Hot answers tagged maintenance
18
Inside the car:
Manual: Check the manual for the service history. Was it services regularly at a authorized dealership?
Ash tray: Smells like cigarettes? The previous owner was a smoker, dealbreaker for me personally.
Interior: Does the amount of wear correspond with the expected amount of wear for a car of that age and mileage?
Trunk: Spare tire ...
10
I'm going to answer the basic mechanical points, as weighted by my opinion of importance. I'm leaving out the issue of waxing as potentially too broad.
Safety: These are critical. Do not proceed down the list without addressing each (at least).
Safety glasses: Always wear them, especially when you don't think that you need to. I purchased mine from the ...
9
First off, everything Bob said.
General
Socket Extensions: Your socket set may come with 1 or 2 extensions but I'd buy a couple more. Having different length extensions are invaluable for getting to hard to reach items, plus you can combine them together for a longer extension.
Socket U-Joint Adapter: I never see these in socket sets and you will regret ...
8
Every manufacturer recommends their own fluids. Everybody wins because your engine gets "less corrosion" and they great great markup on those things.
A while ago I did cooling system maintenance (replace hoses, water pump, thermostat, temp sensor, radiator cap) on my wife's BMW 330i. That make/model has a lot of following and several high-quality forums ...
8
The key things you can to to keep your fuel economy:
Keep it tuned up: for spark plugs and wires, go with the manufacturer recommended brands/default ranges. Additionally, you'll want to make sure you change the oil regularly, as sludgy oil will rob your motor of efficiency. Finally, a clean air and fuel filter will also go a long way to imrpoving fuel ...
7
I echo jzd's answer. The car's owner's manual should tell you what you need.
To answer some more of your question: numbers like "5W30" are viscosity ratings. They indicate how viscous ("thick") the oil is. Most oils are "multi-viscosity," quoting a range of weights (e.g., 5W30 instead of 30W) to indicate how they behave at different temperatures. The "W" ...
7
There do exist these "Fix it Yourself" garages.
You can rent time in a bay with various levels of equipment, with or without a lift, tools, etc. All affecting the rate of course.
I am not sure how prevelant these are in various areas so you will have to try to search one out if it exists near you, here is an example website of one I found searching ...
7
Some reasons that old cars may not be able to be supported indefinitely are:
Rust. If you get rust in areas that are hard to reach and compromise the integrity/safety of the vehicle, it may be cheaper to buy a new car than pay the massive labor for extensive rust repairs. These days labor rates are insanely high, the killer is the disassembly/reassembly ...
7
At least in the United States you are not required to use the dealer for service,parts or repairs to maintain your warranty. You will be required to have the warranty work done at the dealer except in extenuating circumstances,(like the nearest dealer is 150 miles away) but you must still contact them first. If they deny a warranty claim on the basis of non ...
6
Following on from Bob and ManiacZX's answers:
Screwdrivers
A good assortment of screwdrivers are essential - including torx or hex bits if your car uses them. Some socket sets include screwdriver bits, which can be very useful. An old long-handled flat driver can often double up as an impromptu pry-bar too...
Hammer
Like the above, you'll probably ...
6
I'd say there are many pros and cons for newer and older as a starter (I went older, 84 Nissan 300ZX Turbo).
Newer (lets say 15 years or newer so we are talking about 1996+ which should have ODB2)
Pros
OEM Parts Availability
More Cars in Junk Yard to pull parts from (dependent on production numbers, but still more than older models)
Less wear and tear
...
6
I'm not going to start an "oil change war" here :) re the change interval, but you should be fine with that. Good quality oil is more important than making sure the oil is changed every 2999 miles, as is a good quality oil filter. The best oil in the world isn't going to do much good if the oil filter doesn't do its job of removing particles.
I would also ...
6
I don't consider a 15 year old car to be that old! Regular maintenance is the key. Change the oil etc regularly (go by the service schedule), and use a good quality oil and filters. Change the transmission fluid, make sure the belts get done on schedule, etc.
When I was running cars of that age as my everyday transport, it was terminal rot that killed them, ...
6
Yes, at least half of the exhaust is coming straight out of that gap without passing through the muffler. As you've noted, this leads to an increase in noise (or music, depending on your taste).
To my eye, that looks like a hassle to fix on your own. There appears to be the rusted remnants of two bolts holding the Y-pipe to the passenger side muffler and ...
6
When one lives in places where it snows, even occasionally, they quickly learn to lift the wipers. If you go to a ski resort when the inclement weather is expected, you would see half of the vehicles with wipers pulled up. The other half are either do not have wipers that can be fixed up (in that case one is still advised to separate them from the glass ...
