I'm done with maintenance

[hattaresguy]

Yep, and you get nothing extra when you sell it or trade it in. They don't hand out trophy's or an extra $1k for using fancy oils.

When I trade my truck in around 100k miles every fluid will be original except the oil, I'm going by the manual that came with it.


If I spend $1k changing to all fancy fluids every 20k miles they are not going to give me an extra cent. Quite frankly my time is more valuable than changing out oil in a truck so I don't feel like doing it either.

 

[hattaresguy]

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


Does it? I have never actually seen a fluid related failure other than some idiot never changing their oil.

I have never seen a transmission fail and the rebuilding said, should have changed the fluid would have prevented it. Typically they look like new inside and something mechanical fails that would have failed regardless of what the fluid was.

Same with rear ends on trucks, I have seen a number of bearings and seals blow, I have seen them get water in them and grenade. I have never seen one fail say at 80k miles simply because the fluid was original, no other reason.

If you run your car to 100k or until its crushed I don't see how following the FSM or over servicing will change anything that fails. Drive line related failures are very rare these days, typically everything else breaks first.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


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.


Exactly, you know how many POS used cars I have seen over the years that needed lots of work but oh the oil was changed every 3k, or in one case the guy was proud as [censored] of every 2500 miles on Mobil 1. So what? Maybe instead of wasting money on OCD oil changes they should have spent it on keeping up the entire vehicle!

I like to spend money on actual repair parts on older vehicles, like a quality set of matching tires. Maybe new brake rotors instead of having them turned for the 10th time and pulsate because they are below spec...maybe new shocks. Fix all those pesky CEL codes. Actually clean under the hood and look for leaks, maybe fix a few simple leaky gaskets to keep the engine clean. Stuff that matters more than throwing away $30 worth of oil every 3k.

 

[HerrStig]

It's the stingy man who pays the most.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


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.


Exactly, you know how many POS used cars I have seen over the years that needed lots of work but oh the oil was changed every 3k, or in one case the guy was proud as [censored] of every 2500 miles on Mobil 1. So what? Maybe instead of wasting money on OCD oil changes they should have spent it on keeping up the entire vehicle!

I like to spend money on actual repair parts on older vehicles, like a quality set of matching tires. Maybe new brake rotors instead of having them turned for the 10th time and pulsate because they are below spec...maybe new shocks. Fix all those pesky CEL codes. Actually clean under the hood and look for leaks, maybe fix a few simple leaky gaskets to keep the engine clean. Stuff that matters more than throwing away $30 worth of oil every 3k.


+1000!

I've never seen a car that had over 150k miles, was over 10 years old with only oil changes that wouldn't drive like a pos.

 

[circuitsmith]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I have never actually seen a fluid related failure other than some idiot never changing their oil.


I've seen failed brake calipers & master cylinders (clutch too) because moisture in the old brake fluid caused corrosion.
Corroded, clogged radiators from old antifreeze.
Leaky steering racks and failed PS pumps with ratty looking PS fluid.
Auto transmissions with flaky shifting and lockup converter shudder that are cured by a fluid change.
Manual transmissions that improve shift feel with fresh fluid.
But to each his own...

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I have never actually seen a fluid related failure other than some idiot never changing their oil.


I've seen failed brake calipers & master cylinders (clutch too) because moisture in the old brake fluid caused corrosion.
Corroded, clogged radiators from old antifreeze.
Leaky steering racks and failed PS pumps with ratty looking PS fluid.
Auto transmissions with flaky shifting and lockup converter shudder that are cured by a fluid change.
Manual transmissions that improve shift feel with fresh fluid.
But to each his own...


Well I must just be lucky then cause I NEVER have changed my brake fluid and yet I have NEVER replaced a caliper or master cylinder in my life, and I drive my cars till 180k miles. Same for antifreeze, I don't bother with it, it always seems fine. I have changed the fluid in a manual transmission and it did shift REALLY nice, for about a WEEK!!!

The auto world has changed but most BITGO'ers are stuck in the 70's...lol

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I have never actually seen a fluid related failure other than some idiot never changing their oil.


I've seen failed brake calipers & master cylinders (clutch too) because moisture in the old brake fluid caused corrosion.
Corroded, clogged radiators from old antifreeze.
Leaky steering racks and failed PS pumps with ratty looking PS fluid.
Auto transmissions with flaky shifting and lockup converter shudder that are cured by a fluid change.
Manual transmissions that improve shift feel with fresh fluid.
But to each his own...


I had the steering rack fail on my truck 4 times none of failures were PS fluid related.

 

[oliveoil]

Regular manufacturered recommended maintenance can't hurt, might help. When I sell my cars (no trade-in) buyers appreciate it and I fell better about it. It's a win win.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

I bought my 2000 Taurus wagon in 2008 with 90k miles The owner had only done oil changes...ever. I had all the receipts from new!

Fuel filter - original
Brake fluid - original
Trans fluid - original
Cabin filter - original
Power steering - original
Coolant - original
Oil and filter - changed every 3k miles

All the fluids, except oil, were black. I spent the first weekend draining/filling all the fluids. The car has 144k now and it runs like a top. My maintenance schedule past that has been pretty much OEM recommendations (except the trans, I had that changed two additional drain/fill at Ford to get out as much ATF as possible and change the ATF filter). No issues due to the old fluids being there for 90k miles.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I recently purchased a new Jeep and can't see a reason to depart from the very few manufacturer required services that are listed in the manual.



