It's January in Minnesota, and even the southern part of the state is getting some below zero readings on their thermometers, and worse with factoring in wind chill. Yes, we returned north to that, even while hoping climate change might take effect locally a wee bit speedier in honor of our arrival.
January does not mean staying home, cocooned away in some warm building, reading, watching TV, sunbathing..... Wait! What? I said Minnesota, not southern Florida!
Since one still gets out and about, despite all best intentions, the car has to be taken care of just like the rest of the year. Only now it's a nasty job. For a lot of things I try to remain independent, though I haven't changed a tire since I retired (the first time. The second is out somewhere in the future.) One thing I have to keep an eye on is my oil level for the engine. It has started either leaking or burning oil. It's likely I'm burning it since the car doesn't leave greasy puddles... unless I make them while pouring oil. Oops.
Adaptations have had to be made, given what I can/can't do these days without difficulty exacerbated by pain. Once the hood release is pulled, I need to work it up over my shoulder to hold it without raising the arm, thus transferring the weight over to my torso and legs. I can shift its position bit by bit so I'm now able to reach and release the thingy which holds the hood up for me. (Yes, I'm sure it has a name. I am not going to bother to look it up.) It pulls off by going sideways, then I guide it down to fit in a notch in the frame. Easy peasy as long as my arms don't have to hold the weight simultaneously.
In fact shifting the strength requirement to my legs instead of arms is how tires get changed, stepping/jumping on the lug wrench to move it in the right direction. But that's not what's getting done now. In fact this car came new with no jack, lug wrench, or spare! Guess who's been lucky for a dozen years! These days tire changes mean buying a new set, needed twice now in its life. I let the tire company have all that fun.
Back to the engine oil, I keep bottles in the hatch. Periodically I check the dip stick and add what's needed. When it's warm outside, the process works well. My hands don't have the strength to twist open and remove the plug so I can add oil, but I thought I'd taken care of that when it was warm. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I did - solved the problem as it presented in warm weather. To do that I had to get a small pliers to grip the top ridge of the plug to twist it by, and borrowed one of my jewelry tools to do the job. Perfect! Except when it's zero outside. No way in Pluto's heat-deprived hell was that going to work in a sub-zero morning, and I knew by the time I'd given up trying that oil was definitely needed before driving to Minneapolis and back for a doctor's appointment for Steve.
I had to find a different way to add oil. So of course I did. After all, what measures oil levels has to connect directly to the oil supply, right? I already knew the dip stick moved easily, since it just told me how much oil I needed. I'd add it there!
Luckily we have a (new) set of funnels in a variety of mostly-unnecessary sizes. I dug through to find the one with the smallest bottom to fit - hopefully - into the narrow tube the dipstick used. It actually went in, enough to hold it straight in the tube instead of falling out. Of course its top was correspondingly small, holding about three tablespoons of oil while it slowly drained down.
Very slowly.
In below zero wind chill.
With no room for padded gloves added to my hands to still fit in the space while the oil drained down. Brrrr.....
Still slowly.
For all 8 refills.
Since that was all my hands could tolerate, it will get repeated tomorrow. Maybe even again until I know enough has spread out all over to lubricate the engine. I figure that the "again" might wait till the weekend. It will be warmer then.
They promised.
The "heat" might come with snow. So the lingering job will likely be wet as well. But I probably can avoid frostbite... maybe... if I decide I'm willing to risk getting dirty oil and other miscellaneous under-the-hood car dirt on my new down coat.
Maybe I should have bought it in black.
Next time. Though I do have a dirty old denim coat with great pockets that could get slathered in automotive grease/dirt and I wouldn't give it a second thought. It's great for, say, working outside in 40 degrees. Unfortunately those would have to be above zero.
Sighhhhhh.........
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