Some S series owners are clueless.

[hit_n_run]

I was at a local gas station today, just picking up some Gatorade, when I came outside to see a near identical SL to mine pull up next to me (same color paint, too).

I asked the driver what year his Saturn is and he said 99. Mine is as well but then I mentioned mine is an SL2 as opposed to his SL1. He looked at me like HUH?. I said that means mine has a DOHC and yours has a SOHC. Again, "HUH?"

Then he says to me (in a completely clueless voice with a light spanish accent) "Yeah, well, I've had to replace the transmission already. Blew a hole in it THIS big!"

I said to him "Yeah man that means you blew your diff pin."

Again, "HUH?"

I couldn't take anymore of this stupidity so I got in my SL2 and drove off, while the whole time this guy has this stupid blank and clueless look on his face (I hate people).

What is wrong with people these days? Saturns are very simple cars. If you're going to drive one, at least have the sense to learn a little bit about them before owning one.

[Narf]

It's not just S-series owners, but many car owners these days.

Cars have gotten to the poit in which they're become appliances, and therefore, little care is given to proper maintenance, what features it has, etc.

Easiest clueless idiots to spot ... MB drivers with both the front and rear fogs on; never mind it's not even foggy outside ...

[JerryHughes]

Guilty as charged. Don't know a thing about them unless I've worked on a specific part. I'd have the same blank face when asked about stuff like that. Diff pin? What the??????????????

Jerry

[Uzzy]

Jerry, I love that avatar!

I drive around with my front fog lights on in my Silverado, cause it looks cooler, but if I had rear fogs, I wouldn't put those on, it's just annoying.

Most people don't know squat about their cars, and they don't care to. They fill up the gas when it says it's empty and when they have some time and money they change the oil.

[JerryHughes]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

Jerry, I love that avatar!

I drive around with my front fog lights on in my Silverado, cause it looks cooler, but if I had rear fogs, I wouldn't put those on, it's just annoying.

Most people don't know squat about their cars, and they don't care to. They fill up the gas when it says it's empty and when they have some time and money they change the oil.

Thanks, Uzzy, ya, love the nice teeth on that pig! And I agree, I'm one who doesn't do anything to my car until it needs repair. But I do the regular maintenance religiously.

Jerry

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by JerryHughes

Thanks, Uzzy, ya, love the nice teeth on that pig! And I agree, I'm one who doesn't do anything to my car until it needs repair. But I do the regular maintenance religiously.

Jerry

It kinda looks a bit like Richard Nixon re-incarnated as a porker.

And these people that have never heard of maintenance wonder why it costs so much when their car breaks and at some point it just starts breaking so often, then it's junk, then they buy an import.

[JerryHughes]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

It kinda looks a bit like Richard Nixon re-incarnated as a porker.

And these people that have never heard of maintenance wonder why it costs so much when their car breaks and at some point it just starts breaking so often, then it's junk, then they buy an import.

Ya, now that you mention it, I can see Tricky Dick in that pig too! And yes, some people drive a car and never even check the oil. Then when it breaks down, they blame the manufacturer. Keeping up on all that you know about is good road insurance.

Jerry

[Low Saturn]

It's not just S-Series owners, its the majority of the driving public.

I find it funny when I see an able bodied male (I'll refrain from calling him a man) standing at the side of the road with a flat tire waiting for someone to change his tire for him.

The car has a spare and a jack. And most nowadays have a cute pair of gloves so you dont get your hands dirty.

My five year old can change a tire.

[hit_n_run]

Originally Posted by Low Saturn

It's not just S-Series owners, its the majority of the driving public.

I find it funny when I see an able bodied male (I'll refrain from calling him a man) standing at the side of the road with a flat tire waiting for someone to change his tire for him.

The car has a spare and a jack. And most nowadays have a cute pair of gloves so you dont get your hands dirty.

My five year old can change a tire.

It's funny and ironic you should say that. My brother is 22 and he's never even seen under the hood of his SC2 that he's had for about 3 years now (I do ALL the work). One day he blew a tire while on his way to wal-crack. HE PANICKED! He called my mom first, wanted to call 911, my mom called me, then they called a tow truck...WTF?@?#%. To top it off, he wasn't even driving his car that day.... he had my mom's 2004 Malibu right then. There's instructions how to use the jack in there for christ sakes. I've tried teaching him even the simplest thing and he just doesn't pick up on it.

People seriously want EVERYTHING done for them these days. Even my girlfriends brother (granted, he's only 15), thinks that computers are going to absolutely everything he needs done for him. I can't wait until he gets his reality check.

EDIT: From my OP, I wonder if that illegal scumbag changed his own tranny or paid someone to do it for him, with drug money of course.

[madpogue]

Originally Posted by Low Saturn

I find it funny when I see an able bodied male (I'll refrain from calling him a man) standing at the side of the road with a flat tire waiting for someone to change his tire for him.

At the risk of sounding like Abe Simpson, that guy wouldn't have gotten a license "in my day". He wouldn't have passed Driver's Ed without changing a tire.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by madpogue

At the risk of sounding like Abe Simpson, that guy wouldn't have gotten a license "in my day". He wouldn't have passed Driver's Ed without changing a tire.

OK grandpa...back to the home for you.

[SonnyD]

I think it's that way in most every situation I can
think of today. People just don't know how to do
simple stuff, nor do most of them care too.
I've noticed lots of younger people have a real hard
time making change, if the register doesn't tell them
how much to give back.

I had someone look at me totally bewildered the other
day as I started one of my motorcycles, after fueling up.
They look mystified as I, swung out the kick start lever,
"tickled" the carbs, and swung thru a kick. There comment
was "That looks like a lot of work"...oh well

Regards Sonny

[mgordon1100]

Originally Posted by SonnyD

I had someone look at me totally bewildered the other
day as I started one of my motorcycles, after fueling up.
They look mystified as I, swung out the kick start lever,
"tickled" the carbs, and swung thru a kick. There comment
was "That looks like a lot of work"...oh well

I'm sure these same people think starting and driving a stick shift is quite a bit of work, as well. It's just so much second nature, that I go for the clutch when driving an auto. Also, I was one of those. Face it, most people are. I was like "Wow, so that sounds expensive" hearing about a problem. It was after the differential pin blew out of my first one (driven 4 years). No problems with it, until this. Car was left for dead at 160,000. I couldn't justify paying almost 4 grand to fix it. That money is better off going into a new car, I thought. Then I started to learn about the car. Lasted til almost 200,000 miles with only coil pack replacements (rainy night, you don't want to know :shudder: ), then some bozo had to ram into my back at a red light. Sometimes, it just takes the right person, and the right circumstance to really care about their car.

[zTagged]

I have one to beat all of you.
My dear cousin through marriage owns a '97 SL1, and while I was over yesterday I checked the oil, because as far as I'm concerned, she barely can turn the key.
Pull out the dipstick, it's black as coal and there's barely anything in it. I ask her when the last oil change was, and I get this back:

Cars take oil?



Never once in my life have I wanted to hit a grown woman. In 38 years you'd think she would have realized cars need lubrication to stop the metal from rubbing against itself.

(Oh, and being a kind Saturn owner, I threw in 4 quarts and plan on dropping it off for a change tomorrow. Prayerfully nothing bad has happened inside that little metal cube..)

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by zTagged

(Oh, and being a kind Saturn owner, I threw in 4 quarts and plan on dropping it off for a change tomorrow. Prayerfully nothing bad has happened inside that little metal cube..)

4? That's a bit much if you did see something on the dipstick. Actually, that's about twice as much as it needs. Too much oil can be as bad as too little. Hopefully she gets it changed soon....and often.

[2NDSOUT]

I think in general, car owners regardless if they drive Saturns, Chevys, Toyotas or any other make....have gotten so bad to the point that they think that the whole concept of a 100K mile drive train warranty covers EVERYTHING under the hood...meaning that I believe the majority of people believe that they don't have to change anything under the hood and that the car will last forever.

