| In this article we will look at some
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| | fuel injection, and while this often
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| general service hints that apply to any
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| | works really well and controls emissions,
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| car whether you buy it new or used. In
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| | you need to keep those fuel injectors
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| most cases, these maintenance costs are
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| | clean. Your local auto parts shop sells a
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| not covered by your factory and extended
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| | number of brands of fuel injector cleaner
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| warranty, but are important
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| | and I recommend addiing it to a full tank
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| considerations in getting the best and
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| | of gas at least with every oil change.
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| most reliable service from your car.The
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| | It's a lot cheaper than having your fuel
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| first consideration is where you take it
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| | injection system overhauled. And change
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| for service. Many people simply take it
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| | that air filter regularly or whenever it
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| back to the dealer where they bought it.
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| | starts to appear dirty. Nothing slows
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| The advantage there is that if they
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| | performance more quickly and gunks up
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| discover anything that needs fixing under
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| | your carburettor or fuel injectors than a
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| the warranty, they will fix it for you
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| | dirty air filter.Tires, Brakes and Shock
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| when you take it in for service. But be
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| | AborbersOther items like tires, brakes
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| aware that you pay a premium for dealer
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| | and shock aborbers are generally not
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| service in most things, and you can often
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| | covered by warranties... they are
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| cut the cost of that routine maintenance
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| | considered routine maintenance items.
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| by 30% or more by using a good
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| | Choose your tires carefully... there are
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| independent repair shop. And the
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| | a wide range of tire grades, priced
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| independent shop may be a bit more
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| | accordingly. Invariably those bargain
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| observant in pointing out other problems
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| | prices you see advertised are junk tires
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| with your car that you can have fixed
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| | and not worth your time unless you are
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| under warranty back at the
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| | just fixing the car up to sell. Many
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| dealership.Check with friends or business
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| | tires will offer long mileage warranties,
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| associates to see where thery get their
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| | but read the fine print... often that's
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| car serviced. Many shops offer free
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| | "pro-rated" and applied to the "list"
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| shuttle transportation when you drop off
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| | price of a new one, not the highly
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| or pick up your car. If you have a more
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| | discounted price you bought them for.
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| exotic car, be sure they specialize in
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| | This is an old scam. Put 20,000 miles on
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| that kind of car. Since the cost of parts
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| | those 50,000 mile tires and you may find
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| can often be more than the cost of labor,
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| | the adjusted price of a new pair under
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| you should realize that OEM parts from a
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| | warranty is higher than what you can buy
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| dealer usually cost 50% more than the
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| | them or a comparable set for outright.
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| same parts from a good after market
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| | In general, always buy tires at least in
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| supplier, when available. But your dealer
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| | pairs. Never put one new tire on one
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| always uses OEM factory parts. And items
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| | wheel when the other has considerable
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| like tires, brakes, filters and rountine
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| | wear. Generally, it's best to put your
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| maintenance parts are inevitably a good
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| | new tires on the front to take advantage
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| bit more expensive from the
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| | of better steering and handling with a
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| dealership.Once you decide where you want
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| | new tire. But if your car is rear wheel
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| to have your car serviced, stick with
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| | drive, be aware that badly worn tires in
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| them if they do a good job for you.
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| | the back will cause your car to skid and
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| There's no substitute for a good
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| | lose control quickly in wet or slippery
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| relationship with a repair shop when it
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| | conditions. If you rotate your tires
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| comes time for major work or diagnostics.
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| | regularly, say every 7500 or 10,000 miles
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| And many a shop will take a one time
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| | at least, then your tires should all wear
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| customer for a "ride", and take the easy
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| | out around the same time and it's best to
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| route to fixing your problem rather than
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| | replace all four as a set.When putting on
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| the most cost effective one. A little
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| | new tires, you should have them balanced
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| story...
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| | and the front end aligned. Bad alignment
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| I had a girlfirend once with an old Ford
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| | or balance will wear out new tires much
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| Mustang. Her turn signals were not
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| | more quickly and can severely impact the
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| working and she took it into the Ford
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| | handling and ride quality. Often,
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| dealership for repair. They wanted to
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| | balancing tries when they are new, does
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| charge her $220 to replace the whole turn
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| | not mean they will still be in balance
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| sign mechanism and wiring harness, a big
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| | after 5-10,000 miles. I like to buy my
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| job as it involves dismantling the whole
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| | tires from a tire dealer that offers free
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| steering column. She couldn't afford it
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| | rotation and rebalancing for the life of
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| and came to me asking what she should do.
