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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 2:00:31 GMT
Please don't shoot but I truly don't know what all maintaining a vehicle and keeping it running smooth entails. We purchased a used vehicle today and it seems to be in really good condition. Things actually work in this thing- something we are not used to, since we've been driving clunkers lol. So what to do to keep it in good condition? They put new tires on, when we would change those? Things of that nature we are unsure about. Normally in the past we changed tires after they busted, is that too late? After my "minivan overheating" post I found that we are to check oil and coolant levels every morning, or each time we pump fuel at the the minimum. Outside of that I know there are oil changes to be done. Is there a hard and fast rule with that or does it depend per vehicle? Our papers for instance, say we only need to do an oil change once every six months or every 7500 miles, but on our minivan I could have sworn it was 3k miles/3 months. So, basically when you get a vehicle in good condition what do you do as far as maintenance and care to ensure you can keep it as healthy for as long as possible?
Side note to admin: I apologize if I posted this in the wrong section, I didn't see any "car" related threads except this one. If there is a different place I should move this to, let me know and I shall.
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 2:17:03 GMT
Hopefully a new car owners manual made it into your hands when you bought it. It will outline the minimum maintenance to maintain warranty. Yes a pristine newer vehicle, it is recommended to change oil every 7500 miles or so. Personally think thats a little optimistic, but changing it more often sure wont hurt it. Maybe compromise and change it every 5000 miles...
Oh and I think its supposed to be law that factory has to warranty anything pollution connected for at least first 100k miles no matter how many owners its went through. And same with any factory recalls, they are free to whoever owns the vehicle if they havent already been done. I think I have only owned two vehicles in my life that had significantly less than 100k miles and that was a very long time ago when you didnt need a 30 year mortgage to buy a low mile car.
Guess I am saying rules for keeping a clunker alive are different and lot more strenuous, than keeping a low mile newer car alive. Though I still suggest checking oil at every fuel fillup. Thats always been good sense. Usually nothing will have to be done, but you will have a clue if something maybe starts leaking or whatever.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 2:22:19 GMT
If the car did not come equipped with an owner's manual you can also go to any large chain-automotive store and purchase a "Chilton"-type book on your model and year. Included in the book will probably be a decent maintenance schedule or at least more guidance than you have now. It will also show how to do most things that you will ever need to do to the vehicle.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 2:54:29 GMT
Tires. www.bridgestonetire.com/tread-and-trend/drivers-ed/how-to-check-your-tire-tread-penny-testCheck oil at each gas fill or often enough to keep it topped up before it gets to the add mark. Check the radiator fluid recovery bottle, make sure it is in operating zone when hood is open. Check transmission level, same as above. I also always check these before starting any trip more than 100 miles. Check air in tires monthly. Oil change filter change Check brake wear each oil change air filter change battery check coolant flush as recommended transmission service Go through the list yourself or find a good independent service place. Get to know him, see him often enough so he knows your car. My serviceperson does a 28 point check every oil change....James |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 4:02:24 GMT
You learn rather quickly when every time you turn the key, your wallet gets lighter.
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 13:07:02 GMT
If the car did not come equipped with an owner's manual you can also go to any large chain-automotive store and purchase a "Chilton"-type book on your model and year. Included in the book will probably be a decent maintenance schedule or at least more guidance than you have now. It will also show how to do most things that you will ever need to do to the vehicle. I hope those things are good for something. Guess I never paid attention to their maintenance schedule chapter. They have become just glorified owners manuals if even that. Long ago they used to be useful, even little original shortcut tips how to easier accomplish some mechanical repair. Thats history. There was a Haynes manual previous owner left in my Ranger when I recently bought it. A more useless waste of paper, I cant imagine. Well maybe those political pamphlets that show up in my mailbox.... I think the manuals are now edited by tag team of lawyers worried about any hint of liability. Maybe they need a class action suit for not providing adequate information? They've been dumbed down so much it aint funny. You find lot better pics and repair articles online, well at least if you have a more popular model. Might have problems finding info on an old Yugo.... I have a beat up Haynes for a 1960s Volvo. Now its what a repair manual should be. Great detail, you arent going to be left scratching your head when doing a repair. I kept it just cause it was well written, and I really like the old Volvo 120 series even though I will probably never own another one. Unfortunately like most cars from that era, they were rust buckets. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 13:21:02 GMT
If the car did not come equipped with an owner's manual you can also go to any large chain-automotive store and purchase a "Chilton"-type book on your model and year. Included in the book will probably be a decent maintenance schedule or at least more guidance than you have now. It will also show how to do most things that you will ever need to do to the vehicle. I hope those things are good for something. Guess I never paid attention to their maintenance schedule chapter. They have become just glorified owners manuals if even that. Long ago they used to be useful, even little original shortcut tips how to easier accomplish some mechanical repair. Thats history. There was a Haynes manual previous owner left in my Ranger when I recently bought it. A more useless waste of paper, I cant imagine. Well maybe those political pamphlets that show up in my mailbox.... I think the manuals are now edited by tag team of lawyers worried about any hint of liability. Maybe they need a class action suit for not providing adequate information? They've been dumbed down so much it aint funny. You find lot better pics and repair articles online, well at least if you have a more popular model. Might have problems finding info on an old Yugo.... I agree that the Chilton/Haynes manuals have certainly decreased in their usefulness over the years. But, I do think that either would certainly be beneficial to the OP if she does not have an owners manual hiding in the glove compartment.
