Thank you for this. Im clueless about my car.

Regularily? Perhaps, regularly.

Not having coolant/antifreeze has bigger repercussions than the water pump. If your car does not have coolant/antifreeze it will overheat the motor and you will be stranded on the side of the road and possibly damage the motor.

8. Badging

How Often: Immediately prior to purchase.
Pay Now: However much you like.
Pay Later:
Scandinavian badge: Purchase Price x 2
British Badge: Purchase Price x 3
Italian Badge: Purchase Price x 8

The last one should include lower gas mileage from under-inflated tires, which I think costs the average car-owner an extra 3% at the pump, or about $50/year using the values they give under the air filter entry.

Other free things to do to your car to save money:

- Take out unnecessary crap collecting in the trunk (or boot if you're British like me), it's just dead weight

- Take off the roof rack if you're not using it

- Take off those stupid f'ing team flag things

- Close the windows while driving

Hey, that tach looks familiar.......

Mash-up this list w/ a year insight calendar like this one [lifehacker.com] (if the link won't resolve, search lifehacker for the 2008 compact calendar) and stick it in the glove compartment or clip it to your visor so you can check when you did each task last.

@sir_eccles: Close the windows??? Assuming you're not advocating using the a/c in lieu of windows, ok. But if you are.....c'mere, I wanna show you something..

#4 is misleading. Transmission maintenance schedules vary so widely between age and model of cars, that tip#4 should have simply been left out. Older trans. fluid is good for 36,000 miles but newer ones last for 100,000 miles. Some BMW's fluid never need to changed for the life of the vehicle. If you need to topoff the fluid, it means you have a leak, and there is no way you can change all the fluid yourself. You need a flush machine to do it.

@beercheck: What's wrong with using a/c?

A note on transmission fluid, many cars don't have a dipstick anymore, newer GM's in particular. They discovered people didn't know how to check it properly, added fluid when it wasn't needed, and killed too many transmissions. Though not a safety measure, check your A/C monthly by just running it to keep the seals supple, even if it's the winter. Then again many cars do this automatically when you use your rear defrosters, but...

$20-$40 for an oil change, try driving any luxury car, more like it's $75-$125 for your average bmw 3 Series, full synthetic, 8 quarts.

Checking brake fluid level is important, but will not increase the lifespan of your brakes. The brakes also need to be checked, since if they wear too far they can ruin the rotors, or cause an accident.

@B:
The A/C draws its mechanical energy directly off of the engine, and exerts a very noticeable amount of load in doing so.

Don't believe me?

Get in a small car (something Corolla-sized would do) with a small engine (<2.5L) and see how long it takes to do 0-60. Now turn on the A/C and repeat.

Don't try this in a Subaru; they have a clutch that disengages the A/C when you accelerate hard. They also have really snotty engines for their size, which spoils the experiment.

However

I think that Beercheck may be wrong about this. Opening the windows rather than turning on the A/C fouls up the aerodynamics of the car, and the aerodynamics are a big part of where the car's fuel economy comes from.

On the other hand, it may be a wash. Maybe I'll do an experiment with it once the weather warms up a bit.

Not a bad idea to check steering, suspension componets, and the level in your rear differential when your under the car changing the oil or dropping the transmission pan to change the fluid and filter.

Very few cars nowadays need their oil changed every 3000 miles. My car manual says every 7500, and my wife's car is every 5k. I am sure there are vehicles that the suggested interval is greater than that.

@kc2idf: Most of the literature I've been looking at online (in the last five minutes) suggests that, for city driving, opening the windows and turning off the A/C will yield the best fuel efficiency. At highway speeds, however, the windows will create so much of a drag that it's actually more efficient to put them up and turn on the A/C. I'd imagine actual results would vary significantly with the shape and size of one's car, but it makes sense to me. Not to mention that the effect on acceleration will be a bit less apparent at highway speeds, unless one is changing lanes. That said...I'm probably going to stick with whatever's most comfortable at the moment.

@dawime: It's not just mileage (I'm suspicious of the 7500 miles, though, unless the manual also recommends some type of synthetic oil), it's also time. Quick, short burns build up water, and thus corrosion, in the oil, counteracting the anti-friction, anti-corrosion goodness you have the oil in there for in the first place. I'd change the oil in any car two, maybe three times a year at a minimum, regardless of mileage.

@RogueSophist: You took the words out of my mouth. The mythbusters did an episode a while back where they tested this very thing. They found that @ 45mph opening the windows was more efficient. As your speed goes up, though, the impact on drag of having your windows down increases dramatically and ends up making it more efficient to have your A/C, especially since you won't be stop and go driving.

