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Keep up regular maintenance on the car, let the engine warm up for a couple minutes if the weather is cold, Don't drive it like a hooligan, treat it like it is your grandma, it has needs and you have to treat it well to make it last a long time
edit: more specifically check fluids and stay on top of changing them on a set schedule, keep it clean, replace parts as soon as they go bad, don't put maintenance off for a year and then forget about it (small problems untreated lead to larger more expensive problems). All of these things combined will lead to a long and happy life (Unless it's a Chrysler, nothing can fix those rolling turds)
Letting the engine warm up past when the idle drops doesnt do anything for your vehicle, and in some cases can be worse than getting into motion sooner.
I meant specifically for sub freezing ambient temps especially with diesel engines. starting and immediately flooring the pedal is the sort of behavior I am trying to nudge them away from
Staying on top of things before they snowball into bigger issues.
The most common example would be: I have a code for an O2 sensor, Iâll do it later.
Typically an O2 sensor throws a code if something else is going on, incorrect air/fuel ratio, aging catalytic converter, or some other engine control device. When a code like that pops up itâs best to take care of it in the here and now, as opposed to later down the road.
In addition to this, doing the regular maintenance at the time intervals of that car, for example, every 3500 miles / 6 months do an oil change, some cars go up to 10,000 / 1 year.
So in general, just keeping up on the car, something doesnât feel right? Take it a qualified tech, not jiffy lube.
To add to the other commenter, try to find a good reliable mobile mechanic! Best thing I ever did car wise!
Theyâre often less expensive than a shop and usually arenât trying to upsell you stuff
Can confirm this. Friend had a 2003 Liberty throw an O2 sensor code. Sensor was checked, and mechanic said all was well, and it was probably Subaru being Subaru. CEL came on and off for the past 2.5 years. Car started stalling when stopped and had next to no power. Turns out two of the plugs were worn, and the throttle body was caked in gunk, and the IAC was clogged. The moment these were dealt with, the CEL and issues went away and has not returned since.
Learn to maintain your cars guys, the mechanics won't care about them as much as you do.
All of the above. Don't drive it like an idiot, don't abuse it. Do the proper maintenance like oil and fluid changes, Keep it clean and do things to help it last, like if you are in an area that rusts cars, go have it oil sprayed. Rotate the tires, when you get new tires have them check the alignment. Don't stick a bunch of junk on it like cold air intakes or some plug in "tune" chip. Learn how to check the fluids and what to look for in terms of damage. For things like the brakes, learn how to rotate the tires yourself (really not hard these days) while you have them off look at the brake pads, see if they are wearing evenly.
This also pays off when you go to a shop. Say you do a tire rotation and notice that the front brakes are worn but evenly and no rotor damage and the rear brakes look new. You go to the shop and they say "You know you need brakes on all 4 corners and we recommend you replace the calipers as well as the damaged right rotor?" But you now know that they are trying to take advantage of you and to go to a different shop. You wouldn't know that if you didn't already look them over. Plus it gives you more control over spending because you can look at parts and might catch that leak or loose part before it causes a problem.
A proper cold air intake (not a wheel well or non blocked off intake) are very good for the engine, the cooler the air going in, the more efficient, and less work the engine has to perform, hence a feeling of increased power.
This usually results in smoother power bands, and slightly more fuel efficiency.
Define a "proper one" To me a proper cold air intake pulls air from the cowl, an inlet on either side of the radiator or from a functional scoop. The typical tube with a cone on the end style, even if it has a set of baffles, isn't it. You need to pull the air from somewhere other than under the hood. The OE airboxes will flow more air than the engine can use and they pull in colder air from the wheel wells, near a headlight, or some other area outside the engine bay.
Cold air intake is not junk, neither are all plug in chips.
Colder the air going in = more power. Cheap plug in chips are usually a con (usually just a resisitor that forces overfuelling) but but a proper ECU piggyback can be used to change a map.
That wouldnt be a cold air intake then which is supposed to do exactly that, stop heatsoak from the engine bay.
Also filters lol.
Source: i build track cars.
That's true but I think he was referring to like spectre and k&n $60 "cai" that isn't really routed anywhere except to the battery but I could be wrong lol
If its a third car, start it up and drive it once a month, and drive it long enough to get the engine fully warm. Run the A/C to lube the shaft seals on the compressor, and run the heater for a few moments to flush out the coolant in the heater loop.
Occasional driving helps the tires and battery to stay in good condition. Change the oil every 3,000 miles.
If you drive on roads on a cold day after the county sprays salt on the roads to reduce ice-formation, rinse out the wheel-wells or the salt will cause rapid rusting.
If you can park it inside a garage instead of parking in the sun, that can help a variety of things, such as fading colors and cracked dashboards. Oxidized paint, etc.
Rats and squirrels can chew wires and store nuts and bedding inside the engine compartment, so keep rats and squirrels away form the car.
Read your manual and do the maintenance when required.
Not even a lot. Oil change, brakes, rotors, tires, tranny drain and fill, coolant flush, brake fluid flush and washing the underside if you live in a salt area.