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| | the tire. I look for tires which handle
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|
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| | well in wet conditions and avoid
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| I had a hunch and picked up a new
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| | aquaplaning. Those are usually high end
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| blinker relay from the auto parts store
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| | steel belted all-weather radials which
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| for $3. I reached under the dash, popped
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| | also work pretty well in snow as
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| out the old one and stuck the new one in
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| | well.Remember you life and that of your
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| there.Presto... the problem was fixed. I
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| | family is riding on your tires. Invest in
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| was outraged that the dealer was going to
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| | good quality tires... it's a sound
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| charge her $220 when a simple $3 part
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| | investment. And one more thing, these new
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| fixed the problem. I went down there and
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| | "low profile" tires that look so cool on
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| complained bitterly and they refunded her
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| | these sport sedans. The low profile means
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| diagnostic charges anyhow.
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| | a short sidewall, which means little give
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| In general, car repair shops are
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| | and flex there which, while it can
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| notorious for fixing things that don't
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| | contribute to better handling, also means
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| need fixing, and not always because they
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| | a stiffer less comfortable ride, and more
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| are completely dishonest... but because
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| | wear on your suspension, since the tires
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| it's faster than trying to figure out
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| | are not absorbing the road irregularities
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| where the exact cause of the problem
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| | as well, leaving it all up to the more
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| really lies. It's the old analogy of
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| | expensive suspension parts.Shock
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| fixing a loose nail with a sledgehammer.
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| | absorbers are another important and often
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| So finding a good reliable service shop
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| | overlooked component. Worn shocks mean
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| can save you a lot of money over the
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| | faster tire and suspension wear,
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| years.I recommend you keep a log of your
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| | particularly the ball joints in the front
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| maintenance. It will help you do it
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| | end. It's relatively easy to check a
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| regularly and that will prolong the life
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| | shock's performance. Push down swiftly on
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| of your car. Abnd it also looks good when
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| | the fender of your car over each of the
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| it comes time to sell the car.
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| | four wheels. New shocks should be pretty
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| Here are some service issues that are
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| | stiff and recover from a hard shove with
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| critical and some hints that not everyone
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| | only a single rebound. If the car bounces
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| is aware of.Oil ChangesThe average new
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| | up and down several times above the
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| car recommends an oil change every 7500
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| | wheel, the shocks are worn and should be
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| miles. I like to change mine twice during
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| | replaced. These are not expensive and a
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| that period. Motor oil is cheap and
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| | good tire dealer can stick in a quality
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| nothing wears an engine out faster than
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| | set like Monroe Shocks for little more
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| dirty motor oil. The simple process of
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| | than $100 for all four on many models of
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| combustion produces a lot of by-products,
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| | cars.Also not covered by most warranties,
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| acid, carbon, and contaminations from the
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| | the brakes should be checked regularly
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| air. And that contaminates your motor oil
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| | (whenever you rotate your tires and
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| pretty quickly. I change it at 4000 but
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| | replaced when they get low. Driving with
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| not the oil filter, and then again at
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| | worn brakes (typically they squeal badly
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| 7500 and change the oil filter at that
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| | when you come to a stop) will quickly
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| time. I maintain the same schedule thru
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| | score your brake rotors or drums and make
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| 7500, 15,000, 22,500, 30,000 and so on.
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| | replacing them essential as well as brake
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| I use a high grade of motor oil... I
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| | pads or brake shoes. Front brakes usually
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| have always liked Valvoline. But Quaker
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| | wear out first, and again depending on
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| State, Pennzoil and other top brands are
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| | how you drive, you can probably expect to
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| probably equally good. Stay away from the
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| | replace them every 30,000 miles or so. A
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| bargain brands. Quality lubrication is
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| | good brake shop will turn the rotors or
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| essential to your engine's longevity. In
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| | drums, replace the pads or brake shoes,
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| general you want it to look clear and
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| | and rebuilt the calipers or wheel
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| green on the oil dipstick... when it
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| | cylinders as needed. If you replace them
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| starts getting dark, it's time to change
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| | often and the rotors/drums look good,
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| it, and when it gets black it's way
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| | sometimes you can get away with just a
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| overdue.The exception to this rule is
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| | new pair of shoes or pads.Also keep an
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| that some synthetic oils which are black
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| | eye on your brake fluid under the hood.
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| in appearance when new. And unlike foods,
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| | As the brakes pads or shoes wear, the
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| where "synthetic" is a dirty word, in
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| | fluid level will drop. That is normal,
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| motor oils, the synthetic variety offers
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| | and you will need to add a bit of brake
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| better lubrication than the petroleum
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| | fluid from time to time. Be casrely not
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| based "natural" oils and costs a good bit
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| | to spill any on the car's paint as it is
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| more as well. If you have an expensive
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| | highly corrosive and will eat thru the
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| car, it's probably well worth the extra
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| | paint in a matter of moments.Car Paint
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| cost for the higher quality motor oil.
