2. OIL
How Often: Check monthly; change every 3,000 to 6,000 miles
Pay Now: Free to check; $20 to change yourself (oil, disposal fees); $20 to $40 at a shop.
Or Pay Later: Not changing the oil can void your warranty. Increased wear will shorten the engine's life span. Rebuilt engines cost $1,000 to $3,000, plus labor, depending on the car.
3. AIR FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change when less than 50 percent of the filter lets light through when held up to a 100-watt bulb.
Pay Now: Free to check; $15 to $50 to change yourself; add another $20 or so for someone else to change it for you.
Or Pay Later: 10% increase in fuel consumption; if gas costs $3 per gallon and your car holds 20 gallons, you're wasting $6 with each fill-up--$156 a year, if you fill up every two weeks.
4. TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change every three years or 36,000 miles.
Pay Now: Free to check; a few dollars to top it off; $30 to change it yourself; $40 to $80 to for someone else to do it.
Or Pay Later: Dirty or low fluid can cause problems with shifting and transmission failure. Transmissions cost $1,000 to $2,000, plus labor, to repair or rebuild.
5. BRAKE FLUID
How Often: Check each oil change; change every two years or as needed if your brakes feel soft.
Pay Now: Free to check; $3 to $20 a quart, depending on the fluid; $65 to $165 for a mechanic to change the brake fluid.
Or Pay Later: $60 or more to replace pads; $2,5000 or more, depending on your car's year, make, and model, for a complete brake job. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, reducing the brakes' effectiveness, which can lead to accidents.
6. TIRE TREAD
How Often: Check monthly; buy new tires when you see all of Lincoln's head on a penny stuck headfirst in a tread.
Pay Now: One penny to check; $40 to $200 per tire to replace, plus labor.
Or Pay Later: As much as $25,000 or more for a new car if you wreck due to a tire blowing.
7. TIRES FOR PROPER INFLATION
How Often: Ideally once a week, but at least monthly; inflate as needed.
Pay Now: Free to check; 25 to 50 cents to inflate.
Or Pay Later: $40 to $200 per tire, plus labor, to replace improperly worn tires.
(Photo: hehatemeMAN)
]]>Another very important thing to check, is to not ever let your car get below half a tank in winter, and below a quarter of a tank in summer. This is especially so if you live in a colder climate where freezing is possible. If you do, throw some fuel system cleaner in your gas tank and it'll save your engine a lot of gunk inside.
]]>@kc2idf: This changes around 45 - 50 MPH according to a mythbuster's experiment. at that speed the windows being open do effect the aerodynamics.
Also opening your truck bed doesn't help, it is actually worse.
]]>@banmojo: Riiight.... I got my T-bird past 200K but I took care of it. Three years later, someone else is still driving it. Betcha it's at 300K by now.
]]>When you decide to actually replace the air filter, most retailers have a reference book for customers to look up their car's model and year. A few brand options will be listed. Generally, the cheapest one will suffice. Done and done.
]]>brake fluid is powerful. I ate a tire with it. bad brand tire or not..it really happened. A shop isn't a bad idea..unless you can remeber the trials and errors ;)
]]>I've never had an oil related problem with since I've used Mobil 1 synthetic oil in every car I've owned since it came out in about 1975.
My oil change intervals have always been between 8500-9000 miles with a filter change about halfway through that cycle.
It's much more important to check their pressure regardless of what they are filled with.
]]>A friend put the same tires on his car but with normal air, and has to put air in every month or so. I'll never give up my nitrogen.
]]>In my VW diesel, the recommended interval is 10,000 miles and they mean it. My gasser VW also has a 10,000 interval. I had the European versions of each car with the oil monitoring system, I could stretch the interval out to 20,000 easily, which I may do anyways after a UOA (used oil analysis). And yes, I do use a VW spec 507.00 synthetic, but it's cheap when you look at the $/mile cost.
The 3 months or 3000 miles is just propaganda put out by the oil and lube shops and believed my millions who don't know how to RTFM or maintain their vehicle.
]]>Aside: My Accord's brake indicator goes on with the handbrake, when the fluid is low, or when it's humid and/or cold outside. Makes for some interesting mornings...
]]>Other things to check are the Oxygen Sensor, Throttle Possition Sensor, Mass Air Flow Sensor, drive belts and or chain, spark plugs, etc.
