Thursday, September 22, 2011

How to check and take care of my car before a long trip?

I am going to Florida from Texas this week (1300 miles) and taking a car which I bought recently. It's a used 2005 Hyundai Elantra with 70,000 miles. The car is generally in a good condition. I have done the following maintenance works last week.



1) Transmission fluid flush with ValvolineMax life ATF.

2) Engine oil flush with 5W 30Pennzoil

3) Brake oil flush

4) Changed all the 4 tires with Pirelli all season tires

5) A brand new battery (Duralast fromAuto zone)

6) Brake check and brake pads are good.

7) Coolant level is good and looks clean (clean light green liquid and not dirty)

I took the car to a AAA free 38 point inspection. They told that I need to change wipers, the upper and lower hoses as they are soft, and PCV valve. I tried to asked the mechanic in detail, but he was not much interested in explaining and seemed just want to get the work done.



So can anyone provide me some suggestions on anymore checkings/maintenance I should perform before the trip?



Thank youHow to check and take care of my car before a long trip?
Bring it the Hyundai Service Center. They know better what to be maintained.

Car repair: what is a good cost to repair a front engine seal leak, timing belt replacement, rear seal leak?

i have a 1998 toyota camry. i dont know much about cars and rarely get bigger work done on my car since it hasn't caused me many problems - mainly brakes, tires, and oil changes. i just came from the deadlership (i got an oil change, tire rotation, and new brake pads/rotor reface) and they told me my car:

- has a fluid leak

- has a front engine seals leak

- needs a new timing belt

- has a rear main seal leak



im pretty clueless about cars and always feel like im getting ripped off! how serious are these issues, which are most important to address first, and what are resonable costs for these repairs? about a year ago i was informed of some of these issues and they haven't cause any problems yet. i dont drive that much -- about 50 miles per week with the occasional road trip a few times a year. the car is getting old and i anticipate getting a new one in the next year or so, so i dont want to spend a lot on maintenance that's not ABSOLUTELY necessary to the life of the car....i just don't want to end up stranded on the side of the road! thanks for your advice ahead of time.Car repair: what is a good cost to repair a front engine seal leak, timing belt replacement, rear seal leak?
peaches, I had similar problems with my Chevrolet Equinox and last month. Get a free auto warranty quote and see if you can get the policy before you need to get your car fixed. http://www.simpleautoquotes.com/Auto-Warranty.htmlCar repair: what is a good cost to repair a front engine seal leak, timing belt replacement, rear seal leak?
me and my family own a 1998 toyota camry as well. as of now it is in the shop for an oil pump leak and a broken timing belt. the mechanic told me that he charges $300 for the timing belt replacement. when they replace the belt the front seal is right there so the cost of the seal is all that should apply. as far as the rear seal, the transmission and torque converter must be removed. not sure of the cost on the rear seal. the timing belts should be replaced at or around 90,000 miles. it has been a great car and have owned it for 5 years now and this is the biggest problem to date. we love the car. the 4 cylinder engine is known to go for 300,000 miles beofre a major overhaul is required.Car repair: what is a good cost to repair a front engine seal leak, timing belt replacement, rear seal leak?
The timing belt would be the most important. To replace the front main seal would require removing the timing belt anyway. When replacing the front main seal, the rear needs to be changed at the same time to prevent doing the same labor on the car again (removing the oil pan). The fluid leak can be fixed any time and has nothing to do with the others.

My advice, no more than you drive, keep oil and fluid in it and keep driving for a year. If you are really concerned about being stranded, just change the timing belt.Car repair: what is a good cost to repair a front engine seal leak, timing belt replacement, rear seal leak?
well the dealer isn't selling cars they need your service to keep it going. the timing chain is only recommended at the miles set to change it,in most cases these out last most cars..if your auto isn't leaking alot i would just leave it. use slick 50 or some motor oil to help seal seals

96 Ford windstar red brake light on dash?

I need to have my car inspected. The guy at the inspection station said that the ABS light being on wouldn't make it fail but the Brake light being on would. Both lights are on. I had the fluid checked and its full, so that's not the problem. When I went to have my oil changed today I asked the mechanic who did it and he said it's probably a bad sensor which I would have to order from the dealer because I can't get it at an auto parts store. Is it really likely that its a bad sensor? My brothers know how to do breaks and stuff and are going to help me out this weekend hopefully, they'll do a work up and make sure it's not something else. How much does it cost for a sensor and how much would a mechanic charge me if I had to have it done by a professional? I want to do this as cheaply as possible. Is it possible to do it yourself?96 Ford windstar red brake light on dash?
An ABS sensor is held on by an allen screw. Its really not that difficult to replace.





