Car upkeep, what's neccessary and what's fluff?

[laurence]

So Brewer just reminded me, I got my 60k tune up on the Jeep a couple months ago, and I noticed I too felt like it ran better, smoother, etc. But it ain't cheep, I think with everything it cost me nearly $700. The list of things they did ran three pages, but I was wondering, how much of that are things that really don't need to be done? Sure, oil changes are a no brainer, but replacing the hoses? How about we just see if one is cracked and replace that one? I declined that, but there are others I accepted but weren't sure. I was just thinking, since there are a bunch of LBYM types here, this is an area where a little knowledge could really squeeze some more blood out of the turnip that is our budget...

 

[d]

I drove my last car 287,000 miles (13 yrs), never let a dealer touch it, was worked on by only one mechanic. changed oil and filter every 2500 miles, at which time the mechanic gave it the once-over -- did all maintainance items as listed in the manual.

 

[Dawg52]

I took my Isuzu in a couple of weeks ago for an oil change and a new timing belt. Got that along with a new water pump, break job, and a general tune up all for the tidy sum of $825.   

With that investment, looks like I'm gonna have to drive it another year or two. If I do that then I will need another set of tires before long. It never ends.  

I will admit, it drives a whole lot better now.

 

[brewer12345]

I ski the dealer and go to my independent mechanic. I have him do only what is in the manual. The dealer usually pushed a ton of fluff.

 

[HFWR]

Oil and filter every 5k mi, air filter when dirty, fuel filter @ 50k, plugs maybe 50k, change antifreeze and flush system at maybe 50-60k, change tranny fluid at 50-60k, check differential grease and add plus grease chassis at oil changes...

Oh yeah, belts and hoses when frayed or worn, tires rotated every 5k or so, timing belt at recommended mileage...

YMMV... 

 

[haha]

I took my Isuzu in a couple of weeks ago for an oil change and a new timing belt. Got that along with a new water pump, break job, and a general tune up all for the tidy sum of $825.   

I think you got a whole lot for your $825.

Ha

 

[JB]

I stick with the schedule except:
change belts when worn, change hoses when worn, change brake fluid when doing brake job. I do most maintenance myself, and have an oil change place to the real messy work, like changing the coolant.

 

[Dawg52]

I think you got a whole lot for your $825.

Ha

Maybe. I've just become a cheap old bastard these days.  

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Find a trustworthy, experienced and reasonably-priced mechanic (I know that's really difficult) -- and let him/her decide what's necessary.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Here is my list of essentials: Follow Mfgr Recs on all items

1.) Oil and Filter Changes

2.) Air Filter

3.) Coolant Change

4.) Brake Fluid

5.) Transmission and Differential Fluid

6.) Tire Rotation

7.) Timing Belt

 

[Andre1969]

Here's what my 2000 Intrepid has gone through over its 117,000 miles...

30,000 miles: transmission service, new tires
39,000 miles: new front brake pads
51,000 miles: new rear brake pads, new spark plugs, alignment check, replace thermostat housing, which was leaking
62,000 miles: front end alignment, transmission service
69,000 miles: new front brake pads
77,000 miles: new tires
85,000 miles: new accessory belts, coolant change
87,000 miles: TSB to fix problem with oil pressure sending unit (oil pressure light would come on but thankfully, it was a false reading!)
91,000 miles: transmission service
98,000 miles: new front brake pads, new front rotors
102,000 miles: new rear brake pads
106,000 miles: new battery (as a precaution)

Plus, I've done oil changes every 3000-4500 miles. Tried to change the PCV valve and air filter every 15-20,000. And rotate the tires every third oil change.

As for upcoming stuff, about the only thing I'm planning on is another tranny service at around 120,000 miles, and maybe change the coolant and hoses in the fall. The mechanic told me to change the coolant around 150,000 miles, and he'd do the hoses too (they were fine the first time around...evidently they last longer with that pink stuff?). However, I don't drive nearly as much as I used to, so 150,000 miles is probably at least 3 years away.

 

[Cut-Throat]

The mechanic told me to change the coolant around 150,000 miles,

Must not live in a place that gets much winter. Coolant will break down after 30-40K. In a Minnesota winter you'd have a big problem.

 

[HFWR]

I've known several GM products where the coolant turned to sludge, causing major problems...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

From what I've seen, most of the "check this, check that" stuff never gets checked. Thats what you're paying extra for. That can lead to a false sense of security.

Unless its one of those deals where they check stuff for free looking for stuff they can charge you to fix. Then you better get a second opinion.

Theres a term, I think its "wall job", where you bring your car in for service, they put it over next to a wall, and go get it when you come in to pay.

Ever notice your car seems to run better after you wash it?

Perception...

