a semi-derelict manor house/chateau does force one to learn to be a bit more practical.

tailwindhome

Danlikesbikes wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Why did you need your wife to get up so you could change the tyre?

Probably because the OP said in his post "I shouted up the stairs to my wife, that if she came down I'd help her change the wheel for the spare. She has once before changed a wheel, I barely drive so have never done it before."

Kinda suggests that they would be helping each other.

Jeez. He couldn't change the tyre because his wife didn't up to show him how to do it?

Poor show.

Anonymous

Just wanted to remove any confusion that my mother might be some 50 y/o max power babe. That, she isn't

graeme_s-2

TailWindHome wrote:

Why did you need your wife to get up so you could change the tyre?

Just change the tyre.

Now instead of her husband changing the tyre she has had to phone 'a man' to do it.

As I said above - it's her car. I'm not making myself late for work to change a wheel on her car if she doesn't even want to get out of bed on her day off.

Maybe if I'd ever gone out to the garage to find she'd replaced a flat tube on my bike for me then I might have been more inclined to get stuck in.

tailwindhome

Graeme_S wrote:

Maybe this should be called My wife - a rant.

We just have one car, which my wife uses as her magic leaving the house machine. I generally walk and cycle everywhere. Our current car is a new VW Polo which is about 6 months old. Last night we were out together in the car when we heard and felt a thumping which seemed to be coming from one of the wheels. When we stopped and checked it we discovered a large screw through the front right tyre. The tyre was still inflated so we carefully drove the short distance home.

Graeme_S wrote:

As I said above - it's her car. I'm not making myself late for work to change a wheel on her car if she doesn't even want to get out of bed on her day off.

lostboysaint

I do hope your wives/partners don't read this

danlikesbikes

TailWindHome wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Why did you need your wife to get up so you could change the tyre?

Probably because the OP said in his post "I shouted up the stairs to my wife, that if she came down I'd help her change the wheel for the spare. She has once before changed a wheel, I barely drive so have never done it before."

Kinda suggests that they would be helping each other.

Jeez. He couldn't change the tyre because his wife didn't up to show him how to do it?

Poor show.

Maybe for me but I've changed plenty & TBH would prefer it if the the other half staying in bed not nagging over my shoulder am i doing it right blah blah.

But for someone who has never changed a tyre in their life I can see why wanting someone to help would be a benefit.

fossyant

Stop having a go at the OP.

There are plenty of cyclists on here that can't change even a brake cable. It truly is shocking. Was talking to a club mate this weekend who said he'd just got his bike back after having had the cables changed (from a very expensive 'big' LBS).

Leave him alone. TBH, finding the jacking point is a piece of **** - it's usually marked, and you can see the indentations on the sil - that's where it goes. There is also a re-inforced section by it. Sounds expensive that mistake, and I no doubt it will be your fault.

At least my missus does mention when things aren't right. TBH best change a tyre as soon as you know there is a fault. Driving round with a screw in it can be a difference between a viable repair or an expensive new tyre. changing the wheel on a car takes about the same time as fixing a flat on your bike. Easy.

graeme_s-2

Fair enough, that is unclear. She chose it, she pays for it, she traded in her previous car to pay towards it and she's the registered owner. I throw in a few quid a month towards the finance on it and buy the occasional tank of petrol. I've driven it to the supermarket to get some shopping for her in it this year. Last time I drove it before that was when we shared the driving back from her parents over Christmas.

cyclingprop

coriordan wrote:

My mother is DAMN good at looking after our car actually. She spots everything, shops around for a good price and refuses to start poking mechanicals and electrics without consulting the owners manual.

She's quite happy changing the wheels on a Discovery (defender is more tricky as the jack is a *****) and has the forethought to put down something solid under the jack as we live on a gravel drive.

Not at a all a manly lady either - a hereditary peer in Europe - also certainly no averse to rolling her sleeves up and gutting dead birds.

Does she do your cooking, cleaning and ironing, or do you have staff for that?

tailwindhome

fossyant wrote:

Stop having a go at the OP.

Relax. I'm only pulling his leg.

Anonymous

cyclingprop wrote:

coriordan wrote:

My mother is DAMN good at looking after our car actually. She spots everything, shops around for a good price and refuses to start poking mechanicals and electrics without consulting the owners manual.

She's quite happy changing the wheels on a Discovery (defender is more tricky as the jack is a *****) and has the forethought to put down something solid under the jack as we live on a gravel drive.

Not at a all a manly lady either - a hereditary peer in Europe - also certainly no averse to rolling her sleeves up and gutting dead birds.

Does she do your cooking, cleaning and ironing, or do you have staff for that?

Ah to be living at home again......the staff were lovely.

graeme_s-2

TailWindHome wrote:

fossyant wrote:

Stop having a go at the OP.

Relax. I'm only pulling his leg.

It's all fair enough, I can take it on the chin . If I wasn't prepared for a bit of abuse I wouldn't have posted it here in the first place!

Does make me realise I should have just changed it last night and it's also made me reconsider my attitude this morning. Still think cars are a fecking ball ache though :roll: