PLFKING 4 #26 June 27, 2006 QuoteI used to love it when they would come out and tell me I needed to replace my K&N Air Filter. You'd think they'd realize that someone running K&Ns would know WHY they're running K&Ns. QuoteI wonder if helium would help mileage. Mythbusters once proved that a helium-filled football performed no better than an air-filled football (at the same psi), so I would guess no. Don"When in doubt I whip it out, I got me a rock-and-roll band. It's a free-for-all." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #27 June 27, 2006 Quoteif they had nitrogen in the tires, it might not have happened. If they were driving a Vehicle that didn’t have a ridiculously high center of Gravity and that had Tires suited to that vehicle.. It might not have happened. Scams... 3000 mile oil changes (Absolutely a waste of money and natural resources. Read your owners manual and go by thier guidelines (Usually every 5000 to 7500 miles) Changing Power Steering Fluid. Its Hydraulic Fluid, Unless the fluid has been contaminated or Over Heated.. There is no good reason to ever change it. Nitrogen in Tires - Just another way for people selling tires to make money. No real benefit to the average driver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #28 June 27, 2006 high center of gravity, and low air pressure in tires = rollovers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #29 June 27, 2006 Quotehigh center of gravity, and low air pressure in tires = rollovers. Proper maintenence on vehicle = correct tire pressure. Learning how to drive a vehicle with a high CG = no rollovers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #30 June 27, 2006 Quotehigh center of gravity, and low air pressure in tires = rollovers. Proper maintenence on vehicle = correct tire pressure. Learning how to drive a vehicle with a high CG = no rollovers. The last one is the most important factor out of the 3. The last rollover I worked was a driver in a Ford Explorer who had fallen asleep. When the driver awoke in the ditch, still doing 70mph, the wheel was yanked to the right to get back on the roadway. The slide sideways in the ditch was fine until the rubber hit the concrete. Then the rollover occured like a text book example. A large majority of the accidents I see are from people not driving correctly and not knowing how to drive correctly. Not from vehicle defects (although they do happen). Side note: One of the coolest things I've seen are some large 1 1/2 ton trucks going through an advanced driving course. 60ft serpintine course, evasive lane change and stopping course. Very impressive. You want a vehicle with a high center of gravity, it were those trucks. They were advanced Command and Control room trucks, like a VERY large ambulance with a huge electronic office for multipul people on the back. They kinda looked like a strong wind would tip them over. Well, they navigated the courses very well with the proper driving techniques.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #31 June 27, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuickie Oil Changes Places are almost ALWAYS a scam. Their job is to SELL you as much as possible. They will tell tell you anything that you might believe. The techs and service people all work off commission. Have you seen the "Nitrogen Tire Service" some of these places are selling now? They will fill your tires with nitrogen for something like $10 a tire..... sheesh....It's not like I drive an SR-71 or anything. I wonder if helium would help mileage. Helium leaks out very quickly. Do you have any idea how much (or little) weight you'd save by putting He in the tires instead of air?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shaiziel 0 #32 June 27, 2006 As dealership service department employee, let me just say, you can NEVER over-maintain your vehicle. Seriously though, you should just follow your manufacturer recommendations in your owner's manual. The reality is that yeah, your car could probably survive without getting a lot of the "major" services/upsells, but if you properly maintain your vehicle, they won't (so long as they were performed correctly) hurt your vehicle. Once a year I flush the cooling system. I've had a transmission fluid/filter service. I'm avoiding doing anything to my power steering system because it stopped leaking after I added some fluid with sealant in it. GET YOUR FUEL FILTER CHANGED ACCORDING THE THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. If you want to pay for a new $400-600 fuel pump, knock yourself out. Otherwise, this is one maintenance service that is well worth the money. But remember, preventative maintenance is better than a major repair. Also keep in mind, you will probably not get the most life out of your vehicle simply changing your oil and filter. There are many components and systems that need attention throughout the life of your vehicle and if you don't give them attention, they will probably fail sooner than they would other wise. As far as nitrogen tire fill goes. There is science behind it and it can do your tires well. Nitrogen does not expand and contract due to temperature variance as much as oxygen so the less oxygen in your tires the less fluxuation