Chapter 25

The Ten Most Important Preventive Maintenance Measures

In This Chapter

Taking steps to make your vehicle last longer

Making your vehicle safer and more enjoyable

The major goals of preventive maintenance are to keep your vehicle from breaking down on the road, to catch minor problems before they become major expenses, to prevent premature wear and tear by keeping parts from wearing each other away and by removing objects that could damage your vehicle’s interior and its occupants, and to safeguard warranties and guarantees on your vehicle and its parts. The tips in this chapter tell you what you need to do and refer you to more information in this book that will keep your vehicle running better, longer.

Whenever you encounter a term set in this font, you’ll find it defined in the glossary in Appendix A.

Change the Oil Frequently and Regularly

Oil reduces the friction in your engine and keeps it running smoothly. Most automakers recommend much longer intervals between oil changes, but I believe that the most important thing you can do to extend the life of your vehicle is to change the oil every 5,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first, and as frequently as every 3,000 miles if you drive mostly in stop-and-go traffic or on dusty or wet roads. Chapter 13 helps you decide how often to change your oil and provides instructions for doing that job. It can be easier than cooking dinner!

Do a Monthly Under-the-Hood Check

If you take 15 minutes to do the under-the-hood check in Chapter 2, you can prevent 70 percent of the reasons your vehicle might break down on the road! At least be sure to check the following fluid levels once a month: oil, coolant, automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid. Refill or replace these fluids as necessary.

Check the Tire Inflation and Alignment

Underinflated tires wear out faster, create excessive heat, increase fuel consumption, and make your vehicle more difficult to handle. Tires that aren’t properly balanced or that are out of alignment wear out rapidly, increase wear and tear on the steering and suspension systems, and may take you for a bumpy or unsafe ride. Check the air pressure in your tires and look for signs of wear and misalignment at least once a month and before every long trip. Chapter 17 shows you how easy this is to do.

Keep the Interior Clean

The cleaner you keep the interior of your vehicle, the longer the upholstery and carpets will remain in good condition. Remove the mats and vacuum them along with the upholstery, headliner, and carpeting when they start to get dirty or every time you wash your vehicle. Wipe up spills and get rid of stains as they occur, before they have a chance to set and become permanent. If it’s too late to prevent stains, consult a stain-removal guide for the ways to avoid making the stain bigger or permanent. Use an odor remover to keep the interior of your vehicle smelling fresh. Chapter 23 offers advice for cleaning your vehicle’s interior and dealing with nasty stains and odors.

Keep trash and personal effects in receptacles, and keep kids’ toys stashed in a box that fits snugly on the floor behind the front seat. If you have to stop short, these things can become lethal projectiles. Unsecured objects on the floor or under the driver’s seat can wedge under brake and accelerator pedals.

Wash the Vehicle Frequently and Keep It Out of the Sun

Wash your vehicle once a week to protect paint and prevent rust. Work in the shade; sunlight on cleaners can ruin the finish of the paint. If water doesn’t bead up on the car when it rains or when you hose it down, it needs waxing. Wax at least twice a year, in the spring and fall, to protect your car from weather extremes and preserve its finish. Chapter 23 tells you how to keep your car clean and protect it from the elements.

Get Rid of Rust

Rust can start out as a small spot in an inconspicuous nook or cranny and then spread like cancer through the vulnerable metals on your vehicle. Chapter 24 has tips on checking for and removing rust, preventing the formation of more rust, and restoring your vehicle’s finish.

Change the Filters

Changing your air, fuel, and oil filters regularly can help extend the life of your vehicle, increase its fuel efficiency, and improve its performance.

Air filters keep dirt out of fuel injection systems and carburetors. Your vehicle runs on a mixture of fuel and air, so if air can’t flow freely through a dirty filter, you pay the price in fuel consumption and performance. Change the filter every 20,000 miles, and more frequently if you drive in dusty areas like deserts or near construction sites. Chapter 8 shows how to check and replace air filters.

Fuel filters help prevent rust and sediment from entering the engine. Change the fuel filter at every tune-up — more often if you regularly drive with an almost-empty fuel tank. (Not a good idea!) Chapter 8 tells you how to check and replace a fuel filter.

Oil filters clean the oil and remove metal and dirt that, in circulating through an engine, create friction between moving parts, damage the engine, and wear it out prematurely. Change the oil filter every time you change your oil. Chapter 13 tells you how to do this.

Change the Coolant

Coolant helps your vehicle keep its cool, and changing it is a job that you can handle yourself if you do it in an environmentally safe manner. Change the coolant at least once a year or every 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Do it more often if your engine has been losing coolant or overheats easily. Chapter 12 has instructions on checking and changing coolant.

Lubricate the Moving and Rubber Parts

A lube job involves applying grease and oil to some parts of your car to keep them moving freely and to keep rubber parts supple. Modern vehicles have sealed joints that don’t need to be refilled with grease, but all vehicles still have transmissions and other parts that need to be checked and serviced regularly. Many service facilities include this as part of oil changes or other scheduled maintenance packages.

To prevent friction that can wear parts away prematurely, investigate and eliminate all squeaks and rattles as soon as they occur. Chapter 20 helps you troubleshoot strange sounds and other symptoms.

Get Scheduled Maintenance to Keep Warranties Valid

Performing scheduled maintenance prolongs the life of your vehicle, ensures that your warranties remain valid, and may improve resale value when you’re ready to part with the vehicle. Check your owner’s manual or ask the dealership for your vehicle’s maintenance schedule and warranty information. Appendix B contains a Maintenance Record to help you keep track of what you did and when you did it. Maintain a copy for each vehicle you own.

You don’t have to have scheduled maintenance done at a dealership. Licensed independent shops can do the work without voiding the warranty as long as they use parts supplied by the original manufacturer of your vehicle (commonly known as OEM) or aftermarket parts that meet your automaker’s specifications.