Car Maintenance

[NOV]

Remember how annoying that black mark was on the living room wall? Or the squealing door hinge? Eventually it goes unnoticed.

Similarly, too often we adjust to car problems that need attention, too.

According toVehicle Maintenance Council 4 out of 5 cars need maintenance, such as the items listed below. Is yours one of them?

WORN BRAKE PARTS Postponing needed brake service, in addition to being a safety hazard, can escalate the cost of a braking system overhaul.

TIRED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES Don't wait for a rainy day to replace worn blades.

BURNED OUT LIGHTS Can you see and be seen? Check all your lights regularly to be sure.

CLOGGED FILTERS Scheduled replacement of air, oil, gas, fuel, transmission and other filters extend car life and improve performance.

WORN SPARK PLUGS Worn plugs waste gas and increase exhaust emissions. They also cause the engine to run poorly.

CORRODED BATTERY CABLES Corroded cables and a weak battery cause starting trouble. Have battery and charging system checked if the engine turns over slowly.

GLAZED BELTS, ROTTEN HOSES A slipping belt can affect engine cooling, alternator, power steering, and air conditioner. Replace worn belts before they let you down . . brittle or rotten cooling system hoses can lead to overheating. Others, such as vacuum and power steering hoses, hinder performance and safety.

NEGLECTED COOLING SYSTEM Periodic servicing of the cooling system helps prevent deterioration of radiator or heater core.

LEAKING SHOCK ABSORBERS Worn shocks or struts affect ride control and shorten tire life.

DAMAGED CV JOINT BOOTS These rubber boots protect the critical CV joints that deliver power to your wheels. They should be inspected regularly and replaced as needed.

LEAKING MUFFLER Have your car put on a lift occasionally to check the muffler and other parts of the exhaust system.

TIRED TIRES Worn tires are dangerous. Proper inflation, alignment and balance will extend tire life.

[HindustaniLadka]

If you simply have your car serviced at a dealer every couple of months or so, you will probably never experience most of these problems.

[Raghu]

Good topic Nov,

Servicing cars can be very expensive, time belt(Cam belt) needs to be changed for every 60,000 miles, it is better to use coolant in the radiator than water, as water evaporates quickly.

CV Joints and Shock absorbers are indeed very expensive to replace :(

[Thiru]

www.kbb.com & www.edmunds.com are famous websites that gives information on purchase and maintenance of cars in North America..

[Surya]

If you simply have your car serviced at a dealer every couple of months or so, you will probably never experience most of these problems.

Well, A acouple of months is a bit more than the usual, usually it's ever 30000 miles, here at least, or every 6 months.

[Thiru]

surya, 3000 or 30000?

[Surya]

Actually it varies... First service...for my Camry was 3000, the next was 16000, now I"m at around 18000, so the next one for my car atleast, I"m pretty sure it goes for most other Toyotas, is at 30000. Or every 6 months. :)

[rajraj]

Thiru,
You get a maintenance manual with the car you buy. Refer to it. In general an oil/filter change is recommended every 3 months or 3000 miles. Other service varies depending on the make and model.

[malligai]

Though I have been driving for long, I dont know anything about cars...All I know is to call 'AAA' the moment something goes wrong.. :lol:

[Thiru]

Thiru,
You get a maintenance manual with the car you buy. Refer to it. In general an oil/filter change is recommended every 3 months or 3000 miles. Other service varies depending on the make and model.

thats what I meant when I asked surya about it... oil change is every 3000 miles and they look for stuff like wipers, lamps, air filter during that time.. The scheduled service is 30,000/60,000/90,000 miles..

[Shekhar]

When I had a mobike, I used to maintain it my self ever so thoroughly. I could strip and assemble the whole bike. It was a hobby. I enjoyed it.
But with my car, I have neither paitence nor time. I simply take it to the service station second saturday of every month (which is a holiday for us, but not for the dealer). And my car is in immaculate condition.

[Querida]

wow Shekhar that's impressive :D
here the craze among the youth is to personalize their cars...cutomized colour, fashionable interior, rims, huge exhust pipes, big tires, low riders, personalized license plates, vanity lights, stereo, tinted windows,

though i can't really blame the ppl...after i would do so too if i had the money to burn...just some rims and wicked azul...and then some 8)

there are actually rules against having all tinted windows in Malaysia (?) but not for the reduction of visibility from all the numerous stickers stuck on the windows?

[Raghu]

Thiru & others

As far as I know, Oil and Oil filters needs to be changed every 1000 miles. Air filer may be changed every year.

Spark plugs need to be changed quite often as well.

I don't know if you all are aware, there is liquid you put in the petrol tank just before you put in petrol, this cleans the fuel injectors which gives a better and smooth performance as well as improving your fuel consumption

[lordstanher]

I would recommend checking the condition of the chassis (underside of body) every now & then...esp. during monsoons.....this is the part that is very prone to rusting and in case of extreme corrosion, can be difficult to repair. It can determine the bodily strength of the whole car.

[lordstanher]

personalized license plates

Unftly not possible to obtain in India! :(
U've got to hav a 'normal' regn. as per the State u belong to, in the alphabet bit (eg. AP 10A, KA 25M etc.....).....moreover there's a more recent rule tat says u hav to shell out as much as Rs. 5000 (atleast in AP) if u want to hav a 'lucky' no. in ur regn., as opposed to the normal fees of 2000! :x
And I really HATE the law abt having to change ur regn. no. whenever u move to another state! :evil: Its as if ur moving to another country itself! :x
Incidentally, I was told tat in the UK ppl. can hav personalised regn. plates disguised to look like 'normal' ones.....eg. HER 356.... :D
Its also legal to buy 2nd hand regn. nos. separately w/out buying the car they belonged to......this is usually common among vintage/classic car owners who want age-related plates to go w/ their cars if they r imported from other countries.

[krishnan]

I have no intention of digressing in this thread. But just found this news and was not sure where to post it. Hence I am doing it here.

The news in brief is Women are not permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia. A proposal to amend the bill is tabled in parliament and rejected.

Source - http://aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=8250