Saving on vehicle costs

[rbmrtn]

Here's a link to a short article on the 3000 mile change "myth"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/your-money/11shortcuts.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Also for the "oil nerds" this a great site...

Bob Is The Oil Guy - Forums powered by UBB.threads™

 

[Finance Dave]

I refused to rotate my tires (the front/back are different sizes ).....

You could rotate them from side to side though.

Yes, even if they are radials. I know people used to say not to do this with radials, but that was in the early days of radials. Unless they are DIRECTIONAL tires...shown by some large arrows on the sidwall stating this.

 

[Amethyst]

Bought a 1986 MR2 Mark 1 for $15K and drove it for 18 years, in every imaginable weather except heavy snow (which it could not handle) and finally donated it. Only 120,000 miles - I felt cheated! Still, it hardly ever needed repairs until the end, when we learned that the suspension was badly rusted and the transmission was slipping. The charity took it anyway! I don't think they are taking beaters, nowadays.

Amethyst

In 2004 I sold a 1989 Toyota MR2 that I had purchased brand new. I only drove the car in good weather…it only saw rain about 5 times in its life…occasionally I’d get caught in rain when on a trip. When I sold the car…it was 15 years old and only had 32,000 miles on it. I



Let's see how this goes...and if the mods think this belongs in another area, feel free to move it.

Dave

 

[Amethyst]

I was told the same thing when I had my MR2: Using the transmission as a brake is...ill-advised. (Although I seem to recall a stronger word was used). Brakes are designed for braking. Learn to downshift properly and braking will not be an issue.

A.

Someone in my shop class once asked this same question. The answer from the teacher was, "what cost more to repair? The brakes or the transmission?"
Using the transmission puts wear on it as using the brakes does.

 

[travelover]

I'll buy all the other tips, but this one's a stretch. Warming up the cables doesn't make starting easier........

I've heard this one before, though I've never tried it. Supposedly exercising the battery raises the battery internal temperature (and available power) which more than offsets the electrical energy lost to the lights.

This would be a good one for myth busters.

 

[NW-Bound]

Brakes are designed for braking. Learn to downshift properly and braking will not be an issue.

In normal driving, I don't think it matters that much. But when going down a 16% grade road in northern coastal California, it is so easy to burn out the brakes, unless you are in 1st gear. Yes, 1st gear, not 2nd, which still lets you go down way too fast on a twisty and narrow road.

I was fortunate to be not driving the motorhome towing the toad. I was driving the car to explore that twisty road that would let me take a shortcut across the Mendocino Forest. Ugh... That would be a major faux pas, if I were dumb enough to attempt that with the motorhome.

See the link below for the narrowest section of that road. I hope the link works.

Google Maps - Mountain View Road

PS. The steepest road I have taken the motorhome with the toad had a 10% grade. I was going up, and down too, in 1st gear, and the engine was screaming! But it would be better than burning out the brakes, which then fade and lose their stopping power. So many RV'ers make that mistake. One did even set the brakes AND the tires on fire, and was able to get to a runaway truck ramp to save her life. However, there are many narrow roads with no truck runaway ramps. Nope! Only a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other side.

PPS. If in a bind, I would be able to proceed very slowly with my 25' motorhome over the above road. But what would a 40-foot class A RV'er do, if he stumbles onto that road? There is absolutely no place to turn around. Heh heh heh...

 

[steve88]

I'd say every 10k is sufficient, synthetic oil additives do tend to last longer. The exception would be if you don't drive it much.....I think I'd change it once a year at least regardless. Wow, 0W20 is very thin stuff!

Is there a reason why the oil need to be changed if you dont drive the car often? A 5000 mile oil thats in the car, Should that be changed if the car sat in the driveway? thanks

 

[ShustS6512]

Had a 69 Camaro SS ..Bought it used in 71' for $2100. It was stolen in 72. Lime green with the wide white stripes.

 

[meierlde]

2. Used to be you needed to change oil every 3,000 miles…not today. Today’s engines are made with much tighter tolerances and fuel systems that don’t dilute the oil with extra gasoline (older cars ran “rich”, meaning excess fuel was squirted in during operation…and this fuel would run down the sides of the cylinder walls, dilute the oil, and make it less effective). Check your owner’s manual, but most cars today can go at least 5,000 miles between changes, and if you drive under “ideal” conditions, then 7,500 would be ok. (Ideal conditions would be where temperatures are moderate…never gets real hot and never real cold, not dusty roads such as out in the country, and moderate to long trips…short trips of 0-2 miles are very hard on cars)

GM vehicles have had since at least 99 an oil life monitor, that tells you when to change the oil, on my cruze it tells you the percent of oil life left as did my folks 99 Buick. My 2000 pickup just said to change the oil. With this then you just need to decide what percent to change at. (My first change was at 50% because I wanted the break in products out). I did notice that day long drives do not take as much off the oil life and daily trips. The cruze owners manual says to change at least once a year anyway.

