Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and maintenance

Under-maintained car is under-maintained. What now?

fermata — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:19:09 -0800

How should I keep my under-maintained 1999 Mazda Protégé running safely for just a few more months? My car, let me show you it. It's a 1999 Mazda Protégé with nearly 140000 miles on it. I've ignored most scheduled maintenance, because I am an idiot (I know that part already, you don't have to tell me), but it's generally kept running just fine. Lately it's been showing signs of age, and I've been getting increasingly nervous that it's going to break down in some incredibly horrible and expensive way at the worst possible time. I'd like to prevent that, within reason. On the other hand, I only need to keep it alive about another 6 months, through a Boston winter, so I don't want to spend a fortune on it.

So my questions are these. What major problems have I let myself in for by doing so little maintenance? And when I bring it to the mechanic to check out the funny noise it's been making lately, what else do I really need to get done?

A particular worry: I'm pretty sure I've never had the timing belt replaced. But it's an expensive repair. How stupid would it be to try to get through these last few months without doing that? (I've been reading that this model has a "non-interference engine," meaning if the belt breaks the engine itself won't be damaged, but I'm not convinced yet.)

The car is pretty beat up, too, and its resale/trade-in value is probably close to zero already, so I'm only worried about the next few months. I'd be grateful for recommendations from those of you who are less car-stupid than me.

How many amps do I need to start my car?

Solomon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:21:29 -0800

Please educate me on car battery technology. I was looking for a new battery for my car, but the company I've decided to get it from has three different batteries available that will suit my car - a standard lead acid battery, a calcium battery and a silver battery.

I've been looking at the various different specifications, and it seems that the silvery battery is best. Money isn't a problem. However, I'm concerned about spending money on something that's not worth it.

Is having 160 extra startup amps (between the standard and silver batteries) really going to make a difference? What about in cold, damp weather? I think that the temperature of a battery makes a difference to how much energy it can produce - would buying the stronger battery mean that it can output more electricity at lower temperatures?

I'm pretty clueless about this kind of thing, so please feel free to educate me.

It was everywhere I tell you.

Eddie Mars — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:45:58 -0800

Car trouble: How loudly should I yell at my dealer's service department? Yesterday I took my car (Nissan Rogue) to the dealer to have a broken seat latch fixed. Since it was due for an oil change, I had the service department change the oil while it was there.
Today driving home from work, I noticed an oily smell coming from the vents. I popped the hood and found oil everywhere. After hunting around, I found the oil cap sitting on top of the radiator fan. They'd forgotten to put the cap back on.
I checked and my oil was fairly low, but still OK, so I'm not worried about engine damage thankfully. My question is, will all this oil in the engine bay cause me problems? When I mean everywhere, it was everywhere. Pooled around every bolt head, dripping from the hood, everywhere. I'm especially worried about the air vents, since I could see oil draining into them.

So, when I call my dealer's service department to yell at them tomorrow, what should I demand they do? Do I need a complete cleaning of the engine bay, or am I overreacting here?

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them?

holdenjordahl — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:08:53 -0800

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them? I've got a 1991 standard Hatchback, 169,000 miles. and i've done every single schedule maintenance. never had a problem with anything unexpected happening (which is why i do it). Now i'm wondering if there's a better (read: cheaper) way to do this, without sacrificing quality? I don't know any mechanics, don't want to it myself, but am curious if there's an alternative. Thanks.

Where is the coolant drain pipe in a Toyota & is rust-colored coolant a bad thing?

Bearded Dave — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:49:53 -0800

Where can I find the coolant drain in a Toyota Avalon 1995? We just got a car, a used Toyota Avalon '95. It's previous owner didn't really take car of it at all, so now I am going through it and replaced the fluids, replaced the wipers, etc. I also refilled the coolant last week, but when I checked today the reservoir was empty again and the little that is left is rust-colored (coolant was bright yellow), but, as far as I can tell, not oily. I refilled it again and wait and see what happens. There are no puddles under the car.