in pressure you will get. That's just science. Maintaining proper pressure and minimizing oxidation will increase tire life. But you can't forget to rotate your tires every other oil change, and balance every 15-20k miles. These things, combined with weekly attention to your tire pressure will be better for your tires than just a nitro fill. Also, at our service department, the first nitro service is $40 which includes your spare tire. You never have to pay that again. If one tire develops a leak, it is ok to throw compressed air into it until your next service visit. When it comes to vehicle maintenace there are 3 camps. The people who never maintain, the people who have more money than they know what to do with, and the people who just take care of their vehicle. Take care of your vehicle if you want to get your money's worth out of it. Yearly maintenance beats a car payment.---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #33 June 27, 2006 QuoteQuotehigh center of gravity, and low air pressure in tires = rollovers. Proper maintenence on vehicle = correct tire pressure. Learning how to drive a vehicle with a high CG = no rollovers. The last one is the most important factor out of the 3. The last rollover I worked was a driver in a Ford Explorer who had fallen asleep. When the driver awoke in the ditch, still doing 70mph, the wheel was yanked to the right to get back on the roadway. The slide sideways in the ditch was fine until the rubber hit the concrete. Then the rollover occured like a text book example. A large majority of the accidents I see are from people not driving correctly and not knowing how to drive correctly. Not from vehicle defects (although they do happen). Side note: One of the coolest things I've seen are some large 1 1/2 ton trucks going through an advanced driving course. 60ft serpintine course, evasive lane change and stopping course. Very impressive. You want a vehicle with a high center of gravity, it were those trucks. They were advanced Command and Control room trucks, like a VERY large ambulance with a huge electronic office for multipul people on the back. They kinda looked like a strong wind would tip them over. Well, they navigated the courses very well with the proper driving techniques. Double deck London buses also handle remarkably well with a well trained driver. Much better than you would imagine.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #34 June 27, 2006 QuoteDouble deck London buses also handle remarkably well with a well trained driver. Much better than you would imagine. Same sort of situation. SUVs aren't necissarily more dangerous vehicles, they're just not as idiot proof as most cars. Sort of like the Corvair that people would roll over back in the 60s. Great car, just not idiot proof. Unfortunately there's really a lack of good driving schools around the US that teach those sort of driving techniques that are open to civilian students.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #35 June 27, 2006 Quote Unfortunately there's really a lack of good driving schools around the US that teach those sort of driving techniques that are open to civilian students. Add to that the fact that most states (especially Texas) will give a drivers license to anyone who can figure out that one pedal is the gas and one is the brake. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #36 June 27, 2006 QuoteAdd to that the fact that most states (especially Texas) will give a drivers license to anyone who can figure out that one pedal is the gas and one is the brake. That doesn't even matter. You would be surprised how many people are on the roads with suspended licenses...or even better yet, suspended Texas ID cards. They never even had a license in the first place, they got caught driving and now they can't get a license. However, they keep driving. Now, how many of those drivers do you think have insurance?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #37 June 27, 2006 QuoteQuoteAdd to that the fact that most states (especially Texas) will give a drivers license to anyone who can figure out that one pedal is the gas and one is the brake. That doesn't even matter. You would be surprised how many people are on the roads with suspended licenses...or even better yet, suspended Texas ID cards. They never even had a license in the first place, they got caught driving and now they can't get a license. However, they keep driving. Now, how many of those drivers do you think have insurance? Few, if any. Some local PD's have started a program where they will tow cars of people who get caught driving w/o insurance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites turtlespeed 226 #38 June 27, 2006 Quote Helium leaks out very quickly. Do you have any idea how much (or little) weight you'd save by putting He in the tires instead of air? LOL No, absolutely no idea - I wasn't serious - lol But if you want ot sit and do the calculations - hey - go for it.