]]>Oh, one important thing that hasn't been mentioned is SALT.
If you live in an area that puts salt on the roads during the winter, you *need* to buy that undercoating, and you *need* to keep a quality paint job on your car. "Quality" means "Not Maaco," it means a rather more expensive and more complete job that includes sanding and priming.
You can do without it, if you don't mind having your car rust out from under you. If that's too much maintenance, buy a nice stainless-steel DeLorean!
A good wash will help avoid the above, as well, but if you're in an area that salts the roads, you probably don't want to be hurling water on your car.
]]>Many "Change" or "Check" lights will also be tied to the odometer. You should follow a schedule, but (assuming everything is working properly) it won't kill your car. Risk management.
@GloStix:
Too bad the air we breathe includes oxygen. And all the water that gets on your wheels during the rain is 1/3 oxygen.
@iMike:
Please don't do that. They're liable to recycle it to use in those $20 oil changes.
]]>Which is, of course, crap. Different models may require more maintenance than others. Buying a Pinto over a Beat because the Pinto was "made in America" would be just as stupid as thinking an M3 will break down more often than a Mustang.
The major difference is in parts. Dealer parts for a foreign car which has no or few plants in your country are going to run more than local parts. Depending on where you live, labor may be substantially higher as well - it will be more difficult to find someone to service your Ferrari in the middle of the bayou than it will in New York.
That still doesn't make the Ferrari break down more often, when properly maintained.
]]>FORD - Fix Or Replace Daily
]]>My car "tells" me when to change the oil. I'm not sure if I should trust it to tell me or follow a schedule.
]]>@kc2idf: Almost all fuel injected vehicles disengage the A/C when the throttle is over 80% or so. Even some older vehicles had a WOT switch on the carburetor or throttle linkage that would disengage the A/C.
However A/C compressors are much more efficient than they used to be and place much less drag on an engine than they once did. Couple that to smaller engines having more power than ever, and there's little difference in fuel economy with the A/C off or on. Personally, a 1% gain in fuel economy (if its that much) isn't worth sweating to death in the hot, humid summer weather we have here.
]]>@ beercheck
ahh....me slow today. So the eye-tal-yan cars will cost you 8x your purchase cost in maintenance....like the ol "FIAT" = Fix It Again, Tony
]]>Watch those tires. Sometimes its hard to tell though. My car used to vibrate at high speeds. The tires all looked fine. One night I was coming home doing 70 on the freeway when my car bounced and sounded like I hit something, but I was the only one on the freeway. I pulled over and saw my rear bumber hanging off and large marks on my car. I thought the axel broke. Tow truck came and said "Nope, your tire lost its tread". Sure enough it did.
Easy fix... A little glue for the bumper ~$5, some elbow grease to remove the tire marks on the car and then 4 new tires @ $400 for all. But warrentied though, but still expensive.
]]>Being able to see all of his face means time to change unless you live in areas where you get no snow.
]]>But it requires a lot of maintenance!
]]>@pretzelgreg: Emblems. You know, the stuff that tells you who manufactured/marketed the car.
]]>@jwissick
I'm pretty sure when I changed the pads on my e36/5 BMW that there was a physical sensor on the brake pads. The float is to tell you that your brake fluid is low, but there's another light for pad wear.
@kimsama: DOT 3 fluid, the most common, is not toxic really. It is certifed by the dept of agroculture as it is a soy product.
]]>@beercheck
Badging? I may be tired byt I dont understand your post.
]]>Also, for 2005 and earlier BMW 3-series, changing the oil can be cheap and easy if you use an oil extractor, which sucks out the oil via the dipstick tube (and yes, people have verified that this method gets out -- on 3-series BMWs -- about as much oil as via the oil drain plug). Just do a google search for "bmw oil extractor diy".
]]>...Air is 78% nitrogen as it is. I really doubt the other 20% makes that huge of a difference when it comes to the speed at which it leaks out. And it's not like you're removing all the air from the tire before inflating it with nitrogen anyway, so there's going to be some oxygen in there. Besides, your rim is hitting regular air on the outside anyway, so how is pure nitrogen inside going to prevent corrosion? I sincerely doubt the difference is large enough to justify $20 every time I inflate my tires.