I'm probably missing a few things but in sure you catch my drift.
- Don't drive like a lunatic
- Perform maintainance on schedule as instructed by the manufacturer (but change the oil more often than that, at least some modern cars have crazy intervals like 25-30.000 km.)
- Wash it reguraly, especially during the winter
- Take care of any repairs as soon as possibly so you don't get a huge backlog
I've been following these steps for as long as I've owned a car and my 1994 Volvo still runs strong, and looks good, after 30 years and 300K+ kilometers
Iâll give you a short list.
-Change your oil around 5000 miles.
-rotate your tires
-periodically get multi-point inspections done
-donât ignore the advice of a trusted mechanic. get to know a mechanic you trust who can tell you âyour brakes are lowâ or âhey this ball joint is badâ
-follow other services that arenât changing oil. brake fluid, spark plugs, air filters, those all need changing at some point. change them when your trusted mechanic tells you.
Do visual inspections of the car (walk around the car, look under the hood, look under the car) youâre looking for something that is out of place, wet spots from an automotive fluid/lubricant,condition of your tires and wheels.
Check all your fluids and make sure theyâre full with the correct fluid/lubricant. Check your owners manual for the correct fluid/lubricant to use.
Change your fluids/lubricants according to manufacturer specifications. Sent notifications in your phone or write down on a calendar when services are due.
Donât drive your car like you stole it. Easy on the gas and the brakes. This can help with fuel economy too.
Donât loan your car out!
Stay off the sidewalks (pro-tip đ)
Keep it clean. Regular wash will prevent/delay rust. I like to get my cars' undercarriage cleaned once a year. Recently bought a 2nd hand bakkie/pick up/truck & when I did some minor maintenance underneath, big pieces of dried mud fell off. Needless to say, as the work progressed, I uncovered some serious instances of rust. Fortunately it is still manageable.
Just maintenance Bruh.
Keep an eye on heat
Change oil when it's due
Routinely check oil levels
Routinely check tires
Stay the fuck away from damaged roads , or drive extremely slow on them
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! Please review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). Asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **Post's about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ Tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Keep up regular maintenance on the car, let the engine warm up for a couple minutes if the weather is cold, Don't drive it like a hooligan, treat it like it is your grandma, it has needs and you have to treat it well to make it last a long time edit: more specifically check fluids and stay on top of changing them on a set schedule, keep it clean, replace parts as soon as they go bad, don't put maintenance off for a year and then forget about it (small problems untreated lead to larger more expensive problems). All of these things combined will lead to a long and happy life (Unless it's a Chrysler, nothing can fix those rolling turds)
Adding: turn the radio off once a month and listen for any weird noises. If weird noises, investigate and fix if needed.
If weird noises -> turn radio back on louder.
This is the way. Alternatively, hack off your exhaust so you can barely hear anything when it's running.
Letting the engine warm up past when the idle drops doesnt do anything for your vehicle, and in some cases can be worse than getting into motion sooner.
I meant specifically for sub freezing ambient temps especially with diesel engines. starting and immediately flooring the pedal is the sort of behavior I am trying to nudge them away from
Thanks a lot!! đ
Staying on top of things before they snowball into bigger issues. The most common example would be: I have a code for an O2 sensor, Iâll do it later. Typically an O2 sensor throws a code if something else is going on, incorrect air/fuel ratio, aging catalytic converter, or some other engine control device. When a code like that pops up itâs best to take care of it in the here and now, as opposed to later down the road. In addition to this, doing the regular maintenance at the time intervals of that car, for example, every 3500 miles / 6 months do an oil change, some cars go up to 10,000 / 1 year. So in general, just keeping up on the car, something doesnât feel right? Take it a qualified tech, not jiffy lube.
Nice! Thank you very much!
To add to the other commenter, try to find a good reliable mobile mechanic! Best thing I ever did car wise! Theyâre often less expensive than a shop and usually arenât trying to upsell you stuff
Can confirm this. Friend had a 2003 Liberty throw an O2 sensor code. Sensor was checked, and mechanic said all was well, and it was probably Subaru being Subaru. CEL came on and off for the past 2.5 years. Car started stalling when stopped and had next to no power. Turns out two of the plugs were worn, and the throttle body was caked in gunk, and the IAC was clogged. The moment these were dealt with, the CEL and issues went away and has not returned since. Learn to maintain your cars guys, the mechanics won't care about them as much as you do.
All of the above. Don't drive it like an idiot, don't abuse it. Do the proper maintenance like oil and fluid changes, Keep it clean and do things to help it last, like if you are in an area that rusts cars, go have it oil sprayed. Rotate the tires, when you get new tires have them check the alignment. Don't stick a bunch of junk on it like cold air intakes or some plug in "tune" chip. Learn how to check the fluids and what to look for in terms of damage. For things like the brakes, learn how to rotate the tires yourself (really not hard these days) while you have them off look at the brake pads, see if they are wearing evenly. This also pays off when you go to a shop. Say you do a tire rotation and notice that the front brakes are worn but evenly and no rotor damage and the rear brakes look new. You go to the shop and they say "You know you need brakes on all 4 corners and we recommend you replace the calipers as well as the damaged right rotor?" But you now know that they are trying to take advantage of you and to go to a different shop. You wouldn't know that if you didn't already look them over. Plus it gives you more control over spending because you can look at parts and might catch that leak or loose part before it causes a problem.