Thoughts?



My friend just installed a replacement engine in his Jeep. He too, thought like you. $4000 later, and a month of rental cars, his V6 powered Jeep drives like it did before.

I can absolutely promise that more frequent oil changes and coolant changes would have prevented his rod-knock and other problems.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: philipp10
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I have never actually seen a fluid related failure other than some idiot never changing their oil.


I've seen failed brake calipers & master cylinders (clutch too) because moisture in the old brake fluid caused corrosion.
Corroded, clogged radiators from old antifreeze.
Leaky steering racks and failed PS pumps with ratty looking PS fluid.
Auto transmissions with flaky shifting and lockup converter shudder that are cured by a fluid change.
Manual transmissions that improve shift feel with fresh fluid.
But to each his own...


Well I must just be lucky then cause I NEVER have changed my brake fluid and yet I have NEVER replaced a caliper or master cylinder in my life, and I drive my cars till 180k miles. Same for antifreeze, I don't bother with it, it always seems fine. I have changed the fluid in a manual transmission and it did shift REALLY nice, for about a WEEK!!!

The auto world has changed but most BITGO'ers are stuck in the 70's...lol




I-like you have never changed brake fluid in any vehicle I have owned, and brake jobs have always just been pads and at times rotors.

 

[Silverado12]

Some things (I can only think of one example, though) can be under maintained. I used to wash the cabin air filter in my Impala and stick it back in. I learned this trick from having a hot tub spa that uses washable paper filters. You just don't have the active carbon anymore, but who cares. I over maintain other things, though. I change oil every 3500 miles, drain and fill antifreeze every 3 years, turkey baste the P/S reservoir, change "lifetime" tranny fluid after about 60K miles and diff oil every 30K.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: dishdude
I recently purchased a new Jeep and can't see a reason to depart from the very few manufacturer required services that are listed in the manual.



Thoughts?



My friend just installed a replacement engine in his Jeep. He too, thought like you. $4000 later, and a month of rental cars, his V6 powered Jeep drives like it did before.

I can absolutely promise that more frequent oil changes and coolant changes would have prevented his rod-knock and other problems.


He must have went much longer than the OLM, the OLM in my Pentastar seems to want a change every 6kish; granted its not in a Jeep but how much different can they be?

I would not consider 6k miles a long oil run, especially not in 2015.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Yep, and you get nothing extra when you sell it or trade it in. They don't hand out trophy's or an extra $1k for using fancy oils.

When I trade my truck in around 100k miles every fluid will be original except the oil, I'm going by the manual that came with it.


If I spend $1k changing to all fancy fluids every 20k miles they are not going to give me an extra cent. Quite frankly my time is more valuable than changing out oil in a truck so I don't feel like doing it either.


If 100k is all you expect then you're likely to be fine.

Experience on Class 8 trucks with conventional and synthetic lubes used in gearboxes and axles has shown improved seal and bearing life with the synthetics. It costs me almost exactly $100 for the Red Line fluids to change the lube in my transmission and rear differential. I replaced the factory fill on both at 7510 miles and posted pictures of what the drain plug magnets caught and the drain pan showed that the magnets didn't catch everything. I will repeat the fluid changes at 60k intervals. $400 in materials and 4 hours of my labor will take the gearboxes to 240k miles. If that saves me from having to replace one seal or bearing then it's a bargain.

I once bought a 1996 Dakota with a bad trans. It had leaked enough fluid to be damaged. Preserving those seals could have saved that trans.

 

[Kool1]

Well with the minimal maintenance you plan, your vehicle will probably only last 500,000 miles. I hope to take mine to 5,000,000 miles. Wait, who am I kidding?

 

[SatinSilver]

Good idea, since you only keep cars for a few years:

2011 GMC Terrain
2013 VW GTI
2013 ATS
2015 Jeep GC

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Good idea, since you only keep cars for a few years:

2011 GMC Terrain
2013 VW GTI
2013 ATS
2015 Jeep GC



Wow you did some research! Impressive. You missed the 2012 Mercedes E350 and 2011 Buick Regal to round out my vehicles from this decade. Since I joined this site I've owned over a dozen different cars. Life is too short to drive one car.

 

[daves87rs]

You know, in all of these pages so far, I have yet to see someone ask how the car is going to be used. That is kind of a major reason to know whether you might need to do more for your car or not....

Coolant, for example.You would want to tell the guy who sits in rush hour traffic to do the same thing as the next person who might have an easy highway drive. Sometimes changing it is not a bad thing! Wife's car does get changed a bit more/earlier due to the fact she is a bit tougher on cars than I am. My coolant was only changed this year (9 years) due to the thermostat change.


It's not about what you should do as it is more how it is going to be used when drive it. Easy life? Work horse? Drive it hard? Lease or buy? There is no blanket statement here that is going to cover that....

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Good idea, since you only keep cars for a few years:

2011 GMC Terrain
2013 VW GTI
2013 ATS
2015 Jeep GC




Yea, I noticed that too....short term cars barely need any work!