16051 Deerfield Pkwy., Prairie
View, IL. 60069
CAR CARE MANUAL
The
following is a Car Care Manual to help you understand some of the regular
maintenance services that are necessary to keep your investment (vehicle)
safe and running dependably for many miles.
If maintained properly, most automobiles built today will run well over
100,000 miles with very few problems.
But how do you know what the proper the maintenance
schedule is? The
owner’s manual says
one thing, yet George, next door, says another. Who do you believe? If you trust the owner’s manual, you can
get confused by “Maintenance intervals may vary under severe service conditions.” What the heck is severe service? Most people don’t realize that: Grandma Millicent, driving 3 miles,
3 times a week to Church meetings is much more severe service than Lead-foot
Harry, cruising 80 Mph on the freeway. Mother Margaret can put more wear and tear
on her car when running 5 blocks to the White Hen, than her 16-year-old Son does
while "cruising" for 2 hours on Saturday night. You might think that the factory recommendations would be overkill, to
generate more business. That would be wrong (see below under
"misleading"). We are going to make sense of all this, to
help you maintain your car properly.
Parts
of the following text may occasionally sound like techno-babble, but keep in
mind that this information may save you thousands of dollars in a very few
years. Unless you can afford to throw
your vehicle away after
36,000 miles, this is going to be very valuable reading.
Definitions:
Lets take a minute
to go over these common definitions of vehicle usage.
Normal Service:
All
outside air temperatures are above 40 degrees and below 80 degrees. All or most trips in the vehicle are 10
miles or longer. No stop and go
traffic. No operation in dusty or salty
areas. Acceleration rate is “normal”
and no trailer is being towed. If you
meet all of these conditions, you can
follow the recommendations of Normal Service Intervals. All others should read on.
Hard/Severe Service:
Read
the small print in the owner’s manuals:
“Vehicles operated in temperatures below freezing or above 80
degrees. Frequent trips of less than 10
miles at a time. Traveling in dusty or
salty roads. Operation in stop and go
traffic, and/or hard acceleration and/or trailer towing.” I think you will agree that most of us live in this world.
Sound
misleading?
What about Flex Service?:
Sounds
misleading? You bet!
If most of
the world falls into the “Severe Service” category, why not call that
normal? By defining "normal" as so mild, the auto manufacturers’ marketing departments get to
double the length of intervals on the
service recommendations. Why do
that? Because it looks better on the
bottom of the window sticker where the "projected annual maintenance" and
operating costs are posted. It is all about
selling the cars. Once one manufacturer did it, they all had to. Read the fine print in your owner’s manual, and you will usually
confirm that you are in the hard or severe service category. If you live in the world of severe service,
and follow the “normal service” recommendations, the manufacturer can turn you
down for warranty work during the warranty period. On the other hand, our main concern is just getting you through the
warranty period, but far beyond. Even if you have purchased an extended
warranty, the warranty company can and will deny your claim if the proper service
levels have not been maintained. They will absolutely turn you down for
sludge in the engine, with or without proper maintenance documentation.
Why
are you putting
the blame on Mom?:
Why
not? Everyone else does! But seriously, we are discussing a condition
that occurs with anyone who lives close to work, takes the train, or for any
reason drives largely in short trips.
Lets compare this vehicle’s first trip of the day to you getting up in the
morning. When you first start your car
on a cold morning, it is not real happy to get moving. It is cold, stiff, and even a little cranky. Even a mild 40 degrees
temperature is cold to an engine that is designed to run 200 to 220 degrees. Start
out at 20 degrees below 0, and things really get stiff. To compensate, your engine receives
extra fuel from the fuel system (like you waking up with a cup of strong black
coffee) and some extra ignition timing (a little morning music) to get things
moving. That helps, but some
components of the vehicle are still not very happy.