 

[Nords]

In the 1980s we religiously ripped submarines apart and rebuilt them according to schedule. It didn't matter if you just ran that pump for a couple months with no problem or the new parts didn't look any different than the "old"-- if it had been x months or y run-hours then you "maintained" it. Of course sometimes the maintenance caused more hassle, damage, and delays than just letting it run to failure.

When the Cold War ended the submarine force discovered with a shock that our money supply wasn't infinite. Suddenly we became "smarter" about performing maintenance "only when necessary". Entire "performance monitoring" teams were created to sweep through a submarine during its upkeep, running all the gear and checking various performance criteria. It took a while to work out the bugs, but eventually the equipment only received maintenance attention when its performance was noticeably degraded.

Today a lot of the submarine systems are built with their own performance-monitoring microprocessors. They'll tell you when they want your help. I hear a lot of newer cars are the same way, but our most recent model is 1997 so I guess we won't find out about that for a while.

 

[Cut-Throat]

When I was in the Navy, I had my 'own' little Navy base, complete with a barb wire fence around it, which consisted of a Radar Trailer in the woods. It was used for electronic warfare training for pilots.

I was the lead Petty Officer. After a few months it dawned on me that performing 'regular' maintenance was causing 'downtime' - I just started filling in the maint sheets without doing the maint - I was commended for the highest 'up' time the following year. My main mission was 'getting out' of the Navy - Having a lot of 'down time' produced too much scrutiny. 8) - If I actually admitted I was doing this, I would have spent my remainder of my duty in the Brig.

 

[laurence]

Wow C-T, you definitely have a pair! I'd be too chicken to risk time in a Navy Brig (No, no, I said I was bilingual, that means something different!).

 

[Cut-Throat]

Wow C-T, you definitely have a pair! I'd be too chicken to risk time in a Navy Brig (No, no, I said I was bilingual, that means something different!).

I don't follow you here Laurence. I read your post about 4 times. I'm sure it's funny, but you're gonna have to explain it to me

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I got it.

I dont want it.

 

[laurence]

Navy...hey sailor, prison, prisonmate, bilingual, not bisexu-oh, well, I think I've run it into the ground at this point.  

I should have put quotes around it, "No, no, I said I was 'bilingual' that means something different!  I don't switch hit!"

 

[HFWR]

Testicles...

 

[Cut-Throat]

Testicles...

No wonder I didn't get it. Still don't!

 

[laurence]

Well, the have a pair was a reference to that, the next part was a seperate thought.

Thought one: You are brave

Thought two: Navy brig runs a risk of being an unwilling boyfriend of your big cellmate....

 

[Nords]

Well, the have a pair was a reference to that, the next part was a seperate thought.
Thought one: You are brave
Thought two: Navy brig runs a risk of being an unwilling boyfriend of your big cellmate....

Here, Laurence, lemme translate some cultural misapprehensions.

You see, your problem here is that you assume that us Navy guys have to actually be "IN" the brig for that behavior to occur.

Of course I'm just a relic of one of the Navy's last guy bastions. So I could be wrong, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Cut-Throat, I'm surprised that some supervisor didn't ask to see the requisitions for all the supplies & materials that you hypothetically "consumed" during your "maintenance", or all the excess depot-level repairables that you should've turned in afterwards. You woulda been busted during the second quarter-- you were supposed to keep ordering all that stuff and then selling it to military surplus stores!

Not that I actually know anything about that. I've just been looking over my old notes from the Senior Legal Officer's course.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Cut-Throat, I'm surprised that some supervisor didn't ask to see the requisitions for all the supplies & materials that you hypothetically "consumed" during your "maintenance", or all the excess depot-level repairables that you should've turned in afterwards. You woulda been busted during the second quarter-- you were supposed to keep ordering all that stuff and then selling it to military surplus stores!

Not that I actually know anything about that. I've just been looking over my old notes from the Senior Legal Officer's course.

Well, this was back during the Vietnam War. We were running a World War II radar. The only spare parts that were available was a bone-Yard of radar machines that we were free to pilfer for our parts. Believe it or not these Radar machines used Vacuum Tubes!

The maintenance itself did not 'consume parts' as long as you got 'good readings' - And when we filled in the forms, they always indicated the readings were 'good'. We did maintenance only when a part failed. We would go to the Bone-Yard out in the Woods and scavenger for parts.

The radar units had Rack mounted electronic chassis. Just pulling out the Chassis to be able to test Voltages, may result in a broken wire or other damaged part. We soon discovered that not Pulling out the rack mounted ELectronics resulted in far less down time and more naps in the woods. 8)

When I got out of the Navy, the 'CO' of the base asked me what I thought contributed to the Highest "Up time of any Facility on the Base" - I told him that with old equipment, it paid not to disturb the components any more than necessary. I left it at that.