In an effort to increase fuel economy and lower emissions, engines in today’s vehicles have been designed with much tighter tolerances than those of the past.  Some of the tighter tolerances require lighter oil to flow into these smaller spaces.  The duties of oil are to clean, cool and lubricate. One other property of oil is to suspend particulate.  This particulate is a normal byproduct from wear and the combustion process inside the engine. This particulate is abrasive and accelerates engine wear.  While engine oils have improved in quality in the last 10 to 20 years, they still get dirty! Waiting to have your oil changed every 7,500 to 10,000 miles just adds to the amount of dirt/particulate that the fluid suspends.  The goal is to keep the oil inside your engine clean, not allow it to get extremely dirty and then change it.  When dirty oil is being used in your vehicle a product we call sludge, which is a build up of particulate matter can start accumulating. This will accumulate inside the oil pan, the valve train area and in worst cases in the engine oil galleys.  This sludge can cause a restriction or starvation of the oil getting to the internal moving parts of the engine causing engine damage.The engine oil is just one of the fluids of the vehicle. 

If you look at the transmission fluid the automotive industry standard is to replace the fluid at minimum every 30,000 miles.  If you talk to a transmission specialist who spends 100% of their time repairing transmissions that have failed they are going to tell you they should be serviced closer to every 20,000 miles.  Transmission fluid is full of detergent and like engine oil it is designed to clean, cool and lubricate.  Dirty fluid has suspended particulate in it that can be abrasive and accelerate the wear of the transmission. 

Coolant is designed to keep the engine cool.  It provides a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point as well as lubricating the engine water pump and has corrosion inhibitors to help reduce corrosion in the coolant passages of the engine.  Coolant for your vehicle, in our climate should be kept at the freeze protection level of – 32 degrees fahrenheit.  Coolant has a ph balance between alkaline and acid, if it is allowed to age and become acidic it can actually do damage.  The acidity can eat away at hoses, gaskets even metal overtime.  Keeping coolant changed regularly, can keep it clean, at the proper protection level and at the proper ph balance for the best results.  The industry standard is to flush the coolant every 2 years or 30,000 miles to keep it in the best shape.Engine oil, transmission fluid, and the cooling system of your vehicle is just the beginning of proper maintenance. 

When you are on the repairing side of vehicles rather than the building side, you can see some of the effects of good and poor maintenance on the different systems of a vehicle.  Maintenance is always the more economical way to approach the care of your vehicle.  Repairs are usually more expensive, cannot generally be planned out or budgeted for and can leave you stranded without your vehicle for a longer period of time.

Bottom line is that if you want your vehicle to last more than 100,000 miles, then it is not maintenance free.  Maintenance when performed regularly can add longevity, reliability, and value to your vehicle.  We recommend consulting with your trusted repair facility to find out the best way to maintain the vehicle that you own.

The thinking on refrigerant loss has changed drastically since that time. That is because scientists have concluded that A/C refrigerant like R-12 and R134A are partially responsible for the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer. So in the mid 90’s car manufacturer’s were required to make their A/C systems more leak-resistant by using improved materials for lines, hoses, and seals. Federal and state regulations also require that repair shops have the correct equipment and training for handling refrigerant. So that an A/C system that is leaking does not continue to be filled so that it pollutes the environment.

To take care of the air conditioning system in your vehicle we recommend an annual inspection which would include:

Inspect, adjust and/or replace A/C belt as needed.

Clean radiator and condenser fins.

Ensure the evaporator drain hose is open.

Check that all system electrical connections are secure.

Make sure vacuum control lines are connected properly and in good condition.

Check duct outlet temperature.

Check that all compressor hardware is intact and secure.

Check the condition of all the lines and connections and make sure that they are tight.

Test system pressures to make sure they meet specifications.

Test low-pressure cut-out switch.

Check for leaks after any A/C service is performed.

If the vehicle is low on refrigerant it can cause major damage to the A/C system. They rely on the refrigerant being at a sufficient charge to carry oil thru the system and keep it lubricated. If the compressor starves for oil it can cause a failure. Some warning signs are:

Insufficient cooling from the vents.

Unusual odors from the vents.

Noisy belt, compressor or blower motor.

A rhythmic clicking noise under the hood with the A/C or defroster on.

An electric cooling fan that cycles on and off quickly.

Window that won’t defog when using the defroster.

Water on the floor of the passenger compartment.

Regular inspections can help catch a problem when it is still small, before it causes major damage to the A/C system. It is also a protection for our environment to keep an eye on our A/C system, so we don’t loose all the refrigerant to the atmosphere. So have it checked out regularly and if you experience any of the warning signs have a qualified shop with technicians certified to handle refrigerant, diagnose and repair it.

The true cost of vehicle ownership is a lot more than just the initial price of the vehicle or the monthly payment. There are actually quite a few factors involved in figuring out what a vehicle costs to own.

Some of the factors to consider are the cost of purchasing the vehicle (such as financing & interest costs), depreciation, insurance, fuel, regular maintenance, repairs, tires, licensing, registration fees, Deq fees, and parking fees.  According to the  Bureau of Labor Statistics the average American household (consumer units) spends approximately $800.00 a month on vehicle ownership.  These statistics have risen almost 10% in the last year.  For American consumers a vehicle is one of our  2^nd largest investments and expenses.

To give you an example AAA performed a study that a medium-sized automobile – such as a Ford Fusion, Honda Accord or Toyota Camry that is driven approximately 15,000 miles per year, costs 47.6 cents per mile to legally operate.  This equates out to $9,519  per year or about $793.25 per month.

A compact car like a Chevy Cobalt, Nissan Altima, or a Ford Focus driven at 15,000 miles per year cost about 43.3 cents per mile to legally operate.  This equates out to $6,495 per year or $541.25 per month.

Now if you have a sport utility vehicle like a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, or a Toyota Highlander the price increases to 73.9 cents per mile if driven approximately 15,000 miles per year.  Making the annual cost $11,085 or monthly cost of $923.75.

Unfortunately, as you can see the cost of owning a vehicle can be very expensive.  According to AAA these costs are rising each year due to the increasing prices of fuel, insurance and tires.  There are a few things that you can do to help keep some of your repair bills down and help reduce costs.  This would be with performing regular maintenance on your vehicle.  We hear many consumers say they have owned their cars for years and have not had to do anything but oil changes.  Most late model vehicles can withstand some maintenance abuse before they simply fail.  When they fail the repair costs usually end up 2 to 3 times the cost of what proper maintenance would have been.

If you compare vehicle maintenance to going to the dentist regularly it might be easier to understand.  Keeping your teeth clean, healthy, fillings, sealants and preventative services performed.  It helps to reduce the need for root canals, teeth extraction, crowns, implants and other major services.  This helps in keeping your dental expenses down. If you keep your car healthy with clean fluids, take care of little leaks before they become major, keep filters clean, and your tires rotated regularly.  This helps to reduce repair expenses on your vehicle.

One other thing that you can do before you purchase a vehicle, is to figure the true cost of owning that vehicle.  Edmunds.com has a great new service where you enter in the year, make and model of a vehicle and it calculates the cost of owning that vehicle, using all the factors that we discussed above.  The nice thing about this service is you can compare multiple vehicles so you can figure out which one really fits into your budget.