Routine Car Maintenance

[JanetRose]

Do you have a mechanic check your car on a regular basis or just wait until something breaks before you bring it in to get fixed.

 

[georgina]

I take mine in about every 7500 miles to have it checked out and routine service done. I have the oil changed twice a year. I think there are many problems that could be prevented if caught early. When it was newer, it would be repaired under warranty if needed. Now that it is old, it is better to catch the leaks and tears before they lead to bigger things.

 

[dakcp2001]

I have routine maintenance done according to the owners manual, usually when I bring it in for an oil change.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I take mine to the dealership and have them do the recommended service based on the mileage. They've caught a few things, like a small leak in the water pump, that could have caused me bigger problems later. I prefer not to wait for a problem. I think it's safer and more cost-effective in the long-run to have it inspected regularly and keep it in good working condition.

 

[MM27]

I used to go to a local mechanic with my last car, but every time I went for something, he would find three more things wrong. After a few times, I put an end to that and decided to do my business elsewhere.

I have a Jeep now and take it right to the dealer. I have them do oil changes every 3,000 miles or so and routine checks as well. I must say, people have cautioned me that the dealers are usually not honest and are overpriced, but I've been more than happy there. I need new tires and the guy there told me I'd be better off going to Sears to buy them because of the price and warranty.

 

[tvguy]

I'm on my second, good, independent mechanic. First one retired, I was a customer for 24 years. Second one is one my first mechanic sublet repairs to.
My cars are in every 3,000 miles. Had 2 of my cars in last week, had him check it out. Battery was weak...it was 4 years old. He put a new one in. I'd rather have my mechanic catch that kind of stuff than have my daughter go out on a cold rainy morning and not make it to school because of a dead battery.

 

[Pakey]

Mine goes in for regular checkups.

 

[mrodgers]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

A catastrophic failure is not something you can inspect for. What you can inspect for is wear and leaks. If you can't figure that out on your own and need someone else to tell you something is not right, what are you doing on the road? You shouldn't be there.

What can a mechanic check? Tire and brake wear. They can inspect bushings in suspension systems. Exhaust corrosion will be caught by a mechanic. Simple blown bulbs. All of this can also be easily done by the vehicle owner. There is no need for a mechanic. If you can't tell your tires are worn, stay off the road. When the exhaust is buzzing like there is a hole in it and you can't figure out that it needs replaced, stay off the road. If you can't simply pull a wheel/tire and look at the brake pads, heck you don't even need to pull a wheel/tire anymore with how open the wheels are on cars these days. Both of my vehicles I can look at the brakes as I walk past and see that the pads are ok or worn.

In my opinion, I would say that probably 90% or more people operating a very heavy and very deadly vehicle on the road shouldn't be. If you can't figure out how to identify that wear items are dangerously worn, you shouldn't be driving. Also, if you haven't a clue about the simple components of vehicle dynamics and control (weight transfer, over and understeer, traction, etc.) you shouldn't be driving putting me and my family in danger.

The government also shouldn't be regulating all this safety crap in cars either that makes it dangerous to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and all the other automatic garbage that makes it easier for the type of people depicted in my text above to "drive" shouldn't be in cars. It makes it dangerous because it makes it easier for people to continue letting their cars drive themselves instead of the needed learnings of how to actually drive.

I only take my car to be checked by a mechanic once a year because I have to have an annual state inspection done. Stupid because the car is checked out far before being checked by the mechanic and the necessary wear items are replaced before it is too late and fails the state inspection. A catastrophic failure is different and can not be checked.

 

[dakcp2001]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

A catastrophic failure is not something you can inspect for. What you can inspect for is wear and leaks. If you can't figure that out on your own and need someone else to tell you something is not right, what are you doing on the road? You shouldn't be there.

What can a mechanic check? Tire and brake wear. They can inspect bushings in suspension systems. Exhaust corrosion will be caught by a mechanic. Simple blown bulbs. All of this can also be easily done by the vehicle owner. There is no need for a mechanic. If you can't tell your tires are worn, stay off the road. When the exhaust is buzzing like there is a hole in it and you can't figure out that it needs replaced, stay off the road. If you can't simply pull a wheel/tire and look at the brake pads, heck you don't even need to pull a wheel/tire anymore with how open the wheels are on cars these days. Both of my vehicles I can look at the brakes as I walk past and see that the pads are ok or worn.