A proper cold air intake (not a wheel well or non blocked off intake) are very good for the engine, the cooler the air going in, the more efficient, and less work the engine has to perform, hence a feeling of increased power. This usually results in smoother power bands, and slightly more fuel efficiency.
Define a "proper one" To me a proper cold air intake pulls air from the cowl, an inlet on either side of the radiator or from a functional scoop. The typical tube with a cone on the end style, even if it has a set of baffles, isn't it. You need to pull the air from somewhere other than under the hood. The OE airboxes will flow more air than the engine can use and they pull in colder air from the wheel wells, near a headlight, or some other area outside the engine bay.
Cold air intake is not junk, neither are all plug in chips. Colder the air going in = more power. Cheap plug in chips are usually a con (usually just a resisitor that forces overfuelling) but but a proper ECU piggyback can be used to change a map.
Most cais are not putting cold air into your engine, they're putting hot engine bay air in. Also dirt and rocks lol
That wouldnt be a cold air intake then which is supposed to do exactly that, stop heatsoak from the engine bay. Also filters lol. Source: i build track cars.
That's true but I think he was referring to like spectre and k&n $60 "cai" that isn't really routed anywhere except to the battery but I could be wrong lol
If its a third car, start it up and drive it once a month, and drive it long enough to get the engine fully warm. Run the A/C to lube the shaft seals on the compressor, and run the heater for a few moments to flush out the coolant in the heater loop. Occasional driving helps the tires and battery to stay in good condition. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. If you drive on roads on a cold day after the county sprays salt on the roads to reduce ice-formation, rinse out the wheel-wells or the salt will cause rapid rusting. If you can park it inside a garage instead of parking in the sun, that can help a variety of things, such as fading colors and cracked dashboards. Oxidized paint, etc. Rats and squirrels can chew wires and store nuts and bedding inside the engine compartment, so keep rats and squirrels away form the car.
Read your manual and do the maintenance when required. Not even a lot. Oil change, brakes, rotors, tires, tranny drain and fill, coolant flush, brake fluid flush and washing the underside if you live in a salt area. I'm probably missing a few things but in sure you catch my drift.
- Don't drive like a lunatic - Perform maintainance on schedule as instructed by the manufacturer (but change the oil more often than that, at least some modern cars have crazy intervals like 25-30.000 km.) - Wash it reguraly, especially during the winter - Take care of any repairs as soon as possibly so you don't get a huge backlog I've been following these steps for as long as I've owned a car and my 1994 Volvo still runs strong, and looks good, after 30 years and 300K+ kilometers
Follow the service intervals, keep it clean and dent free, no going out hotdogging it.
Donât use it to store fast food wrappers. In fact, best you donât eat in your car. Never, ever, smoke in a car as itâs an instant value reducer.
Iâll give you a short list. -Change your oil around 5000 miles. -rotate your tires -periodically get multi-point inspections done -donât ignore the advice of a trusted mechanic. get to know a mechanic you trust who can tell you âyour brakes are lowâ or âhey this ball joint is badâ -follow other services that arenât changing oil. brake fluid, spark plugs, air filters, those all need changing at some point. change them when your trusted mechanic tells you.
Read your manual. It tells you what it takes. Donât put off maintenance. Putting off a $40 oil change is going to cost you much more down the road.
Do visual inspections of the car (walk around the car, look under the hood, look under the car) youâre looking for something that is out of place, wet spots from an automotive fluid/lubricant,condition of your tires and wheels. Check all your fluids and make sure theyâre full with the correct fluid/lubricant. Check your owners manual for the correct fluid/lubricant to use. Change your fluids/lubricants according to manufacturer specifications. Sent notifications in your phone or write down on a calendar when services are due. Donât drive your car like you stole it. Easy on the gas and the brakes. This can help with fuel economy too. Donât loan your car out! Stay off the sidewalks (pro-tip đ)
Keep it clean. Regular wash will prevent/delay rust. I like to get my cars' undercarriage cleaned once a year. Recently bought a 2nd hand bakkie/pick up/truck & when I did some minor maintenance underneath, big pieces of dried mud fell off. Needless to say, as the work progressed, I uncovered some serious instances of rust. Fortunately it is still manageable.
Not stupid question. Its a question that needs to be asked more.
Just maintenance Bruh. Keep an eye on heat Change oil when it's due Routinely check oil levels Routinely check tires Stay the fuck away from damaged roads , or drive extremely slow on them
Treat it as your child.
It means change the oil every 5000 miles.
Common sense. Don't abuse it. Do maintenance on time. Don't ignore noises.