| In this article we will look at some general service | | | | cars mostly use fuel injection, and while this often |
| hints that apply to any car whether you buy it new | | | | works really well and controls emissions, you need to |
| or used. In most cases, these maintenance costs are | | | | keep those fuel injectors clean. Your local auto parts |
| not covered by your factory and extended | | | | shop sells a number of brands of fuel injector cleaner |
| warranty, but are important considerations in getting | | | | and I recommend addiing it to a full tank of gas at |
| the best and most reliable service from your car.The | | | | least with every oil change. It's a lot cheaper than |
| first consideration is where you take it for service. | | | | having your fuel injection system overhauled. And |
| Many people simply take it back to the dealer where | | | | change that air filter regularly or whenever it starts |
| they bought it. The advantage there is that if they | | | | to appear dirty. Nothing slows performance more |
| discover anything that needs fixing under the | | | | quickly and gunks up your carburettor or fuel |
| warranty, they will fix it for you when you take it in | | | | injectors than a dirty air filter.Tires, Brakes and Shock |
| for service. But be aware that you pay a premium | | | | AborbersOther items like tires, brakes and shock |
| for dealer service in most things, and you can often | | | | aborbers are generally not covered by warranties... |
| cut the cost of that routine maintenance by 30% or | | | | they are considered routine maintenance items. |
| more by using a good independent repair shop. And | | | | Choose your tires carefully... there are a wide range |
| the independent shop may be a bit more observant | | | | of tire grades, priced accordingly. Invariably those |
| in pointing out other problems with your car that you | | | | bargain prices you see advertised are junk tires and |
| can have fixed under warranty back at the | | | | not worth your time unless you are just fixing the |
| dealership.Check with friends or business associates | | | | car up to sell. Many tires will offer long mileage |
| to see where thery get their car serviced. Many | | | | warranties, but read the fine print... often that's |
| shops offer free shuttle transportation when you | | | | "pro-rated" and applied to the "list" price of a new |
| drop off or pick up your car. If you have a more | | | | one, not the highly discounted price you bought them |
| exotic car, be sure they specialize in that kind of car. | | | | for. This is an old scam. Put 20,000 miles on those |
| Since the cost of parts can often be more than the | | | | 50,000 mile tires and you may find the adjusted price |
| cost of labor, you should realize that OEM parts from | | | | of a new pair under warranty is higher than what |
| a dealer usually cost 50% more than the same parts | | | | you can buy them or a comparable set for outright. |
| from a good after market supplier, when available. | | | | In general, always buy tires at least in pairs. Never |
| But your dealer always uses OEM factory parts. And | | | | put one new tire on one wheel when the other has |
| items like tires, brakes, filters and rountine | | | | considerable wear. Generally, it's best to put your |
| maintenance parts are inevitably a good bit more | | | | new tires on the front to take advantage of better |
| expensive from the dealership.Once you decide | | | | steering and handling with a new tire. But if your car |
| where you want to have your car serviced, stick | | | | is rear wheel drive, be aware that badly worn tires in |
| with them if they do a good job for you. There's no | | | | the back will cause your car to skid and lose control |
| substitute for a good relationship with a repair shop | | | | quickly in wet or slippery conditions. If you rotate |
| when it comes time for major work or diagnostics. | | | | your tires regularly, say every 7500 or 10,000 miles |
| And many a shop will take a one time customer for | | | | at least, then your tires should all wear out around |
| a "ride", and take the easy route to fixing your | | | | the same time and it's best to replace all four as a |
| problem rather than the most cost effective one. A | | | | set.When putting on new tires, you should have |
| little story... | | | | them balanced and the front end aligned. Bad |
| I had a girlfirend once with an old Ford Mustang. Her | | | | alignment or balance will wear out new tires much |
| turn signals were not working and she took it into | | | | more quickly and can severely impact the handling |
| the Ford dealership for repair. They wanted to | | | | and ride quality. Often, balancing tries when they are |
| charge her $220 to replace the whole turn sign | | | | new, does not mean they will still be in balance after |
| mechanism and wiring harness, a big job as it involves | | | | 5-10,000 miles. I like to buy my tires from a tire |
| dismantling the whole steering column. She couldn't | | | | dealer that offers free rotation and rebalancing for |