Various parts of the engine and driveline have accumulated condensation moisture (a
little morning stiffness) and fluids are thick. Under “Normal”
conditions, that’s O.K. The designers
of these cars know that the engines will load up with extra fuel and moisture when
they are cold, but they also know that after
the car has been driven for a while, the normal lean fuel mixture of a warm
engine is going to burn out the residues left by that rich initial warm up
period. The engine and drive line will
also get hot enough to boil out the excess moisture. BUT, what if your car is not driven long enough each time to
complete this cleanup process? What if
you got up every morning, gulped down 2 cups of strong coffee, took a
shower (without drying off), walked out to the driveway for the newspaper, and
then went right back to bed? Imagine doing that every day for months on end. You’d be coffee’d to death, have an ulcer, and look like a
prune. That’s a lot like how your car
feels after months or years of short trips.
Change driving habits.
If
you own two cars, and one of them usually goes farther than the other, rotate cars once in a while.
Let the long distance driver drive the short trip car and stretch it’s
legs occasionally. If you only have one
car, take it out occasionally for a longer cruise and exercise run (I highly
suggest the run for fudge in Lake Geneva). An hour cruise will save much more in repair
expense than it will cost in gasoline.
You also must increase the frequency of your maintenance. This is not an either/or situation. You must both exercise AND watch your diet!
What follows is a good set of maintenance recommendations for most of us in this
area and environment.
General
Maintenance Intervals.
The following are average service recommendations, that can vary over a wide range from year to year and model to model. One approach is to perform a "K" inspection, or GCA (General Condition Appraisal). In this case a tech will inspect all major systems of the car, and review the service history vs. the maintenance recommendations for that year and model, to see what is due:
Oil Change and Lubrication @3 months or 3,000 miles
(which ever comes first)
Front C.V. Boots
Inspect
@ 3,000 miles
Suspension and Steering Inspect @ 10,000 miles
Shocks or Strut Check @Check every 10,000 miles.
Coolant Flush
@2-3
years (for conventional coolant)
Tune Ups
@30,000 to 100,000 miles
Transmission Service @30,000
to 100,000 miles
Brake Check & Tire Rotate @ 10,000 miles
Brake
fluid
flush
@ 2-3 years
Wheel Bearing Repack As needed
Belts and Hoses @ 5 years or 50,000 miles
(or as necessary)
Differential Oil Change @60,000
to 100,000 miles
Timing Belt Replacement
@Replace @ 60-100k miles (most
vehicles)
Reasons for specific service intervals.
Oil Changes
Why do we constantly push the need for frequent oil changes? This is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT and CHEAPEST maintenance you can do for your car. Your oil is the medium in which your engine operates. It is the life’s blood of your engine. Engine oil helps cool the engine, operates internal hydraulic engine devices at pressures of over 100 psi, and cushions the major engine bearings under pressures of over 1000 psi. Oil lubricates and separates metal from metal at gaps that are measured in tolerances of .0005”. It flushes and cleans vital engine parts and holds the dirt in suspension until changed. Additives in the oil counteract acids, formed as byproducts of the combustion process (carbonic acid and sulfuric acid). More additives in the oil help it flow freely when cold (when it wants to flow like molasses), and maintain viscosity (thickness) when hot. Anti-foaming agents keep the oil from foaming and developing destructive air pockets. These additives account for 20% of the oil by volume. Finally, your oil must perform all these duties at temperatures ranging from -30o F to over 5000o F. That’s not asking too much, is it?
How often should I change oil?
A
Lube, Oil and Filter change, with conventional oil, should be done every 3000 miles or 3 months,
whichever comes first. This is the
standard recommendation of almost all service professionals. There
are some variations based on some vehicles that hold 6, 7, or 8 quarts of oil,
but you will generally be safe following this recommendation. The less driving
you do, the more severe the wear on the engine and the oil. That is why we say "whichever comes
first". This gets rid of those acids and moisture that collect
in your engine during short trips. It also prevents oil sludge build up,
that blocks the path of the oil to the necessary lubrication
points. There are no second
chances. Once those deposits form, there is no really effective way of cleaning
them out, short of an expensive engine overhaul. Some engines today have become more stressed (with more power from
smaller engines), and require (as recommended by the factory) full synthetic or even blended
synthetic oil. Use what ever your vehicle calls for. If your
vehicle calls for synthetic oil, you can usually extend that interval to 6
months or 6,000 miles. If your vehicle usage is especially
"severe", we may need to discuss that adjusting that interval. These
recommendations include vehicles with a Flexible Service System. We
have seen vehicles come in, with computer driven Flex Service systems, that had
traveled 1.5 years and 10,000 miles with no message to change the oil. The
oil, that was drained, looked like salad dressing. Take a hint from the GM
service manual on its Flex Service system, which says "If the system is
ever reset accidentally, the oil must be changed at 3,000 miles (5,000 km) since
the last oil change."
