Not checking things
Bumpy roads cause cause suspension components to cycle more often than when driving on smooth roads. That causes accelerated wear on suspension bushings, sway bar links, shocks, struts, ball joints and tie rods. Mud splash makes those parts wear out even faster. If you drive in these conditions, you’ll need more frequent inspections to catch the wear early and avoid accelerated tire wear or serious on-the-road failures.
Everything you need to know about fluid changes
EP additives chemically react with metal (iron) surfaces to form a sacrificial surface film that prevents metal parts from welding together during periods of metal-to-metal contact.
There is no one-size-fits-all advice when it comes to oil change intervals. Oil change intervals are set by the carmaker, not self-proclaimed “Internet experts,” family “know-it-alls,” or even extended oil change intervals claimed by oil brands. You can’t even trust the claims made by motor oil manufacturers unless you read the fine print. Don’t take oil change advice from self-proclaimed “experts” on the Internet or family “know-ot-alls.”
The same rule applies if you car is equipped with an oil life monitoring (OLM) system. It assumes you’ve used the recommended oil, checked your oil level, and topped off when needed. If you don’t do that, all bets are off on the accuracy of the (OLM)
Dispersant Additives
Anti-wear additives are activated by the high heat caused when metal-to-metal contact occurs. The anti-wear additives “melt out of suspension” and react chemically with the metal surfaces to form a film that minimizes wear. They also help protect the base oil from oxidation and the metal from damage by corrosive acids. Like most other additives, the anti-wear additives get used up the more you drive.
You’ll find the factory recommended tire pressure on a label posted on the driver’s door pillar. Never inflate your tires to the maximum tire pressure listed on the tire sidewall.
Follow the maintenance guide recommendation for coolant change intervals and get a full coolant flush, not a radiator drain and fill, when it’s due. Make sure the shop uses the carmaker’s recommended coolant and not a “universal coolant.” Shops use universal coolant so they don’t have to stock the coolant recommended by the carmaker. But universal coolants are not the same as the factory recommended coolants. Insist the proper coolant.
Not changing your transmission fluid, CVT fluid, or differential fluid can cause complete transmission, CVT, or differential failure. A transmission rebuild costs around $4,600 and a differential replacement can cost upwards of $3,000, depending on the vehicle. In comparison, a transmission fluid change costs around $200. If the carmaker recommends a transmission fluid change every 30,000 miles, you’ll pay $1,400 over 200,000 miles versus $4,600 for a transmission rebuild and then fluid changes every 30,000 miles after the rebuild.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Differential Fluid
Salt corrodes brake and fuel lines, suspension components, and critical frame/body components. Performing more frequent inspections and applying rust remediation products can prevent costly rust-related failures.
How are oil change intervals derived?
transmission cvt fluid
It you drive short distance on a regular basis, especially in stop and go traffic you need to change your oil according to the severe service schedule. Why? Because short trips are much harder on your oil than long commutes or extended highway drives. Short trips never lets your engine get up to full operating temperature, so the oil never gets hot enough to evaporate off the contaminates generated during a cold start. Those contaminates can turn your oil into sludge and acids and degrade your oil’s anti-corrosion additives much faster.
Brake components operate in a harsh environment, causing the sliding components to rust and seize. Once rust sets in, the brake pads and rotors wear out quickly. However, if caught early, the shop can remove the rust, lubricate the moving parts and prevent costly early wear. Skipping brake inspections and waiting until brakes make noise, usually results in brake repair bills in the $600- $1,000 range.
air filter
Rust and Corrosion Inhibitors
Everything you need to know about brakes
Here’s why maintenance checklist guides list services and inspections based on time and mileage
Next, understand the importance of each of the inspect and replace services.
differential fluid
As discussed above, oil change intervals are based on how you drive, how long the trips are and whether you’re hauling heavy loads. But oil change intervals are also based on the engine design. Some engines, by their very design, require more frequent oil changes. For example, some engines with turbochargers require more frequent oil changes due to the extreme heat generated by the turbo. Yet other engines with turbos can go longer between oil changes because they’re equipped with oil coolers.
