How much maintenance if I don't drive much?
August 13, 2011 11:50 AM Subscribe
Maintenance for a low-mileage car. I have a car that's about 4 years old with 12,000 miles, so the normal maintenance schedule doesn't help me much. I'm looking for a schedule to fit my driving habits.
Are there things I should get checked based on time and not mileage? For example, I recently got a new battery. I get the oil changed twice a year. How about tires, timing belts, anything else? I've always kept my cars well-maintained but I'm not sure what that means when I'm not driving it much. Don't want to do too much, but also don't want to do too little and have an avoidable breakdown.
I'm taking the car into the dealer in a couple weeks and I'm going to ask them, but I'd like to educate myself in advance.
Are there things I should get checked based on time and not mileage? For example, I recently got a new battery. I get the oil changed twice a year. How about tires, timing belts, anything else? I've always kept my cars well-maintained but I'm not sure what that means when I'm not driving it much. Don't want to do too much, but also don't want to do too little and have an avoidable breakdown.
I'm taking the car into the dealer in a couple weeks and I'm going to ask them, but I'd like to educate myself in advance.
the type of car, your particular driving style, the cars exposure to the elements when driving and when stored (inside or outside?) make a large difference. 4 years is normal life for a battery, but yours may have suffered from not cycling on a normal basis. How often do you drive your car on a weekly, monthly basis? If you car is sitting for long periods of time without being used, it might be wise to simply run the motor up to operating temperature once every week or two. Gas sitting for a long time can go bad, so I would (depending on your car) check and replace your fuel filter whenever you change your oil.
Some more details about your specific make and model of car will help too, if you could chime back in and add that.
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 12:15 PM on August 13, 2011
Some more details about your specific make and model of car will help too, if you could chime back in and add that.
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 12:15 PM on August 13, 2011
Response by poster: I drive my car several times a week for short errands and occasionally a longer highway trip. Never go more than a week without driving it. It's parked outside all year round (live in a four season area with moderate winters). It's a Subaru Impreza.
posted by daikon at 12:36 PM on August 13, 2011
posted by daikon at 12:36 PM on August 13, 2011
Pick things that improve your enjoyment and use of the car. Some things I've done for an 5 year old car that made a noticeable improvement in said:
New windshield wipers for example, are cheap to replace and can make a big difference if they're getting old. I believe the legal minimum of tire tread is something like 2/32" or 1.6 mm (at 12,000 miles you've probably got plenty of tire left). If the steering wheel vibrates when you drive or brake, it could be that your tires aren't correctly balanced (cheap fix), or that your brakes are worn or warped and need replacement (more costly).
posted by HLD at 12:52 PM on August 13, 2011
New windshield wipers for example, are cheap to replace and can make a big difference if they're getting old. I believe the legal minimum of tire tread is something like 2/32" or 1.6 mm (at 12,000 miles you've probably got plenty of tire left). If the steering wheel vibrates when you drive or brake, it could be that your tires aren't correctly balanced (cheap fix), or that your brakes are worn or warped and need replacement (more costly).
posted by HLD at 12:52 PM on August 13, 2011
Best answer: daikon, with that info, it sounds like you're doing things right, driving regularly etc. if you are not already, think about running a nice synthetic oil the next time you have it changed. It will cost more, but with your four seasons and little driving it may help with keeping your engine internals well lubricated when you're not driving. Its also totally ok to go about 5-7k miles between changes on full synthetic.
also keep an eye on weather related upkeep. check your cv axle boots to make sure they aren't torn or worn out, letting water, ice and salt into your axle. watch for tiny chips in your paint that can turn into rust spots. Treat those with clear coat or touch up paint as soon as you see them before they rust. try to keep the underside of your car free of dirt debris, mud and dried salts in the winter. your car should last a long time!
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 12:56 PM on August 13, 2011
also keep an eye on weather related upkeep. check your cv axle boots to make sure they aren't torn or worn out, letting water, ice and salt into your axle. watch for tiny chips in your paint that can turn into rust spots. Treat those with clear coat or touch up paint as soon as you see them before they rust. try to keep the underside of your car free of dirt debris, mud and dried salts in the winter. your car should last a long time!
