? What you can do yourself to keep your car on the road ?
#1
03-29-2016, 08:14 AM
? What you can do yourself to keep your car on the road ?
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What you can do yourself to keep your car on the road
If everything on TV were true, then keeping a vehicle running great, looking good, and lasting a long time would be the easiest thing ever.
Advertising will tell us over and over that all we really need to do to keep that car or truck running forever and looking brand new for years is to pour some bottles of miracle liquid into the crankcase, sprinkle magic dust on the paint, or spray some sort of ionized wonder water on the interior.
Unfortunately this is not the case.
Following the old adage that "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is" comes the news that regular, proper care and maintenance are what really keep vehicles going into the high six-figure mileage ranges. Miracle cures, magic fairy dust, mystery polymers and the like are all fine and good for infomercials, but most likely won't do much good for your vehicle.
Following the old adage that "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is" comes the news that regular, proper care and maintenance are what really keep vehicles going into the high six-figure mileage ranges. Miracle cures, magic fairy dust, mystery polymers and the like are all fine and good for infomercials, but most likely won't do much good for your vehicle.
Regularly scheduled maintenance and lubrication using the manufacturers recommended type and formulation of oil, grease and liquids is what will do the trick. Replacing normal wear-and-tear parts such as timing belts before they break is also a good path to follow on the road to long vehicle life. Taking good care of your vehicle can make the difference between being the proud owner of a good looking, long lasting, reliable machine, and saying goodbye to a rusty, faded-paint jalopy that fell apart or broke down long before it was designed to.
The Maintenance Difference
We all know somebody with an older, high-mileage vehicle that just keeps on running year after year---that crazy uncle in the high-mileage ride that keeps on going strong. "What's Uncle Jason's secret?" you may wonder, scratching your head with one hand while holding a repair bill in the other? At its core, Uncle MCF Jason's 500,000-mile 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo (?) 
(lol) is no different a vehicle than a two-year-old hulk that barely cleared 65,000 miles before it got hooked up to the wrecker truck, never to be seen again. While the short-lived heap has since been crushed, melted down, and built into another car, Uncle Admin `Jason keeps on trucking in his Chevy Monte Carlo .
(lol) is no different a vehicle than a two-year-old hulk that barely cleared 65,000 miles before it got hooked up to the wrecker truck, never to be seen again. While the short-lived heap has since been crushed, melted down, and built into another car, Uncle Admin `Jason keeps on trucking in his Chevy Monte Carlo .The secret is that there is no real secret to getting a vehicle to last a long time. The difference is maintenance. Regular fluid checks and an almost pious dedication to scheduled lubrication will keep the powertrain going strong. What kind of oil, brake fluid, and grease used is just as important as when it is changed. The best oil in the world will do your engine no good if you never change it. Cleaning and protecting the finishes of the vehicle inside and out will keep things looking good. Paint, plastic, leather, and fabric need help to survive the constant assault of sun and elements. Utilize both of these plans together and you, like Uncle Fred, will enjoy happy motoring for a good, long time. Follow the accompanying 10 handy tips for keeping your vehicle in top shape.
Tip 1
Check and change the oil. No single step will help an engine last more than regular oil and filter changes will. Conversely, nothing will destroy an engine faster than neglecting oil-level checks or fresh-oil changes.
Check and change the oil. No single step will help an engine last more than regular oil and filter changes will. Conversely, nothing will destroy an engine faster than neglecting oil-level checks or fresh-oil changes.
Tip 2
Flush the cooling system and change coolant once a year. A 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water will keep the cooling system in good shape and prevent corrosion and deposits from building up inside the cooling system.
Flush the cooling system and change coolant once a year. A 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water will keep the cooling system in good shape and prevent corrosion and deposits from building up inside the cooling system.
Tip 3
Change out transmission and differential oils. While not requiring frequent service, these fluids must be changed according to service intervals. Always use transmission fluid or gear oil of the recommended type and viscosity.
Change out transmission and differential oils. While not requiring frequent service, these fluids must be changed according to service intervals. Always use transmission fluid or gear oil of the recommended type and viscosity.
Tip 4
Keep it clean. While washing the outside of the vehicle is obvious, most everything the vehicle ran over can also get stuck to the underside. Hosing off winter salt and road grime is a good idea.
Keep it clean. While washing the outside of the vehicle is obvious, most everything the vehicle ran over can also get stuck to the underside. Hosing off winter salt and road grime is a good idea.
Tip 5
Everything with moving parts needs grease to survive. This ball joint went into early retirement due to poor lubrication.
Everything with moving parts needs grease to survive. This ball joint went into early retirement due to poor lubrication.
Tip 6
Nothing keeps paint looking good and protected like a coat of quality wax. Apply wax at least every six months.
