I remember when I first met my current GF- looked at her car ('94 mazda protege) and just shook my head- hadn't been waxed in looked like years (this was in '96). I kinda gave her a hard time about it, being that her house was absolutely spotless. I eventually kinda took the poor thing under my wing, cleaned it up, serviced it, showed her HOW to check the oil. That gave her some initiative and she does better, but not to my standard. I'm curious just how bad that poor merc would end up if you didn't do anything to it. I know that I just wouldn't be paying for the car and the services. If that was the case, I'd buy her a Honda and let her beat the crap out if that thing. It seems to me that she just puts gas in it and drives it and nuts up when it poops out from the neglect. I see your efforts as noble, but you could REALLY be setting yourself up for some stressful condiions down the road. I couldn't have a woman that was that bad on a car, because I KNOW where THAT kind of stuff heads.....divorce court. Oh, and by the way, she still has the Protege, 140K and still going. I'm in Germany now, we'll see how long before she blows it up or gets scared of the mileage and wants to trade it in on that cool Subaru Outback she keeps talking about.