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 12:56 PM on August 13, 2011
If it were me in your shoes, I'd change the oil once per year, anticipate tires every seven years or so, replace the windshield wipers when they streak or smudge, and have a major service done at the dealer every five years.
Parking outside, the things I think are genuinely going to affect your car, despite low miles:
1) Mice. Watch for their droppings, and look for nests in the engine/other places. They're a pain but there is no real way to keep them out other than constant use.
2) Crap on the paint. If you care what your car looks like or want to keep its resale high, keep it clean and wax it once in awhile. Maybe consider having it detailed once per year or so, telling the shop you're looking to keep it super-clean, not necessarily "going to prom" glossed-over.
3) Salt. Try to keep road salt from accumulating, either by thoroughly washing the underside and wheel wells in the next thaw after the trucks have spread their misery on the roads, or in the spring after the last of snow doing the same. Might be the right opportunity for the detail mentioned above.
posted by maxwelton at 1:31 PM on August 13, 2011
Parking outside, the things I think are genuinely going to affect your car, despite low miles:
1) Mice. Watch for their droppings, and look for nests in the engine/other places. They're a pain but there is no real way to keep them out other than constant use.
2) Crap on the paint. If you care what your car looks like or want to keep its resale high, keep it clean and wax it once in awhile. Maybe consider having it detailed once per year or so, telling the shop you're looking to keep it super-clean, not necessarily "going to prom" glossed-over.
3) Salt. Try to keep road salt from accumulating, either by thoroughly washing the underside and wheel wells in the next thaw after the trucks have spread their misery on the roads, or in the spring after the last of snow doing the same. Might be the right opportunity for the detail mentioned above.
posted by maxwelton at 1:31 PM on August 13, 2011
I would second everything maxwelton said and also get a high quality fitted car cover. It really helped me keep a car in good shape when I was using it less than you and it had to be parked outside. It will really help keep your paint in good shape and for a bonus clearing the snow off in the winter is easy it keeps your car cooler in the summer. You will need somewhere to put it in the house when it is wet after a rain or snow (I used the bathtub when it was below freezing and over a fence when it was warmer). Otherwise when you take it off store it in the car.
Also, really, really wash the road grime and salt off in the winter and you want to do it at a diy place so you can get down and get the underside clean with the wand. I did it every time the roads cleared and it got above freezing. I kept an old honda rust free in a very snowy climate that used a lot a salt every year with the above methods.
posted by bartonlong at 2:23 PM on August 13, 2011
Also, really, really wash the road grime and salt off in the winter and you want to do it at a diy place so you can get down and get the underside clean with the wand. I did it every time the roads cleared and it got above freezing. I kept an old honda rust free in a very snowy climate that used a lot a salt every year with the above methods.
posted by bartonlong at 2:23 PM on August 13, 2011
Best answer: In case you no longer have the original owners manual, you can download the maintenance schedule from Subaru here. You'll notice that all items are listed by mileage and date, whichever comes first. So you can just read across to 48 months, and scan down to see what should have been done by that point.
posted by Forktine at 6:45 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by Forktine at 6:45 AM on August 14, 2011
If you're not getting an extended drain synthetic, I'd change the oil 4 times a year. Short trips don't allow the engine enough time to heat up enough to boil the water off that accumulates in the engine. The water contains acids as a part of the combustion process. A conventional oil might not have enough corrosion protection to go 6 months. The only way to be sure would be to have an oil analysis done at the end of 6 months to see if your normal oil stands up to the longer drain period. Most owners' manuals would call 10K miles per year severe service because of the frequent short trips. Under these conditions they would recommend a shorter change interval. Here's an article about engine oil analysis.
posted by davismbagpiper at 10:34 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by davismbagpiper at 10:34 AM on August 14, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Forktine at 12:08 PM on August 13, 2011