Keep
in mind also that an oil change is not just changing the oil. It should
include checks of tires, tire pressures, fluids, belts, hoses, and many other
maintenance areas of the vehicle!
What kind of oil?
First
there was regular (conventional) oil, then came synthetic oil, then came
semi-synthetic (synthetic blend) oil. Use the type of oil the
manufacturer calls for. We
do not advocate the use of synthetic oils on a car that calls for conventional
oil. Since
conventional oils are more than up to their job, when maintained properly, we feel
synthetic oils, unless called for, are a waste of your money.
However, as mentioned above, some specific engine designs call for synthetic or
blended synthetic oils. This is based on the the engineer's knowledge of special stress
points that
might exist in a particular design engine. If the manufacturer calls for these oils, then they should indeed be
used. As to brand: After 30 years of opening up engines, with varied
histories of oil change intervals and brands, I recommend Valvoline.
What weight of oil?
Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendations. Gone are the days of 2 choices: 10W30 or 10W40. On today's
engines, especially those with variable valve timing and cylinder canceling controls,
using the wrong weight of oil can set failure codes and turn on the dreaded "Check
Engine" lamp. Today we use oil weights of 0W20,
5W20, 5W30, 10W30, 10W40, 0W40, 5W40, and 20W50, depending on the vehicle.
On older engines with more wear, we will occasionally recommend a heavier
oil, but that depends on the individual application.
Additives?
As
part of normal maintenance, the additives already contained in the oils are up
to the task at hand. Any more money
spent in additives is usually a waste of your money.
In rare problem
solving situations, we may recommend a special additive. Other than these special situations, we do
not recommend the regular use of additional additives. Also, stay away
from most engine flushes. Usually, what is being flushed is your wallet!
Summary
People
often say, “They just don’t build cars like they used to.” Mechanics would contend that people are not maintaining their cars like
they used to. Contrary
to popular belief, most engines manufactured today will operate free of
internal problems for well over 100,000 miles if its life’s blood is kept clean
and fresh. If not, you can do serious
(translate: expensive) damage to your engine in as little as 15,000 miles. We have seen it happen all too often! It’s the old “ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure.” If you do this now, you
will thank yourself 50,000 to 100,000 miles from now.
We know, with today's hectic pace, it is hard to find the
time to get that maintenance done; but compare 1/2 hour every 3 months to the
number of hours you must work to
afford a $4000 to $6000 engine rebuild. As soon as we open an
engine up, we can tell how frequent the oil changes have been. We see very
few clean open engines, but then we rarely have to open up the clean ones.
Tune Ups?
