Routine Maintenance

We all know it is cheaper to fix things yourself. It is the same with a car or truck. The biggest expense with any repair is not the parts, but the labor. It is not uncommon for repair and service shops to be charging $60 to $70 per hour of labor. And they round to the next half hour or hour for any repair. Just go to any new car dealer and ask to have your windshield wiper blades replaced. They will charge you 10 times the price of replacements at your local auto parts store. So anything you can do yourself to save will be a big help. The purpose of this article is to show you some things you can do on your own and how to get the lowest prices on parts so you can save big and put your money towards something better than fattening your local auto dealers pockets. First off is routine maintenance. Routine maintenance consists of items like oil changes, tire rotations, and similar. Oil changes are a must at every 4000 to 5000 miles for most every car. Do not go by what your dealer says. They want to rev up your maintenance plan and have you doing more than is required. Instead, use your owners manual. If your car didn't come with one, than buy one off of Ebay. The owners manual will give you exact recommendations for every service and when and what should be done. For oil changes use Walmart. They charge around $15 for a oil and filter change and will lube your chassis at the same time. They will also check your tires and change your air filter if you desire or need it. They have the best service for the lowest price and at $15 its better to have them do it than do it yourself. Expect to pay twice this at a new car dealer. It is also a good idea to check your tire pressure at every gas fill up. A tire pressure gauge can be purchased at Walmart or any auto parts store for a few dollars. Proper tire pressure will prolong the usefulness of your tires and help ensure better fuel economy. To most people a under inflated tire is pretty obvious, but a over inflated tire can be just as dangerous as it can lead to blowouts and loss of traction especially in wet conditions (hydroplaning). Also, check your tires for nails, punctures, slashes, anything that could be wrong with it. If you need new tires, be sure to shop around and avoid the new car dealer as they will have a huge markup on them. For instance, 1 ZR Goodyear tire for a 2002 Ford Mustang GT was $289. The same ZR tire with a different make (Kumho) was $100 installed and balanced (the $289 at the dealer did not include installation or balancing. Shop around and look at discount stores. Also look at Costco, Sams club and BJ's for tires. If you have an older car and don't care about matching the exact style you can always go to your local junk yard and buy an entire set for dirt cheap. You would be amavzed at what you might find there. A friend of mine picked up 4 tires for a 1999 corvette for $150 and the tires only had maybe 10,000 miles on them if that. Lights and lighting on your car are an item that is routinely overlooked. If your lights are dim you could have a battery charge, alternator or dim, cloudy lenses. These are all easy to fix. A battery should be checked for its ability to hold charge at least once a year (more in extremely cold climates). An alternator can be replaced very easily, or if you don't feel comfortable a local mechanic can do it. Do not do this at a new car dealer as they will charge at least 300% more. A good tip is to go and buy the part at your local auto parts store and then inquire with the counter clerk as to a mechanic that they recommend to install it. You will save a lot and it will be professionally done. They will probably even come to your house to do it. As to your headlights, turn on your lights. If they are dim, is it the bulb or cloudy lenses? If it is the bulb, the cheapest replacements can be found at Walmart or on Ebay. It is recommended you go with brighter Xeon bulbs as they are only a few dollars more and increase brightness and night visibility by over 20 percent. If it is cloudy headlights there is a new headlight repair and restoration kit that will restore the lenses to new. This will save you big over replacement as the average plastic automotive lens costs $250 to replace. Checking your fluid levels routinely is a good idea. A lot of cars now will do this for you and will even alert you to when it is time to perform a certain service. It takes 2 minutes to unscrew the oil cap and pull out the dipstick. On older cars you should also look under the cap. Is the oil really dirty, sludge like, or have white in it? These all indicate something needs to be done. The first two mean it is in dire need of an oil change. The latter with the whiteness or light chocolate look means you have a blown head gasket and coolant is leaking into the engine. That is really bad and requires major repairs and can be the result of running a car too hot. Fill all fluids to the fuel full line or indicator. By routinely checking your cars fluid levels you will be ahead of the game and keep your car running better and for much longer. Another great idea to keep service costs to a minimum and save you big at the same time is to buy 1 to 3 year old used cars with around 30,000 miles on them. Then drive them until you get 100,000 miles on it and replace it. Most major repairs rarely occur before 100,000 miles with proper routine maintenance. Use and follow your owners manual. It was written by the ultimate expert, the people who built, designed and tested your car.

