Automotive idiot stories...

[csl177]

Another on the street where my warehouse shop is. Since the fatalities a couple of years ago, the city installed raised sections to
slow down the speeders. Someone apparently lost it well before the new "safety" devices and plowed into the golf course fencing.

There's been quite a bit of moron carnage over the last few years on this short stretch of road. Considering the public outcry, I can understand the fix chosen but it's a PITA to cross four serious bumps to get to my shop. On the plus side, the armco hasn't needed replacement since the speed tables were installed. Speed limit is 25 now, down from 35.

[csl177]

Fresh road rage, from dash-cam land.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PvKU1XTB9U"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PvKU1XTB9U[/ame]

[csl177]

M3 driver with serious lack of skills. Not mischief, total fail.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVrnd9V7sk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVrnd9V7sk[/ame]

[Ferrer]

It takes some talent... to be this bad at driving.

[f6fhellcat13]

He has a hood that deploys in a crash like the new Miata...

[NSXType-R]

There was this Toyota Camry I was following in a car once that was being very aggressive, weaving through traffic. The car took a sweeping left hand corner very quickly and overtook someone from the center lane to the left lane in a three lane highway.

I guess she cut the wheel too aggressively and didn't realize how quickly it'd put her into the left lane and nearly smeared the car's entire left side on the center concrete median. The car was so close to wiping out it kicked up all the sand and dust that usually builds up on the side of the road.

I seriously thought the driver was either drunk, on drugs or on both because of the speed and aggressiveness of the driving. I eventually pass the car because it slowed down and realize that the driver is a female, probably less than 20 years old and very shaken up from the near hit.

I have no idea why young females are given preference on insurance costs, but I feel like they can be equally bad on the road as young males.

[drakkie]

A while back I heard this story at work:
The new engine we produce has a plastic crankcase. In the extremely cold temperature places it creates a huge problem. There is allready a special heater installed to heat up the engine oil. However the drivers quite often don't know or forget to use it. So they light up a small fire using a gas cooker or something to prevent the engine oil freezing up. No problem when the crankcase is metal. Creating a fire that completely burns your brand new vehicle with a plastic one. Oooops..

[csl177]

Plastic crankcase? Surely you mean just the cover... what kind of car?

[drakkie]

Plastic crankcase? Surely you mean just the cover... what kind of car?

All Paccar lorries with the new MX13 engine have a fully plastic crankcase. It's cheaper, more lightweight. In order to meet the Euro 6 and EPA10 standards inventive solutions must be used!

[csl177]

Ah, the cover. Oil pan, not the crankCASE.

Thanks for the image, I know plastics have been in use for small engines awhile, and durable enough for car and truck engines.
So long as you don't put a fire under them.

[kingofthering]

Never thought I'd end up here! So I was driving the 2011 Focus via the local car-sharing service when I go over to my friend's house. After nearly ripping off the right side mirror I park and engage the handbrake with a serious pull (as opposed to the joking kind).

I come back out and the damn button won't disengage. I push harder. Huh. No luck. Now I start worrying because my father used to complain that I over-engaged the emergency brake on the Camry. Worse, this is NOT my car and I'm paying by the hour. Naturally I start to panic

So I call up the company. Apparently in these case you're supposed to PULL UP some MORE and THEN it'll disengage. The more you know.

Let's hope the Honda CR-V I'll be using next week goes better. The new Focus is a lovely car except for the small cargo area with seats up and the absolutely dreadful automatic which I caught sleeping during low-speed parking maneuvers.

[drakkie]

Ah, the cover. Oil pan, not the crankCASE.

Thanks for the image, I know plastics have been in use for small engines awhile, and durable enough for car and truck engines.
So long as you don't put a fire under them.

Sry must have been a mix up in translation. I even google translated it to be sure I had the right word yesterday!

My colleague told me another great story today. Apparently in the 70's and 80's they drove the bare chassis' from the factory to a holding area before they were brought inside again to have the cab lifted on. So whilst driving them out they usually adjusted the steering wheel as well. They just took of the screws and fixed it in the straight-ahead position. On the move! It went fine for years and years. That was until one guy forgot that this corner was 'racing' with my colleague down the road. He took of the wheel and tried to put it back on just before a corner. Because of a bump in the road he missed the splines and couldn't steer in time. He went straight ahead, off the road and into the bushes It took them 2 days to cut down all the trees so they could finally tow out the chassis'

[pimento]

These guys.

[NSXType-R]

Not really a driver, but close enough.

Friends Mourn 16-Year-Old Killed in Party Bus Accident | NBC New York

What do you expect to find when you stick your head out of a double decker bus?

Hint- it's really tall.

[Rasmus]

Talk about a head on collision. Heads are going to roll because of this. You really have lost your head if you do come up with such an idea.

Okay, I'm done.