Nothing keeps paint looking good and protected like a coat of quality wax. Apply wax at least every six months.
Tip 7
Driveline components such as u-joints also require regular lubrication. The driveline may have to be removed to access the zerk grease fitting.
Driveline components such as u-joints also require regular lubrication. The driveline may have to be removed to access the zerk grease fitting.
Tip 8
Protect the interior plastic by parking the vehicle in the shade, using a window deflector screen, and applying a UV protectant to prevent the plastic and vinyl from drying out.
Protect the interior plastic by parking the vehicle in the shade, using a window deflector screen, and applying a UV protectant to prevent the plastic and vinyl from drying out.
Tip 9
Inspect, clean, and repack wheel bearings with wheel bearing grease according to service intervals. Wheel bearings and grease are inexpensive compared to spindle and hub replacement, or liberated wheels rolling down the road ahead of you.
Inspect, clean, and repack wheel bearings with wheel bearing grease according to service intervals. Wheel bearings and grease are inexpensive compared to spindle and hub replacement, or liberated wheels rolling down the road ahead of you.
Tip 10
Brake fluid is hygroscopic. This means it is adept at attracting moisture. Moisture causes components to corrode and fail. Replace fluid and bleed system once a year. Brake fluid is cheap. Calipers, hoses, and sensors are expensive.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic. This means it is adept at attracting moisture. Moisture causes components to corrode and fail. Replace fluid and bleed system once a year. Brake fluid is cheap. Calipers, hoses, and sensors are expensive.
Last edited by BeachBumMike; 03-29-2016 at 09:15 AM.
#2
03-29-2016, 01:13 PM
Check List ?
Car maintenance schedule: why it's important to have -- and follow -- a car maintenance checklist.
The Car Care Council has developed a car maintenance schedule to provide general guidelines for the regular treatment of passenger cars, mini vans, pickups and SUVs.
Intervals are built around an oil change every 3,000 miles, an accepted recommendation for the majority of motorists who are severe service drivers. Always consult your vehicle's owner's manual or Haynes Repair Manual for specific recommendations by the car maker.
Do-it-yourself difficulty guide for following a car maintenance schedule:
EASY AVERAGE ADVANCED
Estimated time required -- 15 Minutes -- 1 Hour
Save money in the long run -- and get better vehicle performance -- by adhering to this car maintenance checklist.
Advance Auto Parts has plenty of do-it-yourself articles to help with regular vehicle maintenance and repair schedule. Performing your own preventative car maintenance will save you hundreds of dollars a year.
You can use this general car maintenance checklist to guide you. But, again, you should refer to your owner's manual or Haynes Repair Manual for more specific information regarding your vehicle maintenance schedule.
Car maintenance schedule:
The Car Care Council has developed a car maintenance schedule to provide general guidelines for the regular treatment of passenger cars, mini vans, pickups and SUVs.
Intervals are built around an oil change every 3,000 miles, an accepted recommendation for the majority of motorists who are severe service drivers. Always consult your vehicle's owner's manual or Haynes Repair Manual for specific recommendations by the car maker.
Do-it-yourself difficulty guide for following a car maintenance schedule:
EASY AVERAGE ADVANCED
Estimated time required -- 15 Minutes -- 1 Hour
Save money in the long run -- and get better vehicle performance -- by adhering to this car maintenance checklist.
Advance Auto Parts has plenty of do-it-yourself articles to help with regular vehicle maintenance and repair schedule. Performing your own preventative car maintenance will save you hundreds of dollars a year.
You can use this general car maintenance checklist to guide you. But, again, you should refer to your owner's manual or Haynes Repair Manual for more specific information regarding your vehicle maintenance schedule.
Car maintenance schedule:
Check monthly
- Check Engine Light On
- Cleaning
- Lights
- Tire Inflation and Condition
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Battery and Cables
- Belts
- Check Engine Light On
- Engine Oil and Filter
- Exhaust
- Fuel Filter
- Hoses
- Lights
- Power Steering Fluid
- Tire Inflation and Condition
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Battery and Cables
- Belts
- Chassis Lubrication
- Check Engine Light On
- Polish
- Engine Air Filter
- Engine Oil and Filter
- Exhaust
- Fuel Filter
- Hoses
- Lights
- Power Steering Fluid
- Tire Inflation and Condition
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Wiper Blades
- Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Battery and Cables
- Belts
- Check Engine Light On
- Engine Air Filter
- Engine Oil and Filter
- Exhaust
- Fuel Filter
- Hoses
- Lights
- Power Steering Fluid
- Tire Inflation and Condition
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Battery and Cables
- Belts
- Brakes
- Cabin Air Filter
- Check Engine Light On
- Polish
- Coolant (Antifreeze)
- Engine Air Filter
- Engine Oil and Filter
- Exhaust
- Fuel Filter
- Hoses
- Lights
- Power Steering Fluid
- Steering and Suspension
- Tire Inflation and Condition
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- Wiper Blades
#3
03-30-2016, 09:06 AM
8 top auto maintenance myths
8 top auto maintenance myths
Spark plugs typically don't have to be changed for at least 100,000 miles, and most new cars don't require any chassis lubrication. With coolant systems that are entirely recirculating and with coolant manufacturers making strides in their products' chemical components, the seasonal radiator flush is becoming a thing of the past.