Change the oil filter every other oil change

To reduce the costs of vehicle ownership and maintenance, many car makers say the oil filter only needs to be replaced at every other oil change. Is this a good practice?

The oil filters on most engines today have been downsized to save weight, cost and space. The "standard" quart-sized filter that was once common on most engines has been replaced by a pint-sized (or smaller) filter. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a smaller filter has less total filtering capacity. Even so, the little filters should be adequate for a 3,000 mile oil change intervals -- but may run out of capacity long before a second oil change at 6,000 or 15,000 miles.

If you wait too long to change the filter, there’s a danger that it might become plugged. To prevent this from causing a catastrophic engine failure due to loss of lubrication, oil filters have a built-in safety device called a "bypass valve." When the pressure drop across the filter exceeds a predetermined value (which varies depending on the engine application), the bypass valve opens so oil can continue to flow to the engine. But this allows unfiltered oil to enter the engine. Any contaminants that find their way into the crankcase will be pumped through the engine and accelerate wear.

Replacing the oil filter every time the oil is changed, therefore, is highly recommended.

Always Read the Fine Print

While there are some great deals to be had on new cars today, it's always smart to be sure you understand the offers -- and whether there are any "qualifiers," "restrictions," "exclusions" or "limitations" that could affect you.

Most ad offers -- whether TV, print or online -- showcase the big numbers and best deals in very large type -- with any stuff that might not be so appealing scrunched down into micro-sized print at the every bottom of the page (or read-through at warp speed by an announcer who might as well be speaking Swahili, as far as your ability to follow what he's saying).

Here are some things to be on the lookout for:

* "Offer only available in FLA, GA, SC... " (and so on). Many incentives offered by the automakers are regional -- meaning, if you don't live in one of the areas where the deal is good, the deal is not available to you. The same car might cost $1,500 less (or more) just by crossing the state line.

* "All estimates are computed on the basis of a 10 percent down payment..." Some financing deals are contingent on things like the buyer coming up with a predetermined cash down payment. In the example above, you'd need $4,000 in cash at the time of sale to take advantage of the advertised low-rate financing on a vehicle with a sales price of $40,000. If you don't have the cash down payment, they may stick you with a higher finance rate.

* "Offer not compatible with other offers..." This means you may not be able to get both low-rate financing and "x" dollars cash back. You have to pick one or the other. It's important to run the numbers before you are in the pressure cooker of the dealer's store, too. This way, you'll know ahead of time whether it makes more sense for you to go with the lower-rate financing -- or the rebate.

* Dealer participation may affect savings... " This means the offer's contingent on the dealer's "participation" in the program (rebate/cash back, special rate financing, etc.) being advertised by the automaker. Remember: Dealers are independent operations; they may sell Fords or Hondas, etc. -- but you are not dealing with Ford or Honda, per se. Be sure the dealer you're negotiating with is, in fact, participating in the rebate/cash back deal you saw on TV. He may not be. Don't assume he is.

* "For Bonus Cash, buyer must take retail delivery by ..." As implied, the deal's only good if you buy the car before a specific date. This can put pressure on the consumer to make a snap decision -- or purchase a car "off the lot" that may not have all the features and equipment (or color) the buyer wanted, etc.

* Estimates do not include the cost of transportation and handling charges, dealer prep, labor..." This is a potential loophole big enough to drive a Hummer through. The price you thought you were getting could very well turn out to be nothing like the price you actually end up getting -- if you are not very careful. Insist that every charge/fee associated with the proposed purchase be clearly spelled out, in writing, before you commit to buy. "Dealer prep" alone can add hundreds to the bottom line -- negating any savings you may have expected via the "cash back" lure that got you into the showroom.

