No More Dipsticks for Me

I got a new car about a month ago. It kind of fell into my lap and my car was on it’s last leg so I was grateful to get it. The guy who owned the car before me is a total dickhole, though. So I wasn’t super thrilled to be driving his car even though it was mine now. A couple of years ago, he pulled some male chauvinist bull and I sometimes have trouble letting things go, but I conceded and took the car.

It’s a 2006 BMW 325i or something like that. It’s a fancy car. I’m a Honda girl. And not a new Honda girl either. I’ve had a few and they’ve always been pre-loved and well worn by time they get to me. My most recent Honda had been my best friend for about 3 years. We had been through thick and thin together. She was a stick shift and she fit me just right. Always got me where I needed to go and was comfortable when I needed to just pull over and cry or have a panic attack. Suffice it to say, even after 3 weeks of having this fancy car, I still missed her.

I’ve even talked to my neighbor about trading this car for his truck because if I’m not going to be a Honda girl anymore, at least I could be a Chevy girl. I know, it’s crazy, because BMW’s are super nice cars and the one I just got is in tip top shape. But still, I wanted to hate it because I didn’t think it fit my personality.  Until yesterday.

Yesterday, I stopped at a stop sign and out of habit, my hand went to my gear shift which is where the stick would have been on my other car. This car is an automatic. Another thing I didn’t love about it. So, I put my hand on the gear shift and it moved over to the left. And behold, it turned into this weird manually shifting driving machine.

I won’t lie and say that I haven’t been in love with how fast this car goes and how smooth it rides. I’m impressed daily by that fact, but I really tried to hate everything else.

So I was ecstatic when I realized I could manually shift and still drive like a race car driver.

But today, today took the cake. I thought I should check my oil. I’m going out of town to Vegan Fest (stay tuned), and I thought I should give her the ole once over to make sure my fluids were all good before taking her out in the big wide world.

So I stop at Auto Zone. Ask him if he’s ever heard of  5w40 oil, because I like to think I’m pretty evolved and in the know when it comes to cars. But apparently I’m only in the know when it comes to average cars. I don’t know shit about fancy cars (because I’m not fancy).

He walks me back to the oil wall I just came from and pointed me to the two spots where the only two kinds of that type of oil existed. I bought two quarts. Just in case I was low, or worse, super low.

It’s been raining all day so I decided I’d go get some gas and then be that asshole who turns into a shade tree mechanic under the cover of the gas station roof. So I pop my hood and go grab some paper towels so I can check the oil. But alas, I can’t find the dipstick. So I keep looking. And looking. And looking.

Until finally, I ask the question, “Hey, google, how do I check the oil on a 2016 BMW?”

Google never lets me down.

Ever.

Within seconds a YouTube video popped up and showed me how to check the oil…FROM INSIDE THE CAR!!!!

Yep, I just had to touch a couple buttons and voila! I could see my oil levels. I added a quart, checked again and was given the thumbs. I’ve never felt so in awe in my whole life. It was like magic.

I threw away the unused paper towels and reveled in the fact that I didn’t get a bit of oil on me. And for the second time in two days, I was kind of in love with this car that I was hell bent on hating.

I guess I’m fancy after all.