Whatever happened to the old style shop manuals that were available at one time? I had one for my MGB way back when. I rebuilt the engine using that book. The engine cranked over at the first turn of the key.
I assume that everything is digital now.
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Post by spacecase0 on Mar 26, 2016 14:39:28 GMT
the old style shop manuals are still findable, I got mine from the dealer, is a set of factory service manuals, and cost $240 for my car
got them included in the car loan. told them I would not buy the car without them, they were more than happy to get me them, and that was in 2001
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 15:26:12 GMT
I hope those things are good for something. Guess I never paid attention to their maintenance schedule chapter. They have become just glorified owners manuals if even that. Long ago they used to be useful, even little original shortcut tips how to easier accomplish some mechanical repair. Thats history. There was a Haynes manual previous owner left in my Ranger when I recently bought it. A more useless waste of paper, I cant imagine. Well maybe those political pamphlets that show up in my mailbox.... I think the manuals are now edited by tag team of lawyers worried about any hint of liability. Maybe they need a class action suit for not providing adequate information? They've been dumbed down so much it aint funny. You find lot better pics and repair articles online, well at least if you have a more popular model. Might have problems finding info on an old Yugo.... I agree that the Chilton/Haynes manuals have certainly decreased in their usefulness over the years. But, I do think that either would certainly be beneficial to the OP if she does not have an owners manual hiding in the glove compartment.
Whatever happened to the old style shop manuals that were available at one time? I had one for my MGB way back when. I rebuilt the engine using that book. The engine cranked over at the first turn of the key.
I assume that everything is digital now.
Yes I doubt OP is going to do any extensive mechanic work. I vaguely know they have maintenance chapter, just never looked at it, then no doubt you are right, be substitute for a missing owners manual. Though a copy of owners manual might be pretty cheap through dealer... or not. Some dealers are into selling volume, others want to gouge on every screw and flat washer. Might also look online for maintenance schedule, pretty sure its no greatly held secret. Matter fact surprised owners manuals arent available online for free from manufacturer. I have a 2 volume shop manual for some 70s Dodge, that for sure beats any consumer level repair manual ever written. They go into details that Haynes/Chilton completely ignore and not shy with pictures. However it is very heavy into specialty factory tools. Even if its a common tool, they would give it some crazy long winded name and claim it was factory only. So you could go to the dealer and order what in fact is a long bladed screwdriver for $200. Whatever happened to MOTOR manuals, they were the third kind more general manual sold and used to be better than the other two. Then there was that Muir manual for air cooled VWs. It was complete and had bonus of a sense of humor. The Bentley manuals were pretty complete though they too were heavy into specialty tools. |
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 15:38:16 GMT
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 15:54:23 GMT
Oh looking in the MOntana's manual, seems computer keeps track of oil changes and tells you when to change oil. After service is completed, you have to inform the computer so it can calculate next service date. Well isnt that cute. I usually just write date/mileage of oil change on oil filter using a sharpie. Course I drive so few miles anymore, that I just know to change oil in October, once a year, regular as clockwork. Well unless oil is still new looking. Then wait another year.
