I had already bought a starter, knowing the car was broken. Then I sold the car to the kid and didn’t bother giving him the starter or telling him about the issue.
Oh by the way, nothing happened as detailed above, there wasn’t even a car or a kid.
I cooked up a horse shit story for points on the internet.
It would also be interesting to know how the kid brought the car back without a working starter.
Stick shift doesn’t need a starter, just a shove.
people do that? they just go online and sell lies to people for fake points?
You know, it might be just like you described it and in all likelikood it is.
But I still find it heartwarming to think there are similar stories that are true - even if you have to take part in them to make them so.yes, people do this for people who they are related to or friends with. def knew people who got gifted cars, or sold undervalue. my sister sold her car once to her friends kid for $3000, when it was worth easily double, but to her $3000 is like $30 bucks to the average person. she had just purchased a $80K Audi, all in cash.
but not for strangers, generally.
I believe that someone somewhere would behave that way towards a stranger without much question, even if it’s rare. What I find harder to believe is that that same person would then go brag about it on the internet like this
Beautifulnot abusive“Bring it back”
“…it won’t start”
OP lives downhill.
Not a concern if it’s a manual transmission.
That brings back memories of pushing my mates car half a mile to the nearest petrol station because he was too cheap to not let it run completely dry.
I’ve pushed way too many cars that weren’t mine. Probably like 10 in my lifetime? Few strangers, I like being helpful if I can.
Once was a teenager stuck on a very busy road during rush hour. They were in a small little two-door. So I pulled over to a side street ran out. Told her to throw it in neutral and keep her foot ready on the brake Incase I lose my grip and started pushing.
Everyone else was honking at her up until that point and continued even when I started helping. Eventually two other guys came by to help because I started going up a slope and had to really lean into. Still some old lady was honking at the three of us.
Just funny how people will honk nonstop like that’s going to do something, assholes. If you’re not physically able to help, don’t, but lay off the damn horn.
Same. Most cars I’ve pushed have been random strangers.
Ive also stopped and helped fix cars on the side of the road. I’ve got a WRX, and driving to work one day I saw another WRX broken down. Maybe a teenager or early 20s. Only a little younger than me at that point. His radiator hose had been rubbing against a belt after some mod. He said his mechanic couldn’t figure it out.
I took him to get a new hose. Showed him how to trim the edge of it to accommodate his mod, taught him to burp it, and sent him on his way.
You are tempted to just go up to them and say “no keep honking, it will probably scare engine to start again”
Hey man, assuming $4.50 a gallon and 20MPG…that’s like, 11 cents saved by having you push it for that half a mile.
You don’t get rich by buying stuff!
This was about 2004/2005 so yeah probably about 80p to 90p to per litre. It was a Peugeot 205, a quick Google suggest about 30mpg.
Depends. I once drove a 2007 Chevy that absolutely refused to be push-started. I think it was an anti-theft feature.
Did you try in reverse? I found out with my SAAB that it popped way easier in reverse, rather than 1st. That thing’s 1st gear was ridiculously torquey.
First? You shovestart with second gear, because the compression on the first gear is always a bit much, and even a bit of speed (like a small decline on the road for easier pushing, or two people pushing the car) is enough for second to roll and as soon as it does you just clutch.
Idk, that’s how I was taught to do it, in rural Finland.
But what would we know about getting cars back on the road, eh?
No but that vehicle is long gone so unfortunately I can’t test it. Long story short I got tired of driving a giant gas guzzliing truck (Chevy Colorado) and traded it in for a 350Z Roadster (also in manual, of course). I figured if I’m going to get shit fuel economy, it might as well be in a vehicle that’s actually fun to drive.
One time the throwout bearing in my civic seized during my drive home so I had to “roll” start it by cranking the starter in first gear 🙃
Good will makes it better for both parties.
A guy bought an old dirt bike off me, it was when premixing 2 Stroke gas was no longer needed because of oil injectors. But I never could verify how much oil was being injected because the manual was vague onsettings the injector.
He saved up $150, hitch-hiked to my place and rode it home. A few days later he called to ask troubleshooting questions, because it died and wouldn’t restart, and he had no mechanical knowledge.
I went through the list:
- is run switch on OK
- does it have gas OK
- is the petcock open OK
- check aifilter for dirt OK
- does it spark OK
Hmm
- when you kick it over how does the kickstarter feel, can you feel compression … NO spins easy
OK, rings could be shot, or piston is blown.
Dude was crestfallen. Because he was low on cash and had no experience doing work himself.
I said there’s a parts place between my house and yours, I’ll grab some parts.
We spent the next two hours disassembling the head and cylinder. Piston had a hole blown in it. Probably too lean a fuel mixture.
Swapped for new piston and rings.
We still could not make sense of the manuals oil injector setting, the image made no sense on how to set the valve.
Started right away. I said the rings have to wear in, so take it easy for the first while. He rode it out like a bat out of hell, up and down a field, with me cringing. Then Pop! Blew the piston again.
Sigh. I was disappointed, but didn’t know if it was his riding style or a faulty injector. But I know I did the right thing trying to help him out.
Something very charming about this story, thanks for sharing.
Beautiful. Now imagine being able to just take a bus or train.
You should crosspost OP to fuckcars.
sadly not the community i was expecting. very awkward wank that was
If a complete stranger reaches out for help, do it. Your future self will thank you.
I’ve run into too many scams for this to work for me. It’s highly situational. If I can verify that they genuinely are in need of help, I’m all for it. But if a random person walks up to me and says they need money for a train ticket/gas/whatever? Nope.
yep. same.
i have had friends and girlfriends, try to scam me, and when the scam didn’t work a couple of them straight up stole.
must be nice to live in a world where you haven’t been scammed and think there are no bad people out there. stranger or not.