In my opinion, I would say that probably 90% or more people operating a very heavy and very deadly vehicle on the road shouldn't be. If you can't figure out how to identify that wear items are dangerously worn, you shouldn't be driving. Also, if you haven't a clue about the simple components of vehicle dynamics and control (weight transfer, over and understeer, traction, etc.) you shouldn't be driving putting me and my family in danger.

The government also shouldn't be regulating all this safety crap in cars either that makes it dangerous to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and all the other automatic garbage that makes it easier for the type of people depicted in my text above to "drive" shouldn't be in cars. It makes it dangerous because it makes it easier for people to continue letting their cars drive themselves instead of the needed learnings of how to actually drive.

I only take my car to be checked by a mechanic once a year because I have to have an annual state inspection done. Stupid because the car is checked out far before being checked by the mechanic and the necessary wear items are replaced before it is too late and fails the state inspection. A catastrophic failure is different and can not be checked.

 

[Handbag Lady]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

A catastrophic failure is not something you can inspect for. What you can inspect for is wear and leaks. If you can't figure that out on your own and need someone else to tell you something is not right, what are you doing on the road? You shouldn't be there.

What can a mechanic check? Tire and brake wear. They can inspect bushings in suspension systems. Exhaust corrosion will be caught by a mechanic. Simple blown bulbs. All of this can also be easily done by the vehicle owner. There is no need for a mechanic. If you can't tell your tires are worn, stay off the road. When the exhaust is buzzing like there is a hole in it and you can't figure out that it needs replaced, stay off the road. If you can't simply pull a wheel/tire and look at the brake pads, heck you don't even need to pull a wheel/tire anymore with how open the wheels are on cars these days. Both of my vehicles I can look at the brakes as I walk past and see that the pads are ok or worn.

In my opinion, I would say that probably 90% or more people operating a very heavy and very deadly vehicle on the road shouldn't be. If you can't figure out how to identify that wear items are dangerously worn, you shouldn't be driving. Also, if you haven't a clue about the simple components of vehicle dynamics and control (weight transfer, over and understeer, traction, etc.) you shouldn't be driving putting me and my family in danger.

The government also shouldn't be regulating all this safety crap in cars either that makes it dangerous to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and all the other automatic garbage that makes it easier for the type of people depicted in my text above to "drive" shouldn't be in cars. It makes it dangerous because it makes it easier for people to continue letting their cars drive themselves instead of the needed learnings of how to actually drive.

I only take my car to be checked by a mechanic once a year because I have to have an annual state inspection done. Stupid because the car is checked out far before being checked by the mechanic and the necessary wear items are replaced before it is too late and fails the state inspection. A catastrophic failure is different and can not be checked.

Uhm, yeah. I couldn't disagree with you more. I can check tire pressure, tire wear, change the oil and flat tires myself, and clean the spark plugs. And you're saying I shouldn't be driving because I don't know more than the basics? We don't have annual state inspections here, but we do have smog checks every two years, so I don't know about that at all.


All you need to do is follow in your manual and do what it says. In addition, get you know the sound of your car. You can usually tell something isn't right even before a sensor light goes up just because it "starts funny." You can also tell by the pull of a car if it needs to be checked for alignment.

Other than that, ask around for a good mechanic and find one you can trust. Change the oil regularly and TRY to avoid just taking in your car before something breaks.

 

[golfgal]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

A catastrophic failure is not something you can inspect for. What you can inspect for is wear and leaks. If you can't figure that out on your own and need someone else to tell you something is not right, what are you doing on the road? You shouldn't be there.

What can a mechanic check? Tire and brake wear. They can inspect bushings in suspension systems. Exhaust corrosion will be caught by a mechanic. Simple blown bulbs. All of this can also be easily done by the vehicle owner. There is no need for a mechanic. If you can't tell your tires are worn, stay off the road. When the exhaust is buzzing like there is a hole in it and you can't figure out that it needs replaced, stay off the road. If you can't simply pull a wheel/tire and look at the brake pads, heck you don't even need to pull a wheel/tire anymore with how open the wheels are on cars these days. Both of my vehicles I can look at the brakes as I walk past and see that the pads are ok or worn.