It varies by carmaker, but generally speaking, it’s any trip that’s less than 5 miles (in Spring, Summer or Fall) or less than 10 miles in Winter conditions.
Everything you ever wanted to know about motor oil
fuel filter
The same applies to oil changes. All carmakers list a mileage and a time interval, whichever comes first. Read on to find out why time is so important when it comes to oil changes.
Exposure to oxygen causes the base oil to break down and form acids and sludge in your engine. Oxidation happens at all temperatures, but accelerates at when your engine is fully warmed up. Oxidation also increases in the presence of water, wear metals and combustion byproducts present in blow-by gasses (air, fuel, and exhaust that seeps past the piston rings and into the crankcase).
Clutch/MT
Extreme Pressure (EP) Additives
How long your trips last, and how you drive determines which schedule you must follow
Everything you ever wanted to know about Power Steering Fluid
#2 It’s not just miles that count, time between service counts as well
Many carmakers recommend routine brake fluid flushes due to moisture infiltration. Water in brake fluid decreases braking ability, and worn out anti-corrosion additives allow rust to form, which damages the system from the inside-out. In addition, the anti-corrosion and pH balancing additives in brake fluid wear out. Brake fluid flushes cost less far less than the damage caused by corrosion.
Outdoor temperature changes affect tire pressure. Tire pressure changed 1-psi for every 10°F change in ambient temperature. If you fill your tires to the recommended pressure when it’s 20°F in March, they’ll be overinflated by 6-psi. when it hit 80°F in late April.
All maintenance guides list time and mileage intervals for items that should be replaced and components that should be inspected. For example, an engine coolant change is often listed as 100,000 miles or 10-years, whichever comes first. Time is just as important as mileage. Why? Because the additives in fluids deteriorate over time and once they’re no longer effective, you wind up with corrosion and accelerated wear.
Not understanding the difference between normal wear and tear and an unexpected repair.
drive belt
• Short trips in warm weather
• Driving on bumpy muddy roads is severe service
• Repeat driving in dusty conditions is severe service
Rust and corrosion inhibiting additives work by neutralizing the acids that form in the crankcase and by providing a protective chemical barrier on metal surfaces to repel moisture. Once these additives are exhausted, corrosion sets in.
• Driving/living in high humidity coastal or mountainous areas
That’s what this article is all about; explaining what the carmakers’ car maintenance guide actually means for you the car owner.
Brake fluid must be changed because it accumulates moisture
Everything you need to know about suspension and steering systems
Everything you need to know about maintaining your car
All the services your car needs is listed in your owner’s maintenance guide— if the service isn’t listed there, you don’t need it*
Short trips, less than 5 miles in warm weather, are much harder on your oil than long commutes or extended highway drives. A cold engine* needs a richer air/fuel mixture to start the engine. During cold startup, some of that extra fuel winds up in the oil, along with water (byproduct of combustion) and soot. When you drive a short distance after a cold start, your oil never gets hot enough to evaporate off the fuel and water. And it doesn’t run long enough to filter out the soot generated during the cold start.
Unfortunately, most car owners never read the maintenance guide, so they’re not only under-maintaining their cars, but not knowing what services it needs makes then sitting ducks for needless “upsell” services by shops.
This article will explain why each replacement and inspection service shown in the maintenance guide is important, and which “wallet flushing” services you should turn down cold.
Lets start with oil changes and unnecessary engine flushing services
What you need to know about oil change intervals
All engines burn some amount of oil, but some engines burn more oil than other. Your owner’s manual recommends checking your oil level at least once a month and topping off when needed. If you don’t routinely check your oil level and top off when needed, you could be running your engine when it’s low on oil. Running an engine when it’s one quart low can reduce the life of the remaining oil by at least 25%. So you could be driving on worn out oil long before your next oil change, and that causes accelerated engine wear.
coolant
oil filter
There are actually TWO service schedules in your owner’s maintenance guide. One is for Normal Service and the other if for Severe Service.