New engines are a lot harder on the tune-ups than the older engines were. New engines are a lot easier on tune-ups than the older engines were. “Well, which is it?” you ask? Both!? Newer engines are smaller, run hotter, and run closer to their design limits than did engines of past. Replacement labor can often be higher, with restricted access to plugs deriving from more intricate designs. On the other hand, unleaded fuels with more powerful ignition systems and precise computerized control of fuel and emission systems, have decreased deposits building up on the spark plugs. This is not to say that modern engines are maintenance free! Let's first look at the spark plug, heart of the "tune up". In 30,000 miles, an average engine can fire each spark plug 50 million times or more. These plugs operate in temperatures ranging from -300 to 40000 F. and under pressures exceeding 5000 Psi. These guys live in a tough neighborhood! By 30,000 miles, conventional plugs are getting tired and worn. You might say: “my car still runs fine”, but are you sure? The average driver is unlikely to notice a 10% to 15% decrease in performance while driving, especially when that loss comes gradually over a period of 30,000 miles. Even a trained professional is unlikely to notice a gradual increase of 10% more gas pedal required to cruise at 55 MPH. Meanwhile, the computer system is bending over backwards to compensate for the poorly running engine. If the lack of pep doesn’t bother you, a 15% loss in gas mileage can get pretty expensive at today’s gasoline prices. If the extra gas money doesn’t bother you, how about where all that extra gas is going? Some of it exits the exhaust pipe as pollution. Even if you don’t care about the environment, there is the not-so-little matter of increased carbon deposits in the engine's combustion chamber, left by partially burned gasoline. These deposits shorten the life of your engine and can force you have to use premium fuel (at +$.30/gal. more) to stop that annoying pinging sound your engine makes when accelerating or climbing hills (which, by the way, is trying to eat a hole in your pistons). If all that doesn’t bother you, being stuck in the cold dark parking lot, with a car that doesn’t start, might get your attention. The increased plug gaps, of worn plugs, will put additional stress on the ignition system and lead to early failure. Lastly, driving with worn plugs can lead to an early failure of your catalytic converter, which is often an expensive repair.
How often?
The 30 k mileage interval mentioned above, for conventional spark plugs, does not apply to all engines. More of today's vehicles are equipped with platinum and double platinum tip plugs that resist wear and can last 60,000 or 100,000 miles. These plugs are more expensive, but can be changed less often. However, be careful about going over 5 years on those 100,000 mile plugs. Many manufactures have foot notes to change at 5 years if 100k is not reached by that time, as they often will seize in the engine when left in too long. Check your owner's manual or call us to see which ones you have. How about other traditional tune up parts and procedures? Some cars still require periodic ignition timing adjustment, but most do not. Other items, that used to be included in the traditional "Tune Up", will now vary from car to car. Many models are staggering the intervals on these items (examples: PCV every 30k, fuel filter every 75k, plugs at 100k). Many no longer use a cap and rotor, or even wires. Some have a non-serviceable fuel filter inside of the tank. PCV valve applications vary. Today's tune up is more of an "A la carte" affair, with different parts changed at different intervals.
Gasoline or fuel usage:
Why do we classify fuel or gasoline as a maintenance item. Well, you certainly need it for the vehicle to run. If you use the wrong kind, it can hurt your engine. If you wait to long to fill the tank, it can hurt the fuel pump. Let's go over these points one by one.
- How often do I add. The simple answer is: "when you need it". We should note that most fuel pump manufacturers recommend that you try and avoid going below ¼ tank. At low fuel levels, the fuel can slosh away from the fuel pickup at the bottom of the tank, causing the pump to run dry momentarily, which decreases its life. Also, the pump, which is mounted several inches above the bottom, will no longer be immersed in the fuel (which keeps the pump cool) and it will run hotter. Lastly, those momentary gulps of air can cause the engine to run lean, which can affect other systems in the engine. BMW even has special diagnostic codes for when its computer notes a misfire while the fuel level is low.
