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No one looks forward to the idea of taking their vehicle into an auto repair center. Even so, as much as you may dislike the idea, you may not realize that you are likely courting trouble with poor vehicle maintenance habits. Stop and think for a minute about how you respond when you hear a strange noise in your vehicle? Do you immediately schedule a checkup with your mechanic or do you just ignore it? If you fail to follow the maintenance guidelines established in your vehicle owner’s manual and you ignore warning signs, you could face more trouble and greater expense in the future. The tips below can help you to ensure that you are taking care of your transportation in the best manner possible.
First, make sure you are always on the lookout for potential stains on your drive where you park. It is not uncommon for many people to become accustomed to seeing stains on their driveway and simply dismiss them. In reality, those stains could indicate that there is a serious problem with your vehicle. Dark, dried stains could, in fact, indicate that something is leaking from your car. If you notice signs of a leak, it is important to bring your vehicle into your College Station auto service center as quickly as possible to have the problem checked out.
Do not ignore the need for an oil change. While it may seem like a hassle to take time out of your schedule to bring your vehicle in for an oil change, doing so can prevent serious problems later on. Preventive maintenance, including oil changes and air filters, can actually help you to save money later on because your vehicle will run more efficiently. As a general rule, your vehicle’s air filters should be changed about every 20,000 miles.
Many people also commonly neglect their tires. Keep in mind that the tires on your vehicle are responsible for a majority of the way in which your vehicle performs. Additionally, your tires can affect your gas mileage as well as your safety. This is why it is imperative that you take the time to have your tires rotated in order to ensure even wear. A good habit to get into is having your tires rotated about every 8,000 to 12,000 miles. It is also a good idea to perform personal inspections on a regular basis to inspect the tread on your tires.
Finally, make it a point to establish a good rapport with your local mechanic. While it would be hoped that you never experience vehicle trouble, if you do have problems, it is important to have a familiar, trustworthy mechanic where you can bring your vehicle. When your vehicle breaks down, it can result in a tremendous amount of stress. Trying to deal with an unfamiliar shop can magnify that stress. By ensuring that you have a knowledgeable, reliable auto repair center in College Station beforehand, you can help to mitigate some of that stress.
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I’ve been neglecting my engine and it just won’t right. Here’s a video of my trusted mechanic and I trying to fix it with this fuel system treatment I bought.
door lock has to be operated manually on driver side front now, and the whole ignition switch recall… yea takes forever and I don’t have time to send my car to the dealership for the day.
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=121873]door lock has to be operated manually on driver side front now, and the whole ignition switch recall… yea takes forever and I don’t have time to send my car to the dealership for the day.[/quote] My uncle said the same thing about the ignition switch recall. He refuses to take it in. Me, I’ve been ignoring a squeaky mirror on the passenger side of my truck. I need to remove the door panels to replace the clips that hold the bolts in place as they have broken(41 years they lasted!)
Yep I need a tire rotation. And wife has a loose engine mount. Unfortunately family member had a transmission bite the dust (166k and no trans fluid changes), (cousin wrecked her Taurus) found her a cheap car but had to put an engine in it, but to get the car cheap had to do a transmission swap for a guy (1996 Honda Accord 198k no trans fluid changes). Idk what it is about my area living in the mountains no body seems to want to have their trans fluid changed.
I bought my Expedition with 117k on it, immediately changed the trans fluid (still had the factory fill plug in the pan) transfer case fluid, front and rear diff fluid. I have to do the dreaded spark plugs though, (she idles smooth as silk and gets 15 MPG around town).
On my third gen f body, it probably needs a couple things (new ujoints, better alternator, and a brake master cylinder cap that isn’t held down with electrical tape) xD
Somethings you can let go though I feel at least. I watch the show Roadkill on Motor Trend and those guys would give you an aneurysm lol
My problem is my vehicle. I can’t keep up to it and got burned out trying to keep it in one piece. I was chasing an erratic misfire problem for a while that I finally traced down to a bad cam sensor reference wire. It took me months to find this stupid wire fault when I had a minute here or there and months more to actually do something about it. (christmas road trip forced me to do something about it.) I started to hear a dead miss just before I made a bypass for the reference circuit. I think the signal misfire eventually fouled out my months old plugs.
Some day, I’m going to kill it with fire.