| afford it and came to me asking what she should do. | | | | the life of the tire. I look for tires which handle well in |
| | | | wet conditions and avoid aquaplaning. Those are |
| I had a hunch and picked up a new blinker relay | | | | usually high end steel belted all-weather radials which |
| from the auto parts store for $3. I reached under | | | | also work pretty well in snow as well.Remember you |
| the dash, popped out the old one and stuck the new | | | | life and that of your family is riding on your tires. |
| one in there.Presto... the problem was fixed. I was | | | | Invest in good quality tires... it's a sound investment. |
| outraged that the dealer was going to charge her | | | | And one more thing, these new "low profile" tires |
| $220 when a simple $3 part fixed the problem. I | | | | that look so cool on these sport sedans. The low |
| went down there and complained bitterly and they | | | | profile means a short sidewall, which means little give |
| refunded her diagnostic charges anyhow. | | | | and flex there which, while it can contribute to better |
| In general, car repair shops are notorious for fixing | | | | handling, also means a stiffer less comfortable ride, |
| things that don't need fixing, and not always because | | | | and more wear on your suspension, since the tires |
| they are completely dishonest... but because it's | | | | are not absorbing the road irregularities as well, |
| faster than trying to figure out where the exact | | | | leaving it all up to the more expensive suspension |
| cause of the problem really lies. It's the old analogy | | | | parts.Shock absorbers are another important and |
| of fixing a loose nail with a sledgehammer. So finding | | | | often overlooked component. Worn shocks mean |
| a good reliable service shop can save you a lot of | | | | faster tire and suspension wear, particularly the ball |
| money over the years.I recommend you keep a log | | | | joints in the front end. It's relatively easy to check a |
| of your maintenance. It will help you do it regularly | | | | shock's performance. Push down swiftly on the |
| and that will prolong the life of your car. Abnd it also | | | | fender of your car over each of the four wheels. |
| looks good when it comes time to sell the car. | | | | New shocks should be pretty stiff and recover from |
| Here are some service issues that are critical and | | | | a hard shove with only a single rebound. If the car |
| some hints that not everyone is aware of.Oil | | | | bounces up and down several times above the |
| ChangesThe average new car recommends an oil | | | | wheel, the shocks are worn and should be replaced. |
| change every 7500 miles. I like to change mine twice | | | | These are not expensive and a good tire dealer can |
| during that period. Motor oil is cheap and nothing | | | | stick in a quality set like Monroe Shocks for little |
| wears an engine out faster than dirty motor oil. The | | | | more than $100 for all four on many models of |
| simple process of combustion produces a lot of | | | | cars.Also not covered by most warranties, the |
| by-products, acid, carbon, and contaminations from | | | | brakes should be checked regularly (whenever you |
| the air. And that contaminates your motor oil pretty | | | | rotate your tires and replaced when they get low. |
| quickly. I change it at 4000 but not the oil filter, and | | | | Driving with worn brakes (typically they squeal badly |
| then again at 7500 and change the oil filter at that | | | | when you come to a stop) will quickly score your |
| time. I maintain the same schedule thru 7500, 15,000, | | | | brake rotors or drums and make replacing them |
| 22,500, 30,000 and so on. | | | | essential as well as brake pads or brake shoes. Front |
| I use a high grade of motor oil... I have always liked | | | | brakes usually wear out first, and again depending on |
| Valvoline. But Quaker State, Pennzoil and other top | | | | how you drive, you can probably expect to replace |
| brands are probably equally good. Stay away from | | | | them every 30,000 miles or so. A good brake shop |
| the bargain brands. Quality lubrication is essential to | | | | will turn the rotors or drums, replace the pads or |
| your engine's longevity. In general you want it to look | | | | brake shoes, and rebuilt the calipers or wheel |
| clear and green on the oil dipstick... when it starts | | | | cylinders as needed. If you replace them often and |
| getting dark, it's time to change it, and when it gets | | | | the rotors/drums look good, sometimes you can get |
| black it's way overdue.The exception to this rule is | | | | away with just a new pair of shoes or pads.Also |
| that some synthetic oils which are black in | | | | keep an eye on your brake fluid under the hood. As |
| appearance when new. And unlike foods, where | | | | the brakes pads or shoes wear, the fluid level will |
| "synthetic" is a dirty word, in motor oils, the synthetic | | | | drop. That is normal, and you will need to add a bit |
