Take care of your car, it will protect you
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wondered why people don’t take better care of their vehicles. Besides a home, your auto is the usually the highest dollar item you own. For those who don’t own a home, it may be the biggest investment.
Working in a full-service gas station back in the 1960s, I saw firsthand how car owners deferred necessary cosmetic and mechanical maintenance. Why let such an expensive item deteriorate prematurely, I wondered?
The latest cost-of-ownership figures from AAA beg that question even more acutely.
With depreciation, insurance, maintenance, fuel, taxes, and finance charges, the 2006 cost estimate of annual vehicle ownership is a whopping $7,834 per year, based on 15,000 miles of driving. With attention and care, we can at least work on the amount lost to depreciation, repairs, and wasted fuel.
With the annual greening of lawns taking place, there is more to do than change the lawnmower oil, and sharpen its blade, even though that’s important too. Your winter driver has undergone severe duty all season, and it’s a good time to look it over.
Give it a Good Cleaning
Give it the best in-and-out cleaning that you can, hosing the wheel wells and underbody, and super-vacuuming the interior. Keeping your vehicle cosmetically nice will help resale value but if you are not so inclined, make an appointment with a professional detail shop.
•Check the tires for proper inflation and irregular wear patterns. Replace or rotate tires as necessary, and get an alignment if wear patterns indicate it’s needed. Remember, under-inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency and safety.
•Don’t fool around with brakes that are noisy, have pulsation, or display warning lights. Brake linings should be physically checked if your vehicle has 30,000 miles, or if you have traveled more than that since the last pad/shoe replacement.
•Have your battery checked at a service facility. Even if your battery starts the car, it may not be operating at full efficiency. Believe it or not, more batteries fail in the extreme heat than in extreme cold — you don’t want to head into summer with a marginal battery. Also, new cars are very sensitive in their requirement for proper battery voltage.
•In my experience, wiper blades seem to be an oft-overlooked maintenance item. I think every 6 months is a good interval for replacement — spring and fall. The timing of spring replacement is optimal, due to the many April showers we receive.
•Check and service all fluids, belts, and hoses. The owner’s manual for your vehicle is the best place to check schedules for maintenance of these items; make sure you are up to date. Monitor your fully warm engine temperature — it should run at between 190 to 210 degrees. If it runs hotter, you might have a restricted radiator or a stuck thermostat. Coolant should be changed every three years, especially in engines with aluminum components (most modern vehicles).
We must get better at taking care of these big investments. They have gotten expensive to buy, have become complex in features, and costly to repair. It doesn’t take many failures in an old car to “total” it. For example, a $5,000 car with an anti-lock brake system problem, an illuminated SRS (airbag) light, and a slippery transmission, is worth nothing, as it may need nearly $5,000 in repairs.
Trend in Vehicle Complexity Here to Stay
This complexity trend is here to stay, and will become more evident with the ever-evolving technology stream. Here’s some of the new stuff being produced:
•Direct drive windshield wiper motors. For years, wipers have been controlled with a single motor, coupled to a system of rods, cams, and bushings — an old technology system that takes up a lot of space, and has many points subject to wear. Trico’s new system uses two small motors that control each wiper directly. They will first be used on a 2009 Asian vehicle.
•Warm washer fluid. Much like the “on demand” home hot water heaters, Hotshot, by Microheat Inc., heats your windshield-washing solution to 161 degrees as you use it. Energy is not wasted heating the entire reservoir, but only what you need for de-icing. This technology is introduced on 2006 Cadillacs and Buicks.
•Automatic defogging. Preh Automotive has developed a sensor that measures relative humidity directly at the inner windshield surface, and initiates defogging before the driver notices a haze forming. Used on all BMWs with the climate-control option.
It’s easy to see that vehicle complexity will increase with technology — it’s also clear that manufacturers are concerned with optimizing driver visibility. Clear visibility is a staple of precision driving — that’s why I recommend changing wipers twice a year.
Taking good care of your ride is a win-win situation — retained value, dependability, and safety are all side benefits of a good maintenance regime.
If you have favorite car care tips of your own, please send them to me. In fact, if you have anything to say about vehicles and driving them, please sound off.