Transcript Vehicle Maintenance • I would love to spend many hours here, but there is not enough time in driver education address more than.

Vehicle Maintenance
• I would love to spend many hours here,
but there is not enough time in driver
education address more than the
highlights.
• So here are the highlights.
Oil, your car’s lifeline
• The most important issue in your vehicle’s
life is selecting the correct oil and
changing it regularly.
Changing your oil
• I will mention referring to your owner’s
manual, but I will change my oil more often
than the manual may suggest.
• Never go beyond 4,000 miles between oil
changes. Some would recommend every
3,000. some owner’s manuals go as high
as 7,500 miles between changes.
• Oil is cheap, engines are expensive.
• Always replace the filter too.
Selection of an oil
• A. Brand name. There are many choices.
Check the web for those rated best. I use
Castrol GTX. Cheap, well rated.
• B. Grade, SE or better. All oils are good
enough. Diesels use a different type.
• C. Weight. Consult your owner's manual
• D. Always use the SAME brand and
weight.
Additives
• Synthetics are great, cost much more. Not
really needed. Many product claims out
there. Be careful.
• Additives are good, consult your warranty
information BEFORE using these. Again,
many promises made, be careful.
• Pick a good oil, change it and the filter
regularly, and you will not need any of that
other stuff.
Coolant (anti-freeze)
• A. Strong enough to protect your engine.
You can buy a hydrometer at Advance for
a couple bucks, test it.
• B. Clean. When it becomes dirty, have the
system flushed and replaced with new
coolant.
• Be careful about the new GM coolants,
they can NOT be mixed with ethylene
glycol.
Batteries
• Most maintenance free batteries are just that. It
is still a good idea to have the battery terminals
cleaned each year (Fall is best).
• An old tooth brush and baking soda will clean
the junk off. Flush with a hose to make sure
everything is off.
• Buy a terminal cleaner for a dollar at AutoZone.
• If you are having trouble, Advance and
AutoZone will test your system and your battery
for free.
Tune ups
• On today's vehicles, there is virtually no
tune up necessary. New cars require new
plugs @ 100,000 miles. Be careful of
dealerships wanting to bring your car back
for "routine" maintenance.
• Change the oil.
• Change the air filter at least once a year.
If you live on a dirt road, more often.
If you find an honest repair place.
• If you are fortunate enough to find one of
these, take him a turkey at the holidays.
• Many expose’s have been done about
how people are ripped off by repair shops.
Be extra careful. Ask for a second
opinion.
Timing belts
• Timing belts are an exception. They need
to be replaced about every 60,000 miles,
before they break. When they break, they
will leave you stranded on the road or may
cause serious damage to your engine.
($2,000) check you owner’s manual.
• (Timing chains are not necessary to
replace because they seldom break).
Brakes
• There are two simple tests for brakes.
• A. With the vehicle running-push the brake pedal hard
for 60 seconds. If the pedal stays in the same position,
the hydraulic system is probably OK.
• B. Drive @ 20 MPH, take your hands off the wheel and
apply the brakes. The car should stop smoothly and
straight. If the car pulls either way-have them checked
soon. Be careful!
• The brake light on the dash might mean you parking
brake is on, your brake fluid is low, or your pads/shoes
are worn and need replaced.
• If at any time you hear strange noises when applying the
brakes, have them checked. Unfortunately, on some
vehicles, some noise is inevitable.
The dreaded check engine light
• Since 1996, OBD or on board diagnostic
units have been installed in all vehicles
sold in the US.
• These units are designed to inform the
driver that something is wrong with one or
more of the systems in their vehicle.
• These smart cars (OBD) should help the
mechanic fix the right thing first.
How should we select a vehicle?
• Let me start with the most important factor
reported by survey. Color.
• That sure makes me proud.
• The next two things that sell vehicles,
safety and performance. We want to go
like a bat out of _____ but be safe in doing
so.
Moving on….
• There are at least three general rules when
selecting a vehicle:
A. Know what you want; do your research, don’t
buy a car just because it is a “good deal”. You
will never be happy with it.
• B. Know how much you can spend;
include insurance, maintenance and fuel.
• C. Don't get in a hurry. There are millions of
vehicles for sale, take your time. Have it
checked out by that mechanic we talked about
earlier. The one with the turkey.
Saving money, planning
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A. Phone ahead. Don't waste trips.
B. Drive the economy car, not your SUV.
C. Car pool.
D. Combine errands.
E. Plan routes to avoid traffic and lights. 45MPH
is most efficient.
• F. Use transit system.
• G. Avoid rush hour.
Saving money, driving
• There are many ways to drive more fuel efficiently.
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A. Slow down (45-50 MPH produce the best MPG)
B. Increase following distance (avoid braking)
C. Don't accelerate on hills.
D. Keep moving, anticipate lights and traffic.
E. 55 MPH saves 15% over 65 MPH. At 75 MPH you are
driving into a hurricane force wind.
• F. Accelerate less aggressively, the faster you
accelerate, the more gas you use.
Fuel Costs
• As fuel costs go up, vehicle selection, trip
planning and how you drive will become
more of a concern to all of us. Consider if
gas was $10 a gallon as it is in Europe,
would you change what, when and how
you drive?
• It will be $10 soon enough. I just changed
this slide because I had $3 on it……..
• Don’t blink………
No extra charge
• As crude oil continues to cost more, exploration
becomes more economically feasible. We will go after
the harder deposits of oil.
• Oil drilling is much more environmentally safe than is the
past.
• Alternative fuels become more feasible, (ethanol, coal,
even nuclear energy,) as oil prices go up.
• We (US) have much of the resources we need.
• Auto manufactures are going to build more fuel efficient
vehicles because the market will demand it.
• Maybe even hydrogen will work one day. Energy from
water, who’d a thunk it?
Did you know?
• That Nikolaus August Otto invented the
internal combustion engine in 1864?
• The design concept has not really
changed in 150 years.
• Again, no extra charge for that.