Topic: The "not me" defense

We have a 99 cherokee at work, that maybe 12 people drive for various tasks.

errands/ parts running
traveling around the area when the work trucks are in for service/inspection
picking up lunch/ breakfast/ donuts
going to the office to pick up paychecks, pick up snacks from the vending machine (the sick, lame, and lazy)

Over the last few weeks, my lead mechanic noticed a vibration.  CV?  Driveshaft?  Something else?  About a month ago, I had to pull out an aluminum shield (catalyst?) wedged between the rear wheel and inner wheelwell.  Should have been a clue.

We send the Jeep over to get looked at (we don't have a lift).

The driveshaft was bent.  The yoke was shot.  The output shaft on the transfer case was bent.

I asked everyone who drives the vehicle if they remember anything like a small "bump" that may have torn up the bottom of a Jeep.

"Not me"  is all I heard from the minions.

It reminds me of my kids, standing around a spilled milkshake, or broken glass, or an arrow through the TV.  "not me"

Hmm

I can't wait to see the bill.

I'm done venting.

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!

2 (edited by psychoboy 2012-12-14 11:16 AM)

Re: The "not me" defense

any car guy who's ever been responsible for the daily driver of a girlfriend or wife has been there, too.

.....with the added frustration of knowing that she is the ONLY person who drives the car.

"my car's been driving funny on the highway"
"oh yeah....how long?"
"i dunno....couple months?"
::roll eyes, shrug, diagnose::
"you have two bent wheels, a bent control arm, and the steering wheel has to be held 30* off center to maintain a straight line in the neighborhood. did you hit something in the road with the right side of the car?"
"not that i recall........"



we've got two delivery vans that are only ever driven by one guy each. when they take a day off, i drive for them. every time, something is wrong with their van, and every time...they have NO IDEA what it is, when it started, or why it happened.

Team OK-Speed
Regularly losing in Class A
Soon to start losing in Class C

Re: The "not me" defense

Years ago, I bought a '96 Roadmaster Wagon.  It was sweet.  A friend of mine was riding in the back seat, playing with the sun shades in the vista roof when I heard a "crack" and the plastic piece that they latch to broke off and hit the floor.  He quickly took his hands down and said "I didn't do it."  We had some words that did end up with him apologizing and me saying it's not a big deal.  That sh!t drives me crazy.

Quad4 CRX - Wartburg 311 - Civic Wagovan - Parnelli Jones Galaxie - LS400 - Lancia MR2 - Boat - Sentra - 56 Ford Victoria
Known Associate of 3pedal Mafia, Speedycop, and the Russians.  Maybe even NSF.

Re: The "not me" defense

My wife always tells me when she breaks a wheel (3 broken, 2 bent, and counting)

I just remembered the one she broke when we were dating (4 broken total)..  Must have been a sign.

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!

Re: The "not me" defense

Always reminds me of that goofy movie where the stupid guy becomes an astronaut.  Everytime he does something wrong (including farting in his space suit while sharing an oxygen tank) he just shrugs and says, "It wasn't me".

I even put that saying on the back of my friends dirt track car.

Gotta love fleet vehicles.  I love it when the superviser tells them to drive it like it is their own vehicle.  I just start laughing, because I know how they treat those vehicles.

Matt, yank the fuse out for the radio.  Maybe then they might hear when they run over small boulders.

"She's a brick house" 57th out of 121 and 5th in Class C, There Goes the Neighborhood 2013
"PA Posse" 21st out of 96 and 2nd in Class C, Capitol Offense 2013.
"PA Posse" 29th out of 133 and Class C WINNER, Halloween Hooptiefest 2013
"PA Posse" 33rd out of 151 and 2nd in Class C, The Real Hoopties 2013

Re: The "not me" defense

Lol.. My sister drove around for days on a flat tire without noticing.....

"Don't mess with Lexas!" LS400. We survived another one! See website link for build details.
Maker of the "unofficial Lemons fish!" - If you ask nice, I'll likely give you one at the track.

Re: The "not me" defense

I drove over an hour in a Lemons race with a flat right rear... I'm part of the problem apparently

LemonAid - Changing kids lives one lap at a time.

Re: The "not me" defense

My car is making funny thumping noises....(long story).....oh yeah, the oil light came on yesterday and I was going to ask you about it tomorrow.

Re: The "not me" defense

someone sideswiped the DRIVERS SIDE of my wife's black highlander. I saw it when I got home and asked what she hit/hit her. She was genuinely surprised when I walked outside and pointed to the dents and white scuff marks down the side of her car.

Team Lost in the Dark
Winner " I got screwed" and "Jay's dream car"
2012 Gulf region champs

Re: The "not me" defense

A buddy of mine gave his kid a ratty old e28 and they did some work on it together to get it back in road-worthy condition (which on an older BMW always seems to involve basically replacing all the the factory coolant system, of course). A few weeks later, the kid (who lives with his mom) calls his dad and says that the car is low on oil. And seems to be leaking a lot of oil on the pavement in his mom's driveway. But he doesn't know why.

Dad gets over there to check out what's up and there's a lake of oil under the car, along with a busted up and cracked oil pan. When he asks the kid what hooning has he been doing, there's of course nothing but innocence and silence. Alas, my suggestion that the car remain unrepaired and the keys unreturned until said kid took responsibility for what he did to the car went unheeded.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

Re: The "not me" defense

Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:

We have a 99 cherokee at work.

That poor thing deserves to be on a racetrack. 

-Matt

30 Time Loser with Class C, Index of Effluency, I got Screwed and Heroic Fix Trophies who usually races, according to Car and Driver, The Greatest Road Racing Cherokee in History.

Check out our FB Page and follow our various exploits.

Re: The "not me" defense

shrug
"I dunno."
http://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LWI12/297-RoadAmericaLeMons_t.jpg

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Re: The "not me" defense

Rob, "Rocket Man" was the movie.

Another oil story:

I gave my cousin her first car, my 1884 Colt "e".  Mighty 1.4 liters of fury.  First brand new car I ever bought.

Anyway,  I hear from her father how the piece of shit broke down right in the parking lot.  Engine seized.

'Did  she check the oil?" 

"Nobody showed her how to check the oil!"  She speaks up, "Yes he did."

She drove it to school that morning.  Knocking, then seizes the engine pulling into her parking space.  After school, Starts back up, still knocking, makes it a few feet from home before seizing again.

That weekend, her friend pulls the oil pan, tightens up the maing bearing caps, fills it with oil.  Car ran till she totalled it doing a U turn in traffic.

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!

14 (edited by EriktheAwful 2012-12-17 11:01 AM)

Re: The "not me" defense

Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:

I gave my cousin her first car, my 1884 Colt "e".

http://www.easyridingrockies.com/The_Rocky_Mountain_Horse.html&h=299&w=282&sz=22&tbnid=9Y4548k3rGqoMM
Yeah, those 1884 Colts were pretty reliable, so long as you kept them fed.

EDIT: Stupid internet filter keeps me from including a proper image link. Killjoy.

Re: The "not me" defense

Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:

Rob, "Rocket Man" was the movie.

.

Thanks Matt.  Old timers starting to set in, IIRC.   smile

"She's a brick house" 57th out of 121 and 5th in Class C, There Goes the Neighborhood 2013
"PA Posse" 21st out of 96 and 2nd in Class C, Capitol Offense 2013.
"PA Posse" 29th out of 133 and Class C WINNER, Halloween Hooptiefest 2013
"PA Posse" 33rd out of 151 and 2nd in Class C, The Real Hoopties 2013

Re: The "not me" defense

oops, 1984

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!