They are expensive though.





Try Rockauto.com to see if you can get it aftermarket before going to the dealer.96 Ford windstar red brake light on dash?
If it is just a wheel speed sensor then no they are not that expensive or hard to change. Make sure you determine which one is bad first and then it's just a matter of removing and replacing it. And you can often times get those from an auto parts chain store cheaper than a dealer.

Scooter/moped maintenance - brakes?

I found some good info online (at ehow) on maintenance on scooters/mopeds - how to clean carburetor, change oil, gear fluid, etc. but i'm having trouble finding %26quot;how to's%26quot; on inspecting/cleaning/repairing/replacing brakes. Any suggestions? Thanks in advanceScooter/moped maintenance - brakes?
Try Haynes on line.
  • worm be healed from phone
  • loreal hair
  • How to take care of car?

    i notice alot of people just change their oil and water for the car....but what about braking fluid and power steering fluid etc.??How to take care of car?
    Do all the basics and the car will last.How to take care of car?
    All you need to do for power steering is to periodically check to make sure none has leaked out. You should flush the brake lines and bleed them about ever couple of years to prevent accumulation of condensation, which can corrode brake cylinders and cause them to leak. By the time your front brakes need replacing, you'll need to do this. Front brakes usually wear out before the rear ones.



    Your owners manual should have recommended service intervals for these maintenance items.How to take care of car?
    get a list of the manufacturer scheduled maintenance at mileage intervals. it will include services such as tune ups, change fuel filter, air filter, flush the transmission fluid and change the transmission filter, flush the power steering fluid, flush the coolant, check the differential fluid if it has one, and just take care of anything that needs it.How to take care of car?
    ALWAYS follow the factory standards on maintenence like fluid changes and part changes. Like for instance when a part(s) start failing change them out immediately, not weeks or months or years later because they will start affecting other parts and performance. Keep it washed and wax it about once a year and you should be good to go.How to take care of car?
    brake fluid should be flushed about 20 000 km i think dont quote me on it.or your next brake job. power steering should be done every 25 000-35 000 km. look in your maunal and it will tell you the intervaltsHow to take care of car?
    If you have a manual follow it and if you don't, buy one or I'll be seeing you.

    Any idea what's causing my 1995 Nissan Altima to idle round and miss when stopped or at low speeds?

    A little back story. I purchased the car from a friend and knew up front that there was a minor oil leak, and some things needed to be replaced (brakes and axles) and it was in bad need of maintenance. I've since had all of those things replaced and had a complete diagnostic and vehicle inspection done, I had a complete tune-up, all of the filters changed, the fluids changed or topped off, and a couple other minor replacements. During the inspection the only thing noted was the minor oil leak and my check engine light was on because of the o2 sensor. The mechanic verbally told me that other than what I was in to have replaced, the car was in great shape and there was no other issues.



    Prior to getting this work done I noticed that the car would hesitate when accelerating occasionally. Mostly this would happen when taking off from a complete stop or at a very low speed. It only did this until I was at a higher speed (say on an interstate or highway) and then the problem would stop (usually once I reached 40 mph). I was told by the mechanic that the car was in dire need of a tune-up and that problem would clear up after that was taken care of. It did. After my tune-up I didn't have any issue with the car hesitating during acceleration.



    Now (2 months after the work was completed) I've started having major issues with it idling very rough, it seems to flutter and hesitate as if it's going to die but then pulls itself back up. I've had it stall once while I was at a stoplight with the air on. It started right up again afterward. For the first week or so this was happening it seemed to be connected to the usage of my AC... in fact this problem started the first time I turned my AC on for the season. After I would get settled at a higher speed (just like with the hesitation during acceleration) the problem would go away and not occur again until the car had been parked and cooled down (If I started it right back up it wouldn't have the issue). However, the next week or so the problem has progressed to doing it whether I have the AC on or not, it no longer matters how long I've driven it it still flutters and misses when idling, now it's hesitating again at full stops and at low speeds when accelerating. It always seems like it's going to die, but it doesn't. Further more, I've pulled into a parking lot and sat with my foot on the brake with it in drive for extended periods of time and it just flutters, misses, or almost stalls, but never dies. It's worse in reverse, but still doesn't die, and it's less noticeable in neutral but is still obviously fluttering. In park it doesn't seem to miss as much, but does continue to flutter. I'm taking it back to the mechanic later in the week and am having the o2 sensor replaced but would like some idea of what could be causing my idle/acceleration issue. I seem to have better luck when I can give them a direction to go in.



