73-87chevytrucks.com
General Site Info => General Discussion => Topic started by: Irish_Alley on December 19, 2009, 05:29:44 am
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Myth: Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles.
Reality: Despite what oil companies and quick-lube shops often claim, it's usually not necessary. Stick to the service intervals in your car's owner's manual. Under normal driving conditions, most vehicles are designed to go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Changing oil more often doesn't hurt the engine, but it can cost you a lot of extra money. Automakers often recommend 3,000-mile intervals for severe driving conditions, such as constant stop-and-go driving, frequent trailer-towing, mountainous terrain, or dusty conditions.
Myth: Inflate tires to the pressure shown on the tire's sidewall. HMMMM So if the tire says 60 and the door says 30?
Reality: The pounds-per-square-inch figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure that the tire can safely hold, not the automaker's recommended pressure, which provides the best balance of braking, handling, gas mileage, and ride comfort. That figure is usually found on a doorjamb sticker, in the glove box, or on the fuel-filler door. Perform a monthly pressure check when tires are cold or after the car has been parked for a few hours.
Myth: If the brake fluid is low, topping it off will fix the problem. WHY NOT ;)
Reality: As brake pads wear, the level in the brake-fluid reservoir drops a bit. That helps you monitor brake wear. If the fluid level drops to or below the Low mark on the reservoir, then either your brakes are worn out or fluid is leaking. Either way, get the brake system serviced immediately. You should also get a routine brake inspection when you rotate the tires, about every 6,000 to 7,000 miles.
Myth: If regular-grade fuel is good, premium must be better.
Reality: Most vehicles run just fine on regular-grade (87 octane) fuel. Using premium in these cars won't hurt, but it won't improve performance, either. A higher-octane number simply means that the fuel is less prone to pre-ignition problems, so it's often specified for hotter running, high-compression engines. So if your car is designed for 87-octane fuel, don't waste money on premium.
Myth: Flush the coolant with every oil change. WHAT???
Reality: Radiator coolant doesn't need to be replaced very often. Most owner's manuals recommend changing the coolant every five years or 60,000 miles. Of course, if the level in the coolant reservoir is chronically low, check for a leak and get service as soon as possible.
Myth: After a jump-start, your car will soon recharge the battery.
Reality: It could take hours of driving to restore a battery's full charge, especially in the winter. That's because power accessories, such as heated seats, draw so much electricity that in some cars the alternator has little left over to recharge a run-down battery. A "load test" at a service station can determine whether the battery can still hold a charge. If so, some hours on a battery charger might be needed to revive the battery to its full potential.
Myth: Let your engine warm up for several minutes before driving.
Reality: That might have been good advice for yesteryear's cars but is less so today. Modern engines warm up more quickly when they're driven. And the sooner they warm up, the sooner they reach maximum efficiency and deliver the best fuel economy and performance. But don't rev the engine high over the first few miles while it's warming up.
Myth: A dealership must perform regular maintenance to keep your car's factory warranty valid.
Reality: As long as the maintenance items specified in the vehicle owner's manual are performed on schedule, the work can be done at any auto-repair shop. If you're knowledgeable, you can even do the work yourself. Just keep accurate records and receipts to back you up in case of a warranty dispute on a future repair.
Myth: Dishwashing and laundry detergents make a good car wash.
Reality: Detergent can strip off a car's wax finish. Instead, use a car-wash liquid, which is formulated to clean without removing wax.
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1138/reality-check-on-car-care-myths/
just some myths yahoo put up
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Oh boy,
Look at what they consider severe driving conditions.... Sounds like "normal" driving conditions to me.
If you look in your owners manual it always tells you to inflate your tires according to the placard. The sidewall is max inflation.
Who says to flush the coolant with every oil change? Most shops recommend annually.
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As far as the tire pressure goes if there is a huge difference between the vehicle, and the side wall consideration of the size, and type of vehicle should be part of the deciding factor. Also if the vehicle is carrying extra weight on a regular basis. I have seen some door stickers on trucks recommend 40 or so lbs. You put 8 or 10 ply tries on it and they recommend 80 lbs. I would split the difference or go even closer to the side wall if the truck Carries a plow, or tools / cargo in the bed. Also need to take into consideration if its a truck that plows, if the tire is maxed out you lose some traction, it will spin easier won't conform to the terrain as well just like off road conditions. The tire will last longer, you will get better fuel milage because the tire isn't soft on the contact area. In other words there are extenuating circumstances when it come to tire pressures.
