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Tips to Properly Maintain your Vehicle
Keaton was getting his oil changed the other day, and realized he doesn’t remember me ever putting something up about vehicle maintenance. He jotted down his top five tips for maintaining your car or truck…. or van… or SUV…
- Have your oil changed every three to four thousand miles or 4 months… which ever comes first… and depending on your driving habits. Most drivers do not know that bad oil can lead to poor gas mileage. This is due to junk building up in your crankshaft. That junk, soon enough, makes it harder for the vehicle to run. The harder your motor has to work the more gas you end up using.
- Make sure your tires are properly filled to the recommended pressure. It is best to check by looking at the tire when you enter and exit the vehicle. Also, be aware that it is recommended to check your tire pressure at the beginning of the summer and winter. This will ensure that temperature is not effecting your tire pressure. Low tire pressure can lead to poor gas mileage and maneuverability issues so stay on top of it or you might end up paying for it.
- Your fuel and ignition system are important parts that need to be maintained regularly. This includes spark plugs, spark plug wires, and fuel filters. Once again they too can effect your gas mileage. Ensuring that all these items are working properly and are replaced at least once a year will keep your vehicle running healthy.
- Make sure your vehicle can breathe. Just like all living things, your vehicle needs air to work properly. Most air filters need to be changed when your oil is changed. If your car can not breathe it can end up getting….. I bet you can guess it, poor gas mileage. The cleaner the filter the happier your car will be.
- Clean your car. You might think I am kidding, but it is proven that a clean car can get more gas mileage. If you are wanting to save some green, washing and waxing you vehicle will make it more aerodynamic. Doing this will make your vehicle glide through the air.
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3 Comments
Brandon Morris
March 12th, 2008
at 1:11am
Interesting – I am a car mechanic idiot – if you ever see me under a vehicle call 911 b/c I’m not supposed to be there.
That being said – I DO try to take care of my vehicles….I took my car in for routine service…oil change, wipers, air filter, the works…
Came home to find out the car is racing when it’s supposed to be idling. UGH…what is this? who knows…this has also been the following day when I find this out.
For $9 I was able to double check that the “racing” wasn’t normal – the RPMs were too high and the expert from http://www.justanswer.com told me that when they replaced my air filter they forgot to reconnect a vaccum line…with that, I popped the hood, found the air filter, and found the line that wasn’t connected, & figured out where it went.
Sure beats driving back to the service shop and telling them they messed up – and it sure beats taking in for special service… all this for $9 and it only took under 30 minutes to have my car up and running right again….PRETTY COOL
Bill
March 12th, 2008
at 3:39am
Most modern automobiles — and some trucks — have radial tires. It is impossible to look at a radial and tell if the pressure is correct. Due to the way the sidewalls flex, by the time low pressure is obvious it can be anywhere from 10 to 15 p.s.i. (0.7 – 1.0 k.c.s.) below optimum.
Low tires not only cause poor mileage, they reduce traction and braking, greatly reduce tire life and, in extreme cases, lead to tire failure.
Tires should be checked monthly with a good tire gauge, and kept at or 3-5% above the recommended pressure stamped on the tire sidewall. Auto manufacturers often recommend pressures slightly below normal to give a smoother ride, and even tire stores will underinflate new tires for the same reason.
If the car is being driven with a heavy load, towing a trailer, etc., follow your manufacturer’s recommendation for tire pressures under those conditions. They will usually be about 10% higher than the “normal” pressures. (See above, ref. “normal” pressures.)
Most post-’80’s ignition systems are good for 80 – 100K miles before plugs or other ignition parts need replacing. If your car is being serviced regularly according to the manufacturer’s specifications, you can basically forget about it.
Ref. tires: anything other than driving at highway speeds is considered “heavy duty.” Check your owner’s manual. Heavy duty use…constant commuting in heavy traffic, dusty or summer conditions, etc. requires more frequent oil changes.
Gordo
March 12th, 2008
at 6:46am
I think that I’d add one caveat about this – READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL… For one thing, these are the people that built your vehicle telling you what needs to be done when. For another there are things other than the basics that need to be checked/changed. I’m frankly surprised that the old “3 months or 3,000 miles” standard is still around. Think about it – that’s been the “standard” since I was a kid (let’s say about 30-35 years). In that time oil has gotten better – more pure and with better additives. Engines have tighter tolerances, cleaner castings and in general are put together much better than 30 years ago resulting in LESS wear products in the oil. Why then do we need to change it as often as we did 30 years ago?
I currently have a;
Mitsubishi Galant. Recommended interval for oil changes – 7,500 miles.
GMC Envoy. Recommended interval for oil changes – between 4,500 to 6,500 (rough estimate) based on driving conditions (auotmatic change oil light).
Yamaha RS Venture. Recommended interval for oil changes- 4,0000 miles (engine oil also lubricates primary transmissiongears – more wear).
Will it hurt to change your oil more frequently than recommended? Not at all, BUT – will it provide additional benefit? Todays vehicles are much better built than they were even 10 years ago. Many of the engine/driveline components that used to fail early (such as spark plugs) now have lifespans that rival the lifespan of earlier engines!
Finally, what about the downside? While too frequent maintenance probably won’t hurt your vehicle, it will hurt your wallet.