mmarshall

Basic Commandments for Car Care







I don't claim to be an automotive Moses, but, over the years, I have noticed that car owners, for a number of reasons, develop habits that are often not conducive to the life of their vehicle and its components. In this specific article, I'm not talking about the obvious traffic hazards like red-light running, aggressive driving, driving while multi-tasking, not paying attention to the road, etc....which can result in a serious accident that could total the vehicle or take out someone's life. No, here, I'm talking about little day-to-day habits that people get into behind the wheel that, while not necessarily conducive to accidents, are somewhat detrimental to the appearance or operation of the vehicle itself. While the reasons for this vary, from what their fathers, grandfathers, or the mechanics/technicians of the cars of 30-40 years ago drilled into them, to a lack of understanding of the modern car, or just to a simple lack of paitience in today's fast-paced world, many drivers today are harder on their vehicles that they need to be. This accelerates the vehicle's deterioration over time, causes things to fail or wear out sooner, and in some cases, can lower trade-in value as well.


We all pay a lot of money for our new vehicles today when we buy or lease them. Even used cars, especially the Certified Used Cars that various manufacturers offer, can cost a pretty penny as well. So, the average car buyer, struggling to make ends meet with so many other things today (not the least, of course, is the actual cost of filling those vehicles up) would want his/her investment to last as long as possible and require as few repairs as needed. So, here, I'm going to go down the laundry list of things that we sometimes do to our vehicles that impacts on their longevity, ease of use, or deterioration. Like I said above, I'm NOT going to mention obvious things like dangerous driving practices or gross abuse of the vehicle like high-RPM/drop-cltuch starts, burnouts, drag-racing, repeated heavy braking, etc...that tear up a car's components. You all have enough common sense to know that already....rehashing them here would be a waste of time. But these are things that many people do subconsciously, without realizing what it does to their cars. Avoiding them would be wise.

Of course, the general quality of new vehicles, and their components, varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The AVERAGE Honda, Subaru, or Toyota, with some exceptions, is going to be more reliable than the AVERAGE Land Rover, Jaguar, or Mercedes-Benz, no matter how you drive. Yet, vehicles like Mercedes-Benz, which are generally unreliable, have some components that are extremely durable and outlast those on some more "reliable" vehicles.

It should also be noted that, while I generally don't keep a car myself past 5 years or so, I myself, as much as possible, practice the things I'm about to give to you here. When I myself buy a new car, even knowing I probably won't have it for 10 years or drive it till it is completely worn out, I like to keep it as nice as possible while I own it, though the outdoor parking spaces under trees in my town-house development don't make that any easier.

So.....let's get on with it.






Thou Shalt Not Use Thy Wipers on Dry Glass.



The average life of wiper blades, of course, varies on a number of factors, ranging from the amount of ozone in the air (which speeds up rubber deterioration), to the quality of the blades themselves, to how the car owner uses them. Many people, I notice, have developed the habit of turning on their wipers at the first drop of water on the windshield and then going to sleep....the rain lets up, varies in intensity or stops, and the wipers just keep on plugging away across the dry glass. This is harmful for several reasons. First, wiping rubber on dry glass increases the amount of friction between the blade and the glass, wearing the rubber away rapidly. Second, it causes a rubber film to build up on the glass that can cause streaking, splotches, and blurred vision. Third, the increased friction of rubbing the blades on dry glass makes it harder on the wiper's linkage and elecric motor.

One problem with this, however, is the fact that the rate of water buildup on the windshield varies not only with the rain intensity but with the vehicle speed itself. With any given rain intensity, the windshield stays drier at a full stop than when you are moving. The faster you go, the quicker the rain covers the windshield. Most new vehicles these days come with intermittent-action wipers that are either fixed or adjustable. In other words, in the intermittent mode, they either operate once every few seconds, at a fixed rate, or allow you to adjust the rate/timing with a swivel control. Most intermittent systems, however, except for those on some luxury cars, don't take the car's speed and rate of water buildup on the windshield into account....set them properly for when the car is moving, and then they're too fast when you stop. Slow them down at a stop, and then they aren't fast enough when you get moving again. I sometimes find myself fiddling with the rate-control constantly in stop-and-go traffic, trying to keep the intermittent wiper speed proper for the varying amount of rain on the glass. Admittedly, there is no easy answer to this, short of either putting advanced, rain-sensing intermittent-wiper systems in all vehicles or doing what a lot of people do...just ignore it and go to sleep, increasing the deterioration on both blades and glass.

