Nightowlhoot3 wrote: Yep. Decades ago, before cell phones, I was doing my commute thing between Phoenix and Flagstaff, headed back up the hill for an audition that night, when, in what was, at the time, the middle of nowhere (and NOW I have a greater appreciation for that, since it no longer exists around here) the front left tire and wheel on my 77 Chevy 1/2 ton PU abruptly, and at about ... probably 70mph, left the vehicle. I immediately noticed a ... ummm ... difficulty in controlling the truck. :)
yikes and thank the goddess that you managed to stop safely, especially in a pick up. i always think that these trucks are top heavy and likely to tip over. makes me shudder to even think these things.
Yeah, I was purty lucky. This was before air bags and shoulder strap seat belts and stuff. Had NO trouble stopping, BELIEVE me. LOL. You'd be AMAZED how quickly a truck stops when it only has three wheels, and the one missing is in the front.
You have every right to shudder after your bad car accident.
I don't count this one (with me) as a car accident, though, just a "mechanical difficulty." I've had ... sheesh ... probably close to ten "real" car accidents. Have never been cited, though, or have been the one to have caused the accident, except, technically, once, when there was no other car involved. (That makes it hard to lay the blame elsewhere.) I've a scar over my right eye just below my eyebrow where I bounced off a rear view mirror once while putting my car into a ditch. Was one of those deals where you're driving along on a snowy road you don't really know, heading home from having chopped down your Christmas tree, and all of a sudden with NO SIGNS to warn you, the road just ENDS in the direction you're traveling. Totaled the car, a' course, but the Christmas tree was fine. The wait for another car to come along pretty much sucked though. We were probably there two hours waiting for SOMEONE to show up, and then another couple, waiting for a tow truck.
I've totaled TWO cars with someone making a left hand turn in an intersection in front of me .. and both times, I was the more wimpy car with the engine in the back -- my old "unsafe at any speed" corvair, and my 66 VW bug ended up with the blacker eyes when broadsiding a buick and a pick up.
I'm not real fond of that "stopping abruptly" thang, come to think of it... Who knows? Maybe that's why I use ellipses in place of periods now.
Nightowlhoot3 wrote: Yep. Decades ago, before cell phones, I was doing my commute thing between Phoenix and Flagstaff, headed back up the hill for an audition that night, when, in what was, at the time, the middle of nowhere (and NOW I have a greater appreciation for that, since it no longer exists around here) the front left tire and wheel on my 77 Chevy 1/2 ton PU abruptly, and at about ... probably 70mph, left the vehicle. I immediately noticed a ... ummm ... difficulty in controlling the truck. :)
yikes and thank the goddess that you managed to stop safely, especially in a pick up. i always think that these trucks are top heavy and likely to tip over. makes me shudder to even think these things.
my concern lies, not so much in getting the lug nut off, but in making sure it is back on tight enough so that my newly changed tire doesnt go sailing off down the road in the opposite direction of my car!
oh geez this is also my big fear with tire changing.
Yep. Decades ago, before cell phones, I was doing my commute thing between Phoenix and Flagstaff, headed back up the hill for an audition that night, when, in what was, at the time, the middle of nowhere (and NOW I have a greater appreciation for that, since it no longer exists around here) the front left tire and wheel on my 77 Chevy 1/2 ton PU abruptly, and at about ... probably 70mph, left the vehicle. I immediately noticed a ... ummm ... difficulty in controlling the truck. :)
I walked about a mile in each direction from where I stopped, and NEVER DID find that absent tire/wheel. It sort of surprised me, really. I mean, I expected to find it SOMEWHERE, and I was in a place where I could see a long ways in whichever direction I looked.
I think that must have been back when someone had swiped the jack out of the back of the PU ... or maybe I didn't have a spare. Anyway, I was pretty much stuck.
