About recommend scheduled maintenance, e.g. oil change.
Questions tagged [scheduled-maintenance]
89 questions
39
votes
8 answers
Is tire rotation important?
I just bought new tires for my car and included was free tire rotation every 7,500 miles for the life of the tires.
I have heard many things about tire rotation, including:
it's a worthless practice, don't bother
tires should never be rotated from…
JSmitty
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23
votes
2 answers
How do I know when to change my spark plug
I ride a Piaggio scooter with a single cylinder engine.
Recently I broke down and the engine wouldn't restart. It turned out the spark plug was stuffed.
How can I ensure that doesn't happen again?
WOPR
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Any truth to the "myth" about changing transmission fluid in older vehicles?
I have had people give me anecdotal stories (friend of a friend type thing) about changing the transmission fluid in vehicles with 150,000+ miles, especially those that haven't had regular transmission maintenance. The usual story is something…
Ogre Psalm33
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Should I perform my first oil change at 1000 miles, or when the manual says?
I've read in various places that you should perform your first oil change on a new car at 1,000 miles or so. But the exact miles are available in the owner's manual.
The owner's manual only states to change the oil every 5,000 miles. Should I go…
Evorlor
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How important it is to drain all the oil when doing an oil change?
Jettas have a fairing under the engine that makes it hard (impossible) to get to the drain plug without quite a bit of work under the car, so years ago I got an oil extractor so that I could pull the oil out through the dipstick opening.
Oil was a…
dlu
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3 answers
Why is the ATF Level checked with the engine running?
I didn't realize until recently that the ATF level is supposed to be checked while the engine is running, unlike the engine oil level which you're supposed to check at least five minutes after shutting the engine off.
I was wondering what the reason…
Robert S. Barnes
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How do I tell if I screwed up my oil change?
I just changed my oil in my 2500 HD Silverado for the first time by myself. I've changed my oil in a 2004 Toyota Camry a handful of times, but I always had a friend supervise me. I need to know common signs that I messed up.
I took it for a drive…
Jake TheSnake Roberts
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2 answers
Oil change checklist
I prefer to do my own regular oil changes, and only take my car to the mechanic/dealer for significant servicing milestones (e.g. 30/60/90k). Each time I change the oil, I can't help but feel that I've skipped checking something important. What is…
Jimmy
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Mayonnaise on tip of dipstick - new car, low miles, well maintained. What to do?
This question is about a 2014 Renault engine fitted in our family car, we've owned it since new and I've done all the maintenance to the book. We chose the petrol engine over the diesel because we knew we would use it in the city and only do less…
DizzyFool
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2 answers
What happens if I use the wrong weight of oil?
Inspired by this question about how newer cars tend to specify lower oil weights, what would happen if you took one of those cars to an oil-change place, and instead of checking to see what weight of oil your car needs, they just dumped five quarts…
Mark
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Is the 16,000 km oil change interval for the 2016 Corolla correct?
I recently bought a 2016 Toyota Corolla and the service schedule the dealer has provided has the first oil change at 16,000 km. Given that I did oil changes on my previous vehicle at 5,000 km, I find this rather hard to believe.
Can I really go…
Zinzire
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How to know if timing belt failure will result in immediate engine damage?
I own two cars: a 2003 Acura TL and a 2005 Volvo S60.
I've been told that depending on what car you drive, a failed timing belt can result in immediate engine damage.
I would like to know (not just about my two cars, but in general) how I can know…
Vivian River
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On a non-interference engine, do you have to replace the timing belt?
Lets say that I happen to know for a fact that my car has a non-interference type engine, and also has a timing belt. Also, I'm broke.
Is there any reason to replace the timing belt as a maintenance item? Will anything be harmed (other than…
JPhi1618
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Is 30k mile maintenance really required?
Is 30k mile maintenance really required? I have a subaru wrx '09 and the time has come for the check. I called the dealer after going through the manual. They quoted me 500+ for the check which included topping of fluids, and other regular checks…
suryalistic
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What is the point of changing coolant if it gets constantly replaced?
I drive a 2016 Scion FRS, and based on the maintenance schedule of the coolant:
1st replacement interval is 11 years/137,500 miles (220,000 km).
2nd replacement interval is 6 years/ 75,000 miles (120,000 km) after the 1st.
...I don't really…
Narcotixs
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