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites 2fat2fly 0 #39 June 27, 2006 Quote Did they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? But I got a really good deal on getting my blinker fluid topped offI am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites davedlg 0 #40 June 27, 2006 QuoteQuote Did they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? But I got a really good deal on getting my blinker fluid topped off Funny Story...When I was working as a raft guide, one of our office girls (the equivilant of manifest girls) was fairly naive when it came to a lot of things. She asked us to help fix her car one morning before a trip. Apparently one of her turn signals lights wasn't working. We proceded to tell her that she needed to buy some blinker fluid, but it was really expensive. After that we left on the trip for the day. When we got back, she told us that she went to the auto parts store and they sold her blinker fluid and even put it in her car for her and it only cost $150. You can imagine our reaction...we were quite pissed that someone would take advantage of her like that. We had to come clean to her about the fact that "blinker fluid" does not exist. After we had all gotten riled up about it and were ready to go lynch the guy, she finally let us know that she had indeed gone to the auto parts store and the guy had laughed at her when she asked for blinker fluid. He sold her a replacement bulb, installed it for her, and told her to turn the tables on us by making up the story about being overcharged. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DeNReN 0 #41 June 28, 2006 Tsk tsk....all our vehicle maintance PM's a couple of years ago and you dont even PM me These threads always bring a smile to my face Let me address your list from the quicky lube place...but 1st leme say that going to a compentant tech that understands cars is more benificial to you then going to the quicky place...not likely to find a qualified tech at a quicky lube... 1...30k MILES on a air filter!!!!!!!......jeeeze change the damn thing already!!!!!!...and dont put in a K&N filter unless you actually plan on cleaning it when your supposed to....I cant tell you how many K&N air filters I have seen that should be just chucked in the garbage because they are plugged solid....just because its cleanable dosent mean the people actually clean them ...btw I will clean your K&N filter for you(mass sarcastic reply)....1 hour labour. or for most vehicles I will chuck in a normal replacement for free. 2....engine oil cleaner......I'm with the others here...WTF is that?....a flush chemical?...if you change your oil when your supposed to there is normally no need to run a cleaner chemical through your engine's oiling system...however I did have a lil inside information as to your vehicle maintance habits...hopefully you have changed your ways sence the caravan days and no longer have to have your tech use a torch to make the sludge flow out of the oil pan..........engine flush chemicals and flush machine have there place...but again...if you change your oil when your supposed to...they are not likely to be warrented. 3....fuel injection cleaning....well deposits do build up on injectors reguardless of the engineers and there DRI's(deposit resistant injectors)...but at 30k I dont think its completely necessary unless you are having a drivability problem...it however does not hurt to throw in a bottle of injector cleaner every few tanks as maintance....if you do need to have the injectors cleaned...do not let a quicky lube do it. 4.....Differential service....gear oil is pretty tough stuff...unless your getting water into them I would be checking for leaks and the condition of the fluid...if it looks good its prob fine for many many miles...limited slip diff's should be serviced morso then "standard" diff's. 5....power steering fluid....well here is a big ol can O worms...as with any fluid in a system with close valve tolerances deposits/varnish does happen...some vehicles are more apt to problems then others...IE: morning sickness...late model chevs had a problem with erratic power steering assist 1st thing after a long sit esp on colder days...a P/S flush worked wonders on those afflicted vehicles....earlier model toyota's were also similar...flush the system?...or not?.... Read your owners manual!!!!...then PM myself or marks as to what you really need to do....but you really should find a shop where you can go talk to a tech(s) and keep going back to the same one....I take really good care of my regular customers...well I take good care of all the cars that come to me...but the regulars..even if I have never met them get special attention because they come to me and my wservice advisors let me know that they are repeat customers. A oil change is NOT just a oil change....its a maintance visit...IMHO(not really too humble about this) every 3k...5k what ever is reccommended for oil change...change oil and filter...rotate tires..set pressures...note wear patterns...lube servicable parts...lube all latchs and hinges...lube rubber door mouldings and window tracks(thats only for my best customers)...check and top up all fluids...complete check front to back top to bottom...review maintance requirments from the manufacture and compare to the vehicle work history. And back to the prentenders ....I dont care if you think you know what your doing...you dont.....I am a Class A Interprovincial Automotive Techanician and a ASE Master and