To my very good fortune, some kind folks who owned "the" general store in the closest town which was Sedona (this was back when it was a one-traffic light town) picked me up, and gave me a ride back to their store, where, if I recall correctly, I made some phone calls. Not sure how the rest of the story goes, at this point -- was, as I said, a LONG time ago. I DID end up being in the show so I must have auditioned at some point, and I did drive the truck after that, so I must have somehow gotten it fixed ... funny, the only thing I really remember is the kindness of the people who picked me up. But then, that's the way it usually is, isn't it?? Not so much the deed, but the intention behind the deed which we best recall. :)
my concern lies, not so much in getting the lug nut off, but in making sure it is back on tight enough so that my newly changed tire doesnt go sailing off down the road in the opposite direction of my car!
oh geez this is also my big fear with tire changing.
im not a girly girl but im thinking this falls into the aaa is reasonably priced and gives me discounts that make up for the cost over the course of the year and everytime my car has conked out its been at midnight when its -10. and when it happens i kiss the aaa goddess and give thanks im not crawling around under or in the car with a flashlight and frozen fingers.
I'm still a girly-girl, but...
It's not that I can't change a tire, it's simply that I won't. That's why I pay AAA money every year. They price their product on the odds that most people will not actually need their services. I like to get my money's worth.
It's a cheap luxury. Besides who the heck can get a lug nut off? Gator
my concern lies, not so much in getting the lug nut off, but in making sure it is back on tight enough so that my newly changed tire doesnt go sailing off down the road in the opposite direction of my car!
im not a girly girl but im thinking this falls into the aaa is reasonably priced and gives me discounts that make up for the cost over the course of the year and everytime my car has conked out its been at midnight when its -10. and when it happens i kiss the aaa goddess and give thanks im not crawling around under or in the car with a flashlight and frozen fingers.
I'm still a girly-girl, but...
It's not that I can't change a tire, it's simply that I won't. That's why I pay AAA money every year. They price their product on the odds that most people will not actually need their services. I like to get my money's worth.
It's a cheap luxury. Besides who the heck can get a lug nut off? Gator
im not a girly girl but im thinking this falls into the aaa is reasonably priced and gives me discounts that make up for the cost over the course of the year and everytime my car has conked out its been at midnight when its -10. and when it happens i kiss the aaa goddess and give thanks im not crawling around under or in the car with a flashlight and frozen fingers.
I'm still a girly-girl, but...
It's not that I can't change a tire, it's simply that I won't. That's why I pay AAA money every year. They price their product on the odds that most people will not actually need their services. I like to get my money's worth.
Due to the "trickle down" effect of this economy (and incoming work going from a trickle to practically nothing) I'm looking more closely at the renewal notice of my AAA membership, and that $61 which could go other places right now.
Does your car ins. co. carry emergency road service? The breakdown for that on my policy is $2.60 a month. Gator. I going to go back ad study the rest of your post because, I am lousy with motor vehicles. Gator.
i was thinking this too and was actually thinking of not getting aaa this year since i do have some sort of roadside assistance on my policy but saw a headline just last week that stated that some of these policies count the usage as a claim and jack the ins rates up and really one hotel stay discount for me recovers the cost so im renewing in june when it runs out. have you used your ins one gator?
I invested in this battery thing .. think it's called "roadside battery jumper" that you charge up in your house and then keep in the car. It's a battery with jumper cable ends that you hook up right to your battery and viola' ... you're up and running on your own .. no other car battery necessary.
It was worth the $60 dollars. My car battery would inexplicitly <sp> die. Just like that. Turn the key and .. nothing. Funniest thing about this is, before buying it my battery had died no less than three times. Since I've been toking it around with me I've had to use it for me: 0 times, for friends 4 times.
Some how, some way .... the car knows it's in there and that I'm almost daring it to go dead. We think they're inanimate objects, but they hear things ... lol. As a reminder - DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT YOUR TAX REFUND IN FRONT OF THE APPLIANCES.
really .. don't do it.
dont even think these things. i swear "they" read your mind. have you ever been driving down the road thinking gee the car is really running well and its been a long time since ive needed a repair? and what happens? the very next day its in the crapper. mind melding. thats my theory. -- Edited by nesea on Sunday 15th of March 2009 11:55:18 AM
LOL...my roadside emergency kit consists of cell phone and AAA card. There is a spare with all the spare tire accoutrement, but that's for the AAA guy to use.
ditto
I do carry a blanket, however, that's for a beach emergency.
and ditto again. lol
Funny you should mention this today, though. I have a headlight out, and actually considered replacing it myself.