In my opinion, I would say that probably 90% or more people operating a very heavy and very deadly vehicle on the road shouldn't be. If you can't figure out how to identify that wear items are dangerously worn, you shouldn't be driving. Also, if you haven't a clue about the simple components of vehicle dynamics and control (weight transfer, over and understeer, traction, etc.) you shouldn't be driving putting me and my family in danger.

The government also shouldn't be regulating all this safety crap in cars either that makes it dangerous to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and all the other automatic garbage that makes it easier for the type of people depicted in my text above to "drive" shouldn't be in cars. It makes it dangerous because it makes it easier for people to continue letting their cars drive themselves instead of the needed learnings of how to actually drive.

I only take my car to be checked by a mechanic once a year because I have to have an annual state inspection done. Stupid because the car is checked out far before being checked by the mechanic and the necessary wear items are replaced before it is too late and fails the state inspection. A catastrophic failure is different and can not be checked.

Um, right . Could I learn to do all of this, yes, do I want to, NO.

We bring our car in every 3 months for oil changes and our mechanic checks things over for us then. It's worked for us for over 20 years of driving.

 

[scrapquitler]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

I wonder if I Can tell my husband that since I don't know how to fix the washer and dryer myself, I must be unqualified to do the laundry.

Come on, seriously? I can check the tire pressure and I can change the wiper blades and fill the gas tank. There are experts for the rest. The mechanic does routine checks when I get oil changes. I don't know what kind of car YOU drive, but mine is all computerized and not really driveway mechanice friendly. Yeah, sure 30 years ago the average person could deal with all the car repair kind of stuff themselves, but that's not really practical anymore.

 

[dakcp2001]

Be careful up there on your high horse! Its going to hurt when you fall off.

 

[ajk912]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

A catastrophic failure is not something you can inspect for. What you can inspect for is wear and leaks. If you can't figure that out on your own and need someone else to tell you something is not right, what are you doing on the road? You shouldn't be there.

What can a mechanic check? Tire and brake wear. They can inspect bushings in suspension systems. Exhaust corrosion will be caught by a mechanic. Simple blown bulbs. All of this can also be easily done by the vehicle owner. There is no need for a mechanic. If you can't tell your tires are worn, stay off the road. When the exhaust is buzzing like there is a hole in it and you can't figure out that it needs replaced, stay off the road. If you can't simply pull a wheel/tire and look at the brake pads, heck you don't even need to pull a wheel/tire anymore with how open the wheels are on cars these days. Both of my vehicles I can look at the brakes as I walk past and see that the pads are ok or worn.

In my opinion, I would say that probably 90% or more people operating a very heavy and very deadly vehicle on the road shouldn't be. If you can't figure out how to identify that wear items are dangerously worn, you shouldn't be driving. Also, if you haven't a clue about the simple components of vehicle dynamics and control (weight transfer, over and understeer, traction, etc.) you shouldn't be driving putting me and my family in danger.

The government also shouldn't be regulating all this safety crap in cars either that makes it dangerous to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and all the other automatic garbage that makes it easier for the type of people depicted in my text above to "drive" shouldn't be in cars. It makes it dangerous because it makes it easier for people to continue letting their cars drive themselves instead of the needed learnings of how to actually drive.

I only take my car to be checked by a mechanic once a year because I have to have an annual state inspection done. Stupid because the car is checked out far before being checked by the mechanic and the necessary wear items are replaced before it is too late and fails the state inspection. A catastrophic failure is different and can not be checked.

Very good points! But I don't see anything wrong with hiring out that job..people hire out all kinds of jobs, childcare,home repairs, lawnmowing, housecleaning, etc, that they COULD do themselves but they have other obligations (most of the times, busy careers) or in some cases (like cars) they don't know how and their time saved is worth the money spent. So if you want to hire someone, more power to you!!!

 

[tlbwriter]

My opinion is, if you can't check out your car yourself, you shouldn't be driving.

And my opinion is, I don't have the time or inclination to become an expert auto mechanic. I'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing handle that.

We take our cars to the dealership for oil changes, and they check all sorts of things while they're there - fluid levels, hoses and belts, etc.