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What percentage of people know how to change a flat tire??


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My daughter had a flat tire a few years ago heading to Mankato.  She stopped on the side of the road, got out and looked pretty!  It worked!  Three guys from the truck repair shop next to where she was stopped ran out to fight over helping her....  Does that count??

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  • Crnr2Crnr changed the title to What percentage of people know how to change a flat tire??

I'm probably in the minority here ... as far as kids go.  I don't want my daughter on the side of the road, trying to do anything mechanical/tire related - especially if it's during the night.  She knows what to do (call) and stay in her car until help arrives.  Too many f'ing whackos out there, and I'm not providing them any kind of easy opportunity to harm my kids.

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@Bontz I agree - I should clarify, my daughter did call me first, and she was with a friend (Another young woman).  She said there was this repair shop next to where they were stopped, so I suggested they get out to get their attention.  

The guys that helped did say she has one smart Dad for having a full size spare in the car for her though!  So she had that going for her....

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I would know when and where if my wife had a flat tire in a VERY short period of time after it happened.  She would not be changing the tire and I'm sure what I was doing at the time would change.

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40 minutes ago, Bontz said:

I'm probably in the minority here ... as far as kids go.  I don't want my daughter on the side of the road, trying to do anything mechanical/tire related - especially if it's during the night.  She knows what to do (call) and stay in her car until help arrives.  Too many f'ing whackos out there, and I'm not providing them any kind of easy opportunity to harm my kids.

I get not wanting to have them change a tire on the side of the road and I agree with that idea. The fact is though you don’t always have cell service or access to a phone of some sort especially in my area. It’s good to at least teach your kids incase they ever do need to change a tire at some point because who wants to be stuck in the middle of no where for who knows how long because you don’t have the slightest clue how to change a tire.

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1 hour ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

My guess is 23 percent.

We're creating a society of idiots.

I’d guess around the at number too.  Well, probably about 5%.  The o to eat 15% just lie and say they know how.

46 minutes ago, Bontz said:

I'm probably in the minority here ... as far as kids go.  I don't want my daughter on the side of the road, trying to do anything mechanical/tire related - especially if it's during the night.  She knows what to do (call) and stay in her car until help arrives.  Too many f'ing whackos out there, and I'm not providing them any kind of easy opportunity to harm my kids.

Nope, same here.  Wife too.  If I can’t get there, I’ll get somebody there.  Just stay put.

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My daughter knows how. Once, she got a flat and was able to tell her boyfriend how to change it. It's worth it for them to know, and then have the sense to only do it if the circumstances are right. 

There are a set on jumper cables in her car, she knows how to use those too. I know she has gotten other people going with them when she was in college, never needed them to get her own car going. 

 

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10 minutes ago, nascarmike said:

When I was a kid the owners manual told you how to change a fan belt, change the oil, and replace the battery. Nowdays the "Operators Manual" tells you not to ingest the contents of the battery.

Most cars don’t have fan belts anymore. But they do have battery acid to drink 

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I was working on a customers MG (73?) about 10 yrs ago, he had a Repair Manual in the trunk.

Funniest thing ever.

It said not to let an american monkey mechanic work on MG’s.

lolololololololol

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There is no way my wife would get her own tire changed.  She wouldn't stop if it was flat anyways so I guess there is really no need for her to be able to change a tire.

I can't think of a time either of us have had a tire go flat while driving.  Usually it was just a slow leak that could be aired up until it was patched.  

Few years back I saw one of the finance guys out in the pouring rain changing a flat tire.  He had the car in the air and lug nuts off but was struggling to get the tire broke free from the hub.  Had to give him some words of encouragement to kick the tire hard enough to break it loose.

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1 hour ago, teamgreen02 said:

There is no way my wife would get her own tire changed.  She wouldn't stop if it was flat anyways so I guess there is really no need for her to be able to change a tire.

I can't think of a time either of us have had a tire go flat while driving.  Usually it was just a slow leak that could be aired up until it was patched.  

Few years back I saw one of the finance guys out in the pouring rain changing a flat tire.  He had the car in the air and lug nuts off but was struggling to get the tire broke free from the hub.  Had to give him some words of encouragement to kick the tire hard enough to break it loose.

You have me laughing at the bold because that's my wife .... 100%!!   Several years ago she comes home and goes, "I think there's something wrong with the car."  I asked her what was going on ... idiot lights on or something specific?  She said, "I don't know, it's just driving funny."   So I go out to the garage and see one of the tires is completely flat.  Thank God she only had to drive about a mile from where she was and the rim wasn't damaged.  Of course now there's the idiot light to show low tire pressure - so I certainly HOPE she would stop and call me if that happened.

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1 minute ago, Bontz said:

You have me laughing at the bold because that's my wife .... 100%!!   Several years ago she comes home and goes, "I think there's something wrong with the car."  I asked her what was going on ... idiot lights on or something specific?  She said, "I don't know, it's just driving funny."   So I go out to the garage and see one of the tires is completely flat.  Thank God she only had to drive about a mile from where she was and the rim wasn't damaged.  Of course now there's the idiot light to show low tire pressure - so I certainly HOPE she would stop and call me if that happened.

Back when we were first dating, she drove a late 90s Tahoe.  It started smoking really bad but she "had to get to work".  There was one steady trail of tranny fluid leading into the garage and one leaving.  Needless to say, she didn't make it back home as the vehicle would no longer move forwards when she gave it gas.  Only at that point is it considered "broken".

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4 minutes ago, teamgreen02 said:

Back when we were first dating, she drove a late 90s Tahoe.  It started smoking really bad but she "had to get to work".  There was one steady trail of tranny fluid leading into the garage and one leaving.  Needless to say, she didn't make it back home as the vehicle would no longer move forwards when she gave it gas.  Only at that point is it considered "broken".

I think your wife has a long lost twin (my wife)!! LOL  Similar story ... I was over at the neighbor's place helping him stud a new sled and I get a phone call.  "Hey, I just got home but wanted to let you know the car is driving really bad."  I asked her for details, and if there were any idiot lights .... "Well, there weren't any until I turned onto our street but I was so close to home I just wanted to get there since it's so cold outside."  (To her credit, it was -30F).  I head home later, and as I turn onto our street I see a path of oil ... right to our house.  I open the garage and there's a HUGE pool of oil.  Lost a seal (and an engine).  I asked her when it started "driving really bad" and she said pretty much all the way from town - which is about 3 miles away.  Ugh - maybe stop and call when you notice an issue!!!???!? :wall:

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1 minute ago, Bontz said:

I think your wife has a long lost twin (my wife)!! LOL  Similar story ... I was over at the neighbor's place helping him stud a new sled and I get a phone call.  "Hey, I just got home but wanted to let you know the car is driving really bad."  I asked her for details, and if there were any idiot lights .... "Well, there weren't any until I turned onto our street but I was so close to home I just wanted to get there since it's so cold outside."  (To her credit, it was -30F).  I head home later, and as I turn onto our street I see a path of oil ... right to our house.  I open the garage and there's a HUGE pool of oil.  Lost a seal (and an engine).  I asked her when it started "driving really bad" and she said pretty much all the way from town - which is about 3 miles away.  Ugh - maybe stop and call when you notice an issue!!!???!? :wall:

LOL, sounds like they are cut from the same cloth.  Does your wife tell you how smart she is too and that you have no common sense?

My wife and I have since had "the talk".  If a light comes on, call me.  If you notice a noise, call me.  If there is smoke, call me.  If your oil says 10% life remaining, tell me.

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