Routine Scheduled Maintenance: How strict are you?

Hey donalson - I had points in my 70 impala and always carried a spare set. I could change them in less than 5 min in any parking lot.

And then set them with a dwell meter, not the timing light.

You haven't lived until you've accidentally stuck that little allen wrench in the wrong spot while the engines running trying to adjust the points Wowsers.

ranger50 touched on another reason I try to stay ahead of the curve: that looonnnggg wait for a tow, usually when the car's fully loaded to go somewhere. I'd rather be proactive with maintenance and rest (reasonably) assured I'll make it there and back. OBTW: I am usually somewhat lax on wash/wax. At least I keep the inside decent.

And yes I have been bit when trying to stick an Allen wrench in a Delco dizzy.

Curmudgeon wrote: ranger50 touched on another reason I try to stay ahead of the curve: that looonnnggg wait for a tow, usually when the car's fully loaded to go somewhere. I'd rather be proactive with maintenance and rest (reasonably) assured I'll make it there and back. OBTW: I am usually somewhat lax on wash/wax. At least I keep the inside decent.

I drive more than most people (about 40-50,000kms per year I reckon) and have never ONCE been stranded on the highway... and I've been doing long distance (1000+kms) since I was 16.

In 8 years, I've never been screwed. There was one time when (known issue) the wiring that goes to the alternator plug on my swift had broken, so we busted out the epoxy that was originally there, stripped the wire with a knife, and inserted the stripped wire where the terminals between the alternator and plug would normally make contact.

There was also the time (same car, surprise) where some BRO had melted the alternator wiring a tad at the fusebox under the hood because he was running way to large of a stereo system for that poor late 80's japanese wiring. The solution to get proper contact was to have the wire under tension where it connected to the fuse box.

And finally, there was the one time my rad hose on the 450,000kms legassy split as I pulled into my internet providers store to return the modem. POOF! I pulse and glided the car 15kms to partsource where I bought coolant and a rad hose (they magically had one in stock) and then pulse and glided 3kms to work.

Having said all of that, I've never owned the vehicles I typically associate with having random issues. When I think car not being able to move, usually you get a warning FAR in advance. And I only have one auto vehicle, my truck, which has a gnarly built for towing tranny and a big tranny cooler on it.

So waaaaaadunno, maybe I just need to get another 20 years of driving under my belt... or maybe you guys need to stop driving such POSs

ultraclyde wrote: Hey donalson - I had points in my 70 impala and always carried a spare set. I could change them in less than 5 min in any parking lot. And then set them with a dwell meter, not the timing light. You haven't lived until you've accidentally stuck that little allen wrench in the wrong spot while the engines running trying to adjust the points Wowsers.

My fiat had dual points.. matchbook cover worked perfectly for setting the gap.

Tranny flush and six lof's in 10k on my 02 gride you should SEE the crap in the oil pan.

race car gets 2 oil changes a year: one before race season and one after. Brake , trans and diff fluids changed post race season. Filters checked regularly. That's about it.

The DD gets slightly less attention, but it also has a much easier life than the toy car. regular oil changes, tire rotate and balance, fluids checked often, and a good cleaning/waxing every few months.

HiTempguy wrote:

dj06482 wrote: I use synthetic oil (it's not necessary on any of our vehicles) and usually change it every 3-5k, depending on how we're using the vehicle (short trips, long trips, towing, etc.).

See, this is part of the "problem". People are still stuck with what they were doing 20 years ago when it comes to cars. Even under severe service conditions, if you peruse bobistheoilguy, synthetic motor oil is good for well past 10,000kms/6500 miles.

I'm aware of the trade-offs, and I'm comfortable with spending the relatively small amount of time (and money) to keep my vehicle's most expensive components in good working order. I'm planning on keeping each of our vehicles as long as possible, so that's a factor in my maintenance schedule, as well.

It's really a personal decision where everyone needs to evaluate the pros/cons and make their own decision. For me, making my equipment last as long as possible should save me money in the long-run, and provide more reliable transportation along the way.