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Engine oil?? I agree, looks like normal driving to me, and I severally disagree. If 7500 miles is ok, 3000 is better. 20 dollar oil change or a 2000 dollar motor. You decide, I know what works for me. I read an article froma synthetic dealer that stated if you change the oil at the recommended times your engine is designed to need to be rebuilt between 120000-150,000 miles. ANd that was on a newer engine. Ive run older engines over 275k and could have gone farther, but the horsepower was calling my name.
Tires, I run mine about 10 under what the max rated PSI is. I have gotten better fuel mileage, and longer tire life in doing so. Yes, the ride is a bit rougher, but it is a truck, not a Cadillac. The lower pressures are more for comfort in my opinion., but I do see the necessity to lower them for certain traction purposes.
I just top off my brake fluid. I have done this many years, on cars that were not leaking, and rarely driven, so I know it wasnt brake wear. I was told that it can evaporate to an extent. Not sure if its true, but thats what I was told.
I dont change my coolant very often (depends on if a hose breaks) but I do check it often for proper mixture and conditioner, and I do prefer to let mine warm up a bit before driving. I dont see the harm. The rest, I agree
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Dot 3 brake fluid is hygroscopic. It actually absorbs moisture hence one of the many reasons to change your brake fluid. Modern cars have a fluid level sensor that trips the brake warning lamp that it's time for a brake inspection. Many pads do not have squeakers anymore.
One of the biggest things with coolant (especially long life coolant) that is overlooked is electrolysis. On my safety inspection sheet electrolysis is checked on each vehicle.
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The Oil companies and retailers (Autozone, etc.) tell you to change your oil every 3k miles because they want to sell more of it. Always go by the car manufacturers recommendation, they designed and tested the cars engine, they should know. Of course since I drive older cars I follow these guidelines loosely, always checking my oil and when it gets black and low, thats the time to change. I have gone at least 5K miles in my 1992 Honda on one change using decent oil. Honda recommends 7.5k. The quality of the oil matters as well, if you use cheap oil, you will be changing it often as it wears out quick.
Brake fluid does absorb moisture, so it is a good idea to change it out every few years. Doing this will also prolong the brake system's life. And the brake pedal action will be much like a new car.
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in my 350 its been in my 86 that i blew a trany and rear out of took it out and put it in my 79 the lifted one and run it. i change the oil every 2000 just because the way i drive it, and to go through so many parts and its still running strong I'll keep changing it.
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Motor oil does not wear out, it gets contaminated. The only break down of the oil is caused by condensation within the block duirng temperature changes. This forms a type of acid that breaksdown the oil. The quality of the filter you use is also a major factor in the lift of the oil. Vehicles driven on the highway for extended periods of time do not require oil changes as often as those just driven across town 10-12 miles everyday. The short distance driven vehicles dont get the engine up to operating temperatures enough to cook out any moisture in the oil. I have sent of oil analysis of highway driven and local driven vehicles, and there is a big difference between the contamination results. Ive also sent of oil analysis of standby generators with less than 100 hrs run time logged in one year, and the results were horrific. Lots of moisture and acidic components in the base.
Synthetic doenst have the problems with acidic breakdown that dino oils do, but thats only one part. I use synthetic, and also use a 2-4 micron filter to keep the oil as clean as possible. I run extended drain times this way, (12,000 on my work truck due to severe offroad duty, and 20k on the others-mostly highway) oil analysis came back excellent with minimal contamination and less expected metals than before.Yes, there is a certain amount of metals expected as normal wear in an engine. Also, the vehicles have magnets in the drain plugs, which all have 0 material on them at the time of oil change.
This is with synthetic, but the results with dino oil changing at 3500 miles was similar, and far better results than 7000 mile changes. It has been a while since Ive run an analysis, but the drain plug being clean, and the oil filter having no metal particles in the media when its cut open, is good enough for me. I will change my oil at 3000 miles anytime i am using dino oils. The synthetics I trust to go further with a high quality filter.