Yeah a stranger walking up to you and asking for money is a bit different from this
You’re right. In this case, it’s easy to see that helping was the right thing to do. There are many possible scenarios where offering help is good. There are also many situations where offering help makes you a mark, or, in the worst case, threatens the safety of yourself or people you care about. That’s why I say it’s highly situational. Many variables to take into account.
We saw two ladies trying to take a car wheel off one night so me and the boys jumped out the car to help them out, we took the wheel off the car and they said they would be back once repaired and said thanks as they jumped in another car and drove off.
Then we realized the two other wheels on the other side of the car were missing and we had just helped them finish stealing someone’s wheels
that’s funny as fuck (not for the person who lost their wheels)
A three wheeled car?
I think they were down to one at that point.
The easy litmus test is to offer to buy them the thing they want.
But I’ve given money to panhandlers twice. First guy said, “hey man, do you got any change? [N-word] needs to get drunk.”
The second time was a group of guys scrounging for change in their car because they were trying to get a dime of weed.
The easy litmus test is to offer to buy them the thing they want.
This is very true.
When I worked downtown and being asked for money was common, my rule was to ask them what it was for and then offer to buy it for them. More often than not, they’d decline or walk away when you made it clear you weren’t giving money but would buy what they needed… food, bus tickets, gas, whatever. A couple times I returned with their requested food and they were gone, but I just gave it to someone else that always was really happy to get it. Most that took me up on the offer were genuinely grateful and so expressive in their appreciation, and I got a few entertaining stories out of it too.
He sat down and walked through replacing a starter with the kid. Worst case scenario he just taught a kid that he can work on his own stuff even if he doesn’t have to.
Yes, in this case helping was clearly right. All I’m against is the belief that you should always offer help. In many cases (not all, or even most), that just makes you a mark. Though if you personally would rather risk getting taken advantage of than risk denying someone in genuine need help, that’s up to you.
Bro, that’s free dopamine and I’ll take it. I recall someone stopping me and asking for help with changing a flat because they didn’t have a lug wrench. I didn’t have the time to stop and help but I told them they were in luck because I just so happen to have a universal lug wrench in the trunk and they could have it, they wanted to pay for it and my broke college student ass could use it but there is more dopamine in giving then selling haha.
I’ve taken to telling them that someone else helped me out, and I’m just trying to pay it forward, with interest. If they can pay it forward in future, I would be very happy with them continuing the chain.
You still get the dopamine of a good deed, they feel like they can pay you back by passing it on. If they don’t, no harm done. If they do, your good deed just got amplified to some other poor sod’s benefit. It might even loop back!
Eh, depends. For example, where I live there’s a trend of people approaching you asking for information, before carefully pivoting into asking money to buy food. And if you buy them food then and there (under their eyes so they can choose what they want and make sure it’s not poisoned), they’ll turn the corner and throw it away. Helping strangers isn’t always something your future self will thank you for
I’m confused. Are they saying that they knew the starter was going to die and bought the replacement before the kid ever called them back?
I read it as once the kid called about the failed starter, they went out and bought a new one specifically to teach the kid how to do the repair
Tbh, I know a few gear head types that just have a bunch of parts in their garage. If they see a part being sold for a decent price and it has potential use they’ll just hoard it.
so I’ve sold a car and forgot i had bought parts for it. i think it’s pretty common.
There is a clutch in my garage for 2 years now, it needs replacing, I’m lazy.
I’ve sold one and forgot I had parts for issues I’d forgotten about. I called the buyer and told them to come pick up the parts, free of charge.
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Sus timing though
Also, how did the kid bring the car back if the starter was dead?
Sure it could be bump-started if it was a manual, or otherwise towed, but the author left that out.
Starters being dead…99% of the time actually aren’t fully dead. The solenoids fuck off and if you wack the shit out of them with a chunk of 2x4 usually it’ll get them to engage. Doesn’t mean it’s going to just keep working but I’ve done it a few times to get something started and into the garage.
Back 'round the turn of the century I had an ancient car with a dying starter.
It was a manual, so sure I could start it on a hill. But sometimes you just have to whack the starter itself and it will work!
I think I went months with a straight wooden axe/sledgehammer handle in the trunk as my starter starter until I replaced it.
Hill/push starting a car was pretty common occurrence when I was a teenager, since there was so many proper shitboxes in the town
Old Honda. Could be manual
Yep, so he either knowingly sold him a car with a dying starter or the story is made up
I just assume it’s an ad for Honda.
I’m pretty sure he just meant that he bought the starter before the kid brought the car back.
Yeah, I’m not sure about the story. I did buy a car off my neighbor’s, well my dad bought it for me and after a few months it started acting weird and the neighbors helped me replace the spark plugs and do general maintenance. Both my dad and I are in IT so it was helpful to learn.
Literally this isADHD, I have packages with parts for shit that has been broken for months that is unopened because I have had neither the time nor the lack of task paralysis to begin whatever fuckass journey I will need to go on to find the time tools and lack of distractions (both important and not) to complete those tasks.
Next weekend tho I promise
Story sounds made up to me. He’s not bringing it back with a dead starter unless he knows someone with a car hauler, in which case that person could probably just as easily help him with replacing it in less time than it would take to tow and work on it at this guys house and if the guy already had a replacement for it why didn’t he replace it/throw it in with the car when he sold it the first time.
This reads more like a linkedin lunatics than a wholesome 🤷🏼♂️
The adults are alright.
Really cool helping him with the starter, but giving him 200 seems over the top
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Hope that’s true, I had really bad vehicle luck starting my adulthood. It really held me back having to fix and replace car after car on like no money.
Is insurance for new drivers in the US as insane as it is in the UK? Over here £200 would be about 1 month’s worth of insurance for a teen.