However, I was also thinking about flushing the coolant system just to clean it out (I'm pretty sure that this hasn't happened in the last 10 years) - but I can't find the drain for it. Could it be under the car? A car repair book that I have explains the process in a way that makes it seem like you can't miss the drain, but I am lost.

So my questions are:

rust-colored coolant and disappearing coolant = bad?
and
Where is the coolant drain located?

Thanks!
~d

Looking for alternatives to service beacon

tdreyer — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:07:57 -0800

Looking for a site like ServiceBeacon Service Beacon is stopping their service any time now and I'm out of luck! Looking for something similar that will remind me every so many miles/weeks to do scheduled car maintenance, tell me about recalls, etc. (a calender feed would be nice). More features = better.

Source of creaky sounds in an older model vehicle plus general maintenance questions?

limonade — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:26:01 -0800

Source of creaky sounds in an older model vehicle plus general maintenance questions? I have a car that is well over 10 years old. It's a Honda and I've always gotten regular oil changes and other critical maintenance, so I hope to have it run to another 80,000 miles (until it reaches 200,000 miles).

I have a few different questions. First of all, the car has started making rather creaky sounds towards the rear. It sound sort of similar to what you'd hear riding in a big school bus. Just as the car hits bumps in the road, things sound creaky and a little bit loose. What would this most likely be?

Second, how important is maintenance of the outer body of the car to making it last? For example, I've had some rather large dents and other things that I just left as is. I don't follow the dealer recommended maintenance. But I am religious about oil changes. What is the most essential maintenance for making a car last?

Finally, at some point I will have to get a new-to-me car. What are the best ways to maintain the appearance of your car over time? Since I live and park on the street in a city that has a lot of snow, my cars have always a beating and after a while, they just look scratched up and worse for the wear. I'm wondering if there are any simple and expensive tips for maintaining their appearance and new look longer or if really, on NEW cars will stay looking new for long.

Oil Change vs. oil change

MeeMaMN — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:42:36 -0800

What is the difference between a $36 oil change and a $14 oil change? I know that it is a limited time offer but is one better than the other?

Where can I buy reasonably cheap, reliable air filters for my 1997 Saturn SL2?

RobotHeart — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:10:25 -0800

Where can I buy reasonably cheap, reliable air filters for my 1997 Saturn SL2? I would prefer to walk into a store where I can talk to someone. I live on the border of Cuyahoga and Lake County near Cleveland, Ohio, if anyone wants to give region-specific advice. My car drinks oil a bit because the seals on the engine are getting old. I used to get my air filter checked every time I went for an oil change, but now I find it needs oil every 2k miles or so and the oil doesn't seem to be thickening, so now I top off the oil myself and go for professional changes a little less often. So I figure I should have a couple of filters around, too. But I don't know much else about cars. I can tell you I recently had to have my muffler, muffler strap and catalytic converter replaced (in a really good experience at Rainbow Muffler in Willoughby Hills -- seriously, ask for Ed, you'll love him), so I'm betting my air filter is pretty disgusting by now.

How do you choose tires for a car?

Chuckles — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:49:24 -0800

How do you choose tires for a car? In particular, what is the best deal on all-season long lasting tires for a 2004 Toyota Matrix XR Front Wheel Drive, size 215/50/R17 in Southern Ontario. Some backstory...

So, my Mom needs new tires. The original equipment tires were some kind of performance compound type which have a wear rating of 200. She wants something that will last much longer, and perform well in winter weather (that is, cheapest possible tire per km driven, while not sacrificing utility in Canadian winters).

Problem is, she has been told by at least a couple of local shops that she has to replace the tires with similar performance compound type models. The local shops say that handling will be effected by any change, and they won't do it (or at least they don't want to).

This seems insane to me (Note: I've never driven, but I am technically minded). Sure, soft tires are going to handle better in ideal conditions, that's the whole point, but that doesn't seem relevant to my Mom's driving, or safety, or to anything other than up-selling an old lady.

