Car advise, please . . . .

Factual Questions
1

In the beginning of June, I will be driving from Dallas, TX to Wichita, KS and then to San Diego, CA. I’m taking my own car, a little '93 Ford Tempo with 90K on it (please don’t laugh, it’s paid for).

Now, my father is insisting that I take it in for some preliminary work, and normally, I’d agree with him, but he is the one that talked me into buying a Tempo in the first place. And he owns a Grand Am. So, what I’m wondering is, what all do I need to have done for the trip. Here are some details for you:

  • tires are one year old and recently rotated
  • brakes are good
  • just passed Texas inspection
  • clutch was rebuilt 15K ago
  • I get regular oil changes
  • last year the thermostat went out, and before I got it fixed, the high heat forced the AC to bleed off most of the coolant. (This is what the mechanics have told me, at least)

My dad is insisting that I:

  • get a tune-up
  • check hoses and belts
  • flush out the cooling system
  • have the brakes checked (they just were)
  • get more AC coolant
  • get an oil change (it’s about that time anyways)

So, does this sound about right? My car has been running nicely since the last repair (the thermostat). Do I need to do anything else? My money’s budgeted pretty tightly for this, and I’m really hoping there’ll be enough left over to get me a CD player for the car (all I have right now is the factory radio).

What say you?

2

You need 2 things to drive all that way:

Item–one jug of potable water and drinking cup. This is for when you’re stuck out in the boonies and you would give the life of your first-born son for a DRINK OF WATER. Store it somewhere out of the sun, so it doesn’t taste disgusting.

Item–one cup holder for your pop can in the front where you can reach it. Don’t ever try to drive all the way around the North American continent while balancing a pop can between your legs. Bad Things Happen.

Your dad is 100% right on target. Every summer I do a 45-mile commute for personal reasons once a week, and these are the exact things I tell the guy to do to MY car.

I would also add, take the spare tire out and make sure it’s operable (not flat). Make sure you’ve got a jack that works, because even if you don’t use it yourself to change a flat, somebody might, and he’ll be really annoyed if he stops to help you change a tire and the fricking jack don’t even work. Include an old blanket for him to lie on while he’s working on the car.

Me, I’d also get a can of that Fix-A-Flat stuff, and stash it somewhere where it won’t get too hot.

If you’ve got plastic upholstery, take a big bath towel to sit on–makes all the difference in the world.

Don’t buy a car CD player, sweetie–they’re about to become obsolete, the 8-track tape player of the 90’s, thanks to MP3. At least, don’t buy a permanently installed one. Just get a regular carry-around one and a thingie so’s you can plug it into the cigarette lighter. I think they have these at Wal-Mart, or definitely at Radio Shack. Oops, they don’t call them “cigarette lighters” anymore, now they’re “power outlets” or something.

If you end up being stuck with just the factory radio, before you go, get a list of all the radio stations you’ll be driving through. There’s a list of these on the Internet someplace, dang, I don’t know where, offhand. This saves a lot of exasperated twiddling with the dial, especially in the areas in between stations.

Also, resign yourself to country music–in some of those wide open western spaces, that’s all that’s gonna come in worth a darn.

Oh, one final essential item–plenty of change for telephones, pop machines, etc. Quarters, nickels, and dimes. In the Heartland some pop machines are still 55 and 65 cents, so you need nickels. Hide them in a shoebox under the seat or something.

Try to plan your restroom breaks around the Interstate rest areas. I personally DESPISE using the Quik-Stop/7-11 bathrooms, because they’re usually “one-holers” and I hate having to pee while there’s a line of people waiting. Also, the Interstate rest areas are cleaner (I think) and safer.

3

–and take a map. A good one. Don’t screw around with those tourism department fold-out ones–invest ten bucks in a [flourish of trumpets] Rand McNally 2000 Road Atlas. Makes all the difference in the world, babe.

4

Two things:

  • I have no power outlet/cigarette lighter. Yes, my car is a mutant, but I love it so. If I want anything other than radio, I’m going to have to get an installed CD/cassette player.

  • I figure I’m keeping this car until it falls apart into a small heap of rusted metal. That being the case, I’m not too concerned if it’s the laughing stock of the automotive world.

Well, okay, a third:

  • my mom (who I will be travelling with) and I have extremely disparate tastes in music. The few things we can agree on won’t be found on local radio stations.