Engine coolant does more than keep your engine from freezing in the winter or overheating in the summer. Coolant contains anti-corrosion additives and pH balancing additives. They wear out over time and when they do, corrosion sets in. Coolant replacement costs about $225 every 100K miles
Rotating engine parts whip air in the oil. Foamed oil can’t carry out its job of removing heat from high friction areas. So anti-foaming agents reduce oil’s surface tension causing the bubbles burst. Because anti-foaming agents reduce foaming, they also reduce oxidation that occurs when oil bubbles carries oxygen around the engine.
Coolant life is based on time and mileage. Continuing to drive on worn out coolant allows corrosion to set in and that corrosion can damage the heater core ($1,500 repair), radiator ($600 repair), and water pump ($750 repair), and even head gaskets ($3,5000 repair).
• Driving on bumpy muddy roads is severe service
• Repeat driving in dusty conditions is severe service
• Driving in areas where road salt is used is severe service
You tow a trailer or haul heavy loads
Trailing and hauling heavy loads puts added stress on the engine, transmission, drive shafts, suspension components and wheel bearings, requiring more frequent inspections and service (fluid changes).
FACT: Mose car owners follow the Normal Service Schedule schedule. But the way most urban car owners drive their car means they should be following the Severe Service schedule.
cabin air filter
Brakes and traction control
Shocks and struts provide more than a comfortable ride
spark plug
Bottom line: consult your maintenance checklist and follow the proper service schedule.
The same applies to oil changes. All carmakers list a mileage and a time interval, whichever comes first. Read on to find out why time is so important when it comes to oil changes.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Brake fluid
transmission fluid manual
All blow-by gasses contain water (by-product of combustion) which winds up in crankcase oil. When oil and water mix, they form a thick emulsion that begins the process of sludge formation. A demulsifier additive prevents the formation emulsion by separating the water from the oil.
That’s why all carmakers recommend changing your oil based on mileage AND time. If your owner’s maintenance guide calls for oil changes every 6,000 miles OR six months, whichever comes first, change your oil at 6 months even if you haven’t driven 6,000 miles. Why? Because the additives have been working for 6 months and they’re most likely depleted.
Every carmaker has a slightly different definition of severe service, but it usually comes down to these driving conditions:
Every carmaker has slightly different definition for severe service, but here’s typical description from Subaru.
All tires loose approximately 1-2-psi per month, so checking monthly and topping off will keep you at the correct pressure.
What’s the definition of short trip?
Here’s why maintenance checklist guides list services and inspections based on time and mileage
Your owner’s maintenance guide lists every service your car ever needs. It tells you when to change fluids, what wear parts to replace and when, and which components need to be inspected and when.
Friction modifiers help make engine oil more slippery to reduce friction and improve fuel economy.
Like other motor oil additives, VII is sacrificial; it gets damaged while doing its job.
Here are the most common motor oil additives, what they do, and how they degrade
However, VII molecules degrade when exposed to high loads in gears and bearings. The “squishing” forces in gears and bearings can permanently deform the molecule or cut into smaller pieces. At that point, the additive can no longer perform its intended function. So the oil becomes too thin at normal operating temperature, providing less protection against wear.
Starting a cold engine requires more fuel and some of that extra fuel, along with other combustion byproducts (water and soot) get pushed past the piston rings and into the crankcase. If you take a short trip after a cold start, you’ll never evaporate off those liquids or filter out the soot generated during the cold start. The result? Acid and sludge deposits and accelerated internal corrosion. That’s why most carmakers recommend more frequent oil changes if you take short trips in cold weather.
• Driving short distances in extremely cold weather is severe service
In fact, some carmakers require oil changes as often as 3,000 to 3,750 miles. Other carmakers limit oil life to a maximum of 7,500 miles. If you follow media and Internet articles instead of the carmaker’s recommendations, you risk voiding your warranty and causing accelerated engine wear. In addition, if you blindly follow the wild claims about 10,000 or 20,000 miles oil changes, but don’t read the fine print in the company’s warranty, you could be setting yourself up for major engine damage that won’t be covered.