@B: @kc2idf: @RogueSophist:

Hmmmm. I don't recall those Nascar guys running with pop-out windows and compressors.

Most efficient = windows up, no a/c
2nd best = windows down, no a/c
least efficient, by far = a/c

It's a harder test nowadays since cars' ecms kick up the throttle when the compressor engages, but if you're on a level road, keep the accelerator in the same position and roll down the windows, you'll hardly notice any change in speed. Do the same with the a/c and you'll lose VERY noticeable speed.

All that said, comfort trumps all.

@RogueSophist:

I actually read the same thing a few years ago. Nice post.

I checking your tires seems like one of the things you should do at a MINIMUM if you drive, people.

"As much as $25,000 or more for a new car if you wreck due to a tire blowing."

so... was there a need to put the 25k number in there? you might as well have put "up to eleventy-billion dollars...or more!" in instead. sounds even more dramatic that way.

Some coolant is supposed to be brown.... particularly extended life coolants found in Chrysler cars.

*** NEVER add brake fluid to your car!!! ***

Your brake fluid level indicates how worn your disk brakes are. If you add fluid it will throw off the float that makes the brake light come on when the brakes are worn!!! Yes. I know what I am talking about. I used to be an ASE certified mechanic before I went into the high tech world.

If your brakes are soft it is NOT cause you are low on fluid. Do not change your own brake fluid unless you have been train how.. especially with todays anti-lock brakes.

If you want to not bother checking your tire pressure, you can get your tires filled with Nitrogen. It is a larger molecule than the other gas mix found in the air and leaks out much slower. It will cost a bit more.. about $5 per tire, but it is worth it as it prevents corrosion in the rim.

Best to take your car to a brake shop one a year for a top to bottom brake inspection.

@Jonathan21: Mazda6

25,000 dollars to replace brake pads?! i think i'll just buy a new car instead!

@jwissick: Amen about the brake inspection -- one of my brake lines rusted through and I felt like I was on a soap opera: cruising along and then my brakes stopped working! Oh noes, it was Ricardo!

That said, I did need to put more brake fluid in, just to get to the mechanic in one piece (yeah, and it's only 1 mile away).

P.S. Brake fluid is ridic toxic, so I agree with you on the not changing it, too.

@jwissick:

But JWISSICK that figures that the vehicle has a brake wear light- most don't. And remember that places which replace brakes usually don't actually change/flush the fluid when they work on the brakes- they just top off too...

I change my Honda Odyssey's oil every 7000 miles because I follow their maintenance schedule in the manual for whatever they like to call not driving in high temperatures and lots of stop and go traffic.

@jwissick: said:
"Your brake fluid level indicates how worn your disk brakes are."

Have your brake system checked to determine the exact problem when brake fluid level is low.
Low brake fluid level can also indicate brake fluid leakage in the brake lines, master cylinder or wheel cylinders seals...so it can be more than just an indicator of worn brake disk pads or brake shoes.

Check the air filter with a 100 watt bulb?

Gasp!

If you can't do it with a crappy CFL bulb, it just shouldn't be done/

@alice_bunnie: If your van is still under warranty I would follow the most rigorous schedule given in your manual to avoid the argument with the dealer about what is considered severe driving conditions and why your van is not covered. Better safe than sorry. If you maintain to the manuals highest level the dealer has no argument that the proper maintenance schedule wasn't followed.

@dawime: Mine says 5K. The place where I get the oil (and all fluid levels checked and topped off) checked says with Synthetic, I can go 7,500 despite their sticker saying 3K. Hrm.

@jwissick: "If you want to not bother checking your tire pressure, you can get your tires filled with Nitrogen. It is a larger molecule than the other gas mix found in the air and leaks out much slower. It will cost a bit more.. about $5 per tire, but it is worth it as it prevents corrosion in the rim."

...Air is 78% nitrogen as it is. I really doubt the other 20% makes that huge of a difference when it comes to the speed at which it leaks out. And it's not like you're removing all the air from the tire before inflating it with nitrogen anyway, so there's going to be some oxygen in there. Besides, your rim is hitting regular air on the outside anyway, so how is pure nitrogen inside going to prevent corrosion? I sincerely doubt the difference is large enough to justify $20 every time I inflate my tires.

Also, if you have a reasonably modern car with an engine computer and a "check engine light", please don't ignore the light if it comes on. There's a reason why it exists. Even if the car seems to "run fine", you're possibly running inefficiently (lower gas mileage), polluting the environment, and/or possibly damaging the car. For example, if the oxygen sensor isn't working right, you may damage the horribly-expensive-to-replace catalytic converter if it goes long enough.