I'm a girly-girl.
im not a girly girl but im thinking this falls into the aaa is reasonably priced and gives me discounts that make up for the cost over the course of the year and everytime my car has conked out its been at midnight when its -10. and when it happens i kiss the aaa goddess and give thanks im not crawling around under or in the car with a flashlight and frozen fingers.
I invested in this battery thing .. think it's called "roadside battery jumper" that you charge up in your house and then keep in the car. It's a battery with jumper cable ends that you hook up right to your battery and viola' ... you're up and running on your own .. no other car battery necessary.
It was worth the $60 dollars. My car battery would inexplicitly <sp> die. Just like that. Turn the key and .. nothing. Funniest thing about this is, before buying it my battery had died no less than three times. Since I've been toking it around with me I've had to use it for me: 0 times, for friends 4 times. <Nesea
Sooooo you're saying your friends get a real charge out of you, hunh? :) I have one of those too. (see "BUDGETING FOR A NEW ALTERNATOR") Problem I had was that the BATTERY CHARGER was always losing its charge --- and geezopetes, it takes like a million hours to charge it up!
I'm on my second one now. The first, bought probably ten years ago got fried ... can't remember how, at the moment ... which may be a legacy of the actual frying ...
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Some how, some way .... the car knows it's in there and that I'm almost daring it to go dead. We think they're inanimate objects, but they hear things ... lol. <Nesea
Ohhhhhhhhh I sweet-talk my car a LOT! Let her know how much I appreciate her, how well she's running ... what a "GOOD JOB!" she's doing ... I may be stupid, but I'm not dumb ...
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As a reminder - DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT YOUR TAX REFUND IN FRONT OF THE APPLIANCES.
i have all the tire changing stuff....and jumper cables, first aid kit, blanket (my beach emergency thingie too....lol...plus for other outdoor activities, whatever those may be.. , when its cold) and i need to get a new can of fix a flat. used that last one when i was following my kid on his motorcycle to go somewhere and when we came out, his back tire was flatter than a pan cake...(dang ulmerton road and it construction!!!) works great btw! anyway, i am pretty handy in mechanical stuff....but will not turn down a person of the male persuasion who offers to change MY tire when flat....i may be handy and independant, but i am not stupid....if a guy offers to change it for me...i say, knock yourself out dude!!
oh! and i did have a really nice mr. police officer that pointed out my tail light was out...and i did go to the car part store and changed it myself!
-- Edited by My Turn on Sunday 15th of March 2009 12:36:44 PM
I invested in this battery thing .. think it's called "roadside battery jumper" that you charge up in your house and then keep in the car. It's a battery with jumper cable ends that you hook up right to your battery and viola' ... you're up and running on your own .. no other car battery necessary.
It was worth the $60 dollars. My car battery would inexplicitly <sp> die. Just like that. Turn the key and .. nothing. Funniest thing about this is, before buying it my battery had died no less than three times. Since I've been toking it around with me I've had to use it for me: 0 times, for friends 4 times.
Some how, some way .... the car knows it's in there and that I'm almost daring it to go dead. We think they're inanimate objects, but they hear things ... lol. As a reminder - DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT YOUR TAX REFUND IN FRONT OF THE APPLIANCES.
really .. don't do it.
-- Edited by nesea on Sunday 15th of March 2009 11:55:18 AM
__________________
"Bicycles are trust and balance, and that's what love is." -- Nikki Giovanni
Due to the "trickle down" effect of this economy (and incoming work going from a trickle to practically nothing) I'm looking more closely at the renewal notice of my AAA membership, and that $61 which could go other places right now.
Does your car ins. co. carry emergency road service? The breakdown for that on my policy is $2.60 a month. Gator. I going to go back ad study the rest of your post because, I am lousy with motor vehicles. Gator.
LOL...my roadside emergency kit consists of cell phone and AAA card. There is a spare with all the spare tire accoutrement, but that's for the AAA guy to use.
I do carry a blanket, however, that's for a beach emergency.