6
Regarding the effect of raising the wiper arms on the wiper arm springs: raising the wiper arms will not make the springs weaker for future use.
The only way that the springs could produce reduced force when the wiper arms are returned to their normal position is if the springs took a permanent "set" from being stretched. This can only happen one of two ...
5
These are things I check before buying a car (in addition to Alex's advice):
Make sure it has radiator fluid (at a proper level). If the radiator fluid is empty, it probably has a radiator leak, they probably have not been watching it, and the engine probably has heat damage. The thermometer won't work without radiator fluid so they won't see that the car ...
5
The heater in a water-cooled car relies on coolant from the engine. Lack of heat together with an overheating engine suggest a cooling system problem. I suggest the following:
Check the coolant level. If you're lucky, you're just low on coolant. The question then becomes: where did it go? Is there a leak? Are you burning coolant (sometimes seen as white ...
5
Like @Alex said, ideally, drive it at least half hour each time. Less than that and you won't have enough heat/time to burn off all the condensation in the engine (you'll get a yellow gooey substance under your oil filler cap to let you know if that's the case). You'd want to have it driven at least once a week to keep oil on the cylinder walls (to prevent ...
5
Most water pumps are designed with a weep hole.This is a small hole that leaks a small amount of antifreeze just before the water pump fails.Most of the time the leak is just above the crankshaft pulley.When you shut off the car the pressure in the cooling system forces some coolant out this hole and it drips onto the pulley and is transfered to the ...
5
As Bob says, formal servicing should always follow the manufacturer's schedule - Make sure to take into account any variations suggested for your location/climate/usage pattern. This should include routine things like oil and filter changes, as well as more major, but less frequent things such as timing belts.
In terms of more general checks and ...
5
Some good points have been given already especially as far correct spark plugs and correct fuel go. Some other points, unfortunately, I can only describe as regurgitated 'car-care' sales drivel. I'm almost surprised that no one has mentioned that you should wax your car more often.
Here is a list of things that are not worth your money and time:
Changing ...
5
In an ideal world where time plays no issue you would torque all the lug nuts to 1/3 of the reccomended torque in a crisscross pattern. Reset the torque wrench to 2/3 of the torque spec and tighten again in a crisscross pattern. Finally set the wrench to 100% of the torque spec and do the final tightening. After 50 miles recheck the lugs with the wrench set ...
5
Probably not, but maybe in some circumstances. I've had 4 alternator failures in my life.
1) Toyota MR2 - Alternator diode blew up (big bang and smoke) while driving on the expressway. No prior warning. Just BANG! and was suddenly on battery.
2) Toyota MR2 - Alternator casing broke causing the alternator to bind up and jam (with loud scraping and ...
5
Open up the hood and look at the emissions control system label. That will indicate whether it meets California emissions standards or not. See this page from the California DMV for what to look for.
Also, at least for California (Not sure about other California-standards states), you can register a 49-state vehicle in California after you move there if ...
5
If it was my car, I'd just fix it and carry on. Buying a new car is very rarely a way to save money. What buying new does is get you a little more peace of mind (probably more than one really should have given how many early failures I've seen on new cars). Ultimately it's going to come down to what you're comfortable with and how much you want to pay to ...
5
Short answer fix the car you have. Put the payment you were going to make ($400) a month in a savings account. If anything major happens to the car you are driving you have the money to fix it or replace it.
While the car may be less reliable than a new car, a Honda with 181K miles is still a safe bet. And if you follow my plan above you have the money in ...
4
what Larry said, plus -
Keep your paint waxed/treated as the UV and heat/sun will burn the finish and the wax off faster. If you are in an area of the state where the wind blows, the sand will add to that as well.
Park in the shade as much as you can (have a garage or carport?).
Trend toward use of heavier motor oil (usually there is a listed range for a ...
4
Tint your windows and put a Sunshade in the windshield when you park. The interior of your car will last longer and not fade out as quickly.
Keep your antifreeze at the correct concentration it raises the boiling point of water as well as lowering the freezing point
Keep the grill and radiator clean of bugs and other debris for maximum airflow, this will ...
4
Without seeing what you're referring to, I'd have to guess that it's the power steering reservoir, although it's possible that it could also be the brake fluid.
The power steering cap should have a dipstick type wand to check the level. Before putting anything in it, check the owners manual to determine what type of fluid it needs - some systems use power ...
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