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Thread ID: 129193	2013-02-09 02:32:00	Looking after motor vehicles.	Nomad (952)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1327148	2013-02-09 02:32:00	We change the oil and filters regularly well not 6 monthly but yearly. I have access to the Haynes manual and it's comprehensive. How much of that is really essential? Our used bought vehicles have always passed the warrant, we don't take it back to the dealer for servicing every year or two, when required, we do the brake pads, tyres bulbs, of course the belts etc when our WOF dude advise us, never have the car(s) broken down. People may purchase a 5 or 10yr old pre-owned vehicle, may keep it for another 5 or 10yrs, what servicing is essential? Look forward to your views :D Fuel filters, sparks, flushing of various systems, auto trans flush. :eek:	Nomad (952)
1327149	2013-02-09 02:43:00	Yeah, modern cars are generally pretty sweet. I'd always adhere to oil/oil filter servicing. Brake fluid does go off, and accumulates moisture, so the odd purge is good practice, and is supposed to help protect the rubber seals, but I wouldn't get too excited unless it was losing fluids. My old Laser doesn't have any service requirements for the auto trans/diff/transaxle. Cam belts, if they break, can destroy your engine in the process, but having said that, the two I've replaced came out after 100,000km looking as pristine as the replacement belt. Flushing the radiators and adding fresh corrosion inhibitor is a very good move, particularly if you've got an aluminium head.	Paul.Cov (425)
1327150	2013-02-09 03:00:00	Not much. :)	Trev (427)
1327151	2013-02-09 03:02:00	Thanks. Just have to correct my first post, we change the oil and filter 6 monthly, the handbook says 3 months :lol: Yes our mechanic inspects our belts but we don't really change them on schedule by the way of the miles. Have not done any else, always in the back of my mind at least, seems to be problem free :D May be different if I had a sports car ;)	Nomad (952)
1327152	2013-02-09 04:23:00	Don't know about months...the books shows by mileage. Which is what we do, oil and filters and so on at the correct amount of miles. Greasing, brake fluids, transmission/gearbox fluids/oils, cambelts - don't miss that one!! Generally if you want it to last, do what the book says, at the mileages it says.	pctek (84)
1327153	2013-02-09 04:32:00	I check brake shoes/pads every 6 months or so for thickness (I change them myself at ~2.5 mm thicknes), and do oil/filter change. Maybe a engine and coolant flush every 2nd year and replace fuel filter. Also check tie rod/drop links/ball joint play, and engine mount rubber inserts for wear/cracks. Then I'll replace if play or worn bushings/seals. Thrown in a cam/alternator belt every 90, 000 k. I check the wiper linkage for excessive play and check tyres. Every year a big tune up - check ignition timing, plugs, cam angle sensor, cap, etc. But also include voltage drop/input and reisistance tests for air flow meter, fuel injectors, 360 distributor rotation, carbon canister, relays, starter, fuel pump, fuses, etc. But befrore that, I do diagnostics by reading cel and ABS error codes (ignition light flashes) by bridging the Data link connector (like this (www.hondahookup.com)), to quickly see what sensors/wiring needs to be tested with multimeter. But I read somewhere (Surfer Joe I think), a car will run ok, but perhaps use more fuel than standard, and owner may never know, unless diagnostics are done. The ECU will adjust, e.g. fuel input trim times, if a sensor is not registering properly. Thus I recommend to do the simple CEL codes check. Actually just had my first WOF for a Honda I bought - knowing that it should fail for a tie rod - The mechanic wanted $ 160 (needed a original Honda tie rod as NZ aftermarket suppliers don't list /catalogue them for that model - nor knew how - or could not be bothered how to cross reference OEM's and aftermarket ref numbers for that matter). Man too much for such a simple job. Easily saved $110. NZ Honda in Manukau kindly gave me a massive discount.	kahawai chaser (3545)
1327154	2013-02-09 04:37:00	Mitsubishi Diamante - 2003 model, V6 3.5 ltr, Change oil + filter every 6 months, since it's an older engine now, and starting to get more dirty I run an oil flush through (Nulon brand to be specific) when I do the oil change. Use a thicker 15w40 oil now too (since it's older). Mechanic looks after all the internals, just too time consuming for me to do it. Also risky since I don't have the years of professional experience. Better to let them handle it. More cost effective time wise too, they do it faster than I can. Brakes & associated fluids are kept topped up & changed out/Flushed every 2x years, of course the pads are changed out based on wear. Radiator, again, flush and change out every two years unless there is a need to change or excessively top up the coolant. The rest (trans & internal work) is all carried out by the mechanics, simply for convenience and times sake. I can save a decent amount of money by doing the oil, especially when I did it last week, got 5L of Castrol oil + Filter for $36 from Supercheap :D - especially cheap!!. But usually it costs around $80 to buy the oil, filters and flush. Oil change is one of the simpler car jobs you can do and the most regular. Our garage charges $150 to do it, using Genuine Mitsu parts which probably accounts for some of the extra costs involved, + the labour. Other maintenance I keep an eye on, but in big highly technical machines such as the Diamante it's better paying them to do an "C" service every 12~24 months. You can pay that off by "saving" on the oil change costs. The '57 Morris minor on the other hand, I stripped that down to bones and put it back together in a few days. Simple and reliable. No worries there. You don't change anything on that. If it breaks then you glue it back together and it doesn't use fluids... No brakes no worries :devil: If I had the time and knowledge (which I'll gain over my life probably) I'd do all the semi-major work myself on a modern car.	The Error Guy (14052)
1327155	2013-02-09 05:12:00	kahawai chaser - that's comprehensive, not even on the schedule, maybe the dealer's service jobs thou . I am sorta questioning whether all that stuff is essential, VTNZ's WOF may be more difficult, a few may even say it's unnecessary . We do the lil jobs, obviously many would just send it to the franchise mechanic place when they don't have the expertise and don't really know who independent garage to trust . Those costs do add up . $130 Midas does a oil/filter change which specify a $20 value oil/filter . If people pick up a 6 or 8yr old Japanese import use it for say 8 years, are they essential? If one has a 30yr old car around it's looks a bit out of place too :D Yeah . . the book says mileage and years (or months) whichever earlier . Was it 6,000 miles or 3 months every oil/filter change . We do 6 months .	Nomad (952)
1327156	2013-02-09 06:08:00	My wifes car we buy a new one get 3 yrs free servicing and drive it for a further 2 years with absolutely no servicing at all other than wof and trade it in on another new car. By none I mean none dont even check the oil. On one car the battery had to be replaced, tyres of course.	prefect (6291)
1327157	2013-02-09 06:12:00	My wifes car we buy a new one get 3 yrs free servicing and drive it for a further 2 years with absolutely no servicing at all other than wof and trade it in on another new car. By none I mean none dont even check the oil. On one car the battery had to be replaced, tyres of course.as silly as that sounds, it's actually quite smart. That is if you can afford a new one every 5 years	plod (107)
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