Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Borrowed and almost destroyed a car

292 replies

Muffette · 16/01/2018 22:35

Before Christmas I was having car trouble and needed to get some work done on my car. My father generously loaned me one of his cars. He is generous like that and I was extremely grateful. He told me several times that the car needed a service at 30k miles and he would take it back from me then. He is very careful with everything and gets his cars serviced every 10k miles. I felt very secure driving his car knowing that it was so well cared for it was unlikely to break down (unlike my own jalopy).

As the car reached 30k the service light came on (a spanner light), I told him and we arranged to swap cars a week or so later. l didn't do much mileage in that time and so handed his car back with thank you's and so on. When he got home he dipped the engine to check the oil and discovered that it was nearly empty, he called the garage and they came with a tow truck to collect the car and bring it to their garage. He is beyond livid with me and will not speak to me. Now I know I should stick more rigorously to "neither a borrower nor a lender be" but I was in a pickle and he insisted at the time.

The thing is, should a car which is serviced every 10k run out of oil? (assuming the oil is changed at every service) and secondly, am I really thick not to have dipped the oil myself? Honestly, it never occurred to me. I checked the manual to make sure the light was an automated one and not something more sinister. At no time did the oil light come on. I am really upset at being so thick but at the same time my father is often very angry with me (i am in my 40's btw, not 19) and I really didn't need this excuse for him to turn on me again. However, I feel that his reaction to me is extreme, AIBU? (would you have thought to check the oil?)

OP posts:
PiffleandWiffle · 18/01/2018 08:30

IT IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FOR AN ENGINE TO USE 1 LITRE/1000 MILES.

You want to buy a decent car mate, you appear to be driving a shit tip!!

If you're having to put a litre of oil in every month or so, something is not right - oil only goes down when it's escaping somewhere - past the piston rings & getting burnt or a leak.

Those of us with cars that don't have a problem won't lose a litre a year......

PompholyxOfUnknownOrigin · 18/01/2018 09:58

@ Reddington “take VAG and their oil consumption”
Grin not what vag usually means on Mumsnet.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 18/01/2018 10:51

The evidence of your dad's reaction to oil... Rage/fury... And the evidence re sister being to 'blame' as she suggested he drive to visit dying brother and he wrote his car off...it would be hysterical if not so horridm

Shows someone with serious anger issues and also lack of personal responsibility... (the oil thing? It's a red herring!)... He's just waiting to blow up and next thing...

Your mum is enabling his appalling behaviour.... It's not unusual in these sort of long married couples-it's the only way theycan live together...

So... I would tell your mum, you're happy not speaking to your dad... As he's so abusive

Nousernamefound · 18/01/2018 17:30

We had a faulty oil light on a car a few years ago and are NOT regular checkers of the oil. That’s what the light is for as far as I’m concerned. Anyway long story short, car was making a noise so we booked it in with the garage but before we got it there, the engine seized up due to lack of oil. Perhaps it’s a faulty light?

Katypage · 18/01/2018 17:33

He’s being 100% unreasonable. There is absolutely no reason for a car to need any oil top up or need to check the oil level between services. Years ago you’d need to but the car has sensors in the engine that should tell you if the oil level gets low and it’s needs attention. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong xx

Lovemusic33 · 18/01/2018 17:42

I only top my car up when the oil light flashes at me Grin

ton181 · 18/01/2018 17:52

most new cars use a litre of oil every 1000 miles, so depending how many miles you actually did, assuming he topped it up before he lent it to you. Most car manuals say t check the oil and coolant level weekly.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 18/01/2018 17:56

Whatever the issue with the car.. what is wrong with HIM. He is an adult. This is NOT the way to treat his daughter and granddaugher.

ptumbi · 18/01/2018 18:02

My tuppence - I think your father lent you the car so he had a stick to beat you with. I bet he went over that car with a fine-toothed comb, looking for dings and scratches and he fixed on 'oil below acceptable level...'