Current status...

So, this whole 'replace with similar' issue may have been solved, because she has been shopping around and found places who are suggesting (or at least accepting her choice - whatever) a couple of relatively long wear tires. However, that doesn't really address the important question - what is the best value available.

Candidates...

Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread, at $195 each installed (and balanced, although why you'd quote an installation without it being a complete and proper installation is a mystery to me). These have an apparently extraordinary wear rating (according to tirerack) of 740!

Falken ZE-912, at $150 each installed. These have a wear rating of 480.

Finally, real questions...

Better deals around S. Ontario? Will the Goodyears really last 1.5x better than the Falkens? Remember that these have to be good in snow.

Help me not donate more money to dealer profit than I really need to...

Asherah — Sun, 18 May 2008 14:29:39 -0800

2006 Honda Civic service schedule: Maintenance Minder or dealer service recommendation? I've listed my 2006 Civic for sale, but am still unsure as to which maintenance schedule the car should follow, and would like to provide this information to any potential buyers. The operational and service manuals (as well as the Honda Owner's website) indicates that maintenance is only required when specific number/letter codes appear on the dash display.

Of course the dealer recommends services as specific set intervals, the next of which is 35K miles. They stated that this service includes: oil change, transmission fluid check/refill, air cabin filter and engine air filter (?) change, new brake pads, tire rotation, and a valve check. The quoted cost being a semi-outrageous $449, of course.

This car has been well maintained and not driven hard by any means. I know the dealer will obviously overcharge for the amount of work that will be done, but it would seem that getting this service done would bring more piece of mind to a used car buyer. I also already have one serious buyer who has driven the car and has not expressed concern over the lack of the 35K mile service (mileage just barely exceeds 35K).

Recommendations on what you would you do? Pay the dealer for the service, find a non-dealer who can to the equivalent for a lower cost, state to any buyers that all maintenance has been done per the 'maintenance minder' codes, which it has for the past two years.

AskMechanics, please help me diagnose this car problem.

toomuchpete — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:11:26 -0800

My vehicle has recently started shorting out while it's starting up... help? I have a '98 Chevy S-10 that has been behaving strangely. A few days ago, I went out to start it. When I got in, the dome lights came on, everything looked normal. When I turned the key in the ignition it started to turn over for a very small fraction of a second and then everything just stopped. It seemed that the starter had shorted out the whole electrical system of the car.

I let it sit a few days, come back to it today... same thing happens, but this time it goes about half a second through turning over to start before it went dead.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that there are self-healing breakers in some cars that can cause something similar to this, where they reset after a certain amount of time.

This is kinda perplexing and I don't want to take it to a mechanic before I have some idea what's wrong with it (if that's possible).

What does this sound like and is it something I can take care of myself?

Help us get our crappy cars fixed.

santojulieta — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:37:38 -0800

Where in Chicago can I get the brakes on a '99 VW Jetta and '98 Ford Escort replaced reliably and cheaply? Do you love your Chicago mechanic? Does he/she do work on both Fords and VWs? We're in Lincoln Park (but willing to drive a bit for great service), and both of our cars desperately need brakes, though it's only crucial to fix one car this weekend. Where do you other MeFite Chicagoans take your own cars? Where do you NOT take your own cars?

To preserve car warranty how do I handle maintenance?

covert7 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:24:47 -0800

To preserve car warranty how do I handle maintenance? I recently bought a slightly used car that still has a lot of time/miles left on the manufacturers warranty. My question is this: Do I need to use the dealers service department for all the regular service listed in the manual or can I use an independent mechanic shop that I trust and have used for years? Again the goal being to have my maintenance done in such a way to ensure that if I need warranty work done I will still be covered.

I know if I use the dealer I'd be ok but it's quite a ways away and I've never used them. I really like my regular mechanic as they're close by and I totally trust them.

Thanks for any advice!