Another problem that sometimes arises from vehicle washer-wiper design, particularly with dry, dirty glass, is the damage and scratches that can be put on the glass when you first turn them on. In many vehicles, when you push the button for the window-washers, the blades start to sweep across the glass.....sometimes for two full sweeps or more.....BEFORE the windshield washer fluid has a chance to squirt out and cover the glass. This can be especially harmful with dirt, grit, or abrasive particles on the glass....the moving blades, on the dirty, dry glass, rub the abrasive particles against the windshield for several seconds until the stream of fluid hits the glass. This can cause minute scores, scratches, and damage to the glass surface itself and cause the later familiar arc patterns of dew, frost, fog, etc...later on. This is one thing I have disliked about washer/wiper designs for years, but automakes persist with it. I would prefer one button solely for the washer fluid to get the glass wet first, and then another button to turn on the wipers after the glass is wet, but automakers just don't do that.

I know that some of you use Rain-X or other silicone window treatments that supposedly cause water droplets to run off and not require the use of wipers to start with. I've tried them and have not been impressed with them. If they work for you, fine. My philosophy is a clean, film-free windshield, regular wiper-blade changes, and proper use of the wipers themselves....works like a champ every time, outside of the problems I have already noted.






Thou Shalt Not Overspeed a Cold Engine.


Here is where paitience can be a real virtue. So many people, first thing in the morning, just jump in their cars, start them up, put them in gear, and take off with no thought whatsoever to their engine and drivetrain. While modern electronic fuel injection (fortunately) has made the notorious carburator problems of decades ago a distant memory, and has vastly improved cold starts and warm-up, starting and driving a modern car still requires a little common sense. On a cold start, it takes the oil pressure a few seconds to come up, though in most cases, unless the car has sat for quite a while, a thin film of oil will already be on the engine's moving parts and you won't have metal-to-metal contact. Generally, the colder the engine/oil temperature and the higher the oil viscosity, the longer it takes for the oil to get flowing. Pressure will be high initially because the oil, when cold, is thick, but free-flow of the oil takes a little longer to develop. That is one of the reasons, among several, why auto manufacturers today require thinner-viscosity oils than in the past....generally anywhere from 0W-20 to 10W-30, with 5W-30 generally being the most common....thiner viscosity oils generally get flowing faster and start protecting the engine sooner. Synthetic oil, of course, gets flowing even faster and protects the engine down to lower winter temperatures (and higher temperatures in the summer), but in my opinion is probably not needed unless the manufacturer recommends it or in extreme-climate areas like the Desert Southwest or the Upper Midwest.

So, here's where the problem arises. A lot of people just start a cold engine up, don't give it any time for the oil pressure or flow to come up, put it in gear, and take off. The initial cold-idle RPM, if your foot is not on the gas, is where the engineers have set the cold-start-enrichment system, which delivers a set fuel-air mixture to the injectors based on engine temperature. The amount of fuel relative to air will lean out, and idle speed will drop, as the engine warms to operating temperature (usually around 200 degrees), though most engines are considered warmed up at 140 degrees......that is usually the point where the blue cold-temperature light goes out or the temperature-gauge needle reaches the lower-end of the normal arc. With fuel-injected engines, you don't have to wait for this to happen to put the car in gear and drive off. You can usually take off after about 20-30 seconds or so to get the oil flowing...a little longer in cold weather, of course. I usually give it 60-90 seconds when it is substantially below freezing.