Funny you should mention this today, though. I have a headlight out, and actually considered replacing it myself.
I'm a girly-girl.
You may find yourself more frustrated than you think ... that's been my experience, anyway. They need "special" screw drivers, and then too, you have to focus 'em just right. If you seriously just mostly use the AAA card and cell phone ... eh? Might want to start with something a little less daunting and work your way up to headlights? Or not. :)
-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 on Sunday 15th of March 2009 07:27:24 AM
I have a ... hmmm ... what to call it? Here's the deal: I've purchased, over the years, a TON of tire gauges. I mean, A TON! Even so, I've yet to find "the" one. Accurate, without practically flattening your tire while you check it.
Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I guess if I HAVE to ...
Due to the "trickle down" effect of this economy (and incoming work going from a trickle to practically nothing) I'm looking more closely at the renewal notice of my AAA membership, and that $61 which could go other places right now. If I do let my membership lapse, I really should take a new look at what I have in my vehicle for roadside emergencies. Don't do the fan belt thing (yet.) I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be changing a fan belt myself at the side of the road, unless I take the cross country drive this summer I've been considering. If I do that, I'll probably better equip my wheels with more stuff. The older stuff (flares, etc.) is still in my van, and I'm thinkin' I should probably get some for the newer set of wheels before too much longer, and maybe some brightly colored safety cones and a florescent vest thing. Seems silly, but on the nightly news there seems to always be some story about some good Samaritan stopping to help someone change a tire, and getting hit by a car.
What do you consider the "basics" for a roadside emergency kit? (CAR emergency, not people emergency, btw)
Right now, I have:
jumper cables gas "can" tire rod and jack (and spare tire) a blanket (to put on the hot pavement mostly, in order to prevent burns) water electrical tape flashlight assorted hand tools gloves AAA card cell phone
need to add: flares safety cones ?
Does anyone actually carry a tow chain with them in their vehicle? I've thought about it, but it seems ... maybe "overkill?"
UPDATE:
Here's what Edmunds suggests:
12-foot jumper cables
Four 15-minute roadside flares
Two quarts of oil
Gallon of antifreeze
First aid kit (including an assortment of bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic cream, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors and aspirin)
Blanket
Extra fuses
Flashlight and extra batteries
Flat head screwdrivers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Pliers
Vise Grips
Adjustable wrench
Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
Tire pressure gauge
Rags
Roll of paper towels
Roll of duct tape
Spray bottle with washer fluid
Pocketknife
Ice scraper
Pen and paper
Help sign
Granola or energy bars
Bottled water
and heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.
---------------------------------- OK, I don't keep duct tape in the car, 'cause it melts. No ice scraper (see above) Pen and paper? I think it's in the glove box, but then again ... probably wouldn't hurt to check and see if the ink's dried up. And too, Mom swipes my pens. Bottled water -- check -- both for me AND the dog. HELP sign -- is in the van ... one of those old cardboard windshield sun block things. Paper towels -- check. (Also cotton swabs ... 'cause I hate to be detailing the interior and have to stop and go back into the house to grab some.) In the van, I carry oil, brake fluid, tranny fluid, antifreeze, and a bunch of other greasy stuff. Also, a funnel. Don't have those things yet for the newer wheels, though.
Don't have the extra fuses for this vehicle ... WILL get those. Spray bottle and washer fluid? Naw. Just something to get dry, crack, and spill all over the place. I'll stick with water and paper towels, if I get into an "emergency" dirty windshield situation, and run out of that which is already in my vehicle's sprayer.
That's one big nylon bag, I'm thinkin'....
That "fix a flat" stuff ... <sigh> ok, it ruins your tires, from everything I've ever read about it, but I suppose it makes sense ... I'll get it when I do the cross-country thing in a couple of months, but probably not before. I've used it plenty of times before, just ... not on tires which cost this much. :)
I'm sorta surprised Edmunds doesn't have gloves on their list ... my experience with broken down cars is that any part you're wanting to fix is gonna be REALLY HOT.
Extra batteries for the flashlight. Yeah, that's probably a good idea, too.
