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Myth of the 3,000 Mile Oil Change Interval
In these economic times, when gas and oil (both are made from crude oil) are already sky high and rising fast (my supplier informed me of another increase May 1) the old addage was to change your oil before it turned to sludge. I think this maintenance tip was invented by some of the national oil change businesses. There is a point where oil will turn to sludge but it is well past the 3,000 mile mark for 90% of today's modern oils. There was a point in time in the 50's when refineries had not yet mastered the technique of paraffin extraction and some engine oil developed sludge at a more rapid rate.
The first thing to do is to obtain you oil specification from either you owner's manual or your autoparts store. Then purchase the oil and change at least every 4,000 miles. Be sure to change to oil filter as well.
Some manufactures utilize different maintenance intervals some it is always good to follow their recommendations. The 4,000 mile guideline is a rule of thumb guideline that will work for 90% if the vehicles on the road that use 7 quarts of oil or less. With more oil capacity the interval can be extended even further. For example we use the 5,000 mile interval for the diesel engines with 15 quart capacity.
If you follow the 4,000 mile interval and under no circumstances allow your oil change to run over 5,000 miles you can prolong you engine life a lot further. I personally follow these rules and never have had an engine oil related failure.
Check back with our blog www.trucktechautoandrv.com for further maintenance tips to save you money and extend the life of your automobile.
Time to Service Your Vehicle
Now is the time to get your RV ready for summer. Weather forecasters predict it's going to be a long hot summer so we'll check your cooling system and additive content - change your engine oil and filters - fuel filters - lubrication - tire pressure - lights and search for any broken or worn components. Our skilled technicians can make your travels this summer troublefree and with our NAPA peace of mind guarantee you can be assured of assistance throughout the country in the event you do have a little trouble. Just click on the NAPA link our our home page to access their website. Although we don't have a set menu price because of variations of oil capacities and filters, we can guarantee 2.5 hours on a motorhome or large truck for the labor.
Preserving Your Automobile Investment
You could simply replace your car once every year or two. That is one kind of maintenance plan. If you grow tired of a car that often or bored or just have lots of money that might be the best plan for you.
However if you are like most people you will need to keep you car a little longer than that. Truck Tech Auto and RV has a few maintenance tips that will allow you to keep your car till the paint fades and the upholstery dry rots. Then you can trade it - sell it - give it away - whatever.....Get an estimate of your trade value at Yahoo.
1) Change your oil often. Follow the guidelines in our Myth of the 3000 mile oil change article. That is the true life of your vehicle. Just remember that there are oils in other systems other than the engine.
2)Change fuel filter every 25,000 miles.
3)Change Transmission fluid every 25,000 miles.
4)Change coolant every 2 years.
5)Have a shop flush out the old brake fluid and install fresh fluid every 3 years.
6)Lube front end - steering if any grease fittings are there to grease.
7)Lube with spray lithium grease (not penetrating oil) door strikers and hinges - hood and trunk strikers and hinges.
8)Lube with silicone spray sway bar bushings and links.
9)Keep a close check on tire pressures at least once a month. Remember that temperatures between season change the pressure in your tires (remember your science class - hot air expands and cool air contracts?).
10)Watch for feathering on the inside and outside edges of your tires. If tires were recently rotated and this feathering reoccured quickly it could indicate an alignment issue. Misalignment not only wears out your tires but it drags the tire sideways making fuel mileage suffer and puts extra strain on front end components causing premature failure of those parts. Make sure the alignment shop you choose has 4 wheel alignment capabilities. Most front wheel drive cars have wheel adjustments on all 4 wheels.
11)Replace all engine belts and cooling system hoses every 5 years - regardless of mileage. This will prevent breakdowns from these parts failing which will come soon after 5 years.
12)If you can afford to replace you battery at 4 years you can avoid that dreaded not starting at the mall someday syndrome. True some batteries last 5 or 6 years but some fail at 4. I always replace mine at 4.
13)Listen to your car. Turn off the radio and cellphone - air conditioning and roll down the window once in a while and listen for any unusual squeaks - squeals - rattles. It may be your car trying to tell you something (they talk you know). Write these down and try to list scenario when the noise occured (turning - decelerating - accelerating - braking - etc) and relay this info to your technician. Any info you can relate to him the better you assist him to assist you and your car repairs.
14)Check back on this blog - we will be adding some things along. Get started with these ideas and get on the preventative maintenance bandwagon.
In the past, repair shops were only interested in making money repairing your car. Our shop wants to become actively involved in your vehicle from the selection - throughout the life of the car and all the way into trading or selling the car when your relationship with your car is over. Yes you heard right. Life is all about relationships and you and your car and you and your repair shop are 2 of the relationships in your life. After all a car is usually the 2nd major investment for a family after your residence.
1) Select a car with widely available service repair facilities. You don't want to be locked down to returning to the dealer for all your service and repair needs especially after the warranty expires. Avoid extended warranty contracts. Most of them only cover about 50% of the repairs and expenses you are going to experience. You are better off paying as you go. Besides if you follow Truck Tech's maintenance plans you will avoid emergency repairs which are generally the very expensive ones.
A) Avoid models that need specialty shops to perform the repairs.
A lot of Europeon cars fall prey to specialty shops with
expensive labor rates and parts. Choose a car with more choices for repair facilities.
B) Avoid car models that just recently appeared on the market even if they are produced by a major manufacturer. Aftermarket parts which normally tend to be more available and less expensive will not be available for these models for several years. These aftermarket parts prices are driven down by competition and can save you as much as 50% below dealer prices.
C) Check with TRUCKTECH1328@AOL.COM for recommended service intervals for the car you are considering. Some cars may be a bargain on the purchase price but need maintenance such as tune ups more often than others. These cars can drive your expense of operating that car sky high! We will be glad to answer any of your questions about maintenance.
D) Choose a car with a good horsepower to weight balance. Just choosing a smaller engine in a car may not guarantee you will obtain good fuel mileage. You need enough engine to push the load. That is physics 101. If a smaller engine is pushing too much load it will certainly use more gas. If you need help deciding on a particular car and powerplant check with TRUCKTECH1328@AOL.COM.
E) Pay attention to things that will require frequent maintenance such as rear drum brakes as opposed to rear disc brakes. Rear disc brakes will last twice as long and provide superior braking. An engine with a timing chain which is typically maintenance free for the life of the engine as opposed to a timing belt which requires periodic replacement. A car that is lighter on it's tires will require less tire replacment. A straight rear axle as opposed to independent rear suspension although not as graceful of a ride will wear the tires less. If you are not sure and need advice email us at TRUCKTECH1328@AOL.COM or call at (704)596-1328. We will be glad to answer all your questions.
We will diagnose your A/C system and make repair recommendations accompanied by an estimate. If it is discovered you only have a minor leak and a top off will last you through the summer then the $69.95 will cover the labor and you will only owe for freon added. How can you beat it! The heat that is - by using our A/C service. (No warranty against freon loss)
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