I think it could have been anything. Car exterior dirty. Car interior dirty. Wing mirrors misaligned. Bulb blown. Engine dirty....

Anything. So he could 'justifiably' go mad at you and punish you.

(BTW I've never put oil in my 2008 Astra - I assume it gets done at the annual service. I don't even check it unless going on a long journey - ie every 6 months or so)

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 18/01/2018 18:04

OP, you obviously don't like him, have issues with him and are talking of going 'no contact'... but you willingly take his car, after all the complaints about his behaviour? You believe you're being abused by him so why accept anything from him?

That, I don't understand. I would never accept something from somebody I felt like that about, NEVER.

Smudge100 · 18/01/2018 18:05

I never check the oil. Isn’t that what men are for? They have to for something.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 18/01/2018 18:07

Make way for the sexist...ffs, some of us 'little ladies' can do an oil change and/or read a manual.

bigmangomomma · 18/01/2018 18:08

I always thought that you should change the oil every 5,000 miles or so but it does sound like your dad overreacted a bit.

BerylStreep · 18/01/2018 18:09

Really Smudge?

specialsubject · 18/01/2018 18:09

Oh, the total faith in gadgets . terrifying.

Check the oil , the sensors may not register a problem in time.

What's wrong on here, are people worried about breaking fingernails???

ptumbi · 18/01/2018 18:10

OP, you obviously don't like him, have issues with him and are talking of going 'no contact'. actually, lying, it looks to me as if her father is the one who doesn't like her! OP feels that she should be in contact, but DF pulls stunts like this (carrot/big stick to beat her with)

WoollyMollyMonkey · 18/01/2018 18:14

Flipping heck I've never checked oil in my life! I only ever check tyre pressures. I leave everything else to the garage at the annual service. Oops!

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 18/01/2018 18:20

ptumbi, Probably. But that's even more reason not to engage with him, isn't it? Not accept the situation forever and a day and carry on accepting things. OP is an adult and she can sort her own stuff out without relying on somebody who doesn't like her/whom she doesn't like.

If her father is pulling a carrot/big stick stunt then the OP is guilty of pulling a user/take what you can one. Why she would put herself through that I don't know but I strongly suspect it's the 'generosity' of her father that makes her forget that she's an adult with principles.

OohOohMrPeevly · 18/01/2018 18:25

Your dad sounds like a total arse. You sound very reasonable.

mirandasings · 18/01/2018 18:30

There's a bigger issue here than a car low on oil op. Why is he like this towards you? Has he always been like this?

You can't change his behaviour but you can change your reaction to it.

you have done nothing wrong. Repeat after me...I have done nothing wrong!

Don't feel bad. Don't sit and worry about when he will talk to you again. Learn to stick up for yourself you are a grown up, he doesn't get to treat you this way anymore.

He called a tow truck for a car that was low on oil, that clearly tells me he has issues!!

Wally1983 · 18/01/2018 18:30

Are you the eldest? Does he treat you all the same? I’d be questioning why he treats you different to anyone else in the family..
you didn’t check oil, no big deal but you probably should’ve, even if you don’t in your own as a courtesy for borrowing his I would’ve. Send him an apologetic message and see what happens but seriously realise that he shouldn’t treat you this way x

morningconstitutional2017 · 18/01/2018 18:30

I agree with the previous poster who said not to wait for the symbol to tell you the oil is low. When this appears it's often too late to prevent damage. The level really should be checked on a regular basis to avoid this.

Sorry to hear that you're having such problems. If I were ever to borrow a car I'd be extra careful to avoid problems like this, it's a tough lesson and you've learned the hard way.

Katypage · 18/01/2018 18:31

Totally agree x he sounds like he puts himself in the position that the OP has to go to him and then will use whatever he can to throw it back in her face. He doesn’t sound like a nice human being at all, I’d defo stop contact all together.

Katypage · 18/01/2018 18:32

100% agree x

Katypage · 18/01/2018 18:34

She didn’t have a choice!! He made sure to offer his help just to throw it back in her face! He sounds like a complete psychopath!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread