On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 15:09:32 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"Dave Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 21:33:43 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:



That law's been on the books in Germany for a long time!

John H

I like it! Seriously....it washes into the storm drains and ends up in MY
fishing water. My mechanic says 99% of the leakers he sees need a $1.50
washer around the oil pan drain plug.

But you fail to consider the poor people, who routinely drive 20 year
old cars, who can't afford to replace the front main seal in the
engine, or the valve cover gaskets.

See, this is what I mean about the duplicity of the left. You guys
become single focussed when you adopt a cause. But you fail to
consider the interactivity that results when your "vision" is applied
in practice.

What is more important to you? Helping the poor stay afloat, or being
cents wise and dollar foolish when it comes to little environmental
issues?

Dave, what is it with you today? Are you on cold medication or something? I
said my mechanic finds that 99% of leakers need a washer that costs as much
as one and a half lottery tickets.

I don't believe that. Every car that I've ever owned or worked on
(which has been many) which leaked, did so through aging seals or
gaskets. I have NEVER had a leaky oil drain plug, and I'd be quite
surprised that they are that big of an issue. Even if there were no
washer on the plug, the amount of oil seepage around the (tight)
threads of the plug would amount to what, a drop or two a week?


Even low-income people often change their
oil.

Many have no other economical choice.


The fault lies with the mechanics who don't give a damn about the
quality of their work. Joe the mechanic puts a new washer on every car, at
every oil change.

I put 23,000 miles a year on my Geo. I change my oil every 3500 miles.
I've had the car for 4 years now. You figure out how many times I've
changed it. I've NEVER changed the washer on the plug, and it doesn't
leak a drop.



I fully understand that some cars have much more serious problems, and that
people sometimes can't afford the repairs. I was in that situation at one
point in my life.

Then you should be empathetic with those who still are.

But if you read what I wrote, it's clear that a nasty
automotive problem could be virtually eliminated for next to nothing.

And I challenge that your example is next to a non-issue.


Want
another example? Like many astute guys, I can tell when someone's tires are
low on air. So, at my office or apartment, if I have a pen & paper handy,
I'll stick a note on someone's windshield saying something like "Hey! Your
tires are REALLY low on air. Get to the pump before you get hurt". Why? It
snows here. For tires that need 32 psi, being 5 pounds low can make them
behave as if they were bald.

Actually, many people recommend lowering tire pressure in the snow, as
it can increase traction. 32 Lbs in the tire is generally lowered to
around 25 Lbs. Me, I just take my 4X4 truck to work, if I even decide
to go.

But you bring up a good related point and that is that you can lose up
to 2 MPG from severely under inflated tires. You guys who like to
compute and extrapolate statistics can really appreciate the
significance of keeping tires inflated.




I don't want to see people get hurt. Sometimes,
someone sticks the note on the front door of the apt entrance, or the tenant
directory of the office building saying "Thanks to whomever - they were down
to 18 pounds!"

What does this achieve? /For either free, or 50 cents (the cost of some air
pumps), maybe someone didn't get into an accident.

I appreciate your sense of compassion, but any responsible driver
should check their tires, at least visually, every time they go out.
You should have to be their "Guardian Angel".


Dave