* "Not all buyers will qualify..." Most finance offers have this little caveat somewhere in the fine print. If you are a young/first-time buyer -- or have less than exemplary credit -- that 1.9 (or lower) finance rate you were counting on may be unavailable to you. It's a good idea to check alternate sources for financing -- such as a bank or credit union -- just in case the deal being offered by the automaker's finance arm won't be extended to you.

* Residency and other mileage restrictions may apply..." This means the offer might be contingent not just on where you happen to live -- but also on how many miles you drive annually (lease contract). It doesn't do you much good to get a great deal on a lease if your annual mileage exceeds the maximum allowable -- at which point you'll get whacked with additional charges. It's always best to over-estimate your annual mileage -- just to be safe -- when it comes to lease contracts.

* "Vehicle shown may contain optional equipment available at additional cost..." In other words, what you see (in the ad) may not be what you get (at the dealer). Be sure the car you want -- with the equipment you want -- is in fact available under the terms of the offer. A great deal on a car you don't want isn't much of a bargain.

* "Bonus cash offered on eligible vehicles must be financed or leased through (the automaker's captive finance arm)... " This means that in order to get the offered cash back/rebate, you have to finance the vehicle through the automaker's own finance company (Ford Credit, GMAC, etc.) rather than a credit union or private bank. You may also not be able to get the cash back if you pay cash for the vehicle. Basically, the automaker is looking to recoup the "cash back" by making money from you via interest payments. It may still be a good deal for you -- or not.

The key to negotiating the fine print shoals is to take the time to read and understand every clause, caveat and potential loophole before you sign anything or cut a check.

Are all brands of Synthetic motor oils the same?

All Synthetic motor oils are made from the same process, where they take petroleum oil and continue to refine it. The major distinction is the price , where the best synthetic’s are processed more extensively. Is this so?

Not so! There are 3 groups of synthetic oils in use today in automobile engines. Group III which is actually "phony" synthetic oil. As described above it is protroluem oil that is refined over and over. Group III base stocks are produced by further hydrocracking of Group II base stocks. For the most part this is what you buy off the shelves in stores. Most manufacturers have labeled their group III based oils as synthetic in the US for reasons of economy and marketing.

Group IV which is made by converting natural gas into polyalphaolefins, and is much better then petroleum oils. Mobil 1, Amsoil, Royal Purple are all group IV oils.

Best of all there is group V polyol ester, which are man made and offer the best protection for your engine that money can buy! Oils such as Redline , Neo are group V.

Cell phone chatter can cause accidents

You have seen these drivers and, in frightening moments, you've driven near them. One hand is holding their cell phone and the other is clutching a cup of coffee or a burger, which begs the question, 'How are they driving?'

The answer, on far too many occasions, is badly. A 1997 report in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the effects of using a cell phone while driving to the impact of driving legally drunk. While the study's methodology has been criticized, eyewitness reports confirm the problem.

"I can always tell when I'm behind someone who is on the phone," says Patty Butler, an Atlanta labor attorney who has written articles on employer liability for their employees' auto accidents when they're on the phone. "They're not paying attention. They speed up, they slow down, they change lanes unexpectedly."

"You see them weaving and driving very slowly," says Tim Heerdt, a risk control director for the St. Paul Companies, a major business property and casualty insurer. "It's very similar to the impact of someone under the influence."

According to the Insurance Information Institute, nearly 135 million people used cell phones in the United States in 2002. That's up from about 4.3 million in 1990. But while cell phones provide a major convenience, recent studies have shed light on the safety risks of using one while driving.

The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis reported in December 2002 that cell phone use could be faulted in 6 percent of the auto accidents in the United States each year. In the past three years, cell phone usage has been an issue in several lawsuits, and employers are being held responsible if a worker causes an accident while talking on the phone.

In response to a growing number of accidents involving inexperienced drivers who were talking on the phone, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended this summer that states take immediate action. The NTSB called for all states to follow New Jersey's lead and ban drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses from using cell phones, pagers or any other electronic device while driving.

To date, New York has banned everyone from using hand-held cell phones while driving; hands-free devices are permitted. A first-time violation carries up to a $100 fine. Ten other states, and many municipalities, have regulations on the books restricting their use. This summer, a California bill that would have banned using hand-held phones while driving died in committee because the sponsor concluded that amendments to the bill would make it unenforceable.