 

[youbet]

f. When you start your car after it’s sat out in very cold weather all day or night, do this. BEFORE you try to start it, turn on the headlights and wait 30 seconds. This gets electricity flowing through the battery and cables, slightly warming them. Then, shut off the headlights, and THEN start the car. This doesn’t make a huge difference, but when you need that tiny bit of extra “oomph” from your car battery, it will help.

Help me with this one. Since cold wires have less resistance than warm wires, how would warming the wires get you extra "oomph" from your car battery?

The battery being warmer would help, but not the wires.

Or is there something else going on here?

 

[Ronstar]

I agree with others about online research. Lots more available helpful information now compared to 30 or so years ago. I go to forums specific to make/brand. Yesterday I downloaded info on how to pull diagnostic codes. Did that and diagnosed a problem. Researched the problem, and tomorrow i'll remove a faulty module and send it off for repair for approx $150 as opposed to $1000 in repairs from a dealer.

 

[travelover]

I agree with others about online research. Lots more available helpful information now compared to 30 or so years ago. I go to forums specific to make/brand. Yesterday I downloaded info on how to pull diagnostic codes. Did that and diagnosed a problem. Researched the problem, and tomorrow i'll remove a faulty module and send it off for repair for approx $150 as opposed to $1000 in repairs from a dealer.

Right. The collective knowledge of the end users is greater than the dealer mechanic's.

 

[Finance Dave]

Is there a reason why the oil need to be changed if you dont drive the car often? A 5000 mile oil thats in the car, Should that be changed if the car sat in the driveway? thanks

The oil sits in an oil pan on the car. The oil pan has some oil, but also has air in it. As you know, air contains moisture, also called humidity. When temperatures change, that humidity settles out and condenses into water, which then gets in the oil. It's not a lot of water, but enough to cause problems over time.

Now, if you don't drive the car, that's a bit different....I'd be ok with leaving the oil in there quite some time, just be sure to change it before (or very soon after) you start driving it.

 

[Finance Dave]

Help me with this one. Since cold wires have less resistance than warm wires, how would warming the wires get you extra "oomph" from your car battery?

The battery being warmer would help, but not the wires.

Or is there something else going on here?

Focus on the battery.

 

[Finance Dave]

I agree with others about online research. Lots more available helpful information now compared to 30 or so years ago. I go to forums specific to make/brand. Yesterday I downloaded info on how to pull diagnostic codes. Did that and diagnosed a problem. Researched the problem, and tomorrow i'll remove a faulty module and send it off for repair for approx $150 as opposed to $1000 in repairs from a dealer.

Great!

As I said before, though, be careful. Sometimes a sensor will show a fault, and it's not necessarily the root cause. For example, let's say you put a tester on and it says the O2 sensor is reading rich. So you change the O2 sensor.

Then you drive the car, and you get the same fault. Ah ha, maybe it's reading rich because one of the injector tips broke off, and the engine is dumping excess fuel into the cylinder.

Always look for root cause.

 

[imoldernu]

I take the "save on vehicle costs" from a different standpoint. Buying the vehicle in the first place.
Together, my cars are 47 years old.
98 Town car bought 2000 w.14,000 miles for $17000... now 110,000 mi.
96 Cadillac SLS bought 2006 w/35000 mile for $5000... now 67,000 mi.
96 Mercury Grand Marquis bought 2011 w/60,000 mi $2500 now 63,000 mi.

Total current book value probably less than $5000 for all three.

We love big cars, the luxury ride, roomy cargo space (travel back and forth to FL, and the extra gee gaws... including premium sound systems.

Total shop cost for all three together, about $4,000... I do brakes, fluids, and small stuff. Website for almost any kind of repair possible. Like ignition problem in the SLS... $700 quote from dealer... solved with a $.75 resistor from Radio Shack (and some incredible pretzel body twists to get to it.

We bought the Marquis as "insurance" in case of major problems with either the Lincoln or the Cadillac, thinking it was better to buy when we didn't need it , than to HAVE to buy under pressure. Right now, except for one missing hubcap, all are in excellent condition. BTW... neither the Caddy nor the Marquis ever spent a night outside of a garage. (Estate Cars).

I run regular gas in all cars, get good mileage (for big old cars) and never have a ping. The Caddy gets 29mpg under cruise control, and for an old geezer like me, has plenty of pep 0-60 in 6.4 sec.

I expect 150M miles on the Cadillac, 175M miles on the Lincoln, and 150M miles on the Marquis. @ 10,000mi. per yr. avg driving, we'll never get a chance to buy a new car... Sad
Bummer...

 

[Finance Dave]

Right. The collective knowledge of the end users is greater than the dealer mechanic's.

Sometimes it's just hard sorting through the differences of opinion. For example, I have a ring/pinion noise in my Mustang. Search the internet and tell me what's wrong LOL...there are 100 people with 100 different things that can cause it... (ok, so I'm exaggerating lol)...but the point is that sometimes there's no substitute for a good ole in-person diagnosis by a highly qualified technician.