[quote=”no_common_sense” post=122307]My problem is my vehicle. I can’t keep up to it and got burned out trying to keep it in one piece. I was chasing an erratic misfire problem for a while that I finally traced down to a bad cam sensor reference wire. It took me months to find this stupid wire fault when I had a minute here or there and months more to actually do something about it. (christmas road trip forced me to do something about it.) I started to hear a dead miss just before I made a bypass for the reference circuit. I think the signal misfire eventually fouled out my months old plugs.
Some day, I’m going to kill it with fire.
[/quote] That picture is priceless lol. Thanks for the laugh[quote=”no_common_sense” post=122307]My problem is my vehicle. I can’t keep up to it and got burned out trying to keep it in one piece. I was chasing an erratic misfire problem for a while that I finally traced down to a bad cam sensor reference wire. It took me months to find this stupid wire fault when I had a minute here or there and months more to actually do something about it. (christmas road trip forced me to do something about it.) I started to hear a dead miss just before I made a bypass for the reference circuit. I think the signal misfire eventually fouled out my months old plugs.
Some day, I’m going to kill it with fire.
[/quote]I’m sure we’re all thinking the same thing
I also have something else I’ve neglected….my reverse lights. The original wiring for the reverse lights is cut at the cab and likewise at the rear of the truck and I need to crimp new wire in. What I’m gonna end up doing is wiring in a manual switch for the reverse lights so I can switch them on at will.
Not going to lie I have a leaking turbo oil seal, a bad valve guide causing a bad valve and cam, I have multiple hvac actuators bad, and my windshield washer function barely works due to a bad line. Give me 3k and ill buy me a new car lol cause that is about what it would cost to fix.
[quote=”MDK22″ post=122395]Not going to lie I have a leaking turbo oil seal, a bad valve guide causing a bad valve and cam, I have multiple hvac actuators bad, and my windshield washer function barely works due to a bad line. Give me 3k and ill buy me a new car lol cause that is about what it would cost to fix.[/quote] Turbos are easy to rebuild 🙂
Yeah sure in a normal vehicle. It is a VGT style that is rusted to hell and back again. To get to the turbo in my vehicle the “easy” way i have to take all the mounting bolts out except one. Remove the a/c compressor and alternator. Rotate the engine forward and pull the entire exhaust manifold because it and the turbo are one. That doesn’t even count tearing the turbo down cleaning the carbon off under the vanes and unsticking the adjustment bolt or replacing it. Then there is the valve guide. The valve has been riding cocked so that means the valve seat is prob messed up. Installing a new guide and drilling it properly. Getting a new cam and installing it. If I am going to have the head off and fixing it that means I have to use an aftermarket cam so it doesn’t happen again. So you start adding gaskets, machining work (which I don’t have the proper tools for to do it right), the gaskets/seals/parts, and the aggravation it would cause me are all not worth the trouble. Especially on a vehicle with 223k on it.
[quote=”MDK22″ post=122400]Yeah sure in a normal vehicle. It is a VGT style that is rusted to hell and back again. To get to the turbo in my vehicle the “easy” way i have to take all the mounting bolts out except one. Remove the a/c compressor and alternator. Rotate the engine forward and pull the entire exhaust manifold because it and the turbo are one. That doesn’t even count tearing the turbo down cleaning the carbon off under the vanes and unsticking the adjustment bolt or replacing it. Then there is the valve guide. The valve has been riding cocked so that means the valve seat is prob messed up. Installing a new guide and drilling it properly. Getting a new cam and installing it. If I am going to have the head off and fixing it that means I have to use an aftermarket cam so it doesn’t happen again. So you start adding gaskets, machining work (which I don’t have the proper tools for to do it right), the gaskets/seals/parts, and the aggravation it would cause me are all not worth the trouble. Especially on a vehicle with 223k on it.[/quote] OH…it’s a VGT.. I take back what I said then. the VGT turbos are a pain to rebuild properly. Usually we just replace them.
My spouse’s WRX is leaking oil. I can’t find the leak but I can smell it. It is dropping on the exhaust. On a Subaru, underneath, there is exhaust everywhere. Just by nose alone I think I have it narrowed down to the passenger side valve cover.
So, I started thinking about what it takes to get a valve cover off in the tight space available. Then I think the pan is glued on from the factory and car is ten years old. Well, ten years is about how long Subaru head gaskets last. Since my wife drives the car and learned on it to drive a manual, I figure the clutch is about gone.
What this boils down to is the engine needs to come out. Do it all and be done. When the robins sing I’m pulling the engine. In the meantime it can leak.
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