Oddly I like tinkering with cars, just not that interested in driving anywhere. Go down to post office clusterbox by hiway couple times a week (they discontinued rural mail delivery on my county road few years back) and go get groceries every other week and thats about it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 18:14:58 GMT
manuals are all on-line today. Alldata is a good one for the DIYer. There are many more out there, but are geared for the shop owners.
The info Alldata gives you is 1000X's better than any paper manual from yesterday. Current information can be updated/modified in a keystroke unlike a paper manual. |
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 19:51:45 GMT
HOw about those $10 cd "factory shop manuals" on ebay? Always wondered if they were for real. I know the old paper factory shop manuals sure were lot more than $10. Heck I think Haynes or Chilton is $25 anymore.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 21:25:37 GMT
This is going to sound hypocritical since I haven't actually done one myself yet, but some places hold courses for women to learn how to do basic maintenance on their vehicles. It's not a bad idea in my view. I can think of worse pastimes than under the bonnet of a car.
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Post by hermitjohn on Mar 26, 2016 23:14:49 GMT
This is going to sound hypocritical since I haven't actually done one myself yet, but some places hold courses for women to learn how to do basic maintenance on their vehicles. It's not a bad idea in my view. I can think of worse pastimes than under the bonnet of a car. I think its good thing for people to learn basic maintenance. However beyond changing oil and filters, it would be a tough class to teach with the wide variance in technologies out there. Things have changed greatly in last 30 years. There are still some old carb cars on the road, all the way on up to latest super high tech multi cam, variable displacement electronic wonders with 20 speed automatic transmissions. I wonder how many people still do their own oil changes? The newer cars have all kinds of plates and shields, making it hard to even get to filter and drain plug. Then to get access you have to put car up on stands and crawl under it. Days of getting to filter from on top and just reaching under car with a wrench for the oil plug, are pretty much over. So I think lot people rather just pay some minimum wage guy to do it. Either at shop with a lift or one of those places where the guy sits in a grease pit and car drives over him. Now thats heck of a job, sit in your own little dark dungeon all day unscrewing old oil filters, then screwing on new ones. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 23:26:15 GMT
This is going to sound hypocritical since I haven't actually done one myself yet, but some places hold courses for women to learn how to do basic maintenance on their vehicles. It's not a bad idea in my view. I can think of worse pastimes than under the bonnet of a car. Now thats heck of a job, sit in your own little dark dungeon all day unscrewing old oil filters, then screwing on new ones.
And then screwing the customer megabucks for it. 
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2016 3:23:46 GMT
You guys that was incredibly helpful. A light came on when I read "refer to the owner's manual" DUH I hadn't even thought about it lol. Will do!! Yes we got one. @jwal10 , thank you for taking the time to write out that list, I want to print it out and post it by our door so we can be reminded each time we are headed out. Thanks so much! hermitjohn , that is awesome I will have to check out that website for the old montana since we are certainly still very much interested in getting that working and that one actually did not come with an owner's manual, so this was incredibly helpful information from you, thank you oh so much! I don't know what you consider extensive mechanic work, what we did on the montana to change just the thermostat was pretty extensive for us lol! If you mean getting into the engine and such, well that's intimidating at the moment, but I have no doubt if we keep DIYing small things, we can gradually increase to the bigger things. Oh and this vehicle is not new by any means. It's a 2008 Toyota RAV4 with 115k miles on it. But it's covered under a 2yr/24k (everything under the hood is covered plus sensor/electrical) warranty, only things the warranty doesn't cover is wear and tear parts like brake pads, tires etc so we're hoping to keep it or get it back to good condition if something should fail in the next couple of years. It's a four wheel drive which gets the job done here for our frequently snowy roads. @kiwifarmgal , that's a great idea. Once we have some spare $$ I might look into that, I'm putting it on my to do list which currently just has gun-safety classes on it lol. Shouldn't be hard to get that list done in the future  @fixitguy , I moseyed on over to alldata.com and clicked on "For the DIYer" and it seems it's a subscription service that's not free? I also couldn't find our 2008 Toyota Rav4 on the list for vehicle selection, is it only for certain vehicles? Maybe I typed something wrong. Under 2002 for Pontiac the only Montana I could find was under "Pontiac Truck" versus "Pontiac" which I don't know is the same one we have. Nevertheless, thank you for the suggestion! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2016 3:59:33 GMT
AllData is a pay site, $45 for 5 yrs or just $9 per year. You have the latest and greatest info available for a DYRer, and YES all makes and models are covered.
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