I'm done with maintenance

[Danno]

Originally Posted By: cat843
I see no mention of front and rear diff. Or auto transmission. Maybe they never get changed?


Been researching the JGC for a purchase. The trans fluid is in for life and it is hella expensive if you want to change it. $20 - 30 per quart is what I am seeing for Lifeguard 8.

 

[Merkava_4]

If you follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule, your car will be toast in 5 years.

They're not in the business to have cars last.

Engine coolant changed at 10 years ? Insane.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The only reason that I deviate from the book's maintenance schedule is because I enjoy doing it. My '09 Ridgeline is evidence (so far) that the book works -- its previous owner had it serviced exclusively at Jiffy Lube at Maintenance Minder intervals for the 98,000 miles before we got it. And, at least through the oil fill hole, the engine looks absolutely spotless inside. So...using conventional 5W-20 oil (Pennzoil or Formula Shell) at 8-10k mile intervals in the desert heat of Scottsdale, Arizona...and it runs like it's brand new.

Again -- the only reason I change stuff as often as I do is because I enjoy doing it. It otherwise serves little purpose.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyMerrill
no way I'd go 10 years on coolant


My 25 year old BMW has had 2 coolant changes. Still on the original rad.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Maintenance pays off towards the end part of the vehicles life not at the beginning.

+99999999999

and the title was click-bait as someone else said.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule, your car will be toast in 5 years.

They're not in the business to have cars last.

Engine coolant changed at 10 years ? Insane.


My vehicles are not toast. They're running fairly well at 12 years old. The initial coolant change recommendation by the manual is 10years/150k miles. Then 5 years/100k miles after that. That's what I do. No problems yet.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
My vehicles are not toast. They're running fairly well at 12 years old. The initial coolant change recommendation by the manual is 10years/150k miles. Then 5 years/100k miles after that. That's what I do. No problems yet.


You keep doing that and the coolant is will have so much acid built up in it that your intake manifold gaskets will be eaten alive.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Maintenance pays off towards the end part of the vehicles life not at the beginning.


I'm not convinced of this. My parents who live a few thousand miles away maintain their vehicles at the dealer and even with transmission fluid changes had failures before 100k. A guy I work with that is in sales buys nothing but old Enterprise cars off rental, changes the oil every 10k at Jiffy Lube and looked at me like I had 2 heads when I asked about transmission and other maintenance. He said he always says no when they try to upsell him, and he trades his cars in at 200k with nothing but a few minor repairs along the way.

I bought my Sonoma in January and I am refusing to do anything to it since it runs so well. The radiator looks like toilet water and I am trying my hardest not to change it! I am pretty sure all the other fluids are original. I'm to the point that as long as it doesn't run dry there is little harm.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
A guy I work with that is in sales buys nothing but old Enterprise cars off rental, changes the oil every 10k at Jiffy Lube


That guy don't wrench on his own cars. He's not gonna be disassembling his engine at 400K because it'll never make it there in the first place.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I say go for it if you want. However, Jeep is not in the same reliability class as Honda, for instance. So if some of the service intervals are extended, I would wonder how that may affect the Jeep's long term reliability.


You're right, my parents lost the transmission in their TL long before 100k. Never had a major repair in a Chrysler.

 

[JR]

3 fusions in 9years. All they get are dirt cheap bulk mobil clean 5w-20 and mobil filterat 5-6.5k oci's. Coolant when the t stats fail, never had one last to 90k.
That is it, ford has the 5sp auto set interval at fill for life.

Current 07 has 215k
Last 07 had 325k
And the 08 had 275k.
All three ran/run like new.
One smog pump, one belt tensioner, and one battery.
Three repairs in a total of 715k of service.

OEM intervals are good.


Harvey

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Some would say I over maintain my vehicles, I say its worth it if you want them to last past 150K and still be running smoothly. Oil change every 5K, trans drain and fill every 10K (only 3 quarts comes out) engine coolant drain and fill every 3 years along with brake fluid, and a power steering reservoir extract and fill every oil change. These services are inexpensive especially in comparison to a failed part. Its just worth it to me! If you plan on letting the Jeep go around 100K then just follow the maintenance schedule outlined by the manufacturer, but if you plan on keeping it for 150K+ miles then go the EXTRA mile and maintain more frequently. As someone else already said, the manufacturer is in the business of selling cars, if your car lasts and lasts they don't make money.


