@LBoogie posted:@ALB You guys are scaring the hell out of me
I can assure you that that's not the intention, but being aware of what's normal and what's not is probably the best skill you can acquire as you head down this road.
It can be daunting, because you don't have a lot of miles in the car and there aren't a lot of instruments on the dash (and for the longest time, the warning lights don't have designations to let you know what they were). Regardless, it probably seems like everybody else knows more than you do, and it's probably been since Jr. High school that you felt this way.
So, to keep it simple - just figure that any time a warning light comes on, you should probably shut the car off ASAP and get the car to the side of the road. If there's oil on the dipstick and a belt on the pulleys, pulling out your phone and enjoying a bit of QT beside the road counting cigarette butts while you wait for Mr. Flatbed seems like the prudent plan. If you can replace the belt or add a quart or two of oil, perhaps you'll avoid the experience, but maybe not.
As you found out when you got married - in fairly short order, you'll get to know the quirks and idiocrancracies of the object of your affection. That knowledge can either diminish your love or take it to a deeper level - it's really in how you deal with things. You'll probably freak out a time or two over nothing, and may miss something pretty big and important another, but that's how you learn.
There are no small number of Hakuna Matata cruisers in our ranks - guys who don't fuss or fiddle, know the limits of their cars and themselves, and just slide in their driver's seat and soak up the vibes. They don't obsess over where to park, if it might rain, or if they got a rock chip out on that drive. They know what sounds normal, and change their oil every spring and pay somebody to sync their carbs and adjust the valves every couple of years. They might get an alignment (probably done wrong) when they get new tires, but then again might not.
They're happy. You'll be happy too, as long as you're good with what the car is. It's when you want more (and more really is more) that the problems come in.