Here’s the truth about oil life and oil change intervals
However, if you drive your car when it’s low on oil, you’ll wear out the remaining oil much faster, or even run out of oil before your car is due for its next oil change. Driving on worn out oil causes accelerated engine wear. It’s your responsibility to check your engine’s oil level at least once a month and top off the oil when needed.
Anti-oxidants (oxidation inhibitors) are used to extend the operating life of motor oil. But they are sacrificial additives, i.e. they are consumed while performing their duty
Why checking tire pressure monthly is so important
Trying to squeeze more miles out of old spark plugs is self-defeating. Worn spark plugs dramatically reduce your gas mileage, cause no-starts in cold weather, and can damage other expensive ignition components.
Dispersant additives keep soot particles suspended in the oil so they can be captured by the oil filter and not settle out of suspension to form sludge deposits.
What you need to know about oil change intervals.
Brake inspections actually save money
Posted on by Rick Muscoplat
منبع: https://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-maintaining-your-car-and-avoiding-unnecessary-shop-upsells/
Anti-oxidants, rust and corrosion inhibitors, detergent, dispersant and demulsifier additives work 24/7 to protect your engine and they all degrade once they’re exposed to oxygen, heat, fuel, and water.
The hydraulic power steering units used in older vehicles use several types of power steering fluid. Some use transmission fluid like Dexron III, or ATF+4 (for Chrysler vehicles). Still others use a special fluid you can only get from the dealer, like Honda power steering fluid.
Normal wear and tear
Drive belts wear out and must be changed before they break
It’s really simple; rubber drive belts wear out. Older neoprene belts cracked as they aged, so it was easy to do a visual check for wear. But newer belts are made with a different rubber that doesn’t crack. They must be checked with a wear gauge and replaced if they fail the test. Worn belts can cause squeal and screech noise as they slip. A worn belt can break unexpectedly, leaving you stranded
SCAM ALERT: Many shops recommend a power steering fluid flush every 30,000 miles. There is no scientific basis for that recommendation! Not a single carmakers agrees with that recommendation. Do not fall for this! It’s an unnecessary service designed to flush your wallet, and it provides no benefit to your vehicle. Say no to this service and find a more reputable shop.
tires
Wheel bearing
• Driving in areas where road salt is used is severe service
Everything you need to know about belts
It’s not just miles that count, time between service counts as well
engine oil
High humidity causes brake and clutch fluids to adsorb more moisture, reducing its effectiveness. It also corrodes body, frame and suspension parts, requiring more frequent inspection and rust remediation. Driving in mountainous areas requires more frequent brake inspections to spot brake wear early.
Dusty conditions clog engine and cabin air filters faster, and can reduce engine and transmission cooling, requiring more frequent filter changes and radiator/cooler cleaning.
Bumpy roads cause cause suspension components to cycle more often than when driving on smooth roads. That causes accelerated wear on suspension bushings, sway bar links, shocks, struts, ball joints and tie rods. Mud splash makes those parts wear out even faster. If you drive in these conditions, you’ll need more frequent inspections to catch the wear early and avoid accelerated tire wear or serious on-the-road failures.
What happens if you don’t change your engine coolant?
If your driving falls into the severe service category, but you follow the normal service schedule, you’re going to wind up with more breakdowns and you’ll shorten the life of your engine and transmission. Those are costly items to replace, so it actually pays to follow the correct service schedule
1) Driving on worn out coolant can cause heater core corrosion and failure in winter. Heater core replacement requires removing the entire dash at a cost of around $1,800. During the heater core replacement, the shop will still have to replace the coolant.
2) Driving on worn out coolant cause cause radiator corrosion, clogging and engine overheating. A new radiator costs around $600 and overheating can cause head gasket failure, costing almost $3,000.
3) Worn out coolant can also cause early water pump failure and corroded heater hose/tubing failure, costing at least $800 on most vehicles.
There’s a direct relationship between tire wear and tire pressure. Under-inflation causes rapid wear on the inner and outer edges of the tire, while over-inflation causes rapid wear on the center tread. In addition to rapid wear, under/over inflation causes increased stopping distances and increases the likelihood of hydroplaning on wet surfaces.