Advanced Engine Performance tech with more courses and certs then you could shake a stick at and way closer to 20 years in the trade then I like to think about...and guess what???....I know shit about cars!!!!!!.....the longer I am in the trade them more I learn...and the less I know....weird eh?.....the indrusty moves way too fast...to many engineers and there half cocked ideas going into production...but I should digress Skymama...I once offered to be your live in mechanic....live in your garage..thow me some food and a case of beer every few days...well sorry to say...I will now require a case a day nice post shaizel and davedlg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skymama 37 #42 June 28, 2006 QuoteTsk tsk....all our vehicle maintance PM's a couple of years ago and you dont even PM me I'm sorry, I didn't want to be a bother to you again. I thought I'd bother other people for a change. Thanks to you and everyone else for your input. I have gotten a little better about taking care of my vehicle but I will admit that I've never read the Owner's Manual. I do get my oil changed somewhere between 3500-5000 miles, I get my tires rotated and check the air in them. I didn't know about the air filter, but I promise I will find someone to help me with that this weekend for sure. I do have a mechanic now who is a friend of my bf's, but he's not that close to my house. Do I at least get any points for going to the quickly place the day before I took a road trip? I was planning on asking my mechanic these questions too, I just wanted to see what you all said to make sure he really is treating me right. And hopefully by asking on the forums that you've been able to help someone else out too. Thanks for writing so much, I'll buy you beer anytime! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites marks 0 #43 June 28, 2006 QuoteDid they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? silly jay, stop by the shop and I will show you in the parts catalog for a 2002 and up 2.5 liter altima, the gasket between the exhaust manifold and pipe is called, yes you got it "a muffler bering". and it does just that, it is a bering surface, more like a bushing, that the pipe can rotate on, but still seal at the same time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 2 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. 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turtlespeed 226 #38 June 27, 2006 Quote Helium leaks out very quickly. Do you have any idea how much (or little) weight you'd save by putting He in the tires instead of air? LOL No, absolutely no idea - I wasn't serious - lol But if you want ot sit and do the calculations - hey - go for it.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2fat2fly 0 #39 June 27, 2006 Quote Did they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? But I got a really good deal on getting my blinker fluid topped offI am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davedlg 0 #40 June 27, 2006 QuoteQuote Did they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? But I got a really good deal on getting my blinker fluid topped off Funny Story...When I was working as a raft guide, one of our office girls (the equivilant of manifest girls) was fairly naive when it came to a lot of things. She asked us to help fix her car one morning before a trip. Apparently one of her turn signals lights wasn't working. We proceded to tell her that she needed to buy some blinker fluid, but it was really expensive. After that we left on the trip for the day. When we got back, she told us that she went to the auto parts store and they sold her blinker fluid and even put it in her car for her and it only cost $150. You can imagine our reaction...we were quite pissed that someone would take advantage of her like that. We had to come clean to her about the fact that "blinker fluid" does not exist. After we had all gotten riled up about it and were ready to go lynch the guy, she finally let us know that she had indeed gone to the auto parts store and the guy had laughed at her when she asked for blinker fluid. He sold her a replacement bulb, installed it for her, and told her to turn the tables on us by making up the story about being overcharged. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #41 June 28, 2006 Tsk tsk....all our vehicle maintance PM's a couple of years ago and you dont even PM me These threads always bring a smile to my face Let me address your list from the quicky lube place...but 1st leme say that going to a compentant tech that understands cars is more benificial to you then going to the quicky place...not likely to find a qualified tech at a quicky lube... 1...30k MILES on a air filter!!!!!!!......jeeeze change the damn thing already!!!!!!...and dont put in a K&N filter unless you actually plan on cleaning it when your supposed to....I cant tell you how many K&N air filters I have seen that should be just chucked in the garbage because they are plugged solid....just because its cleanable dosent mean the people actually clean them ...btw I will clean your K&N filter for you(mass sarcastic reply)....1 hour labour. or for most vehicles I will chuck in a normal replacement for free. 2....engine oil cleaner......I'm with the others here...WTF is that?....a flush chemical?...if you change your oil when your supposed to there is normally no need to run a cleaner chemical through your engine's oiling system...however I did have a lil inside information as to your vehicle maintance habits...hopefully you have changed your ways sence the caravan days and no longer have to have your tech use a torch to make the sludge flow out of the oil pan..........engine flush chemicals and flush machine have there place...but again...if you change your oil when your supposed to...they are not likely to be warrented. 