Keep your car from becoming a bucket..Mar 08 '03 (Updated Sep 07 '05) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Until the world creates a maintenance free vehicle, be responsible and take care of your automobile.
If you plan on keeping your car for a long time, or can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars in repair bills every other month, maintaining your vehicle is essential. Maintaining our vehicles may not the easiest thing to do, especially since most of us are very busy, however in the long run proper maintenance of a vehicle can prove to save tons of money, and even your life. The following tips are easy to do/ cheap cost maintenance that will help your car run better, and most importantly last longer. Change Your Fluids! I know you've heard it a million times before, but your going to hear it again; change your oil at manufacturer recommended change intervals! Most car manufacturers today recommend changing the oil every 3 months or 3,000-7,500 miles. I usually change my motor oil about every 4,000 miles even though my drivers manual claims I can go up to 7,500 miles. Failing to regularly change your oil will (not maybe) result in premature engine wear. Oil, especially over time loses its viscosity and breaks down leaving deposits on your engine internals, resulting in a less efficient engine, rapid wear, and over time can lead to the need for an engine overhaul (very expensive). I also recommend that you learn how to change your oil by yourself. It only takes about 15 minutes once you become a pro, and saves you tons of money over time versus taking your car to an oil change shop every 2-3 months. Use the correct type of oil: This info should also be in your manual. While many consumers believe that thicker is better, using the recommended SAE weight in your owners manual is your best bet. Today most cars recommend using a multi viscosity oil of 5W-30, this means that when you start your car in the morning it will be at 5 (thin enough to pump to your engine during cold starts) and will thicken to a maximum viscosity of 30 if needed. Using thick grades such as 20W-50 oil in a small passenger car can many times cut fuel economy in half, along with the life of your engine ( I had to learn the hard way). 5W-30 is the weight I use for all the cars I buy. On a personal note, I highly recommend using synthetic oils. I drive about 40,000 miles per year through all types of terrain. The anti wear protection of a high quality synthetic oil i.e. Mobil 1 gives me peace of mind when I'm revving the heck out of my cars when attempting steep mountain climbing. The only catch here is that a synthetic oil is going to cost about double what your ordinary conventional oil would cost. I pay about $4.25 per quart for Mobil 1 Full Synthetic oil; I feel in the long run it is worth the extra cost. Change your transmission fluid: Whether you have an automatic or manual transmission the fluid should probably be changed about every 30,000 miles for an auto and 100,000 for a manual. This is another one of those highly neglected maintenance procedures that can cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs. Do you know when the last time your transmission fluid was changed? I'm guessing most people will say "no." If this is the case I suggest getting it changed with a high quality synthetic or conventional fluid as soon as possible. Since this procedure is relatively hard to perform, I only recommend changing your transmission fluid by yourself if you know what you are doing or have a professional on hand. Having your transmission fluid changed will usually cost between $30-$70. Yet another neglected fluid in our car is antifreeze. So many people feel that this green fluid is somehow invincible to the stains of time. On the contrary, if not changed rust can build up in your cooling system resulting in expensive damage. All it takes is a change of this fluid every 40,000 miles or so to keep your cooling system in good condition. Changing your fluid can be done yourself very easily, or can be done at a shop for usually about $40. Remember, using just water to save a few bucks versus using the proper mix of antifreeze will rust your cooling system faster than you can imagine, resulting in the need for very costly repairs. I highly recommned paying the few extra dollars for a high quality antifreeze such as Prestone. Tune Ups: Many drivers on the road have undoubtedly heard of a tune-up, but many have no idea how to perform one, or have no clue what should be done if they take their car to a professional for this procedure. Basically you or the person performing a typical 'minor tune-up' should replace all spark plugs with a high quality platinum tipped plug i.e. Bosch, change the air filter (I highly suggest buying a K&N as it will last the life of your car), PCV valve replacement, and inspect of all hoses. A major tune-up would consist, in addition to the above, changing the fuel filter, all fluids, timing belt replacement, replacement of drive belts, an AC inspection, lubrication of rubbers on the exterior of the car, and lubrication of door hinges, etc. If you perform a minor tune-up (should be performed every 30,000 miles) by yourself you should be able to accomplish this task without spending more than $30, if you have someone perform this procedure it can cost up to $100 or much more in many cases depending on labor charges. A minor tune-up can be performed in-between major tune-ups. Much of the work in doing a major tune-up (should be performed every 60,000 miles) can be performed by the amateur mechanic, however if you are going to go with a full fledged major tune-up, many procedures might have to be performed by a professional mechanic. Most car owners should be able to get a major tune-up without spending more than $200. Failing to give your vehicle routine tune-ups will result in premature engine wear. Todays engines, as did yesterday's engines need attention. Failing to service your vehicle with regular tune-ups will end up in poor performance, decreased fuel economy, unreliable behavior, and even break-downs. Your car's feet: Recently I read a poll that nearly 90% of Americans think that they can tell if a tire is low simply by looking at or feeling their tires; big misconception. Many tires will look and feel normal to the touch even if they are down by 10-15 lbs of air pressure. You simply can not check your tires by feeling them or looking at them. Besides brake maintenance, tire maintenance is probably the most important safety procedure you can do for yourself and your family. Frequently checking your auto's tires will not only save you money in gas, and premature tire wear it, it just may save your life; preventing blowouts, etc. If you are not sure how to check your tires, and since a hands on approach is best in this manner, I suggest taking your car to a tire pro and asking them to show you exactly how to check your particular tires; many tires require different amounts air pressure, and the popular penny test (where you check the tread depth using a penny) just does not work for many performance tires. Final Thoughts: Performing maintenance on your car, whether you do it yourself or have somebody else do it, it not an option, it is a necessity. You simply must maintain your vehicle if you want it to run for years to come. Many of the above maintenance suggestions have probably been repeated to you many times before, however I can't stress enough how imperative it is to maintain your vehicle. If you would like some fuel economy tips, you may want to visit my fuel economy essay http://www.epinions.com/content_2666569860 - Thanks for reading.  |
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