Saving on vehicle costs

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fanmail I was asking about exterior car color for keeping the interior cooler. Thanks guys.

I would think the lighter color of the car the cooler the interior would be. Tinting the windows will also help.

[travelover]

So, getting back on subject - I can save on my car's air conditioning bills by painting it a lighter color? Roller or a brush? Latex?

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover So, getting back on subject - I can save on my car's air conditioning bills by painting it a lighter color? Roller or a brush? Latex?

I would think the paint would cost you more than the savings.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 I would think the paint would cost you more than the savings.

I get my paint off the curb. Just mix a couple cans and you have a nice grey.

[rbmrtn]

just physics ? black bodies absorb the light generating heat, light bodies reflect the light.

Probably little cost savings but more for comfort.

Man, remember blister your thighs as a kid sitting down on those almost melting vinyl seat covers.

[NW-Bound]

I think we will want to do more than putting on a light color paint. How 'bout putting in R-30 insulation all 'round?

Well, one may not be able to go that far, but how much can one do? How thick a ceiling liner? Spray the door cavities to fill up with foam? Can't lower glass windows, but how many of us drive with windows down anymore? Double-pane windows and windshields?

I thought I would just suggest to retirees here something to mull over in our spare time, other than SWR, AA, and future inflation rate.

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I get my paint off the curb. Just mix a couple cans and you have a nice grey.

You could put it on with an old roller and the end result should be fine.

[Cessna5354]

In addition to maintaining my vehicles myself, with 200K+ miles on some, I like to think my driving habits greatly assist in longevity.

I really am like Driving Miss Lazy !! My acceleration is slow, I take curves, off/on ramps with low speed, and all this is on NJ. I cruise at 68-70 mph, and get favorable fuel mileage, but it takes me a little longer to do so.

This was breed in me by driving a 240D diesel Mercedes with less than little power/acceleration.

Just the way I like, but I believe it minimizes wear on engine, trans, dirvetrain, tires, etc.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cessna5354 My acceleration is slow, I take curves, off/on ramps with low speed, and all this is on NJ.

You do this in New Jersey? It might be better for your car's longevity than your own.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kumquat I think you can get them from a dealer but I'm not sure if there are any manufacturers options. AFAIK (and it ain't far) it's 99% aftermarket.

The Nissan Leaf has a 3G connection to start its air conditioning. Just use the touchscreen on an iPad or a smartphone to turn it on and set the thermostat. Kinda nice when you're in the last five minutes of a meeting and not looking forward to going outdoors into that unshaded concrete parking lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem (I can hear the snickers from the folks living in the 50th state from here . . .)

Nah, that's only in season between 1 May and 1 October! The rest of the year would just be too mean.

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

Seeing we are coming back from overseas and looking at buying vehicles - I'd like to know how difficult it is to go down to just one car - we are close to grocery, coffee shop, etc but it's just given that as Americans and Texans at that, that we would need 2 cars, but do we really? How many folks have done that? We have budget for 2, but I think we may buy just one and see how it goes.

I'd like to hear from others that went down to just one car.

[panacea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finance Dave 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)

What about when minimal miles are put on a car? Say only 10k per year. Would you change the oil every 3 or 6 months? Thanks!

[Cessna5354]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem You do this in New Jersey? It might be better for your car's longevity than your own.

I drive while watching behind, almost as much in front, as you are correct you need to be defensive in the density of cars in NJ.

[meierlde]

Quote:

Originally Posted by panacea What about when minimal miles are put on a car? Say only 10k per year. Would you change the oil every 3 or 6 months? Thanks!

The owners manual on my 2011 cruze says once a year for sure. Of course that is synthetic oil which may last longer. (I think the synthetic is to ensure that the turbocharger is lubed all the time, they run the hottest part of the engine)

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Throwdownmyaceinthehole Seeing we are coming back from overseas and looking at buying vehicles - I'd like to know how difficult it is to go down to just one car - we are close to grocery, coffee shop, etc but it's just given that as Americans and Texans at that, that we would need 2 cars, but do we really? How many folks have done that? We have budget for 2, but I think we may buy just one and see how it goes. I'd like to hear from others that went down to just one car.

Why not try it, especially if there are plenty of amenities within walking distance.. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by panacea What about when minimal miles are put on a car? Say only 10k per year. Would you change the oil every 3 or 6 months? Thanks!

That's what I do with my older car. I put about 5K miles/yr on it, and I change the oil twice per year. In the spring I fill it with heavier weight multi-vis oil in prep for summer, in the autumn I use lighter weight oil in prep for winter. That won't work for everyone--Different cars and different climates have different requirements.

[kumquat]

Another thread inspired this tip. It worked on DW's newer Ford, on other makes YMMV.

Don't wait until you lose a key to get a spare. You can buy an uncut chip-key for < $30. Have it cut (<$10) and program it yourself. The Interweb has 'how to' instructions. On Fords you need two working keys to do this.

If you wait until you lose one it may cost from slightly under $100 to $400 depending on who does it.

[imoldernu]

Throwing out a new question...
Background... Back in 1959, in a Sears manager training program, I worked for a week in Automotive (garage)... Whenever any "under the hood" work was being done, (that store only)... the mechanics would steam clean the entire engine compartment, (with the owner's permission) Even the ancient old buggies came out shiny clean, and the thought was, cleaner engine lasts longer.

I have been washing the engine compartment of my cars, ever since then... Now, I spray Greased Lightning over the entire engine, frame, and the insulation under the hood.... and then use the hose to wash off the grease and dirt. My 15 to 17 year old cars look showroom clean under the hood.

In all of these years, I have never had a problem with starting, short circuits, or anything else that could be attributable to this "washing". After washing, I usually apply some "dressing" to the plastic parts, just for aesthetics.

So... is this wrong?, Crazy? A useless effort?... and have I been lucky not to have caused some major damage?

One thing I notice... on the times when a mechanic looks under the hood... he seems pretty happy to be working on a clean engine. It makes it a cleaner proposition for me, when checking the fluids, filters etc.

Whaddya think?

[NW-Bound]

I did not know that mechanics routinely cleaned engines back then (before my time). However, I have always done that as a periodic maintenance on my cars. Not showroom clean, but I keep the engines clean enough that if they leak oil or coolant, I would be able to tell. And because I do work on my cars, that's less grease on my hands.

But, but, but, there have been two occasions where the water spraying caused me trouble. I usually start up the engines after cleaning for the heat to dry up the water, sometimes after I blow-dry them too with a compressor air hose. That was when I discovered that the engine ran rough. Arghh...

In one occasion, the water got into a connector that had its protective boot busted. The water caused a current leakage between its connector terminals (a temperature sensor, if I recalled correctly), and messed up the engine controller. Finding the cause was tough (a day or two), but fixing it was of course easy. This was about 20 years ago.

On the second occasion, the water evaporated from the engine heat, then recondensed inside the distributor cap. On this front-wheel drive car, the distributor cap was between the engine and the firewall and under the intake manifold, which meant that it could only be accessed from under the car. Arghh... That also took me a day or two to locate the cause. This incidence was about 15 years ago.

Do I still clean my engines? Yes, I still do. As you can see, the above incidences were traumatic enough for me to remember up to today, but I guess I am just OCD about this.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu have I been lucky not to have caused some major damage? Whaddya think?

I think you may well have caused environmental damage. Pollution to the groundwater from the runoff of those chemicals.