That being the case, and taking what you’ve said into account (water, McNally map, check the spare and the jack, spare change, types of bathroom, list of radio stations . . . ), I think I’m still going to have to get the CD player. Or a cassette player. Whichever’s cheaper. The rest of the money’s going to get spent steamcleaning the backseat where my cat peed . . .

5

I agree with your dad. Last year, I borrowed my then-fiancee’s car for a High Plains storm chase trip (figuring about 5000 miles over 10 days or so). About a week beforehand, I went in for a tune-up, a maintenance check, and had them change all the fluids (maybe not transmission, but it needed changing anyway). The car was an '88 Reliant with about 80K miles. I did take a couple extra quarts of oil though, as after about 6 days it was necessary to add a quart, which I had counted on.

This year, I am doing the same thing, but with a '97 Escort. I am taking the car in this week for the same stuff (fluid check, scheduled maintenance, etc.). Better to be safe than sorry. Granted, getting stranded on the interstate is only annoying as opposed to breaking down in front of a severe thunderstorm, but still, I’m sure you get my drift.

I don’t know much about cars, but have a good friend that does, so he always throws me helpful tidbits, etc.

Hope this helps.

6

Your dad gave you good advice, phouka, but it will run you a little money – a couple of hundred bucks, I suppose. If that’s not a budget-breaker than get the work done. If it is (and believe me, I’ve been there!) then you’re left trading the risk of a breakdown, and it’s associated much higher costs, with the expense of the preventive maintenance.

If it was me – I wouldn’t do all that. A tune-up, for example, won’t prevent a breakdown and it’s the most costly item on the list. Rather than flush your cooling system just have it checked – if it shows bad then add some antifreeze. You’ve had the brakes checked. Squirting in a little AC coolant shouldn’t be too pricy and you’ll probably want AC on a long trip. Check the belts and hoses – that’s easy and inexpensive.

But that’s me – to swing back to the other side, this is all stuff you should do some time. It’s a good investment if you’re planning on keeping the car forever. And if you’re gonna get it done “someday” anyway, do it now, before your trip. But if money right now is a big issue you could get by for a little while.

7

A tune-up does very little. Just what does that mean? Change the spark plugs? They only need to be changed every 30,000 miles. Perhaps a new air filter, about $5.00 & change the radiator water if its brownish at all…

Rotate tires too.

8

Oh, & a cell ( digital) phone.

9

Don’t laugh, it’s paid for?
I have a 1994 Tempo, I bought it brand new loaded to the gills with options. After haggling and rebates I got it for $8500. It now has 108,000 miles & runs fine. With the exception of a set of brakes at 81,000 miles & a clutch at 98,000, this car has had no other repairs.

Before we married my wife had an '88 Tempo that had 150,000 miles on it when she sold it to a guy who still has it!!! She had to put less than $700 in it to repair the engine when it had 120,000 miles on it.

My sister has a 1992 Topaz (Murcury version of Tempo) with 92,000 miles and very few repairs.

Laugh? I wish Ford would bring these wonderful cars back!

Change the oil every 4k, flush the radiator every 2 years, check the belts when you get the oil changed, and you’ll be fine!

10

Have your transmission flushed, put synthetic transmission fluid in there. Use synthetic oil. Use a super lubricant with your oil like Dura-lube. I have used it for years and it ups the horse power a little while protecting and extending the life of your engine. Many people break down on long trips from old batteries going dead and bad alternators. Check those out. Have plenty of winshield wiper fluid to counteract road grime and bird shit. I can’t think of too much else.

11

Mind if I chime in here too?

By my map, Dallas to Wichita is only 365 miles’ you’re going to drive up and down I-35/ It’s all highway miles, and will probably be before it gets really hot. This isn’t that long or hard of a drive and shouldn’t be that hard on your car.

Your Tempo isn’t really a high mileage car. Even if the engine is tired (which I question) it should make it up and back just fine. The only major things that I would worry about would be:

  1. the brakes (which have been checked), or
  2. the clutch (which you replaced, but which wore out early)
  3. minor things like a boilover, a flat or a broken hose or belt.

I don’t know your car, but nothing on your dad’s list seems to be specific to your car. Based on that, I assume that the car is still in fair condition.

