Managing Maintenance Made Easy
on Mar 18 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged scheduled maintenance by jasonl
The idea behind maintenance is to avoid large scale repairs. This means that you need to stay consistent with routine check-ups and evaluate minor problems before they become major hassles. This can be done easily with a maintenance calendar or another system that alerts you about the need to go in for a check-up. It’s important to first look at the benefits of a maintenance in order to stay committed to a plan that works for you. Read More
Exactly How Cars Work Explained REALLY Nicely
on Aug 27 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged repairs, scheduled maintenance by jasonl
Most people in the world have only a vague concept of how the mechanical components in their vehicle actually function. Ask someone to explain how their engine really works, or what happens when the transmission is “shifted,” and you’ll get a blank stare.
Let me say right now that while I believe everyone should have a basic understanding of how everyday devices work (like a car’s engine, for instance), I will be the first to admit I have no idea how a lot of things work (not when it comes to cars of course, but I can’t explain how babies work to save my life…).
I’ll go one step further and say that when it comes to owning a car, you don’t really need to know how everything works in order to get by. You can enjoy a long and fruitful life of auto ownership without knowing anything about the 4-stroke cycle or how transmissions work.
HOWEVER, the facts are these:
- It’s nice to know how things work. It makes us feel smarter and more informed.
- It doesn’t take much effort to learn – two hours of your life *tops* will cover all the bases.
- Most importantly, knowing the basics of how your car works will dramatically reduce the likelihood that someone will try to take advantage of you.
SO, if you want to learn more, check out CarBibles.com. Without over-hyping the site, let me say that it is AWESOME. The explanations are all fantastic (and correct), and they’re delivered in a clear, concise method that had me chuckling.
If you’re interested in learning about your car, visit this site. My advice is to start with the article about your vehicle’s engine and fuel system. An hour or two of your time spent reading and learning will go a long ways towards your next visit to your local service facility.
Just think about the look on your mechanic’s face when you start asking intelligent and informed questions about the repairs he or she is advocating. By proving you have a basic understanding, you’re demonstrating that you’re willing to call their bluff. You’ll notice the number of recommended repairs usually drops quite a bit once you’ve proven just how smart you are.
Crack the books and get started! If you like the info as much as I do, make sure to leave the owner of the site, Chris Longhurst, a small donation.
Should I Use Synthetic Oil In My New Car?
on Feb 16 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged oil, scheduled maintenance by jasonl
Listen to this article.
People often wonder if they should be using synthetic oil in their vehicles. Synthetic oil is better than regular oil for a lot of different reasons – it’s a better lubricant, it maintains integrity at high temperatures, it’s fairly pure, and it rarely turns into sludge (even when it’s abused). To many, the obvious benefits of synthetic oil lead them to conclude they should start using it ASAP. However, despite synthetic oil’s benefits, it really depends on how you take care of your car.
To start with, do you change your oil regularly? Oil needs to be changed before it breaks down and puts your engine at risk. But if you’re good at changing your oil on time every 3-5k miles, you’ll never experience one of the benefits of synthetic oil. Synthetic is resistant to breaking down, even after extended use. If you forget an oil change for instance, or even if you just put one off for a few weeks, synthetic is the best oil to have in your engine. But if you’re changing your oil regularly and at the proper mileage you’ll never be in a situation where your engine is at risk from worn-out oil.
Another benefit of synthetic is that it will last a long time without deteriorating. For instance, let’s say you drive 7k miles per year. At that rate, assuming a 5k mile oil change interval, you’re only going to need an oil change every 9 months (based on mileage). Since regular oil starts to break down after 6 months (even when unused), you should either change your oil sooner than necessary or you should think about using synthetic. It may save you money to pay for one synthetic oil change a year instead of two regular oil changes, and it will definitely save you time.
Other than synthetic’s breakdown resistance and long life, there’s one other common reason you should consider using synthetic. As natural oil gets hot, it starts to breakdown. The longer it stays hot, the worse the breakdown. So, if you regularly operate your vehicle in such a way that the engine temperature is always high, you should run synthetic. Letting your vehicle idle for hours at a time (like on a jobsite) will overheat the engine, as would driving in high ambient temperatures (like the desert) or at high altitudes (over 10k feet). As a rule, high temperature desert air doesn’t cool your engine very well, and neither does “thin” mountain air. If you live in these areas, consider running synthetic oil. Finally, synthetic oil is often used in high performance vehicles. If you are utilizing your vehice like a high-performance car (high speeds, fast turns, you know who you are) then synthetic is a smart choice.
There are a lot of entities that recommend using synthetic oil, even for people that don’t need it. For example, synthetic is recommended for anyone that drives in stop-and-go traffic. Since all of us drive in stop-and-go at some point, that’s a bad recommendation. You should only use synthetic if you’re driving in stop and go traffic long enough for your engine’s cooling fan to turn on and only if you’re doing so daily. Also, if you drive short trips only, people may recommend synthetic oil as a way to protect you engine. However, short trips, regardless of your choice of oil, can damage your motor. No matter whether you use synthetic or regular oil, your engine was designed to be ran for at least 20 minutes. Running synthetic in these situations might be better, but tests have shown the benefit is minor.
If you determine that one of the above situations applies to you, take care when you purchase synthetic oil. Many places will suggest a synthetic blend as a way to save money (instead of full-synthetic), however the “blend” is often times a mystery. Maybe you’re getting a 50-50 blend, or maybe you’re getting 1% synthetic and 99% regular oil. My recommendation is to go full synthetic or not to bother with it – unless the blend suggested is provided and produced by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
Last but not least, what do auto manufacturers have to say about synthetics? Most state that “any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” That means normal oil is just fine. For most people, their vehicles will operate for a very long time without the benefit of synthetic oil as long as they are properly maintained and used normally.