Also, for 2005 and earlier BMW 3-series, changing the oil can be cheap and easy if you use an oil extractor, which sucks out the oil via the dipstick tube (and yes, people have verified that this method gets out -- on 3-series BMWs -- about as much oil as via the oil drain plug). Just do a google search for "bmw oil extractor diy".

@beercheck

Badging? I may be tired byt I dont understand your post.

@econobiker: All cars with disk brakes (front / front and rear) have a wear light. It is the same as your parking brake light. When the float in the master cylinder his a predetermined level, the light turns on. The wearing of the pads causes them to move closer to the rotor... this makes the fluid level drop gradually and eventually triggers the light. This is why it is illegal for any shop to add brake fluid to your car unless the brakes are being serviced. And any REPUTABLE shop will flush your system when they service your brakes when they bleed the system. If your shop is so lazy not to flush your system when they service your brakes, you prolly will have bigger problems than old brake fluid.

@kimsama: DOT 3 fluid, the most common, is not toxic really. It is certifed by the dept of agroculture as it is a soy product.

@dawime: While the car may be OK with 5000 or 7500 mile oil changes, the oil additive package generally is not going to last that long. Oil changes, even full synthetic, every 3K miles are cheap insurance which should give you peace of mind. I think that some Mercedes models allow for 15K between oil changes, but this is only asking for trouble. Does it really make any sense to save $150-200 year on maintenance for a $50-80K vehicle?

@jwissick

I'm pretty sure when I changed the pads on my e36/5 BMW that there was a physical sensor on the brake pads. The float is to tell you that your brake fluid is low, but there's another light for pad wear.

@pretzelgreg: Emblems. You know, the stuff that tells you who manufactured/marketed the car.

People need to focus less on the economic aspects of auto maintenance and remember they're out there piloting a 3000+ pound projectile of death. Bad tires/suspension/brakes can kill!

@beercheck: If you are going under 40, use windows. If you are going over 40, roll 'em up and use AC judiciously (not at full blast, not all the time. unless you REALLY need it).

There is no better money-saving instrument than a properly used brain.

But it requires a lot of maintenance!

If you can see all of Lincoln's head on the penny, it means that either you're not driving your car or you drove it and crashed it somewhere.

Being able to see all of his face means time to change unless you live in areas where you get no snow.

Watch those tires. Sometimes its hard to tell though. My car used to vibrate at high speeds. The tires all looked fine. One night I was coming home doing 70 on the freeway when my car bounced and sounded like I hit something, but I was the only one on the freeway. I pulled over and saw my rear bumber hanging off and large marks on my car. I thought the axel broke. Tow truck came and said "Nope, your tire lost its tread". Sure enough it did.

Easy fix... A little glue for the bumper ~$5, some elbow grease to remove the tire marks on the car and then 4 new tires @ $400 for all. But warrentied though, but still expensive.

@ beercheck

ahh....me slow today. So the eye-tal-yan cars will cost you 8x your purchase cost in maintenance....like the ol "FIAT" = Fix It Again, Tony

@dawime: I've been changing oil at 6000 miles on every vehicle I've driven for the past 14 years. Those trying to convince you to change your oil more often probably have a financial interest in doing so. I've torn down the motors at least partially on a few of these and have not observed any unusual wear on the motors at over 150k+ miles.
@jwissick: On most non-luxury vehicles, that means "hey dummy, your fluid is TOO low." While the fluid level drops as brakes wear, I've rarely seen that light come on just because the pads needed to be changed. In many vehicles, you'd probably be wearing metal on metal by the time the fluid dropped to that level. Most likely there's a slow leak that needs to be fixed.

@kc2idf: Almost all fuel injected vehicles disengage the A/C when the throttle is over 80% or so. Even some older vehicles had a WOT switch on the carburetor or throttle linkage that would disengage the A/C.

However A/C compressors are much more efficient than they used to be and place much less drag on an engine than they once did. Couple that to smaller engines having more power than ever, and there's little difference in fuel economy with the A/C off or on. Personally, a 1% gain in fuel economy (if its that much) isn't worth sweating to death in the hot, humid summer weather we have here.

Very useful post - thanks.

My car "tells" me when to change the oil. I'm not sure if I should trust it to tell me or follow a schedule.

@pretzelgreg: I used to know dozens of those, but only one springs to mind...

FORD - Fix Or Replace Daily