Car help sought for non car-minded person

worker_bee — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:11:55 -0800

Car help sought for non car-minded person: Before I head to a local repair shop can anyone suggest what possibly ails my car? Car is an 11 year old Saturn with about 110,000 miles on it, looks like crap but overall still runs pretty good. Last night I got in it and it wouldn't start, but on the second turn of the key it fired up without a problem. However the clock was reset and I had lost all the presets on the radio, so I guessed maybe the battery was ready to be replaced. This morning it started first time, but after I pulled out of the driveway everything just died: engine, radio, lights the whole thing, and then it just as suddenly started back up again before I had a chance to turn the key (it’s a stick shift so I maybe inadvertently bump started it without realizing it).

So before I head out to see my friendly neighborhood mechanic tonight I think I need to have an idea of what the problem might be so I know if he is suggesting the best solution. Could this be caused by an overall electrical problem somewhere? Would that cause the whole thing to die all at once? I have to figure out if it is good economic sense to keep throwing money into repairs or just cut my losses as the car is not worth a great deal (except to me of course!).

Help me a) not get ripped off and b) understand what is going on in my poor car

working on a car - on a gravel driveway

bigmusic — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:59:17 -0800

I want to do minor maintenance on my cars (oil changes, brake checks, and so on), but I don't have a garage to do it in or a concrete driveway. All I have is a gravel / dirt driveway to work on. I would like to jack up my cars (and put them on jack stands), but I'm not comfortable at all doing it on this kind of surface. How can I do this without putting myself in harms way? I've thought about using pieces of plywood to put the jack stands on and chocking the rear tires - would this work or is there a better way?

FixMyBrakesFilter

Alterscape — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:27:00 -0800

I need to find a reliable auto repair shop in Tempe/Phoenix AZ for some brake work. My brakes are making icky noises. I've previously done 90% of my car maintenance myself, but that was when I lived near my father and had ready access to a shop full of tools and several decades of accumulated experience. When we couldn't fix it, we'd take it to a small, locally-owned garage who's service people my father trusted.

I'm now 2100 miles away from there and I just want to fix the problem. I'm relatively certain I know what the problem is and how much it should cost (in terms of parts) to fix. However, I have exactly zero experience finding and selecting repair shops. Can I just call one of the national chains, or should I shop around and try to find a good local guy by ear? I can sort of talk the talk, but car work was a small enough part of my interests that I'm not 100% confident I could sort a con man from a legit guy and I've heard lots of horror stories.

If anyone in Tempe/Phoenix has recommendations, that'd be even better. The car is a 1990 Camry, and I suspect the work I'll need will be having the pads changed, one rotor milled or maybe replaced, and one set of calipers thoroughly lubricated.

Vicious circle

Morrigan — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:05:01 -0800

My car dies periodically and the shop tinkers with it (starter, alternator, battery, etc.) but my mechanic has opined that part of the problem may be that I don't drive it enough. Does anyone have any experience with trickle chargers? I don't drive it in part because it is unreliable; it is unreliable in part because I don't drive it.

Any other suggestions besides the obvious one of driving it more?

1991 Jeep Cherokee Trembling

Waffle_King — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:44:21 -0800

My 1991 Jeep Cherokee automatic seems to be "trembling" while it idles. The shaking decreases once it's moving, but persists- albeit in a much reduced state. On top of that, the engine just sounds like it's working harder than it used to. Help! I recently had to have the steering dampener rod replaced because it blew out- causing the car to shake uncontrollably at the slightest bump on the road over speeds of 35-40 mph... this shaking threw off my alignment, so I got that fixed (new tires and everything)- and I think that shaking might be behind this recent "trembling." There's also sometimes a "thunk" noise when the car starts moving from a stop. I took the thing to the mechanic, who -strangely enough- said there was nothing wrong with it.

after turning on the car, the driver side starts to tremble- enough to slightly jingle my keys in the starter and make the image in the driver side mirror blurry. The passenger side is much less effected-- it feel like its coming from just behind and under the steering wheel. On top of that, the engine just seems to be louder and making a bigger fuss when revving up from a stop, and I feel like it's giving less power than it used to. Once the car starts moving, it lessens significantly, but you can still feel/hear it slightly.