Salt corrodes brake and fuel lines, suspension components, and critical frame/body components. Performing more frequent inspections and applying rust remediation products can prevent costly rust-related failures.
by a significant amount.
2) Worn spark plugs cause no starts, especially in cold weather. So you’ll have to pay for a tow (average cost $200), a diagnostic charge ($150) AND the cost of new spark plugs.
3) Worse yet, driving on worn spark plugs can damage other expensive components like ignition coils or even an expensive ignition module or computer. So you’ll need a tow ($200), a diagnostic ($150) at least one ignition coil ($175) and possibly a computer or ignition module ($500-$1,200), AND, new spark plugs.
Everything you need to know about tires
• Repeat short distance driving is severe service
battery
Tires, brakes, struts/shocks, CV joints, steering parts, belts, battery, coolant, brake fluid/clutch fluid, transmission fluid, differential fluid. Rusted brake lines, fuel lines.
clutch fluid
The fluids vary in their viscosity and additive packages. Most carmakers don’t list a change interval for power steering fluid because it’s considered a “lifetime” fluid. However, the additives do wear out, and the fluid picks up metallic debris as you rack up the miles. If you want to be proactive, it’s a good idea to perform a power steering fluid flush once every 100,000 miles.
brake fluid
Detergents prevent deposits from forming on metal components and they neutralize acids that form in the oil.
Anti-foaming Additives
So all those contaminants sit in your crankcase, turning into sludge and acids that degrade the oil’s anti-corrosion, anti-oxidant, acid neutralizing, and dispersant/suspension additives. Over time, your oil loses its ability to keep your engine clean and corrosion free.
disc brake system
cooling system
High humidity causes brake and clutch fluids to adsorb more moisture, reducing its effectiveness. It also corrodes body, frame and suspension parts, requiring more frequent inspection and rust remediation. Driving in mountainous areas requires more frequent brake inspections to spot brake wear early.
Anti-oxidants
Short trips in extremely cold weather
Friction Modifiers
tires
Everything you need to know about Spark plugs and ignition systems
What happens if you don’t change your transmission fluid or differential oil?
Tackifier Additives
So what exactly is the definition of severe service?
Motor oil has 4 jobs: Lubricate to prevent wear, cushion to prevent metal-to-metal contact, remove heat from high friction areas, and clean your engine.
. *A cold start is any start where the engine hasn’t run for at least three hours.
Engine design also affects oil life
To accomplish those four jobs, motor oil contains specific additives in addition to the base oil. For example, most motor oils contain around 75%-80% base oil and 20%-25% additives.
All motor oil thins as it heats up. To reduce thinning, all motor oils contain Viscosity Index Improvers (VII) made from a “watch spring” type of polymer that “unwinds” as it heats up. So the VII takes up more space, reducing the oil’s tendency to thin. As the oil cools, the VII molecules “wind back up” to help the oil flow better. VII is what allows an oil to be have different viscosities at different temperatures, like 5W-30.
Everything you need to know about brakes
Oil change intervals are calculated based on the engine design, the characteristics of the recommended oil, an assumption that you’ve followed the recommendations in the owner’s manual to check oil level and top off when needed.
• Driving/living in high humidity coastal or mountainous areas
Dusty conditions clog engine and cabin air filters faster, and can reduce engine and transmission cooling, requiring more frequent filter changes and radiator/cooler cleaning.