While Cars ARE machines, they aren't appliances (I like that analogy that another poster made). Society has gotten to the point that if the car breaks down, they just get rid of it and move onto something else. I blame that on the fact that society has become so fast paced; that everything has to be bigger, better, faster. If it breaks; replace it. That's the problem with society in general. The concept of anything being able to be fixed easily anymore, died before 2000. If you look at any car now, try to change the spark plugs...the big three have become deceptive in a way; that to save themselves, in order for you to do something as basic as changing spark plugs or the oil for that matter, you HAVE to go to the dealer to get it done because there is so much computerized stuff on today's cars.

Simpleness in today's society is non-existent...those who strive for the simple things in life (Simple car care)...would be S-Series owners. The S-Series is probably the most easiest of the Saturn line to own, operate, and repair, in my opinion.

[Jaydee40]

The story of the unchanged oil reminds me of my mother in law. While it wasn't a Saturn it was a GM product, Pontiac Acadian, shows my age doesn't it, she bought brand new and never added or changed oil at all. How many kilometers (Canadian) do you think she got in the engine before it packed it in? About 68 thousand and change and she was looking for a replacement engine, twenty some years later I can still tease her about it and it feels great.
Back to the original post much of the series info is still new to me being a first time Saturn owner but I do know what they are, single or double over head cams or in the case of the two 2000 S-Series I own the double comes with many extra features like ABS and traction control which I love in the winter here in Canada. Now I have always been a car guy like most here but my soon to be twenty wants nothing to do with working on cars, his mentality is if it breaks thats what garages and mechanics are for. When I pointed out the cost he simply said "then I will pay", it's a sign of the generation I think, I deserve everything and I want it now. BTW my seventeen year old is just the opposite, going to be a real car guy but his health will make things hard for him but he still tries.

[nivlem7]

Originally Posted by zTagged

Cars take oil?

Everybody knows cars take oil..... but what's this talk about changing the oil?

Doesn't the factory put oil in when they make the car?






I am kidding, btw.

[fredsfix]

Scary thing is that motorcycle engines have become as reliable as car engines leading to just as clueless owners! Just lay down your $20k ( I mean use our easy payment plan) and ride away on loud shiny black and chrome sure to cure that midlife boredom and get that trophy wife you’ve been looking for. Join a ‘biker club’ of fellow losers’ (sponsored by your local dealer) and you can all roar down that road just like in the movies!

[strutter]

sometimes i feel like i am the redneck of the cul de sac in my neighbors eyes. i never see any of them doing anything to their autos other than driving them. once in a while i see one neighbor wash his and thats it. seems like I'm constantly doing something to one of my 4 cars. even if nothing needs to be done sometimes I'll just raise the hood and look, maybe wipe things off or something. if I've got a hood up in the driveway it seems like everyone slows down and looks when they drive by. its like WOW whats he doing!?

i don't know where i got it from. nobody else in my family work on their cars. my father ,god rest his soul, never did anything to his cars and i can remember him once saying "well i guess its time to trade, i need new tires" and he did trade that car the very same week.
ever since i was a little kid i can remember taking broken small appliances apart just to see what was in them.

once i was changing the oil in my lawn mower and one neighbor yelled from his deck "thats why i didn't buy a Deer. you gotta work on them" i said "you need to change the oil in all lawn mowers and if you don't that Craftsman you got wont last too long." he gave me that deer in the headlights look then went in the house.

my wifes 32 year old cousin was over last week while i was changing the oil in the satty. i ask him when the last time he changed his oil in his grand am. he said he's never had it changed. i told him if he goes and buys the stuff I'd do it for him but that he'd have to hang around while i did it. he gave me the LOOK and said "I'll just take it to jiffy lube some day" to which i said "if you have never had the oil changed in that car since you bought it new in 2006 you deserve whatever happens to it" i didn't even bother to check the oil for him. i saw him yesterday and he still hasn't had the oil changed.
..........IDIOTS............