The Off Topic Topic

[crazy canuck]

Unless you have your own compressor, yes. Most stations charge for water and air .75-1.00

It is generally free here.

[11B4V]

Unless you have your own compressor, yes. Most stations charge for water and air .75-1.00

It is generally free here.

Gas stations charge in my neck of the woods

[Admiral Yi]

Ecotopian hellhole.

[11B4V]

Ecotopian hellhole.

http://www.freeairpump.com/map/

Why I have my own compressor.

[alfred russel]

Being able to do basic car maintenance is useful, but not overly useful. Every year, cars get more complex and more reliable.

I'd like to know how things I regularly use work...especially a car because it is conceivable you will be in a spot where you have a breakdown and no one to call (as opposed to your AC unit). That is more of an aspirational ideal for me than reality. A big factor is once I replaced my first car (an old chevy I inherited from my grandmother) I stopped having car problems.

That said, the changing of a car battery is really easy. Anyone can do it.

[Admiral Yi]

Do you guys power the on board computer while swapping the battery?

[11B4V]

Do you guys power the on board computer while swapping the battery?

No

[11B4V]

Of the four vehicles i have, two are OBD 1 and two are OBD 2. The time it takes to change a batt will not reset the OB comp. That usually takes a disconnect of 20 minutes or so. If it takes longer it's no big. The comp just has to relearn and that takes 10 miles or so.

If I do a tune up or replace a sensor, I will disconnect the batt while doing so.

[derspiess]

Ecotopian hellhole.

http://www.freeairpump.com/map/

Why I have my own compressor.

As I thought, not many in Cincy.  I'd buy a compressor if I found an additional use for it.

[Malthus]

Being able to do basic car maintenance is useful, but not overly useful. Every year, cars get more complex and more reliable.

I'd like to know how things I regularly use work...especially a car because it is conceivable you will be in a spot where you have a breakdown and no one to call (as opposed to your AC unit). That is more of an aspirational ideal for me than reality. A big factor is once I replaced my first car (an old chevy I inherited from my grandmother) I stopped having car problems.

That said, the changing of a car battery is really easy. Anyone can do it.

Certainly.

My only point was that in the olden days, if you wanted to reliably use your car, you really needed to know how to perform basic repairs, which tended to be reasonably easy anyway because cars were mechanically simpler than now. These days, that skill is less useful.

One can see that in the future, such skills will be relegated to the same category as being able to tan your own leather or grow your own food - that is, an interest or hobby for a tiny minority. 

[derspiess]

One thing I'll admit to is letting the auto parts store do the windshield wiper installation.  For some reason that always trips me up if I try to do it myself 

[11B4V]

Ecotopian hellhole.

http://www.freeairpump.com/map/

Why I have my own compressor.

As I thought, not many in Cincy.  I'd buy a compressor if I found an additional use for it.

Yea, browse over to the Olympia, Wa area and you'll see what i mean. 

[lustindarkness]

There is one gas station around here with free air, all the rest charge. But I have a compressor, so it matters not.

[Capetan Mihali]

It's all free in Vermont as far as I can see, but I always remember having to put in a few quarters in Phila. and N.J./N.Y./Conn.

[Tamas]

There is one gas station around here with free air, all the rest charge. But I have a compressor, so it matters not.

Are they monitoring pedestrians walking past the station, to make sure they pay or hold their breath?