Mobil 1 Extended Performance Motor Oil promises 20,000 miles between oil changes. But did you read the * (fine print)? It’s 20,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. And, if your vehicle is covered by a warranty; factory or extended warranty, you have to change your oil according to the carmaker’s recommended oil change schedule, which will be far more often than every 20,000 miles or 1 year. Plus, the 20,000 miles recommendation goes out the window if you drive in a way that would normally be considered severe service. Plus, you must routinely check your oil level and top off when needed
Trailing and hauling heavy loads puts added stress on motor oil. Hauling heavy loads causes the oil to run at a higher temperature for longer periods. The high engine load shears the oil’s viscosity improvers, causing the oil to thin, oxidize and degrade faster. Plus, high engine loads wears out the oil’s anti-wear additives faster
Demulsifiers
Everything you need to know about suspension and steering systems
Motor oil can remain stable in the bottle for five or more years. But once it’s in your engine, the clock starts ticking. The additives degrade from exposure to air (oxygen), heat, friction, water, and acids. Once the degradation starts, it continues even when your engine is off. In other words, the additives are always working and they are used up in the process.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Engine Coolant
Struts typically last 80,000-120,000 miles depending on the road conditions in your area. In addition to causing an uncomfortable ride, worn struts/shocks causes your tires to wear out about twice as fast as normal and cause accelerated suspension component wear as well. So you’ll waste about $400 in lost tire wear, about $800 in suspension component wear, and you’ll still have to replace your struts/shocks. You obviously don’t save money by driving on worn struts/shocks.
All spark plugs wear out and must be replaced with the recommended type and at the recommended mileage. The spark plug change interval is listed in your maintenance checklist.
fuel delivery and air induction
What happens if you don’t inspect/change shocks/struts?
There’s a lot of misinformation about oil changes. Articles in the media say the 3,000 mile oil change is obsolete. Others say you can easily go up to 10,000 miles or more with the newer synthetic oils. Some oil manufacturers claim their oil can last up to 20,000 miles. None of those claims are universally true.
Tackifier additives prevent the oil from flinging off of the metal surfaces they’re supposed to protect.
What you need to know about Spark plugs
Yes, you read that correctly. Not performing the recommended serviceds
suspension
steering
The carmaker, not the oil company, your friends or Internet know-it-alls know how long oil lasts in each engine and driving condition. If you use the recommended oil and check your oil level at least once a month and top off when you’re more than 1/2-quart low, then you can rely on the oil change intervals listed in the maintenance guide.
Any time you take your car in for service, the service adviser is going to recommend additional services. That’s their job; to upsell you on services. Some are needed, but most are not. They’re considered “wallet flushing” services designed to clean out your wallet and generate more revenue for the shop. So the question is this: How can you properly maintain your car without getting suckered into these unnecessary services? Well, it’s all there in your car maintenance guide; if only it was written in owner friendly language.
Most unexpected repairs are caused by owner’s not following the carmaker’s maintenance schedule.
Why is time in service so important? Because the anti-corrosion, and pH balancing additives in fluids start to deteriorate once they’re put into service. Carmakers know how long these critical additives last, even if you haven’t racked up enough miles to justify changing the fluid. That’s why fluids must be changed on time or mileage, whichever comes first.
Oil life is determine by how you drive and which engine is in your vehicle. How you drive, short trips versus long highway drives, trailing or hauling heavy loads affects the life of your oil far more than miles alone.
Why your driving habits affect oil life
• Repeat trailing towing or hauling heavy loads is severe service
Viscosity Index Improvers
When it comes to fluid service, most maintenance guides list both a time and mileage interval. For example, an engine coolant change is often listed as 100,000 miles or 10-years, whichever comes first.
Your maintenance guide lists TWO service schedules for oil changes. One is for Normal Service and the other is for Severe Service. Most car owners living in an urban environment follow the Normal Service Schedule when they should be following the severe service schedule. They’re saving some money, but under-maintaining their vehicles.
What is the definition of severe service?
Detergent Additives
Everything you need to know about tires
Short trips, less than 10 miles, in extremely cold weather are even harder on your oil because your cold engine runs longer with the richer air/fuel mixture. So the oil accumulates even more fuel, water, and soot. Plus, it takes much longer for cold oil to reach full operating temperature.
Anti-wear Additives
A shock/strut’s main job is to dampen bounce when you hit a bump. So they keep your tires on the road. Worn shocks and struts allow tires to bounce and that reduces vehicle stability. In addition, worn shock/struts increase your stopping distance, wear out your tires and suspension components faster and gives you a less comfortable ride.
Replacing engine coolant on time is critical to the life of your cooling system