So, a lot of people not only are impaitient and take off too soon on a cold start, but they also ignore the generally-recommended practice of keeping engine speed to 3000 RPM or so until it warms up. Excessive RPM on a cold engine not only wastes even more of today's expensive fuel than it is going to burn anyway at the rich mixture setting, but also causes more friction inside the engine as well. More friction, of course, even with the best of oils, means more potential engine wear....and quicker deterioration of the engine oil from that internal engine wear.

And, it must also be remembered that not only is the engine is warming up on a cold start, but, once you put it in gear, the transmission, final-drive unit, and, on some traditional 4X4 systems, the transfer case as well. In the old days, when you idled a carburator-equipped vehicle to get it warmed-up before putting it in gear, it warmed up the engine, but nothing else. That is not the case, of course, with modern fuel-injection, where you don't need extended idle warm-ups (like I said, 20-30 seconds in mild weather is usually fine). Today, with fuel injection, you get going sooner, and don't have a warmed-up engine with a stone-cold transmission. But, you still need to keep in mind that the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain are warming up with the engine, and, if you overspeed the cold engine, depending on what gear you are in, you may also place stress on the rest of the drivetrain as well. So the best rule of thumb is usually to start it up, give it about 20 seconds or so, put it in gear, and drive off slowly until the drivetrain is warmed up to about 140 degrees. This will prevent a lot of unneeded wear and wasted fuel. Some cars have a lockout for the higher gears of the automatic transmission that keeps engine speed up for the engine to warm up faster...that is an emission control device to cut down on cold-engine emisions. The transmission won't shift into its highest gears...and slower engine speeds....until the engine temperature comes up. I don't like that device myself, because it makes the engine spin (and wear) faster then necessary when cold, but some automakters persist in doing it because it's an easy way to meet emission standards.





Remember to Keep Proper Thy Tire Pressure.


All new vehicles today, as of last year, come with Federally-mandated tire-pressure sensors that warn of excessively low pressure in one or more tires....but not all of the systems are the same, have the same displays, or operate in the same manner. Some simply compare the tire rotation speed of one or more wheels with the others (a too-low tire will rotate more slowly, and a too-high one more rapidly than one with the correct pressure), and set off a simple warning light. Others will tell you if the tires are too low but not if they are too high. Others, mostly in upmarket cars, will give you the exact reading in all four tires with a display.......it varies from car to car.

Without electronics to help you, of course, it falls on you, as the car owner, to make sure that your tire pressures stay where they belong. Tires can lose air for a number of reasons (I won't go into all of them here) but it's a good idea to check them at least once every 3-4 weeks with an accurate tire gauge......more often than that for all-wheel-drive vehicles. With all-wheel-drive systems, it is especially important to maintain the exact recommended pressures, because engineers set those pressures based on the car's weight bias and how that front-to-rear weight bias cause minor differences in how the tires bulge out at the sidewalls. Those minor difference in the sidewalls affect tire rotation speeds. In AWD vehicles with center differentials, differences in front and rear wheel rotation speeds cause wear and heat in the center differential and shorten its life...and that is an expensive component to replace. So, the closer all four tires stay to the recommend pressures, the more reliable the drivetrain will be over the life of the vehicle. This also applies to differences in tire rotation speeds between new tires and old, worn tires...old tires, of course, all else equal, are smaller on the outside and will rotate faster. On my all-wheel-drive Subaru Outback, I not only check the pressures manually once a month or so but, every time I walk up to it to get in and start up, take a quick glance down both sides to see if any one of the four tires are low and starting to bulge out. It only takes a couple of seconds, and I recently caught a low tire with a nail in it that way.

With front or rear-drive cars, tire pressures are less critical to drivetrain wear, but still important, especially if pressures on the left aren't the same as on the right. And, regardless of the type of drivetrain, a few things still hold true. Under-inflated tires cause excessive heat, wear much faster on the sides, give the wheel little protection from road hazards, are more likely to fail and come apart (as witnessed with the Ford Explorer-Firestone Wilderness tire debacle), and degrade steering response. Over-inflated tires ride harshly, bulge out in the middle causing more wear in the center of the tread, cut way down on rain or snow traction, and transmit more road shocks to the suspension and steering gear.

