Pre-Trip Maintenance

[JHZR2]

+1. if youre getting 14k out of tires on an econobox, youre doing something way wrong.

 

[rslifkin]

Hard cornering = insane tire wear. Keep in mind, the stock tires on a lot of vehicles wear pretty quickly.

 

[Cutehumor]

I try to squeeze every inch out of life out of tires. I got almost 50k on my vibe's tires that need to be replaced.

 

[2Fast4U]

Do everything everyone else said. Also, put RainX on your windshield. RainX is absolutely superb at speeds above 50.

 

[TurboLuver]

I am also curious about the tire replacement after only 14k miles?

 

[Nick R]

Well, it probably didn't help that they suck in the snow, so there was a lot of spinning, especially when I got stuck (which happened several times). Those Kumhos are NOT good in the snow. The ones that were in the front are down to ~4/32nds, and the ones in the back were about 6/32nds. I've never liked how these tires rode and handled much anyway, and they've gotten quite noisy. I figured I have the money right now, I should replace them before I don't.

Also, changed oil, checked other fluids, changed wiper blades with some Michelins from Wal-Mart.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
+1. if you're getting 14k out of tires on an econobox, you're doing something way wrong.


I'd tend to agree. My Mazdaspeed is pumping 287 bhp through the front wheels and I love to take curves and on-ramps at 20+ mph over the posted advisory speed- yet I still get 29,000 miles out of the Pirelli PZero All Seasons.

 

[silverrat]

If you rotate them when you need to you can get 50% more life on those tires.

 

[addyguy]

I usually just make sure I have enough washer fluid, and maybe check the oil if I haven't done it in a bit.

 

[Mr_Joe]

The things that will mess you up are belts, hoses,tires, batteries for the most part. If a critical light burns out on the road you should be able to replace it. You should already have a handle on regular maintenance like plugs, oil changes & the rest.

 

[Drew99GT]

I check all items that could potentially leave me stranded. Tires, belt(s) and their tension, hoses, battery condition, spare tire pressure and condition, and then I check fluid levels. Most other things I routinely maintain and check like the radiator pressure cap.

I also make sure things like wiper blades are in good condition. Getting stuck in flooding rain with bad wiper blades is no fun, not to mention dangerous.