- What kind of fuel do I use: Premium or Regular? This question often comes up. You want the best for your car, so you put in Premium gas? You may be convinced it runs better (and I still say my car runs better after I wash it:). The truth is that you are not doing your wallet or the car any good. Without the full technical explanation, if the vehicle calls for premium, use premium, you will get more power and better mileage, thus saving money. If it calls for regular, use regular, it will make more power, get better gas mileage, and it costs less, saving you money. For those of you who want the full techno-babble, read on: "Premium" is kind of a misnomer. Premium gas is not necessarily better, it is just a different, or higher "octane" fuel. The higher octane number (87,91,93 etc.) means that ignition of the fuel does not occur until a higher temperature, and the fuel burns more slowly to prevent pinging and/or detonation. Pinging can be heard as a light rattling noise from the engine on acceleration (those of you who are older will remember that ugly rattling noise we called “spark knock”, that we used to get on acceleration when we got a “bad tank of gas”). Pinging and detonation (a more severe version that can actually melt holes in the tops of your pistons) comes from the fuel mixture igniting by other means than the spark plug, due to hot spots and high pressure areas in the combustion chamber. Higher performance, high compression, supercharged, or turbo charged motors are more prone to this issue and usually require high octane (premium) fuel to prevent pinging and detonation (sometimes called “spark knock”. These vehicles will be identified in your owner's manuals and/or by labels near the gas cap or gas gauge. Using regular fuel in these engines will cause pinging, though you may not hear it in modern engines. Most vehicles today run hotter, leaner, and more advanced timing, so they are equipped with “Knock Sensors”. The knock sensor is a small microphone bolted to the engine and wired to the engine computer, so it can listen for pinging. Its “ears” are far more sensitive than yours, and if it hears the beginning of “spark knock” it will retard the ignition timing. This way, the engine computer can use the highest performance and mileage settings possible, and still adjust for a “bad tank of gas”. If you use fuel with too low of an octane (such as using regular in a premium fuel engine), the computer will be constantly retarding the timing, which will make a subtle difference in performance and cause enough loss of gas mileage to overshadow what you saved by using the wrong fuel, thereby costing you money. On the other hand, if you use premium fuel in an engine designed to use regular, the fuel will ignite more slowly, your effective timing (not your actual timing) will be reduced, and your gas mileage will suffer. A lot of time and money went into the designs of these engines, including fuel requirements. This is one area where you don’t want to waste it by second guessing the design.
Emissions Tests and Check Engine lamp
Emissions
tests serve more than "just" to protect the environment and the future
of the Earth. While the intent is to check
the vehicle for excess emissions, failure of the test indicates a malfunction in
your fuel and emissions control systems, that can more often than not, lead to additional
failure issues in the vehicle. Gone are the "false positives" of
yesteryear. We repair many cars that have failed the emissions test
or have a "check engine" lamp on. In 90% of these cars, we make repairs that
greatly improve gas mileage and reliability in the bargain.
Check Belts and Hoses:
There are many “experts”
that feel belts and hoses should be replaced every 50,000 miles. However, though we favor regular
maintenance, we also subscribe to the
principle: “if it ain’t broke, don’t
fix it”. We have seen some belts that
need changing at 20,000 miles, and have seen other belts that are fine at
60,000 miles. The same applies to the
hoses. The key is to make sure that
they are inspected regularly. There is
no substitute for a hands on inspection.
Regular inspection, every 3,000 miles at oil changes, is the best deterrent to getting
stuck on the side of the road with the hood open.
Battery inspection:
Inspection of the
terminals and fluid level is important.
I know many of you think that batteries today are “maintenance
free”. That was the trend for a while,
but is not generally true today. Most
of today’s batteries do need a level check and can be refilled. A good time to do this is during every oil
change. Corroded terminals should be
cleaned as necessary.
Transmission Service
Newer
transmissions are more complex, more expensive, and more delicate than they
used to be. Overdrive, extra gears, and
locking converters have been added to increase gas mileage and overcome smaller
engine sizes. However, these units must
be made lighter and smaller to reduce weight and fit in the smaller chassis’ of
downsized cars. Durability has suffered
in many cases. Yet these newer units can
still provide long service if maintained properly. The leading cause of transmission failure is deteriorated transmission
fluid. Changing the transmission fluid is
one of those services that is often forgotten because of the long interval
between changes (30,000 miles).