Yet anyone who goes to a service facility is likely to get pitched "routine" maintenance services from fuel injector cleaning to coolant flushes to air-conditioner refrigerant replacement.
Just say no -- or at the very least compare what they're trying to sell with what your owner's manual recommends -- and you can avoid hundreds of dollars in unnecessary maintenance costs a year.
Here are seven more of the most common auto maintenance myths:
Un-classy chassis. If someone says your chassis needs lubing, check it out before doing anything. Most cars built in the last couple of decades don't require lubrication. And if the mechanic says he can put in a fitting so the chassis can be lubed (pumped full of grease), don't fall for it. Adding grease where none is required could lead to problems.
Looney tune-ups. Computer-controlled engines have made the standard tune-up a thing of the past. It used to be a tune-up called for new spark plugs and ignition parts such as a distributor cap, points and rotor. Aside from spark plugs, cars don't have points and rotors, and many don't have traditional distributor caps.
Filter fantasy. There are a plethora of filters -- oil, air, fuel, transmission -- on modern vehicles, and they all need replacing at some time or another. But not at every oil-change interval. Air filters often can be blown clean with compressed air and then replaced at every other oil change. Check the owner's manual for recommended replacement intervals for all filters.
Transmission-friction fiction. Flushing the automatic transmission system also is often recommended by service centers as a routine maintenance item. But most manufacturers say it's not needed until at least 60,000 miles -- if then. If your transmission has a filter, check the owner's manual for when it should be replaced.
Hot flushes. It used to be conventional wisdom that you drained your radiator twice a year at spring and fall. But most cars now have closed systems that don't lose coolant over time, and modern coolant fluids -- antifreeze in our parents' jargon -- can last two years and more before losing effectiveness.
Injection deception. Sometimes cleaning fuel injectors means adding a bottle of fluid to the gas tank; other times it's a mechanical procedure involving a sort of pressure cleaning and chemical wash, and it can be pricey. Either way, don't do it unless called for by the manufacturer. Few of them do. Gasoline is required to have a certain detergent component that will keep injectors and combustion chambers clean. If your vehicle is running rough, there are likely other causes and injector cleaning isn't likely to help over the long term.
Warranty validity. Some dealers will tell you that you have to get the recommended service items done at their shop to keep your warranty in force. They may even tell you that you have to follow their supplemental service list. Not true. You can get service done anywhere; you can even do it yourself. Just keep records and receipts, should any questions arise over a warranty claim. What is true, however, is that doing no maintenance -- oil changes and filters at recommended intervals -- can void a warranty.
By Terry Jackson • Bankrate.com
Want to save hundreds of dollars a year on automobile maintenance?
Then stop over-maintaining your vehicle.
Then stop over-maintaining your vehicle.
Sales pitches by fast-and-furious oil change shops and service centers touting all sorts of fluid flushes and lube jobs have Americans wasting wads of cash on unnecessary service items -- particularly on newer vehicles.
Top auto maintenance myths
Top auto maintenance myths
- 3,000-mile oil changes.
- Chassis lubrication.
- The standard tune-up.
- Air filter swaps.
- The transmission flush.
- Radiator drains.
- Fuel injectors need cleaning.
- Warranty validity claims.
Often bewildered by the mass of electronics, wires and hoses that adorn a modern engine, many drivers simply put themselves at the mercy of service facilities that may only be interested in running up your bill.
Of course there's the flip side to all of this: Some drivers never have their cars serviced and then wonder why the engine seizes after the oil has turned to sludge.
But it's more likely that you're one of those drivers who follow the maintenance advice your dad gave you 30 years ago when you got your first car.
Thanks to computer-controlled ignitions, improvements in filter technology, upgraded suspension designs and other mechanical improvements developed by the manufacturers, today's vehicles require far less maintenance than the cars our parents drove.
Doubt that premise?Check your owner's manual and see what it says about when to change oil or do other maintenance. The Ford Motor Co., for example, recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles, or every six months, whichever comes first, for 2008 and newer model-year vehicles.
Many car manufacturers have added oil life indicators on the instrument cluster that tell you when the oil needs changing. The car's computer keeps track of starts and stops, as well as other factors, and calculates the oil's useful interval. Depending on how you drive, manufacturers say it's possible to see 10,000 miles or more between oil changes.