So, tires, at least to an extent, are like politicians.......take the air out of them, and you don't have much left.






Thou Shalt Not Use Poor Fuel.


No question about it....with today's sticker-shock at the fuel pumps, a lot of people are tempted to cheat and try and pump in either a lower-octane fuel than the enginners recommend (or require) or use cheap, cut-rate brands. While, in some cases, this can be done safely or without engine damage, my general rule of thumb is....DON'T. If you need to cost-cut to make ends meet, then just have hamburger for dinner instead of steak or wear those old shoes a little longer before you toss them out and replace them.

If your car is fairly new or without a lot of carbon buildup on pistons or valves that would artificially increase the compression ratio, then if the manufacturer recommends regular 87 octane, you can usually use it without any problems. You don't need to spend any more for premium 91-93 octane gas, and, if you do so, you could actually be doing your engine a disfavor because premium gas has different vapor pressures and burn rates. Some oil companies put more detergent packages into their premium fuels, and your engine may run a little cleaner with premium, but usually there is enough detergent even in 87 octane to do a reasonable job of preventing carbon buildup, especially with the Shell and Chevron brands.

But, where 91-93 octane is REQUIRED for your car, it is a different story. Some people just balk at the price of premium, which is now well over $4.00 in most parts of the country, and has been so in traditionally expensive California for some time, where special-blend requirements mandated by CARB (California Air Resources Board) always make gas more expensive there than in most other states. Yes, premium gas, today, is expensive, but, in most cases, where it is recommended or required by auto manufacturers, it is done so for a reason. The engine's computer, compression ratio, spark-plug type, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, and numerous other components are specifically designed for higher-octane fuel. Penny-pinching at the gas pump by trying to use regular instead of premium may or may not be harmful to the engine for short periods of time. Some manufacturers have their engines equipped with knock sensors or other devices that allow lower-octane fuel use for limited periods of time, such as when/if the vehicle is in Mexico for a while with its notoriously poor fuel, or if some gas stations are out of premium and there are no others in the area. Some premium-recommended engines allow extended use of lower octane by retarding spark timing or making other adjustments that prevent engine damage. But even if this can be safely done, in some cases you are not necessarily coming out ahead financially because you may not get as good gas mileage. In other words, the engine will be using cheaper fuel, but more OF it....not to mention the horsepower/torque loss with the lower octane.

Last, a lot of people, again because of price, often pass up major name-brand gas stations for Smiling Sam's Gas-N-Go pumps right down the street. Again, the temptation to do this may be great, but I don't recommend it. First of all, the difference in price betweeen major-brand and cut-rate stations is not THAT great, especially as prices in general have risen. Second, that gas is cheaper for a reason. Cut-rate brands usually have little or no detergent or other additive packages in them, and that can mean carbon, gum, and varnish buildup in the engine with extended use. So you save a little on each fill-up, only to have to turn around and use fuel-system cleaners like BG44K to clean out all the garbage those cheap fuels have allowed to accumulate in the engine and spark plugs. And, if those build-ups clog the fuel injectors, the engine can be hard-starting, run rough, or stall in traffic.....not a wise prospect in the middle of a freeway ramp or a busy intersection.

So, I cannot, in one article, and won't try to, cover all of the different engines that require premium fuel without exception, allow limited use of regular in some circumstances, recommend premium but allow full-time use of regular if one will accept the lower gas mileage, or recommend regular. For that, you, as a car owner, will have to check your Owners' Manual or with the manufacturer for your specific engine. My general recommendation, except for circumstances beyond one's control, is to use the fuel grade required or recommended, avoid cut-rate brands with little or no detergents, keep your gas tank at least one-third full (this will help prevent a number of problems in the fuel system), and not to gas up when the tanker truck is at the station pumping. Wait at least five minutes after the truck is done....or go to another station. Doing so will prevent dirt and water on the bottom of the station's tanks from being stirred up by the truck's huge hoses and getting pumped into your gas tank.

