three most neglected areas of car care

[Colt]

Gotta be the trans,brake and PS fluid.

Trans fluid every 30K.
I may go 40+K with my synthetic fluid change.

People don't realize a brake fluid flush/change is very good for the brake system.
Yes I'm anal and I change the brake fluid every two years.
I would think 3 years should be the max.


I also change the power steering fluid every 2 years.
Most never change at all.

 

[Pablo]

Once (in my early years) I went to a dealer for a brake fluid flush. They looked at me like I was from mars! I learned to do it myself. Good advice.

 

[Kestas]

Diff fluid would be 4th.

 

[PandaBear]

power steering fluid
oil leak from various gasket
spare tire pressure

 

[JTK]

I've seen statistics where the #1 vehicle break-down cause is cooling system related. I'd have to go with:

1) Coolant
2) ATF/MTF
3) PSF

IMO- brake fluid atleast gets 'refreshed' with major brake work. (I still pump out and fill mine yearly)

Joel

 

[robbobster]

Tire pressure - not just the spare - is also highly neglected.

 

[Tosh]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Colt:
People don't realize a brake fluid flush/change is very good for the brake system.
Yes I'm anal and I change the brake fluid every two years.
I would think 3 years should be the max.

---

My owner's manual even spells out 36mo/45k. Brake fluid has an aura of mystique surrounding it, discouraging people from being sensible about it.

 

[ALS]

Fan Belts, radiator and Heater Hoses, coolant changes along with the brake fluid, transmission fluid and PS fluid.
I know people with 100K plus miles on their cars and light trucks that have never changed any of the above.
I've been guilty of PS fluid neglect. BITOG saved me from purgatory on that one.
Both cars owners manuals state 20K or 2 years on the brake fluid change. 335K on the 87 with the original calipers and master cylinder.

 

[The Critic]

I think it has to be anything BUT the engine oil. I'm sure a lot of consumers change only the engine oil/filter and nothing else.

As for suggested intervals, perhaps:

ATF- Change 60-70% and the filter every 60,000.
PS- Drain/Fill several times every 60,000.
Brake Fluid- At every brake job or 5 yrs.
Coolant- Every 3-5 yrs.
Air Filter- Every 30-50K
Plugs- Every 60K, shorter for copper.

 

[MC5W20]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Colt:
Gotta be the trans,brake and PS fluid.

Trans fluid every 30K.
I may go 40+K with my synthetic fluid change.

People don't realize a brake fluid flush/change is very good for the brake system.
Yes I'm anal and I change the brake fluid every two years.
I would think 3 years should be the max.


I also change the power steering fluid every 2 years.
Most never change at all.

---

On your list I would replace the power steering fluid with coolant/radiator service. Most manufactures don't recomend any service for power steering but all recomend it for coolant. I have seen many vehicles meet an early demise because it still had the factory coolant in it.

 

[alreadygone]

As a Automotive Service Professional, I'd like to see more customers do Brake fluid drain/refills, but it's still so rare that many of my customers would want to "whup ma arse" for pushing a ripoff service that their pa never done!

Am going to list a few pertinent points;

Some of the major auto manufacturers still don't recommend fluid changes.

IMO brake fluid should be changed occasionally just because it's hygroscopic (attracts moisture).

Anyone who's ever rebuild a master cylinder or wheel cylinder has seen the NASTY black gunk that accumulates in the low spots of a car's brake system.

In ABS brake systems, fluid should only be flushed in direction of wheels to keep from causing abovementioned gunk from plugging valves in ABS mechanism.

Use only approved (usually dot 3) fluid in system or you will cause more problems than you fix!

Bob

 

[labman]

Nobody mentioned brake hardware. Any time you replace lining, you need to clean up or replace all the hardware. Changing brake fluid is useless.

 

[stringsattached]

Change all the hardware but not the fluid? It's a mad mad world folks.

 

[stringsattached]

Correction: It's a mad mad mad mad world.

 

[Big Jim]

quote:

---

Originally posted by JTK:
I've seen statistics where the #1 vehicle break-down cause is cooling system related. I'd have to go with:

1) Coolant
2) ATF/MTF
3) PSF

IMO- brake fluid atleast gets 'refreshed' with major brake work. (I still pump out and fill mine yearly)

Joel

---

Not so. Most brake service today does not involve anything with the fluid. Disc pads are replaced without opening the lines and shoes are also replaced. It has not been common to overhaul calipers or wheel cylinders for decades. The fluid is only changed most of the time when calipers or wheel cylinders are replaced.

There would be much less need to replace calipers or wheel cylinders if the fluid was changed more often.

 

[Master ACiD]

every time you change pads or shoes you should lube the caliper slide pins as well as parking brake mechanisms, parking brake cable, parking brake handle.

 

[alreadygone]

Last time I lubed a customer's park brake handle he came back wanting to whip my @$$!!

 

[Master ACiD]

you shouldnt have used ky then!

 

[Bamaro]

There are a lot of people who trade in a car every 2 or 3 years that either never change oil or maybe change it just once

This is especially true of cars comming off lease. They dont care because it will be long gone before any troubles show up.

 

[CoosBayDave]

The things mentioned above are all good, to this I would add cleaning the battery connections. When I lifted the plastic cover on mine I found a ball of corrosion.