Unfortunately, forgetting this service in today’s age can cost you a lot
of money. The price of rebuilding many
of these more complex units can run $1,800 to $4,500, or more What can you do to prevent this expense? First: avoid transmission-overheating
situations. Your trans. fluid wants to
run between 175 to 195 degrees. Towing
a trailer, driving in the mountains on a hot day, or running with low
transmission fluid, will each cause overheating. A 20-degree rise over normal temperature cuts your transmission life by
50%. If your transmission sees
heavy-duty service, a transmission cooler and/or more frequent fluid changes may be
in order. If you have any questions as
to how severe your service is, call us for advice. Second: keep your engine in a good state of tune. What does the engine have to do with it? Transmission shift patterns are controlled
by some engine functions. We
have seen
many transmissions destroyed by the sliding shift induced by a poorly running
engine. Last, but not least, change the
fluid when necessary. Manufacturers recommendations vary from 30,000 mile
intervals to never, depending on their intimate knowledge of loads in a
particular model. Remember that these are always general recommendations,
subject to frequent inspection of the fluid condition. If a fluid
inspection reveals dirty or aged fluid, the service should be done sooner.
In
some cases
this involves removing the transmission pan, changing the internal filter, and
replacing the pan gasket, but this method only changes half the fluid.
In most cases we recommend the newer technique of a total transmission fluid flush.
Cooling System Flush:
Today,
more than ever, the cooling system flush is an important part of your regular
maintenance. Most cooling systems need
to be flushed every 2 to 3 years. Some types
of coolant are designed to last longer. Coolant is a fluid that deteriorates more with age than mileage. With the abundant use of aluminum next to
steel and iron in today’s engine, it becomes much more important to maintain a
fresh supply of corrosion inhibitors in the cooling system. Coolant will also turn acidic with age and start to eat away
at hoses and rubber seals. Most of you know that if the antifreeze
concentration is not right in the winter, it can freeze and ruin your engine. Many people don’t realize that the
concentration of coolant is just as important in the summer. Engines today run normally at 1900
to 2200 F, sometimes up to 2400 in severe conditions. Our
science teachers taught us that water boils at 2120. The proper 50/50 mixture of antifreeze
raises that boiling point to 2400.
The 15 psi pressure of a properly sealed cooling system raises that
boiling point to about 2600, leaving only a thin safety
margin. The bottom line is that the coolant
should be tested periodically for protection level, cleanliness, and acidity,
and then flushed when necessary.
Brake Inspection:
It’s
very simple; “If your car doesn’t
start, you call a tow truck; if it doesn’t stop, you call an ambulance!” You need to have your brakes maintained by someone
who knows what they are doing. This is
not the time to experiment on your own.
Safety is the #1 priority. The
second consideration is expense. Worn
brakes is one failure that frequently doubles or triples in expense, when
driven “just a little bit too long".
Unfortunately this is also one area of repair that is least predictable
from a mileage interval standpoint.
There are some models that go through front brakes
every 15,000 miles. Other vehicles, driven
primarily on the highway, can go as long as 70,000 or 80,000 miles on a set of
brakes. A loose average would be about 40,000 miles. So what do you do? A good rule of thumb is to check the brakes at tire
rotations @ 10,000 miles. At that time, we can
check the percentage of brake wear relative to your mileage, and establish a
wear pattern.
Just
because we stress the need for maximum safety, does not mean
that we advocate throwing every dollar you own at the brake system. There are chain stores that make their
fortunes by taking advantage of your concern in this area. Years of experience tell us that it is not
necessary to replace or overhaul every component in the braking system at every
brake job. A thorough inspection of the
braking system will usually reveal those components that need to be
replaced. Calipers and wheel cylinders
do not normally need to be replaced at every brake job. Careful attention and regular inspections
will keep your car safe for you and your family.
CV Boot Inspection:
All front wheel drive cars,
and many rear wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicles have CV drive axles. These axles
must be able to flex and still transmit the driving force to the wheels. This flexible transmission of
power is performed by the CV (Constant Velocity) joint. The CV joint is a more precise and complex
version of a U
joint. These CV joints are packed in special
grease and encased in a rubber accordion style boot.
Over the years, the flexing of that boot can force it to crack or
tear. A torn boot lets the grease out,
and lets water and dirt in. If the boot is
not replaced, the CV joint can be ruined and break.