Last, I don't want to inject politics into the question of fuel brands, but, for some of you, this may be important. The Citgo oil company is state-owned by Venezuela, whose leader, Hugo Chavez, is quite hostile to the U.S. It is not my place to tell someone whether or not to buy Citgo fuel (that, of course, is your decision), but purchasing it sends money to the Chavez regime. For me, that's reason enough to avoid it.






Thou Shalt Not Extend Thy Oil Changes.


Oil is your engine's life blood. It not only lubricates, but absorbs some of the engine's heat and wear particles as well. Neglect it and your car could be in big trouble. Not all of you are going to agree with me on this one, but, for typical city/suburban driving, I am a firm believer in 3 month/3000 mile oil changes, even with the rising price of oil and the world's dwindling supply. Extended periods of highway driving at constant, moderate speeds and moderate temperatures may allow up to 5 months/5000 miles, but I wouldn't go much further than that. The detergent and additive packages in the oil wear out, it loses viscosity and resistance to heat, and dirt and metal particles from engine wear build up.....not all of these are taken out by the oil filter. Some engines are more resistant to the damaging effect of extended oil changes than others....the Toyota/Lexus 3.0L V6 is a good example of an engine that is not, with its well-publicized gel/sludge problems if the oil is not kept frequently changed. In most cases, engine damage from oil neglect is not covered under warranty.

Yes, I know that some cars today dispense with a traditional dipstick and regular oil-change intervals for a computer-sensing system that not only senses oil level but calculates the mileage "needed" between oil changes based on the amount of stop-and-go traffic, cold starts/warmups, average speed, air/engine temperaure, engine load, and other factors that determine oil breakdown. I am not a fan of these systems. They are not foolproof, and some auto manufacturers who use them have had to repair or replace a number of engines, even when the car's owner brought the car in for service when the "service required" light flashed and did not go any further. Technology, in my opinion, is not a substitute for laziness. Check the oil regularly and change it every 3-5 months and you should have no problems.





Thou Shalt Not Drive With Debris on the Roads.


OK, I know that this Commandment, at best, is difficult for some people, and all but impossible for others. So, if you can't help but drive on roads with junk on them or have no other choice, don't worry about it. Some things in driving are beyond our control. But, if you are in a position to choose where and how you drive, listen up.....you'll save your car some body, paint, glass, and trim damage.

Some things, like mufflers, exhaust pipes, trim pieces, mirrors, dead animals, etc....lying on the roads are obvious, as are things that fall off of merchandise/cargo trucks. They often are easy to see and avoid. But other things are not so easy to spot, yet are still there. If possible, avoid roads that are snow-treated with salt, abrasives, and gravel. The salt, in my experience, despite its corrosiveness, is usually no big deal if you wash it off in time and flood the underside of the car and wheel wells with a hose....get it off before it causes rust and you have no problem. But sand, abrasives, gravel, and pebbles.....which highway crews mix in WITH the salt......are quite another matter. They lie on the road and get kicked up by your tires (and the tires of the car in front of you) into anything they hit. Body, trim, paint, glass, headlights...you name it. They can nick, scratch, chip, or even break things. Sand that accumulates in wheel well lips and body cracks can be excedingly difficult to get out, even with a high-pressure hose. They also have a sandblasting effect on some surfaces. Sometimes you can actually see them lying on the road; other times, they are not so visible. After a while, they wear off the part of the lanes where the vehicle wheels keep rolling, but stay accumulated in between the lanes, so if some bozo passes you and then cuts in right in front, his tires will spray your front end with a new round of debris.

I take my own Subaru Outback out in the snow....after all, that is what the superb Subaru all-wheel-drive system is for, in my opinion the best inexpensive all-wheel drive system on the market. But, even then, I try to avoid things I know will damage the paint and trim. Fortunately, some of the highway jurisdictions here have stopped mixing in sand/abrasives with the salt.....they just dump the salt, and that's it. Other nearby areas still use both salt and abrasives.