In your example you bought your old Accord with around 100k on it and traded it at around 130k, right? How much did you put into maintaining it? Did you see a benefit from that vs. just doing the scheduled factory maintenance? Wouldn't you prefer to have the money you spent on over maintaining it in your bank account?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: dishdude
A guy I work with that is in sales buys nothing but old Enterprise cars off rental, changes the oil every 10k at Jiffy Lube


That guy don't wrench on his own cars. He's not gonna be disassembling his engine at 400K because it'll never make it there in the first place.


That's the best part. He went from buying Centuries to Malibus. He buys them cheap, does nothing to them and disposes of them when he is done. His cost per mile is next to nothing - he makes money off them from the company reimbursement.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: JR
3 fusions in 9years. All they get are dirt cheap bulk mobil clean 5w-20 and mobil filterat 5-6.5k oci's. Coolant when the t stats fail, never had one last to 90k.
That is it, ford has the 5sp auto set interval at fill for life.

Current 07 has 215k
Last 07 had 325k
And the 08 had 275k.
All three ran/run like new.
One smog pump, one belt tensioner, and one battery.
Three repairs in a total of 715k of service.

OEM intervals are good.


Harvey


This guy gets it!

 

[zach1900]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule, your car will be toast in 5 years.

They're not in the business to have cars last.

Engine coolant changed at 10 years ? Insane.
you're kidding, right?

 

[WobblyElvis]

I strive for a lack of Un-necessary maintenance.

OCI 10,000 miles, cheap synthetic. OLM says 7,500 I disregard.
Coolant replace every 10+ years
Air filter every 3 years
Plugs 200,000+ miles
Brake fluid never flush or change.
Transmission change every 100,000,miles
Serpentine belt at 150,000 miles

My experience has been good, so in my opinion, many people over maintain their cars.

 

[zach1900]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Some would say I over maintain my vehicles, I say its worth it if you want them to last past 150K and still be running smoothly. Oil change every 5K, trans drain and fill every 10K (only 3 quarts comes out) engine coolant drain and fill every 3 years along with brake fluid, and a power steering reservoir extract and fill every oil change. These services are inexpensive especially in comparison to a failed part. Its just worth it to me! If you plan on letting the Jeep go around 100K then just follow the maintenance schedule outlined by the manufacturer, but if you plan on keeping it for 150K+ miles then go the EXTRA mile and maintain more frequently. As someone else already said, the manufacturer is in the business of selling cars, if your car lasts and lasts they don't make money.
greg, I'm surprised you don't change your oil and atf every 20 miles.

 

[goodtimes]

One thought is 30K on an air filter may not be needed from advice here, but you do live in the desert. Air filters are sort of a special case. Lifetime for trans change, I would not follow that. It depends what you like to do. Some people can take a new machine or tool and it is trash in no time, another oils and cleans it to stay like new. Some keep a car three years and get another so they don't care. In the end it all what makes you happy aside from cost. I like clean and well oiled machinery, a perfectionist on that to the nth degree. That's how I like to do it. Part of life is getting to be yourself. You paid for the car it is no one else's business what you do to it. If it is a waste to you on maintenance, that's fine, if my car is a mess inside but I obsess over mechanics, also fine.

 

[camrydriver111]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Maintenance pays off towards the end part of the vehicles life not at the beginning.


I agree. However, it takes a very long time for fluid to degrade so badly that it causes excessive wear or component failure. OEM fluid intervals are usually very reasonable.

It seems like we are talking about two extremes here: people who run their cars into the ground versus those who are following OCD fluid changes. People who "run their cars into the ground" are not following OEM fluid intervals. They are not following any fluid intervals at all apart from the occasional oil change.

10 years on coolant and 5 years after that because that's what the manufacturer recommends is not neglect. Never changing it or checking it is neglect.

I would consider a car that had OEM fluid intervals, worn parts replaced like suspension, brakes, tires, belts, pulleys, motor mounts, has a good battery, etc. a well-maintained car. Those items are more important to having a good driving car than constantly changing PS or ATF fluid.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111

I would consider a car that had OEM fluid intervals, worn parts replaced like suspension, brakes, tires, belts, pulleys, good battery, etc. a well-maintained car. Those items are more important to having a good driving car than constantly changing PS or ATF fluid.


This is what I'm talking about.