Since these heavy axle shafts can be spinning at 1500 rpm in the middle
of your brake lines, steering linkage, and suspension components, it is a good idea to
catch this impending failure early before they break. CV boot
inspection should be done at every Lube, Oil, and Filter (i.e.. every 3000
miles). As axle assemblies are often competitively prices, it is sometimes
more cost effective to replace the axle. We will help you decide which is
the best route for your vehicle.
Shocks and Struts:
We
are about to enter the twilight zone of auto repair sales. This is probably one of the most abused
areas of unnecessary sales in your
automobile or truck. Shocks do not
determine ride height; they determine ride control and quality. When shocks are leaking oil, they need to be
replaced. They can also be bad without
leaking oil. There is no specific time
or distance for regular shock or strut replacement. If the vehicle starts to float and wallow (like a boat on the
waves), or bumps feel too harsh, it may indeed be time to replace the shocks. Struts are shocks that do double duty as
part of the suspension. A Strut
normally takes the place of the shock, upper control arm, upper ball joint, and
spring housing together. The result of this
design is less weight and more precise control. Unfortunately, the counterpoint of this design is that it requires more
disassembly (translate more labor dollars) to replace, and more expensive
parts. We have seen shocks and
struts fail as early as 20,000 miles, and others still functional at 100,000 miles. Some cars are designed to ride soft, while
others are designed to ride stiffer.
Listen to a trusted mechanic, and/or the seat of your pants to determine
if your shocks/struts are failing. Poor
ride control is not only a comfort concern, but also determines how the vehicle will behave during sudden
stops or changes of direction. This
makes it a safety concern as well. However, don't let someone sell you
struts because "they are original and have a lot of miles on them".
Suspension and Springs:
Springs
control ride height. Weak or broken
springs can affect the level and overall height of the suspension. If springs are weak and level ride height is
disturbed, the angle of certain suspension components and alignment can
change. We feel that springs are sold
more often than necessary. A trusted
mechanic should examine them whenever a question of ride height arises. On the other hand, other front suspension
components such as ball joints, tie rod ends, idler arms, etc. are not examined
often enough. These parts must be
greased on a regular basis (if so equipped with lube fittings), and inspected. Many of these parts are of a ball and socket
design. When the socket becomes worn,
the ball can pop out of the socket and separate. If any of these components wear out and break, complete loss of
control can result. Many of these
components can be inspected easily during a lube job. Some ball joints require special procedures to unload the
suspension in order to check for play.
Timing Belts:
Timing belts connect and synchronize the upper half of your engine (where the valves move up and down) with the bottom half of your engine (where the pistons move up and down). Timing belts are a lighter, cheaper, quieter version of the timing chain, and commonly used on most vehicles today. This belt is hidden behind covers that are behind your "fan belts". They cannot be easily inspected and wear more structurally than on the surface of the belt. There are specific recommendations for each model, ranging from every 60,000 to 105,000 miles. Because the interval is so long, they are often forgotten. If this belt breaks, any engine will stop running. Unfortunately, on some models (with "interference engines"), they can sustain much more expensive engine damage if this belt breaks before it is replaced. If you are in doubt, you can call us to look up the recommended interval for your particular year and model vehicle. We can also determine if your engine is an "interference engine". An engine equipped with a timing chain is of a different design, and does not require periodic maintenance, other than regular oil changes.
Summary:
As you can see, our
promotion of regular maintenance is not an attempt to dip into your checkbook more
often, but an attempt to keep those vehicle repair checks smaller. When
your doctor suggests a regular check up on your child, he is not trying to get
your money, he is promoting good health.
There is plenty of repair work for us to do, without having to make any up. With all of the confusion, variations, and
complexities involved in car maintenance, your most important step is to take
advantage of what we have have always offered our customers in the past: a good friendly relationship of
trust between the mechanic and the car owner.
That means that you get the good service and honest recommendations you need at a fair
price. You get a good value for your service dollar and
we get to sleep nights. The
recommendations above are arrived at through years of repairing the
cars that have not followed these maintenance schedules. Proper maintenance will greatly reduce the
chances of those sudden and expensive catastrophes. It will also keep your car more dependable and safe for you and your
family.