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Think of it like this. Your filter protects your bearings and moving parts most importantly. Your oil no matter how good it is can still be poisoned very easily (think of disgruntled employee peeing in the coffee pot). A few cylinder misfires, lots of cold start ups, extended idling, poorly tuned engine all of that stuff gets into the oil. Better oils reject breakdown and protect better in these situations for sure but if your engine is well kept and you change your oil and filter regularly you aren't doing yourself any favors by running synthetic and going 12k or more every oil change. I always recommend 3k. If the customer wants to follow their own schedule I don't lose any sleep over it.
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http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1650/eight-facts-about-warming-up-your-car-in-winter/
Ill tell you this Guy is not only smart but gullible. If it true that the closer people live from the city the lower their IQ than most of us on here should be rocket scientists. But here we go again
Old habits die hard, and one of the oldest —still rigorously enforced by many drivers —is that "warming up" the car for a few minutes is necessary to avoid some kind of unspecified damage. But idling is totally unnecessary, which is why many communities have enacted ordinances against the practice. Don't take my word about idling being ineffective, but do listen to my mechanic, Rob Maier, who runs Maier's Garage in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He says, "You don't really need to idle your car, because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes. The only reason to let the car idle at all is to get the oil circulating, but after 30 seconds that's a done deal. My truck has 150,000 miles on it, and I just throw it into gear and go." Here are some quick facts and tips that should put the idling question to rest:
1. Driving warms the car faster than idling If your concern is not the health of the car, but simply your own creature comforts, Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission points out that "idling is not actually an effective way to warm up a car —it warms up faster if you just drive it." The coming electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, will incorporate a wonderful feature that allows the owner to use a cellphone to tell the car (which is plugged into the grid) to pre-warm or pre-cool the interior. No idling necessary.
2. Ten seconds is all you need Environmental Defense Fund, which produced the Idling Gets You Nowhere campaign, advises motorists to turn off their ignition if they're sitting stopped for more than 10 seconds. "After about 10 seconds, you waste more money running the engine than restarting it, said Andy Darrell, deputy director of the EDF Energy Program. "Switch the car off at the curb, and you'll be leaving money in your wallet and protecting the air in your community."
3. Idling hurts the car According to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation's Anti-Idling Primer, idling forces an engine "to operate in a very inefficient and gasoline-rich mode that, over time, can degrade the engine's performance and reduce mileage." The Campaign for an Idle-Free New York City points out that idling causes carbon residues to build up inside the engine, which reduces its efficiency. [ Related: Five secrets to make your car last longer and save you money. ]
4. Idling costs money Over a year of five minutes of daily idling (which causes incomplete combustion of fuel), the "Anti-Idling Primer" estimates that the operator of a V8-engine car will waste 20 gallons of gasoline, which not only produces 440 pounds of carbon dioxide but costs at least $60.
5. Idling in the garage can kill you Idling a car in a garage, even with the door open, is dangerous and exposes the driver to carbon monoxide and other noxious gases. If the garage is attached, those fumes can also enter the house. [ Related: Six surprising sources of indoor air pollution. ]
6. Block heaters beat remote starters Lori Strothard of the Waterloo Citizens Vehicle Idling Reduction Task Force in Canada says, "Remote starters can too easily cause people to warm up their cars for 5 to 15 minutes, which is generally unnecessary." A block heater, which is designed to heat the engine and can cost under $30, on a timer set to start one to two hours before driving, does the trick in very cold climates.
7. Quick errands aren't quick enough Natural Resources Canada points out that leaving your car idling while you're running into a store on an errand or going back into the house to pick up a forgotten item is another way to waste gas and pollute both your town and the planet. "Leaving your engine running is hard on your pocketbook, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and is an invitation to car thieves," the agency (PDF) says. 8. Idling is bad for your health (and your neighbor's health) According to Minneapolis' anti-idling ordinance, "Exhaust is hazardous to human health, especially children's; studies have linked air pollution to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease, asthma and allergies." Isabelle Silverman, who runs EDF's anti-idling campaign, says that car idling "is the second-hand smoking of the outdoors. One of the problems is that cars idle close to the curb, where pedestrians are walking. And when you have a child in a stroller, they are particularly close to the tailpipe. Studies show that children's IQ levels are lower when they live near major roads with lots of traffic." (A fresh study even links autism to freeway pollution.) Alex Scaperotta, who created an anti-idling campaign with a classmate when he was in fifth grade in Wilton, Connecticut, came up with a slogan that was used on bumper stickers and websites: "If you're stopped for more than 10, turn it off and on again." Sounds like gooD advice
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I agree its not necessarily needed to warm up the car, I do believe you shouldn't just turn the key and put it in gear, different metals in the engine need to stabilize , and yes the engine oil needs to circulate, I say just a min or tow, engine oil isn't the only thing that needs to get flowing, Some automatic converters bleed down overnight and the pump needs to fill em, most automatics have low pressure in idle so it might take a min or two. but you don't need to sit there and idle till the heater warms up. That is wasteful.