Am I being paranoid, or does this sound like a problem to anyone else?

Tips for maintaining a car

chrissyboy — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:01:53 -0800

With any luck, I'm about to take ownership of my first car. I'm not particularly mechanically minded, what are the basic things I need to do to maintain it? I've left it until my late 20s to get my first car, a 1992 Suzuki Samurai 4x4, which I want to keep running smoothly and in good condition.

So what are the basics of looking after a car? What needs refilling, topping up, cleaning off every so often? What tools or useful items should I be keeping in the car? Any other tips or tricks?

Help me fix-up my Mustang Cobra.

matkline — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:13:29 -0800

Tell me what I should be doing to fix-up my inherited 1994 Mustang Cobra. It runs quite well to have 184,000 miles on it, but does have some problems (leaks oil, ABS light is on, rips in seats, etc.). I know very little about car maintenance, but I was wondering if I could do anything (prefereably inexspensive) useful to it anyway.

Pictures Here

How should I drive my uphill commute?

jgee — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 12:05:45 -0800

Driving tips for an uphill commute? My commute includes 10 continuous miles of 4-6% grade. It's uphill on the way to work, downhill on the way home. I drive a 2004 Subaru w/ manual transmission. What tips do you have to help me increase my gas mileage and prevent wear on my car?

Getting my car running after a long period of neglect.

DaShiv — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 11:05:41 -0800

CarOwnerFilter: help me get my car running again after a long period of neglect. I've left my car pretty much unattended in my parking garage for over a year and it's (obviously) in pretty bad shape by now, beyond a simple jump. I need to get it running ASAP so I can move it immediately to avoid impoundment. What's the best way of getting this done -- calling a towing place or a mechanic directly? Will they have problems getting it out of the parking garage? Bonus: can anyone refer me to their favorite place in the SF Bay Area (Berkeley) that won't rip me off completely, or alternately have good online resource to finding one?

Also: anyone ballpark how much time/money it'll take to fix up a car in this condition -- and what complications from disuse should I be worried about? 2000 Toyota Corolla, under 30k miles, and the only other mechanical problem is that someone busted the driver's side window and ripped my CD player out of the dash, so additional electrical work might be needed if the wiring/fuses are fried (it was needed the last time this happened).

What is the best grease to lube my chassis?

FakeOutdoorsman — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 11:22:01 -0800

What is the best grease to lube my truck chassis? I have a grease gun and bought white lithium grease, but I saw tubes of other types too. I used it to lube the linkages of the tie rods. Does it matter what grease is used? What about import vs. domestic?

Video Killed My Radio Star

stovenator — Thu, 05 May 2005 15:13:50 -0800

[AutoRepairFilter] - While jump-starting my car a while back, I placed the jumper cables backwards on the battery, and since then some of the electrical things in the interior of the car don't work. I have a 98 Ford Contour, and now the Radio, Clock, Interior Lights, and Remote Entry have stopped working. There are two fuse boxes in the car, one under the hood, the other under the dash. The fuses for all of the non-working elements of the car are attached to the fusebox under the dash.

The fuses for the Radio and interior lights (the clock and remote entry aren't listed in my owner's manual) are good. I've replaced them just in case, but they were fine. These fuses are not in sequential order in the fuse box, so it doesn't appear to be a section that is physically near each other. Other interior things light the lighter, dash lights, power windows, power door locks, etc. all work fine.

I hooked a volt meter up to where the fuse plugs in for the radio, and set to auto-range, its shows .62 mA. So it seems like current is getting to the fuse box.

Any clues on where to go from here. I can't afford (time or money) to leave my car at the dealership. Failing insight on how to fix this myself, any recommendations on auto repair places in Austin who do electrical work?