Despite the legislative emphasis on hand-held phones, research has indicated that it's the conversation itself that keeps drivers from paying attention to the road. A National Safety Council study found that people who were talking on the phone, whether it was hand-held or hands-free, missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as drivers who weren't on the phone.

"We're aware of a case now with three fatalities with a hands-free phone," Heerdt says. "The person wandered out of his lane and pushed another car into oncoming traffic.

One thing about cell phone conversations is that lengthy ones can be very involved.

"People ask. 'How is it different from adjusting the radio?' Compare that to a half-hour business call, closing a deal or disciplining your children."

The information on cell phones' roles in accidents is still largely anecdotal, but that may be changing. Heerdt says that police departments are starting to include questions about cell phones on their accident reports, and his company asks applicants if their companies restrict employees from using cell phones while they're driving. A 'no' answer won't keep them from getting insurance, but it won't win them any brownie points, either.

State Farm Insurance, the nation's largest personal auto insurer, doesn't track cell phone usage on accident claims, but spokesman Dick Luedke says the company is aware that they are "one of many potential distractions while driving. They've become part of our culture and we hope people use them responsibly so it doesn't distract them from the most important activity at hand."

If you must use the cell phone while driving, highway safety experts recommend that you:

Get to know your phone and its features so you know where the buttons are.
Use a hands-free headset.
Keep your phone within easy reach so you don't have to reach or bend over to answer it.
Don't take or place calls during heavy traffic or severe weather.
Don't take notes or look up phone numbers.
If possible, place calls when you are stopped, or when you're not merging.
Don't have stressful or emotional conversations while you're driving.

Tip: When resetting the tire pressure monitoring systems

When resetting the tire pressure monitoring systems, don't touch the key fob button. Why? If the key fob is inadvertently pressed, tire pressure monitoring system data can be corrupted. Also when mounting the tire, be sure to copy the ID number on the sensor. The number will be needed when reprogramming the sensor after the tire is mounted.

Tire Inflation drops in cold temperature

Tire Inflation Goes Down As Temperatures Drop Some people love the hot and humid weather of summer. Others long for the freshness of spring. Some are autumn people. Another portion may be winter and cold weather lovers.
And with winter slamming itself up so greatly this time, it is very much important to note that our vehicles also do need a little caring for this winter season. You may have noticed the little sprinkle of snowflakes on your vehicle but there is more to that that winter may be doing on your vehicle.
According to Goodyear, one of the world's best known and trusted tire manufacturers, winter is the time when the inflation of your car's tires drops. This is because the air inside the tire goes down as the temperature around also drops. The company also does say that if the temperature drops to around ten degrees, the tire pressure also goes down by about one to two pounds. If you are not quite so observant about this on your tires, you may be experiencing some tire trouble later on as you do your winter driving.
Bob Toth is the marketing manager of Goodyear for its auto tires and he points out, "Odds are that many motorists haven't checked their tire pressure since the weather began turning colder. If the last time the tire pressure was checked was during the heat of summer, with temperatures around 80 degrees, many people could be riding on severely underinflated tires without realizing it." He also does continue, "Even though consumers can simply and quickly check the air pressure of their tires, it becomes a neglected practice by many. That's too bad, because the four patches of rubber that come in contact with the road surface are vitally important to the performance of the vehicle. They are key for acceleration, lateral traction and braking grip."
To be sure, check your car's tires and make sure that you maintain the required air pressure as specified in your car owner's manual. After all, if you have underinflated tires and you continue on using your vehicle, you would be surprised to find severe tread wear on the outside edges of your tires.

The Master Cylinder and the Power Brake Booster

Is this correct?

If brake fluid is being sucked into the engine from the brake master cylinder, both the master cylinder and power brake booster must be replaced?

Yes! Although you might wonder why, but a worn secondary seal on the master cylinder primary piston will allow brake fluid to escape into the brake booster. The brake booster should also be replaced because it has been contaminated by the brake fluid and the internal rubber components will soon fail, so you should replace it.