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Even if it isnt recommended to warm up the car, I guarantee most people will need to anyways to defrost the windows. I live in Cali and I need the car warmed up for a minute to clear the windows.
What people need to worry about is getting their vehicle stolen. There is a spike in stolen cars during the winter time because people start their cars and go back inside.
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What people really need to worry about is getting shot if they try to steal one of my vehicles. ;D I actually just increased the security system to ADT for my house and garage as well as I have video surveillance.
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clear windows? thats what a scraper and wiper fluid are for. Seriously people, put a little grunt work out. My truck has to warm up for a bit if its below zero, but thats because its propane, and the propane freezes off. i havnt had to warm it up in years.
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Ensuring all the windows are clear before driving makes for a safer drive...
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Ensuring all the windows are clear before driving makes for a safer drive...
And as stated, Scrapers are for that....
No reason to sit and let the truck warm up to scrape the windows with a scraper
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Scraper is useless when there is no ice.
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When it's below 0, like it has been here for the last month every morning, you need to warm up the truck to an extent. I park in my unheated garage so there is no ice on the outside glass, but a warm breathing human being inside of the cold cab causes the windows to fog, and immediately freeze. I choose to leave 10 minutes earlier in the winter mornings and let the truck run until the temp gauge at least registers to 100 degrees before I drive. I'm not going to scrape the inside of my windshield or stick my head out the window to see when I drive. That is utterly stupid.
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below zero makes some sense. but generally, when you kick on the defrost even when cold, it does assist that.
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I react to the present situation and conditions, not an arbitrary guideline. I stand by my previous statement.
Also, I change my conventional oil every 3000 miles, because it's cheap, and I enjoy inspecting my vehicle periodically for any other issues that must be addressed, since I do all of my own maintenance.
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Usually by time you scrape the windshield off and what ever else needs to be the engine is warm. But ive been in newer cars that if you start it up and try to drive the transmission will act funny like shift at higher rpms or feel like its slipping
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I let mine warmup in the winter when its cold. Its not because I think its better for it, its because its better for me. I don't want to wear gloves and a coat in my truck, I don't want to scrape ice when a nice warm cab melts it off for me. I also don't like the spit and stumble associated with carbed vehicles when just a few more minutes of idling stops that. I haven't seen the harm in warming a truck up.I've had several with over 250k miles,one was sold the other ran good just swapped for more power. Please no one take this offensively, but if letting your truck warm up to melt ice, and be comfortable inside breaks your budget, maybe you got the wrong vehicle for your budget, or really need to invest in a tuneup.I've seen how long a truck will run with just a little gas poured down the carb, I can't see it using much when properly atomized thru a carb, better yet, an injected engine.
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X2
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Biggest thing about a carb using too much fuel because so people don't have sense enough to kick off the high idle on the 1st step on the choke. when the flap is closed its really sucking down the gas. Far as the fog inside the vehicle , Unless the vehicle has A/C that works, the air is gonna have to get the glass temp ABOVE the dewpoint for it to clear. AC just reduces the amount of moisture inside the cabin area, and that clears the glass. That is why the ac compressor runs while you have the lever in defrost position even though you have the temp lever to hot.
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What people really need to worry about is getting shot if they try to steal one of my vehicles. ;D I actually just increased the security system to ADT for my house and garage as well as I have video surveillance.
Awesome!
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i let mine warm up for awhile. ice scrapers are useless when you have 1-1.75" of solid ice on your windows.
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Reminds me of the news a couple months ago when this Guy up in NY had parked on the street the water in the puddle wasn't freezing but once it got splashed up on his car it froze. He had inches of ice on his car so he took a hammer and screwdriver and went to work. Then he tried to chip the ice off the back window. Now he needs a new window
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Ha I saw that on TV.