A little elbow grease will go a long way
The most important thing any vehicle owner can do is always change the oil
I once had a friend — we’re talking about the ’70s here — who would put his car in the garage every night and then lift up the hood and leave it open before closing the door and going into the house. Why? Because when he went out in the morning, the raised hood reminded him (or his wife, if she was going to take the car that day) to check the oil and other fluids before starting it up. My friend considered the fluids — and particularly the oil — to be the life blood of his car, to lubricate and cool all of the moving parts in the engine.
If the oil was down a smidgen, he added some — literally drip-by-drip — till the dip stick told him the level was correct.
Ditto the coolant, the transmission and brake fluids, and so-on. He was very vigilant when it came to caring for his car.
“If you look after your car,” he’d say, “it will look after you.”
And that’s my message today to all of you who have just purchased your first car (new or pre-owned, it doesn’t matter), or are shopping for one: although my friend’s behaviour might have been a little extreme (you don’t have to check your transmission fluid any longer, for instance), the lesson is as true today as it was then: the car can’t look after itself and you (or your dealer) will have to do it if you want it to last.
All of us who purchase new vehicles — I just made a deal for one a year ago — have the same attitude: it’s new, so it should run like a top forever. Aren’t we all like that? In fact, my wife has a very funny newcar view: “If we find anything the matter, we’ll just give it back,” she says.
Although that can actually happen in some extreme circumstances, it’s really not the way of the real world. So to guard against any automotive negativity, it’s best to get into the habit of doing certain things almost from the moment you drive your pride-and-joy off the lot.
First, read the manual that comes with the car. It will tell you everything you need to know about your vehicle, new or used, and will include a maintenance schedule.
There are some manufacturers whose warranties won’t be honoured if the maintenance schedule isn’t followed exactly to the letter. Even if your vehicle manufacturer doesn’t insist on this, it’s still a good idea for you to do it. I’m a firm believer that it’s better to be safe than sorry. When it comes to my car, I can’t be too careful.
The first thing you will find in your manual’s vehicle care section (after it takes care of a couple of necessary things, like how to open the hood) is — ta-da! — how to take care of that engine oil I told you about back at the beginning of this piece. It stresses the importance of checking the oil level regularly, makes sure you understand the importance of using oil of the proper specification and viscosity grade, and urges you to either change it, or have it changed, at the proper intervals. You think I’m going on too long about oil? I’ll stop now, except to say that if you change your oil regularly, your car will run forever. (Not really, but a lot longer than if you don’t.) You should also check your filters regularly, or have your garage do it. The engine air cleaner/filter (it allows air to get into the engine but prevents dirt from tagging along) should be changed if, when you take it out to inspect it, it stays dusty or dirty after you shake it. The engine filter should be checked at every oil change (sorry, there’s the oil again). Oh, while you’re at it, you should also take a quick look at your cabin air filter, which keeps out pollen that can make you sneeze and exhaust gases from other vehicles that aren’t good to inhale. The manual will tell you where it is and the same rule should apply: if it’s still dirty after a shake, change it. Now, although the manual tells you about some of these things that are relatively easy to do yourself, there are some things best left to the professionals. I put anything to do with engine coolant and brakes in that category. Gone are the days when you could just top up the engine-coolant level with a little water or anti-freeze (although I once kept a clunker I owned from overheating on the 401 by dumping copious quantities of ginger ale into the radiator). Most manufacturers now recommend specialty coolants and so I just take my car in if I notice the level is down.
I do that for two reasons —1) I want them to investigate why the level has fallen in the first place and, 2) unless the engine has been shut down for several hours, there is always the chance of being injured by steam or scalding liquids and I can do without aggravation of that sort, thank you. And brakes? Let me tell you a story. There was a time when I didn’t have a lot of money. I scrimped on car maintenance. When it came to brakes, I figured that when they started to squeal, I’d get the pads changed. Big mistake. So one time, in the early days of the Molson Indy back in the Eighties and before I started writing regularly about racing, I was hired to do a short-term contract job at the event. I would get room and board at a downtown hotel, plus $500 for my troubles.
I didn’t live in Toronto at the time. On the drive in, I thought of all the great things I was going to do with that 500 bucks. I had a new girlfriend and we were going to do the town — dinners out and the Phantom of the Opera. That sort of thing.
It was a hot July day and I had the driver’s side window open because I didn’t want to use the air conditioning. Driving down an off-ramp from the Gardiner, I heard what sounded like a “jingling” coming from the front of the car. I stopped in at a Speedy Muffler and ask them to investigate.
It was the brakes. All of them, not just the front ones. I needed pads, all right. And rotors, too. You want to know what it all cost? $500. I haven’t scrimped on maintenance since.
As your manual points out, neither should you.