So, that said, let me address your dad’s list:

  • get a tune-up

I wouldn’t.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that the Tempo’s engine doesn’t use a distributor. The only parts that will be replaced in a quickie tune up are the spark plugs. These are due for replacement if they have over 10K on them, but old spark plugs won’t leave you stranded on the road; they’ll just hurt your car’s performance (mileage, emissions) a bit.
If take your car to a regular mechanic, then I’d recommend the tune up, as (s)he will, or should, also check for any other problems. Maybe I’m just being cynical, but I have the impression that the quickie places just use their tune up as a way to drum up work that might have been part of a real tune up.
In any case, remove the air filter and make sure that you can see light through it. If you can’t, or if it looks dirty, replace it.

  • check hoses and belts

I would.
Didn’t they replace your hoses when they replaced the thermostat? Check them anyway. Check the belts too; if they’re cracked, replace them.
Also, carry some duct tape and hose clamps for the radiator and heater hoses. If a hose gets a small leak, you can wrap the tape around it, hose clamp it into place, refill the radiator, leave the cap latched but not tightened, and get to the next town.
(ps. You may already know this, but DO NOT remove the cap from a hot radiator; wait until the engine cools! This way, you will not get scalded when the radiator vents, and the cool water will not warp or crack the engine.)
And carry a gallon or two of distilled water. You might want it if your radiator doesn’t.

(Intermission) :wink:

  • flush out the cooling system

I wouldn’t.
If this hasn’t been done regularly before this, I wouldn’t start now. A cooling system flush uses a mild acid to remove scale. This scale can collect in the radiator and clog it, which can cause a boilover or a damaged engine. This might also rot through a weak spot in the radiator, causing a pinhole leak.

  • have the brakes checked (they just were)

Hmm…
Front and back? Then just pop the cover on the reservoir and check the lever. Tell dad that they were checked. :wink:

  • get more AC coolant

Your call.
I’m not a big fan of AC, so it’s your call. It might help fight driver fatigue, though. Let me add that the compressor seals can fail if you don’t use the AC for a while.

  • get an oil change (it’s about that time anyways)

I would.
Like you said, it’s time anyways, and this is a good reason to do it. Personally, I wouldn’t use any oil that refers to Pennsylvania or Quakers in its name. These oils used to sludge a lot and still have bad reputations which they may or may not deserve.
I am a big fan of synthetics; they have a higher flash point (the point at which they burn), so you tend to get less coking (little bits of charcoal that used to be oil). This, in turn, leads to less engine wear. They seem to reduce friction as well.
Silo, no offense, but I am not a fan of oil additives. From what I’ve heard, neither is the auto industry, nor is Dupont, who makes the PTFE (Teflon) used in some additives. The additives in API-SF/API-SG oil are already formulated for use in turbochargers and probably can’t be improved upon by a second-source additive.
phouka, hope you don’t mind me commenting on these too:

  • just passed Texas inspection

Sorry to say it, but since you’re a conscientious driver this doesn’t mean much. You already take care of the major things on your car and a bad brake light won’t leave you stranded on the road. Besides, an inspector only gets about $2.00 out of that $10.50 fee. They can’t afford to fully check your car out for that.

  • clutch was rebuilt 15K ago

This worries me. It shouldn’t go out on this trip, but you should be able to get more than 75K out of a clutch.
If the clutch uses a cable, then have the adjustment checked.
I’d also recommend that you:

-Inflate your tires to the maximum pressure stated in your owners manual or on the sticker inside your door. This will increase your mileage and reduce tread wear too (the tire flexes less, so it runs cooler.) Check the spare too.

-Carry two cans of Fix-a-Flat. This way, you might be able to get to a rest station or gas station before changing the tire.

-Carry a cell phone. Normally, I hate them, but I can see how one could come in handy on a trip.

-Carry some duct tape, hose clamps and water, along a screwdriver to install the clamps, as stated above.
Above all, enjoy your trip.

12

Pardon me, but won’t A/C coolant be really, really expensive. I say that because, doesn’t a '93 Ford use old, illegal to manufacture Freon. If you can find it, it’ll be really expensive. The new stuff is cheaper, but they’ll have to retrofit your A/C. Check with Ford on what your car needs.

13

Lemme see, Phouka’s going to drive from Dallas to Wichita to San Diego, in June, in a rattletrap little Ford with cat pee all over the back seat, with her mother, with limited musical choices…

This is either a person with a death wish, or one heck of a road trip movie.

Happy Trails, babe! :smiley: