I didn’t think this was appropriate for GQ but I could be wrong.
Just got back from Juffy Lube for an oil change and as usual they recommended getting all that regular maintenance stuff done. As usual, I said “no” because they always try to talk you into stuff. This is, tho’, I do need a lot of the stuff done like transmission and differential fluid changed and a new fuel filter.
The question is where should I get it done. Jiffy Lube is fast but I don’t really trust those guys. The dealer is slow but expensive. This sounds stupid but do independent mechanics mind doing the basic stuff? It always seemed like a waste of their time so I’ve never asked.
Also, as far as oil changes go, how important is mileage compared to time? I drive my car maybe 5500 miles a year. Is it that vital to change your oil in a timely fashion or can I just wait til I accumulate the mileage?
Sure, independent garages are glad to do any services. You should check your owner’s manual and make a list of the things recommended for the milage and/or time since last service, and ask for only those things to be done.
Even if you do not belong to AAA, it is a good idea to find AAA recommended garages, as they are dropped if they do not perform well.
Again, the owner’s manual should give you the period of time between services as well as the milage, and do twhich ever comes first. If you car requires oil changes at, say every 5,000 miles, then you should probably do it twice or three times a year. Short frequent trips are harder on a car than lots of long trips, so your low use means you definitely need to change oil at the suggested periods.
Radiator flushing, transmission oil change, etc probably will be OK at the recommended milages, but again, look at what the manual suggest.
5500 miles a year? If you’re driving only a few miles here and there, never bringing the vehicle up to operating temperature for sustained periods of time, that may cause problems.
Really? I live, work and recreate within a five-mile radius. I might go a little farther to shop every coupe of weeks. So my car is usually operated for about 10-15 minutes at a time for city driving. Is that not long enough?
I also have an ancient car, an 88 Jeep Cherokee with over 161,000 miles on it (OK, that sounds like a lot but I bought it in 1991 with 70,000 miles on it). But I just had the water pump replaced and they said the engine is basically sound.
Once upon a time, in a former life, I used to manage a small family run repair shop. Our bread and butter was oil changes and tire patching and the like. Most of my mechanics had worked for one dealership or another at one time, except for one who ran his own shop, but got tired of fixing cars and being responsible for running a business. Basically we had a GM expert, a Jeep expert, a Honda/Toyota/Nissan expert, and a German import expert. We could fix anything, anytime. The benefits of a small shop are that the mechanics usually come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, so there is someone there familiar with almost any type of car you might have, and they’re often willing to talk to you about your car more than they are at a busy dealership. I find that at dealerships I almost never get to talk to the mechanic, just the service writer who may not have even looked at the car or have a true understanding of what various problems entail. They’re usually just sales guys. My advice would be to interview a small shop. Take your car in for an oil change or a new tire if you need one, get some recommendations from people who might use one of these shops. Word of mouth is how they advertise.
Most car manufacturers recommend an oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles. Some now go a little longer, especially if your using synthetic oil. With an older, high mileage car, I would recommend going the 3 month/3000 mile route, even if you don’t drive it very much. First you will protect that engine and keep it running longer, and second, you will catch any major problems early on.
What ever you do, just find someone you can trust and that you can talk to. Thats the most important part. The cost will usually be about the same.
You need to get everything, including the transmission and rear end, up to full operating temperature every so often to get rid of moisture from condensation. Water can mix with oils and form acidic compunds over time (or so I’ve been told). This is also part of why you should change your oil based on mileage or time.
Those Jeeps last for freakin’ ever! My old roommate’s girlfriend put over 350,000 miles on one (a Comanche), with no major engine work. A couple of clutches, sure, but not much else besides tune-ups and fluid changes.Be careful with the vacuum lines, they are kinda fragile and expensive!
Considering that you’ve had the thing for well over a decade and it hasn’t rusted out yet, I don’t think the condensation is a problem for you. I often hear about that with regard to the exhaust system. Driving with trips mostly under 5 minutes doesn’t get the pipes hot enough to drive out the moisture, so it just stays hot and wet, rusting out a lot faster than other cars that get more mileage.
Time is important with oil changes as well, you should probably do one at least twice a year, regardless of mileage. That reminds me… mine is due too!