| variety offers better lubrication than the petroleum | | | | of brake fluid from time to time. Be casrely not to |
| based "natural" oils and costs a good bit more as well. | | | | spill any on the car's paint as it is highly corrosive and |
| If you have an expensive car, it's probably well | | | | will eat thru the paint in a matter of moments.Car |
| worth the extra cost for the higher quality motor oil. | | | | Paint and InteriorIn order to preserve the value of |
| People who ignore things like routine oil changes | | | | your investement, you also want to maintain your |
| because they are too busy are very foolish. Dirty | | | | car's finish and interior. Keep the car washed and |
| motor oil wears out an engine very quickly and failure | | | | clean. Be careful about automatic car washes. Many |
| to keep it clean may very likely void your | | | | news ones do a fine job, but some of the older ones |
| warranty.Transmission oil is another item. Factory | | | | with stiff brushes can scratch your paint badly. If you |
| service often doesn't require it be changed more | | | | can keep your car in a garage or under cover, do it. |
| than every 30,000 miles. But depending on how and | | | | That old junk you have piled up in the garage while |
| where you drive it can get dirty and worn a lot | | | | your $35,000 car sits out in weather is a poor |
| quicker than than that. In general you want the fluid | | | | investment decision. Remove bird droppings and |
| to appear cherry red and have almost no smell when | | | | treesap as quickly as you possibly can. I keep a |
| you pull the transmission oil dipstick. When it is reddish | | | | plastic bottle with water and a soft rag in my trunk |
| brown and has a burnt smell, then your transmission | | | | and wipe off bird droppings as soon as I notice them. |
| is suffering. Many cars do not allow an easy change | | | | The acid in there will eat into your paint very quickly |
| of the transmission fluid. It is often necessary to | | | | and cause a blemish to that paint job. But blot don't |
| drop the pan of transmission to drain it, and then | | | | rub. Bird droppings typically have sand in them and |
| that usually holds 3-4 quarts and does not change | | | | that can easily scratch your paint. |
| the majority of the fluid which is in the torque | | | | You can remove tree sap and road tar with |
| converter. | | | | turpentine or paint thinner from your hardware store. |
| Some cars like my Mercury Mountaineer, have a | | | | It won't hurt the paint and will quickly dissolve the |
| separate drain plug for the torque converter and | | | | sap or tar. But is also removes car wax so use it |
| allow a change of fluid to be relatively complete. But | | | | sparingly, and if you do it often, treat your car to a |
| many others do not. My old Ford Explorer was that | | | | fresh turtle wax a few times a year. A freshly |
| way. Changing the fluid by dropping the pan only | | | | waxed car will cause water to bead up in little round |
| changed 1/3 the tranmission fluid, so if I waited til it | | | | beads on the surface. When those beads start to |
| was brown and burnt, one change did not do it. I | | | | disappear it's time for another coat of wax. Wax will |
| installed a drain plug in my transmission pan, and | | | | protect your car's paint, keep it from becoming |
| changed it 5 times running it a few miles after each | | | | porous and weathered and making the removal of |
| change, until I figured I had diluted the old burnt fluid | | | | things like bird droppings and sap much |
| adequately enough. So keep an eye on that fluid and | | | | easier.Remember factory paints are baked on and |
| change it often.Manual tranmissions don't use | | | | are in general much more durable than repaints. So it |
| transmission fluid... they use a 90W gear oil which | | | | pays to keep up that factory paint job. |
| generally doesn't need to be changed very often. But | | | | I like to use Armorall on the car's interior vinyl... it |
| keep your clutch adjusted properly with a little bit of | | | | keeps it soft and pliable and prevents cracking and it |
| freeplay at the top, and don't "ride the clutch". Be | | | | looks sharp. I also highly recommend using some kind |
| very careful about resting your foot on the clutch | | | | of a windshield protection screen in hot weather if |
| pedal as the weight of the foot can partially depress | | | | you park out in the sun all day. It will keep the car's |
| the pedal, and start to reach the edge of | | | | interior cooler and also protect the car's dash from |
| engagement, and this will wear out your clutch's | | | | cracking. And if your car has leather seats, treat |
| throw-out bearing very quickly. | | | | them to a quality leather preservative on a regular |
| Older cars all used carburettors to mix gas and air | | | | basis. Nothing makes a car harder to sell than cracked |
| and squirt it into the engine for combustion. Newer | | | | worn leather seats. |