These guidelines are coming from companies that have a vested interest in keeping your car running trouble-free: If you're happy with the car or truck, you're more likely to buy another one. And a well-maintained car means the manufacturer has to pay out less in warranty claims.
Even Motor Age magazine -- the publication for the automotive service industry (the people who want your service and repair business) -- put it succinctly: "Following the factory schedule should keep nearly any car or truck healthy past the warranty period.''
Even Motor Age magazine -- the publication for the automotive service industry (the people who want your service and repair business) -- put it succinctly: "Following the factory schedule should keep nearly any car or truck healthy past the warranty period.''
Consider that the average household has two vehicles and drives each 15,000 miles a year. Following the advice of the local change-a-lot fast lube outlet -- to change oil and filter every 3,000 miles -- the average family would pay for 10 oil and filter changes every year. At, say, $40 a pop, that's $400.
That same family could cut its oil change bill by $240 by following the manufacturer's advice to change oil every 7,500 miles.
There are some exceptions that might require more fr
equent oil changes: Driving in an abnormally dusty climate or taking a lot of short, stop-and-go trips. But the oil change interval for such conditions is again spelled out in the owner's manual. No need to do it more frequently.
equent oil changes: Driving in an abnormally dusty climate or taking a lot of short, stop-and-go trips. But the oil change interval for such conditions is again spelled out in the owner's manual. No need to do it more frequently.
A word of caution about owner's manuals: Some dealers, in an effort to boost profits, give buyers a "supplemental" owner's manual or service guide that calls for more frequent servicing. Don't be fooled into thinking you have to follow these recommendations -- it's just the dealer's way of competing with the fast-lube places for your money.
Beyond oil changes, the basic servicing of a vehicle is becoming less demanding, particularly within the first 60,000 miles of ownership.Spark plugs typically don't have to be changed for at least 100,000 miles, and most new cars don't require any chassis lubrication. With coolant systems that are entirely recirculating and with coolant manufacturers making strides in their products' chemical components, the seasonal radiator flush is becoming a thing of the past.
Yet anyone who goes to a service facility is likely to get pitched "routine" maintenance services from fuel injector cleaning to coolant flushes to air-conditioner refrigerant replacement.
Just say no -- or at the very least compare what they're trying to sell with what your owner's manual recommends -- and you can avoid hundreds of dollars in unnecessary maintenance costs a year.
Here are seven more of the most common auto maintenance myths:
Un-classy chassis. If someone says your chassis needs lubing, check it out before doing anything. Most cars built in the last couple of decades don't require lubrication. And if the mechanic says he can put in a fitting so the chassis can be lubed (pumped full of grease), don't fall for it. Adding grease where none is required could lead to problems.
Looney tune-ups. Computer-controlled engines have made the standard tune-up a thing of the past. It used to be a tune-up called for new spark plugs and ignition parts such as a distributor cap, points and rotor. Aside from spark plugs, cars don't have points and rotors, and many don't have traditional distributor caps.
Filter fantasy. There are a plethora of filters -- oil, air, fuel, transmission -- on modern vehicles, and they all need replacing at some time or another. But not at every oil-change interval. Air filters often can be blown clean with compressed air and then replaced at every other oil change. Check the owner's manual for recommended replacement intervals for all filters.
Transmission-friction fiction. Flushing the automatic transmission system also is often recommended by service centers as a routine maintenance item. But most manufacturers say it's not needed until at least 60,000 miles -- if then. If your transmission has a filter, check the owner's manual for when it should be replaced.
Hot flushes. It used to be conventional wisdom that you drained your radiator twice a year at spring and fall. But most cars now have closed systems that don't lose coolant over time, and modern coolant fluids -- antifreeze in our parents' jargon -- can last two years and more before losing effectiveness.
Injection deception. Sometimes cleaning fuel injectors means adding a bottle of fluid to the gas tank; other times it's a mechanical procedure involving a sort of pressure cleaning and chemical wash, and it can be pricey. Either way, don't do it unless called for by the manufacturer. Few of them do. Gasoline is required to have a certain detergent component that will keep injectors and combustion chambers clean. If your vehicle is running rough, there are likely other causes and injector cleaning isn't likely to help over the long term.
Warranty validity. Some dealers will tell you that you have to get the recommended service items done at their shop to keep your warranty in force. They may even tell you that you have to follow their supplemental service list. Not true. You can get service done anywhere; you can even do it yourself. Just keep records and receipts, should any questions arise over a warranty claim. What is true, however, is that doing no maintenance -- oil changes and filters at recommended intervals -- can void a warranty.
Last edited by BeachBumMike; 03-30-2016 at 09:12 AM.