They don't have matches on the list, either. Hmmm. Wonder why not. Would be a shame to have those beautiful new flares, and nothing with which to light 'em ...
I've started carrying extra plastic grocery sacks -- mostly for the dog, in case he needs to do his business, but they're not a bad thing to have "just because." I like to store 'em (although I'm not doing this in the car, and I really should) in cardboard paper towel tubes. You just squish 'em up (the bags) and get all the air out of 'em and shove 'em in the tube, and you immediately have a plastic bag dispensor. :)
I ALSO have a solar MP3 player charger. For emergencies.
The other thing I really MUST put in my glove box is the owner's manual which I have here in my office, and to which I refer more often than one might think. Sucks to need to refer to it when you're away from home, and not have it, as a quick reminder of things like what kind and weight of oil to use, ditto all the fluids, and notes on tire pressure settings, and other things.
I have a ... hmmm ... what to call it? Here's the deal: I've purchased, over the years, a TON of tire gauges. I mean, A TON! Even so, I've yet to find "the" one. Accurate, without practically flattening your tire while you check it.
Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I guess if I HAVE to ...
Due to the "trickle down" effect of this economy (and incoming work going from a trickle to practically nothing) I'm looking more closely at the renewal notice of my AAA membership, and that $61 which could go other places right now. If I do let my membership lapse, I really should take a new look at what I have in my vehicle for roadside emergencies. Don't do the fan belt thing (yet.) I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be changing a fan belt myself at the side of the road, unless I take the cross country drive this summer I've been considering. If I do that, I'll probably better equip my wheels with more stuff. The older stuff (flares, etc.) is still in my van, and I'm thinkin' I should probably get some for the newer set of wheels before too much longer, and maybe some brightly colored safety cones and a florescent vest thing. Seems silly, but on the nightly news there seems to always be some story about some good Samaritan stopping to help someone change a tire, and getting hit by a car.
What do you consider the "basics" for a roadside emergency kit? (CAR emergency, not people emergency, btw)
Right now, I have:
jumper cables gas "can" tire rod and jack (and spare tire) a blanket (to put on the hot pavement mostly, in order to prevent burns) water electrical tape flashlight assorted hand tools gloves AAA card cell phone
need to add: flares safety cones ?
Does anyone actually carry a tow chain with them in their vehicle? I've thought about it, but it seems ... maybe "overkill?"
LOL...my roadside emergency kit consists of cell phone and AAA card. There is a spare with all the spare tire accoutrement, but that's for the AAA guy to use.
I do carry a blanket, however, that's for a beach emergency.
Funny you should mention this today, though. I have a headlight out, and actually considered replacing it myself.
I have a ... hmmm ... what to call it? Here's the deal: I've purchased, over the years, a TON of tire gauges. I mean, A TON! Even so, I've yet to find "the" one. Accurate, without practically flattening your tire while you check it.
Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I guess if I HAVE to ...
Due to the "trickle down" effect of this economy (and incoming work going from a trickle to practically nothing) I'm looking more closely at the renewal notice of my AAA membership, and that $61 which could go other places right now. If I do let my membership lapse, I really should take a new look at what I have in my vehicle for roadside emergencies. Don't do the fan belt thing (yet.) I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be changing a fan belt myself at the side of the road, unless I take the cross country drive this summer I've been considering. If I do that, I'll probably better equip my wheels with more stuff. The older stuff (flares, etc.) is still in my van, and I'm thinkin' I should probably get some for the newer set of wheels before too much longer, and maybe some brightly colored safety cones and a florescent vest thing. Seems silly, but on the nightly news there seems to always be some story about some good Samaritan stopping to help someone change a tire, and getting hit by a car.
What do you consider the "basics" for a roadside emergency kit? (CAR emergency, not people emergency, btw)
Right now, I have:
jumper cables gas "can" tire rod and jack (and spare tire) a blanket (to put on the hot pavement mostly, in order to prevent burns) water electrical tape flashlight assorted hand tools gloves AAA card cell phone
need to add: flares safety cones ?
Does anyone actually carry a tow chain with them in their vehicle? I've thought about it, but it seems ... maybe "overkill?"