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| | and InteriorIn order to preserve the
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| People who ignore things like routine
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| | value of your investement, you also want
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| oil changes because they are too busy are
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| | to maintain your car's finish and
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| very foolish. Dirty motor oil wears out
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| | interior. Keep the car washed and clean.
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| an engine very quickly and failure to
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| | Be careful about automatic car washes.
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| keep it clean may very likely void your
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| | Many news ones do a fine job, but some of
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| warranty.Transmission oil is another
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| | the older ones with stiff brushes can
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| item. Factory service often doesn't
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| | scratch your paint badly. If you can keep
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| require it be changed more than every
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| | your car in a garage or under cover, do
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| 30,000 miles. But depending on how and
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| | it. That old junk you have piled up in
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| where you drive it can get dirty and worn
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| | the garage while your $35,000 car sits
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| a lot quicker than than that. In general
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| | out in weather is a poor investment
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| you want the fluid to appear cherry red
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| | decision. Remove bird droppings and
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| and have almost no smell when you pull
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| | treesap as quickly as you possibly can. I
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| the transmission oil dipstick. When it is
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| | keep a plastic bottle with water and a
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| reddish brown and has a burnt smell, then
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| | soft rag in my trunk and wipe off bird
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| your transmission is suffering. Many cars
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| | droppings as soon as I notice them. The
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| do not allow an easy change of the
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| | acid in there will eat into your paint
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| transmission fluid. It is often necessary
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| | very quickly and cause a blemish to that
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| to drop the pan of transmission to drain
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| | paint job. But blot don't rub. Bird
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| it, and then that usually holds 3-4
| |
| | droppings typically have sand in them and
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| quarts and does not change the majority
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| | that can easily scratch your paint.
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| of the fluid which is in the torque
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| | You can remove tree sap and road tar
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| converter.
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| | with turpentine or paint thinner from
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| Some cars like my Mercury Mountaineer,
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| | your hardware store. It won't hurt the
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| have a separate drain plug for the torque
| |
| | paint and will quickly dissolve the sap
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| converter and allow a change of fluid to
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| | or tar. But is also removes car wax so
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| be relatively complete. But many others
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| | use it sparingly, and if you do it often,
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| do not. My old Ford Explorer was that
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| | treat your car to a fresh turtle wax a
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| way. Changing the fluid by dropping the
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| | few times a year. A freshly waxed car
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| pan only changed 1/3 the tranmission
| |
| | will cause water to bead up in little
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| fluid, so if I waited til it was brown
| |
| | round beads on the surface. When those
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| and burnt, one change did not do it. I
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| | beads start to disappear it's time for
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| installed a drain plug in my transmission
| |
| | another coat of wax. Wax will protect
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| pan, and changed it 5 times running it a
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| | your car's paint, keep it from becoming
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| few miles after each change, until I
| |
| | porous and weathered and making the
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| figured I had diluted the old burnt fluid
| |
| | removal of things like bird droppings and
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| adequately enough. So keep an eye on that
| |
| | sap much easier.Remember factory paints
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| fluid and change it often.Manual
| |
| | are baked on and are in general much more
|
| tranmissions don't use transmission
| |
| | durable than repaints. So it pays to keep
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| fluid... they use a 90W gear oil which
| |
| | up that factory paint job.
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| generally doesn't need to be changed very
| |
| | I like to use Armorall on the car's
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| often. But keep your clutch adjusted
| |
| | interior vinyl... it keeps it soft and
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| properly with a little bit of freeplay at
| |
| | pliable and prevents cracking and it
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| the top, and don't "ride the clutch". Be
| |
| | looks sharp. I also highly recommend
|
| very careful about resting your foot on
| |
| | using some kind of a windshield
|
| the clutch pedal as the weight of the
| |
| | protection screen in hot weather if you
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| foot can partially depress the pedal, and
| |
| | park out in the sun all day. It will keep
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| start to reach the edge of engagement,
| |
| | the car's interior cooler and also
|
| and this will wear out your clutch's
| |
| | protect the car's dash from cracking. And
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| throw-out bearing very quickly.
| |
| | if your car has leather seats, treat them
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| Older cars all used carburettors to mix
| |
| | to a quality leather preservative on a
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| gas and air and squirt it into the engine
| |
| | regular basis. Nothing makes a car harder
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| for combustion. Newer cars mostly use
| |
| | to sell than cracked worn leather seats.
|
