Car Maintenance Tips

We all have a car that we rely on to get us around town, back and forth to work and home, road trips to see family and friends, and the best of all uses...moving our stuff. When our car does not want to cooperate on a hot, sticky August afternoon, it can become a nightmare getting it back on the road. You do not have to be a certified mechanic to keep your car running well and performing great.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your car keeps getting from point A to point B with little worry.

1. Tire pressure - this is the easiest of them all and if you have a rag in the trunk you won't get your hands dirty. Check your owner's manual for the proper pressure or if you do not have a manual, inside the driver side door jam will have your car's tire pressure and tire size information.

2.Oil Change - Arizona is extremely dusty and HOT. These two characteristics are the worst on engine oil break down. It is very important to change your engine oil AND filter every 3,000-5,000. Several shops around your area have weekly/monthly oil change specials for under $30.

3.Battery maintenance - All the auto parts stores (Auto Zone, Checkers, Pep Boys) will check your battery for FREE! No getting dirty or worrying about battery acid on your nice clothes. In our hot environment, batteries usually last 3 years. Auto Zone has a Gold level battery with a 3 year free replacement and a 7 year pro rated warranty. It works, I've used it and saved allot of money on a replacement battery.

4.Air Condition system pressure - I was at an auto part store last week and noticed a DIY A/C charging unit with R34 coolant for less than $35 complete with instructions. Otherwise, get into a shop and have the "top off" your A/C system if your car is over 5 years old.

5.Timing Belt/Water Pump - check your owner's manual, most manufactures recommend changing the timing belt every 60,000-100,000 miles. The timing belt and water pump are right there so most changes will take care of both. First hand experience with a timing belt breaking will cost several thousand dollars to have the engine replaced if you want to keep the car. Otherwise, the car is barely worth advertising for sale. Can you say...clunker? Make sure you get this done with a reputable shop so if they mess up you have recourse to get it fixed on the shop's dime.

6.Cooling System/Radiator - this is something you need to take to shop. Call around for pricing on this one. This a simple but environmentally unfriendly chore. Again, check your owner's manuel for recommended time when you need to replace your engines coolant/antifreeze. DIY - all you have to do is drain the old fluid and replace with new fluid while the engine is running so when the thermostat opens periodically, new fluid will flow into the engine block. It may take 30-45 minutes to refill depending on how hot/cold your engine is.

7.Brakes - When you hear your brakes squeaking, go to the shop and get the pads replaced and the rotors turned. The last you want is to have your brakes not work when you're traveling down the freeway at 70mph. Brake systems are easy to work with. If you get to a shop immediately after hearing the squeak, you should have no system problems. Brakes work from hydraulic pressure. As you press the brake pedal, pressure forces fluid through brake lines to the calipers. The calipers close together which closes the pads against the rotors. When the pads have worn down to the lowest possible level, a little piece of metal in the pad rubs against the rotor making the squeaking sound indicating time to replace the pads. Another way to check if it is time to replace your pads is look at the brake fluid reservoir. Remember, the brakes are a closed hydraulic system so as the pads get lower, so does the reservoir fluid.

8.Fuel injector cleaner - EASY! I like the Lucas oil cleaner. Auto Zone has a qt. size bottle for $10 and will last for 3-5 gas fill ups. It works and increases MPG!

Cars are great responsibility we tend to take for granted. A small of time and money can have great reward when it comes to keeping your car on the road and out of the shop. Most of us think of maintanence when it is too late and the repairs are for major part replacements which add up to high labor bills. When you figure the average shop charges $75 per hour, a 4 hour job cost you $300 PLUS the parts. If you take advantage of shop specials like oil/filter change, brake change, A/C charging before things break, it could save you and your car a lot of money and time NOT in the shop.

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