]]>Check the air filter with a 100 watt bulb?
Gasp!
If you can't do it with a crappy CFL bulb, it just shouldn't be done/
]]>Have your brake system checked to determine the exact problem when brake fluid level is low.
Low brake fluid level can also indicate brake fluid leakage in the brake lines, master cylinder or wheel cylinders seals...so it can be more than just an indicator of worn brake disk pads or brake shoes.
@jwissick:
But JWISSICK that figures that the vehicle has a brake wear light- most don't. And remember that places which replace brakes usually don't actually change/flush the fluid when they work on the brakes- they just top off too...
]]>That said, I did need to put more brake fluid in, just to get to the mechanic in one piece (yeah, and it's only 1 mile away).
P.S. Brake fluid is ridic toxic, so I agree with you on the not changing it, too.
]]>25,000 dollars to replace brake pads?! i think i'll just buy a new car instead!
]]>@Jonathan21: Mazda6
]]>*** NEVER add brake fluid to your car!!! ***
Your brake fluid level indicates how worn your disk brakes are. If you add fluid it will throw off the float that makes the brake light come on when the brakes are worn!!! Yes. I know what I am talking about. I used to be an ASE certified mechanic before I went into the high tech world.
If your brakes are soft it is NOT cause you are low on fluid. Do not change your own brake fluid unless you have been train how.. especially with todays anti-lock brakes.
If you want to not bother checking your tire pressure, you can get your tires filled with Nitrogen. It is a larger molecule than the other gas mix found in the air and leaks out much slower. It will cost a bit more.. about $5 per tire, but it is worth it as it prevents corrosion in the rim.
Best to take your car to a brake shop one a year for a top to bottom brake inspection.
]]>so... was there a need to put the 25k number in there? you might as well have put "up to eleventy-billion dollars...or more!" in instead. sounds even more dramatic that way.
]]>I actually read the same thing a few years ago. Nice post.
I checking your tires seems like one of the things you should do at a MINIMUM if you drive, people.
]]>All that said, comfort trumps all.
]]>@B: @kc2idf: @RogueSophist:
Hmmmm. I don't recall those Nascar guys running with pop-out windows and compressors.
Most efficient = windows up, no a/c
2nd best = windows down, no a/c
least efficient, by far = a/c
It's a harder test nowadays since cars' ecms kick up the throttle when the compressor engages, but if you're on a level road, keep the accelerator in the same position and roll down the windows, you'll hardly notice any change in speed. Do the same with the a/c and you'll lose VERY noticeable speed.
]]>Not a bad idea to check steering, suspension componets, and the level in your rear differential when your under the car changing the oil or dropping the transmission pan to change the fluid and filter.
]]>Don't believe me?
Get in a small car (something Corolla-sized would do) with a small engine (<2.5L) and see how long it takes to do 0-60. Now turn on the A/C and repeat.
Don't try this in a Subaru; they have a clutch that disengages the A/C when you accelerate hard. They also have really snotty engines for their size, which spoils the experiment.
However
I think that Beercheck may be wrong about this. Opening the windows rather than turning on the A/C fouls up the aerodynamics of the car, and the aerodynamics are a big part of where the car's fuel economy comes from.
On the other hand, it may be a wash. Maybe I'll do an experiment with it once the weather warms up a bit.
]]>Checking brake fluid level is important, but will not increase the lifespan of your brakes. The brakes also need to be checked, since if they wear too far they can ruin the rotors, or cause an accident.
]]>@sir_eccles: Close the windows??? Assuming you're not advocating using the a/c in lieu of windows, ok. But if you are.....c'mere, I wanna show you something..
]]>- Take out unnecessary crap collecting in the trunk (or boot if you're British like me), it's just dead weight
- Take off the roof rack if you're not using it
- Take off those stupid f'ing team flag things
- Close the windows while driving
]]>8. Badging
How Often: Immediately prior to purchase.
Pay Now: However much you like.
Pay Later:
Scandinavian badge: Purchase Price x 2
British Badge: Purchase Price x 3
Italian Badge: Purchase Price x 8
Not having coolant/antifreeze has bigger repercussions than the water pump. If your car does not have coolant/antifreeze it will overheat the motor and you will be stranded on the side of the road and possibly damage the motor.
]]>