    To summarize:

    1995 Nissan Altima GXE Automatic Transmission

    Was hesitating during acceleration and at low speeds

    Had a complete engine tune-up that seemed to correct that issue

    2 months later began to have issues while the car was idling or at very low speeds that seemed to be connected to the AC usage.

    Has progressed to idling rough, fluttering, and missing with or without the AC at stops and low speeds and is now hesitating during acceleration again.



    Please help!Any idea what%26039;s causing my 1995 Nissan Altima to idle round and miss when stopped or at low speeds?
    Congratulations on getting your nissan fettled up. I have been doing the same with my primera, but I'm not familiar with your model so this information mainly applies to UK models.

    I assume you've had the spark plugs out for inspection to eliminate this as a cause (they are usually OK but it's the first place to start).

    I believe problems of this type with UK nissans are usually down to a faulty airflow meter (often called MAF).

    This device measures the amount of air entering the engine so that the computer can calculate the correct amount of fuel.

    When it wears out it gives the computer incorrect information leading to running problems.

    This is a fairly expensive part and you must get an original one (yours may be a Bosch but check) not a copy from eBay or elsewhere.

    It should be possible to get an exchange unit much cheaper online or via the componenet manufacturer if you are persistent and spend some time searching.

    You get a factory refurbished part plus some of your money back later when you send in your old unit.

    You need to get the numbers off the unit on your car in order to ensure that you get the right part.

    It is situated in the air intake after the air filter but before the throttle and has an electrical connector plugged into it.

    The MAF sensor usually comes complete with its housing.

    It is unlikely that the O2 sensor itself is faulty but the O2 engine code is often triggered by the faulty airflow meter.

    However, if the voltages of the O2 sensor have been checked and found to be incorrect rather than merely relying on the engine check code then it would be OK to change it and it is not as expensive.

    Another common problem is when a coil breaks down and as these are relatively inexpensive I recommend carrying a spare in the car.

    I think that this is less likely as it usually causes jerky progress when the car is under load e.g. accelerating.

    Before replacing any parts check that there are no air leaks via split or loose hoses or bad electrical connections around the air intake and throttle as these can cause these symptoms.

    There are additionally many other potential causes but the MAF is by far the most common.

    Additionally, ask for further information from a nissan owners forum.

    Good luck.

    What do you think?

    How much should I ask for a 1996 Z3, perfect condition, 52000 miles, black, with;

    Roots Supercharger to 8 PSI (increased optional)

    256/10 street cams

    Ross aluminum pistons

    Compression ratio milled at 9:1

    Cold air intake

    Hot cat-back exhaust

    Ignition booster

    Adjustable fuel regulator

    235 Horsepower - over 200 Lb Ft Torque

    Sport Springs

    Adjustable front %26amp; rear caster/camber

    Stress Bars front %26amp; rear

    Cold hardened brake disks

    Steel brake lines w/ KevlarCopper pads

    Bilstein shocks

    Heavy duty sway bars

    Air splitters

    Chrome %26amp; Burl wood interior

    Hood Locks

    Garage kept, winter stored

    Top and rear window like new condition

    Glass-like finish

    New tires and battery

    All fluids changes every 2000 miles

    All fluids synthetic

    Never used as everyday car, never racedWhat do you think?
    Looks like you took care of her. KBB says to ask about $7800 for it. I would list it for $8500. Trade in is crap. Unfortunately you don't get any of the money back on the mods you did, matter of fact they actually lower the value to a dealer. Private party may give you a little extra for them. If this guy is serious, then take him up on the $10,000 to $15,000.What do you think?
    have you tried kbb.com? z3's that old usually aren't worth too much.. usually between 10 an 15 i'd think.. i'm interested in it though!