I just keep warning because I watch my MIL self-diagnose her medical conditions this way. She says "My chest hurts, and when I search the internet for 'chest hurts', it says I'm having a heart attack".

She's had 23 heart attacks in the past year.

 

[Finance Dave]

imolder, great way to save...that's the Dave Ramsey approach lol.

 

[travelover]

Sometimes it's just hard sorting through the differences of opinion.........

Also true, but some issues are common to a particular model.

• The "wrench light" came on in my Escape hybrid, forum said it was the blend door for the battery. I replaced it and nailed it.
• I was getting false ABS trigger on stopping, forum said cracked tone ring. I replaced it and nailed it.
• My front suspension was clunking and forum said stabilizer links. I replaced them and nailed it.

I agree on a weird problem that you need first hand knowledge, but for problems common to a given model, the most common problem for that make and model is the first thing to check.

 

[imoldernu]

O2 sensor... agree... depending on the car, can be almost anything. My SLS has 3 O2 sensors... replacement would be $1000+... The problem is endemic with my car... solved by opening the MAP sensor, and using electronics cleaning fluid on the tiny wire sensors.
Happens again in about 5-6000 miles, or after long idling. Mostly, I just wait for the OBD2 computer to reset after about 20 start-ups. Fortunately the Cadillac has a built in, user accessible diagnostic program. For the other cars, I use an engine analyzer $37... a worthwhile purchase.
Hang around, Dave... am pretty sure you'll be in demand...

BTW... Your opinion on ceramic vs. standard disc brake pads... After putting in ceramics, found out that after heavy hilly usage, that the discs were cut so badly they had to be replaced. (walls too thin to be refinished).

 

[Ronstar]

Great!

As I said before, though, be careful. Sometimes a sensor will show a fault, and it's not necessarily the root cause. For example, let's say you put a tester on and it says the O2 sensor is reading rich. So you change the O2 sensor.

Then you drive the car, and you get the same fault. Ah ha, maybe it's reading rich because one of the injector tips broke off, and the engine is dumping excess fuel into the cylinder.

Always look for root cause.

Good point!

The Electronic Body Control Module in my corvette could be caused by a corroded ground or corroded connector. I was getting sporadic warnings on the dash, but continuous warnings after the most recent car wash. So I'm going to check connections first. Also going to try to check battery voltage - the module needs full battery voltage to,operate properly. So I'm going to try these 2 things before I yank out the module.

 

[MDJO]

Sweet cars. Thanks for the pix Finance Dave.

My only tip is to keep your car a long time (assuming it's not too expensive to keep it going). We have two Hondas, one is 15 years old, the other is 11 years old, and they are solid, reliable, cheap transportation. Only carry collision and comprehensive since the cars have a low book value. My son is a mechanic and does most of the maintenance on the cars for us (brakes, oil, filters, etc.) We don't change the timing belt or water pump ourselves. 15 year old is on its second new timing belt/water pump (every 7 years). Those are our daily drivers. For my midlife crisis car I have a Porsche Cayman....I love the muscle cars but I also love my baby Porsche.

 

[martyb]

On my 2010 4 cyl Camry the oil change calls for 10K. But it does use synthetic oil 0W20. I still do it every 5K as I can't bring myself to go that long. What are your thoughts on this?

I read Finance Dave's reply to your question. I also have a 2010 Camry (SE) 4 cyl. and have been doing the 10k synthetic oil change thing. Also felt a little uncomfortable with it, since all my life I've always changed at either 3000 or 5000 miles (with non-synthetic). I've got about 62k miles on my Camry now, and am seriously thinking about going back to the 5000 mile oil change, even with synthetic. Wife's '07 Camry gets non-syn oil & 5000 mile changes.

 

[REWahoo]

On my 2010 4 cyl Camry the oil change calls for 10K. But it does use synthetic oil 0W20. I still do it every 5K as I can't bring myself to go that long. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm not Finance Dave, I don't use synthetic oil and I don't drive a Camry, but I'm still gonna chime in.

I have a 2004 Chevy purchased new and I've always followed the "10% oil life remaining" notifications on my computer. The notification comes on between 7,500 and 8,500 miles and that's been the interval between all my oil changes. The odometer now reads just over 100k and the car uses no oil.

Based on my experience I'd say going 10K between changes on synthetic oil is fine. But then a guy with a stash the size of yours can afford to change it once a month, eh?

 

[Bikerdude]

No exact number...but probably 2000 and newer. The engine tolerances have been very tight for quite some time.

Consumer Reports did an oil life study on NYC Taxi's in 1996. They found no difference in engine wear with 3,000 or 6,000 mile oil change intervals. Like REW my vehicles have an oil life monitor and indicate oil change needed between 7500 and 9000 miles. Personally, I would not go more than a year between changes no matter what the miles.