Debris on the roads, of course, is not limited to just vehicle pieces, spilled cargo, and snow treatment. My strong advice.....DON'T follow a dump truck or cement truck any more than is absolutely necessary. Dump trucks, paticularly near construction areas, are full of every possible kind of debris, stones, and dirt/filth that will do a number on your car if given a chance....particularly with their huge-double-width tire assemblies that can kick up a LOT of stuff. Also, if possible, avoid areas around coal mines, freshly re-paved areas (paving crews rarely, if ever, clean up after themselves...the road usually has a lot of black cinders), and roads with tree debris and branches on them after storms.




Thou Shalt Not Put Children or Pets on Unprotected Seats.


Again, we have a Commandment here that may be difficult or impractical for some people, but the consequences of ignoring it are pretty obvious. Toddlers and small children with spilled ice-cream cones, soft drinks, juice bottles (even cup holders aren't perfect), chewing/bubble gum, etc...certainly don't do unprotected fabric or leather seats any favors. Neither do dogs, cats, or other pets, particularly when it it time to start shedding. (you haven't seen fur, folks, until a Siberian Huskie or Alaskan Malamute starts shedding in the spring and summer). With pets, and of course, with leaky diapers, sometimes goes odor problems as well....for example, just try to get the smell of cat urine out of a car.

My recommendation, if the above is unrealistic or unavoidable, is to use Scotchguard spray, purpose-installed seat covers, or at least a large sheet or blanket to cover the seat with, depending on what conditions dictate. But, a word of caution.....if you choose to go with installed seat covers, make sure they don't interfere with the operation of manual or power seat-adjusting mechanisms, seat/mounted side air bags, head restraints, seat-folding mechanisms, or any other necessary features they could cover up or block. This is especially important with seat-mounted air bags.

IS350jet

Too funny. Great wright-up, mmarshall!

mmarshall

Thanks......but PLEASE don't connect me with Wright.

Threxx

Good writing, and I agree with all except the oil change intervals.

Of course we all have our opinions, and the worst that could be said for your opinion is that it's an unnecessary a waste of time, money, and resources, but surely a safe way to go for your car... which is of course to say, in the context of caring for your car, it may be better to be safe than sorry.

But that's what I'm trying to say - your rule for oil changes is a very very safe but potentially very conservative method. As long as people understand that anything over 3k miles isn't necessarily bad, it's just not necessarily 100% safe in all circumstances, then I agree with your rule purely in the context of "whatever the cost and effort, my car comes first". For people that prefer a more happy medium, I feel completely fine about my 7500 mile intervals with mostly city driving using Mobil 1... especially considering my factory manual recommends a 5k mile interval for heavy duty driving using regular jiffy lube grade oil. In fact, really, most factory manuals these days, even ignoring the in car computers, and recommending between 5000 and 15000 miles.

Again, though, you certainly aren't hurting your car by doing it sooner... potentially just your wallet, time, and in theory also the environment/economy to a small extent.

mmarshall

Yes, I said in the article that with highway driving, at steady speeds and mild temperatures, one could go longer than 3 months/3000 miles....5/5000 is OK under those conditions. I did forget to mention that that is with regular dino oil, not synthetic. Synthetics can usually go a little longer. However, keep in mind that with synthetics, the oil itself may not break down with time, but the detergents, anti-scuffs, and other additives in them DO. For a car still under warranty, the factory oil-change intervals must be adhered to, even with synthetics, to keep the warranty in place.

With the awful traffic and stop-go condtions in my area (NoVA-DC suburbs) I change my oil every 3-4 months, even if it is less than 3000 miles.

If you watch the Motorweek TV show on PBS, its chief Technician, the well-known mechanic Pat Goss, also recommends 3/3000, although he goes a little overboard on recommending some other things, like draining and flushing out the transmission, brake likes, power steering (if hydraulic), radiator, and differential every 2/24. If everyone did that, they would spend a fortune on maintenance. (I know the show's host, John Davis, casually, but have not formally met Goss, though I've had some E-mail chat with him on his auto-maintenance show).

