On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 14:53:21 +0000, pws wrote:

> I watched my mechanic do an oil change on a Chevy van one time. He had
> checked the oil and it was full but very dirty. When he took the drain
> plug out, nothing happened.
> He actually had to punch through a solidified piece of sludge that had
> formed at the bottom of the oil pan to get the oil that was still fluid
> dripping, and it dripped out thick and slow. The owner had never
> replaced the oil in over 5 years, he just topped it off as it seeped
> from bad seals.
> Still, with a new filter and oil, the van drove away with no strange
> sounds or smoke.

I had a girlfriend with an old 327 Impala that leaked oil. She understood
that gas made the car go but the role of oil seemed more mysterious. So
naturally she ran it dry and it threw a rod. That's when I realized there
were people who were so ignorant about basic mechanics that if you told
them their engines ran on little gerbils they'd probably believe you.