Getting the most from your Automobile

We all have a friend who drives a tenan 8-10 year old car that looks like it is almost new. We never hear these friends talking about their car leaving them stranded. We also hear them talking about how much money they save by not having a car payment. How do they do it?

The best way to have a reliable high mileage car is to have it regularly serviced with the full manufacturer recommended services. Many people are skeptical about these services, and before I was in the auto repair business I was too. I thought getting an oil change every 3,000 miles, or a coolant flush or a transmission flush, was a marketing gimmick. But I also thought that once a car got over 70,000 miles it was time to trade it in. Now I’ve seen the proof from the inside. I’ve seen what an engine looks like that has regularly gone 10,000 miles between oil changes, or has never had the coolant flushed, or never had a transmission flush. I also own three vehicles, all of which have over 100,000 miles on them.

The services that have the biggest impact upon minimizing repair costs and extending the life of your vehicle are a transmission fluid flush, a radiator coolant flush, a power steering fluid flush, and an air induction system cleaning. I have all of these done on each of our vehicles.

The transmission flush begins with a cleaner that gently removes varnish and build-up from the transmission, and then replaces all of the fluid in both the transmission and the torque converter. The coolant flush replaces all of the coolant, and then adds an organic sealant to protect the metal surfaces inside the engine. Manufacturers use this same type of sealant when the car is going down the assembly line.

The power steering flush replaces the power steering fluid. This service is also used as a corrective procedure on many cars that are making that groaning noise first thing in the morning. Twice I have thought it was time to replace the power steering pump on my wife’s car, but the power steering flush solved the problem.

The air induction cleaning removes oil-sludge build up from the intake plenum and throttle body. These deposits occur because of one of the oldest pollution control systems. Oily vapor from inside the engine is sucked into the intake system rather than being vented to the environment. A portion of those oily vapors continually condense in the intake system. This build-up results in more difficult starting in cold weather, poor idling at stop lights, and reduced acceleration.

Many people say “I just don’t have the time.” If time is really the issue, here are a few short cuts. Use synthetic motor oil. You can go 7,500 miles on a synthetic oil change and keep the inside of your engine sparkling clean and wear-free. It costs less than twice the cost of a conventional oil change, so you are saving money up front and extending the life of your car. Get your tires rotated every 7,500 mile oil change, and balance them every other oil change. Every 4th oil change you are going to have a 30,000 mile service. Have the coolant system flushed, the transmission flushed, and the power steering flushed.

Think about the timing of this. It is going to be 1 1/2 to 2 years just to have four oil changes. How can you not have time for that?

Brian Klaubert has written for the Neighborhood News for four years, and owns Christian Brothers Automotive – Hamilton Mill on Braselton Hwy in Dacula. They have been voted Best of Gwinnett in both the Gwinnett Daily Post and Gwinnett Magazine.

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