Last, the "environmental" problems of frequent oil changes are really not that big of an issue, considering that most used engine oil is collected in large containers and then recycled into home/office heating oil, so it goes to good use, for a good purpose. When I do my own oil changes (sometimes I do them myself), I take the old oil in a plastic screw-top container down to nearest local gas station and dump it in the big recycling tank. In many communities, that is the law.

chrisyano

Nice write-up. Thanks.

rai

nice

you should do a 'drivers' 10 commandments

1) do not dent another car (door ding), do not park on the line so other cars can not fit in the next space.
2) in the fast lane pass or move over / keep up with the flow of traffic or move over.
3) do not take 40 seconds to go from 0-40 mph (some people do do not have all day)
4) on a no-passing road go at least the speed limit (conditions permitting). You shoud get a ticket for going 5 under (IMO).
5) DO NOT PULL OUT in front of a car and then go under the speed limit especially when there is 50 car lengths if you let the car pass.
6) etc.

doug_999

Sorry, but also count me as someone who finds a 3 Month/3,000 mile oil change as overkill in most cars*. Simple enough to send your oil in for analysis and see what it looks like. Most people I know who have done this have found that their oil was just about perfect at the 3K point.

*Some cars do require more frequent oil changes. The Lexus 3L engine I believe is known to clog up easily and of course Turbo engines do need more frequent oil changes especially if beat on.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I change my oil around 3k miles because i do some serious heavy city driving.

But even with a dipstick, all you can check for is the oil level. You wont be able to tell the condition of the oil just by looking at it. After all, the color of the oil does not indicate how much life is left in the oil. To do so, you'll want to send it in to a lab for an oil analysis.

I use my dipstick to check my oil level, and it does a fine job of it

<VENOM>

The 2 biggest problems I see with people and their cars are, over revving a cold engine and extending oil changes, especially in the northeast during the cold months those 2 in combination probably lead to oil burners by the time the cars hit 60k which is still relatively low mileage, or at least should be, and since car manufactures no longer build heavy duty cars, more potential harm is unknowingly done.

OneJay

iTrader: (14)

Great writeup. I hate all the salt and sand and gravel they use on the roads in Colorado. Probably not as bad as the NE, but it still effs with your car.

mmarshall

Depends on where you are and how you drive. The more stop-and-go driving you go, and the more times you cut the engine on and off, and the more extreme the temperature, the more you need to keep the oil changed.....especially with dino oil.

I mentioned the 3-liter Toyota V6 in my write-up. I have seen first-hand for myself, in service bays, what happens to that engine with oil neglect.

mmarshall

Thanks.

One thing helps a lot with junk on the roads is relatively high ground clearance...one of many reasons why I drive an Outback. The farther up your lower body/trim parts are from the road surface, the less likely sand and abrasives are to damage them. Splash guards help, but don't stop all of it. A bra will help protect the front end, but doesn't prevent windshield damage.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

didn't read through the whole article, but this line caught my eyes.

so true.... i can never understand people discussing and arguing about putting 87 in their lexus that "require" at least 91. i know a lot of people put the disclaimer about "just asking", but to me i would never even thought of that.

it might sound harsh, but no matter what the gas price is, if you can't afford the difference between 87 and 91 (usually in the ballpark of 20 to 30 cents a gallon), then you really got issues. that equates to about 200 bucks a year on normal driving. yeah, that's on a lexus.

to me the problem should be the gas price overall, if it's that expensive, then it should be whether i should continue to own a lexus, or sell it to buy something that's a lot more gas efficient, like corolla or camry. not coz' they can use 87, but coz' they have far better gas mileage to begin with

so yeah, use the gas recommended, it's there for a reason, and likely not coz' you are driving a luxury car so they want you to.

mmarshall

It's not only a question of using the right octane fuel, but a decent brand as well. If you gas up at a Chevron, Shell, or most other major name-brand stations, you can be pretty sure of getting a good quality detergent package in the fuel. That is not necessarily the case down the street at the El Cheapo Gas-N-Go....use that stuff, and you can save a little up front, but then will have to clean out your fuel system with BG44K to compensate.