3....fuel injection cleaning....well deposits do build up on injectors reguardless of the engineers and there DRI's(deposit resistant injectors)...but at 30k I dont think its completely necessary unless you are having a drivability problem...it however does not hurt to throw in a bottle of injector cleaner every few tanks as maintance....if you do need to have the injectors cleaned...do not let a quicky lube do it. 4.....Differential service....gear oil is pretty tough stuff...unless your getting water into them I would be checking for leaks and the condition of the fluid...if it looks good its prob fine for many many miles...limited slip diff's should be serviced morso then "standard" diff's. 5....power steering fluid....well here is a big ol can O worms...as with any fluid in a system with close valve tolerances deposits/varnish does happen...some vehicles are more apt to problems then others...IE: morning sickness...late model chevs had a problem with erratic power steering assist 1st thing after a long sit esp on colder days...a P/S flush worked wonders on those afflicted vehicles....earlier model toyota's were also similar...flush the system?...or not?.... Read your owners manual!!!!...then PM myself or marks as to what you really need to do....but you really should find a shop where you can go talk to a tech(s) and keep going back to the same one....I take really good care of my regular customers...well I take good care of all the cars that come to me...but the regulars..even if I have never met them get special attention because they come to me and my wservice advisors let me know that they are repeat customers. A oil change is NOT just a oil change....its a maintance visit...IMHO(not really too humble about this) every 3k...5k what ever is reccommended for oil change...change oil and filter...rotate tires..set pressures...note wear patterns...lube servicable parts...lube all latchs and hinges...lube rubber door mouldings and window tracks(thats only for my best customers)...check and top up all fluids...complete check front to back top to bottom...review maintance requirments from the manufacture and compare to the vehicle work history. And back to the prentenders ....I dont care if you think you know what your doing...you dont.....I am a Class A Interprovincial Automotive Techanician and a ASE Master and Advanced Engine Performance tech with more courses and certs then you could shake a stick at and way closer to 20 years in the trade then I like to think about...and guess what???....I know shit about cars!!!!!!.....the longer I am in the trade them more I learn...and the less I know....weird eh?.....the indrusty moves way too fast...to many engineers and there half cocked ideas going into production...but I should digress Skymama...I once offered to be your live in mechanic....live in your garage..thow me some food and a case of beer every few days...well sorry to say...I will now require a case a day nice post shaizel and davedlg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #42 June 28, 2006 QuoteTsk tsk....all our vehicle maintance PM's a couple of years ago and you dont even PM me I'm sorry, I didn't want to be a bother to you again. I thought I'd bother other people for a change. Thanks to you and everyone else for your input. I have gotten a little better about taking care of my vehicle but I will admit that I've never read the Owner's Manual. I do get my oil changed somewhere between 3500-5000 miles, I get my tires rotated and check the air in them. I didn't know about the air filter, but I promise I will find someone to help me with that this weekend for sure. I do have a mechanic now who is a friend of my bf's, but he's not that close to my house. Do I at least get any points for going to the quickly place the day before I took a road trip? I was planning on asking my mechanic these questions too, I just wanted to see what you all said to make sure he really is treating me right. And hopefully by asking on the forums that you've been able to help someone else out too. Thanks for writing so much, I'll buy you beer anytime! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #43 June 28, 2006 QuoteDid they offer to change your Muffler Bearings and Antifreeze Filter Too?? silly jay, stop by the shop and I will show you in the parts catalog for a 2002 and up 2.5 liter altima, the gasket between the exhaust manifold and pipe is called, yes you got it "a muffler bering". and it does just that, it is a bering surface, more like a bushing, that the pipe can rotate on, but still seal at the same time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
