Air Filter, Oil Filters and Fuel Filter Changes
Any part of the car that takes in fluids or air from the environment should have a way of separating the good from the bad, of taking in only what benefits the mechanism and leaving the rest behind. This is why cars have air filters, oil filters and fuel filters.
They require regular looking after but this is one of the simplest and least expensive and most important maintenance procedures you can perform for your car. Changing your car's filters on a regular basis can have a significant impact on engine life and performance.
Filter changes don't take long, saves you money, and sends your car down the road refreshed and renewed. A clogged air or fuel filter can cause poor performance, poor fuel mileage and reduced engine life. This simple procedure guards against that.
How often should you do this? Check your owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommended intervals. If the manual's not available, a good rule of thumb is: oil filter with every oil change; air filter replacement every 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first); and a fuel filter replacement every 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first).
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Oil and Lube Service
Your vehicle's engine has hundreds of moving parts in it. Theses parts cause friction when they rub against each other and the friction, in turn, causes massive amounts of heat in your engine. To protect against all of this friction and heat, we introduce lubricating oil into the engine. The oil has two jobs in the engine. One is to reduce the amount of friction by putting a layer of oil between the moving parts and the other is to help vehiclery heat away from the hottest parts of the engine as it circulates through.
If there were no oil in your engine, the moving parts would create so much heat that they would eventually melt together causing the engine to lock up. Once those engine parts melt together, there is no getting them apart. So we can all agree that the oil in your engine is pretty important.
But why change the oil? Isn't the oil that came with the vehicle good enough? The answer is no, and here is why...
Over time, oil breaks down. There are many factors that contribute to the breakdown of the oil in your engine, but heat is the biggest contributing factor. In addition to the breakdown of the oil itself, there are also additives that are put in engine oil. These begin to break down and lose their effectiveness over time. There is also the issue of contamination. Small bits of dust, dirt and debris get into your engine and make their way into the oil. All these little bits of "stuff" make the oil much less slippery and much less effective at cushioning the moving parts of the engine.
So, how often should you change the oil? Most technicians recommend that you get an oil change every 3000 miles for maximum engine protection. Check your vehicle's owner's manual for the recommendations for your specific vehicle, but be careful. Some manuals recommend an oil change every 7500 miles under certain driving conditions. Make sure your driving meets those conditions before you decide to risk waiting that long for an oil change. It is a good idea to check your transmission fluid (especially if you have an older car or have purchased a used car) when you get your oil changed.
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Transmission Fluid & Flushes
Another fluid that few motorists rarely check is the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) in their automatic transmissions or transaxles. If the dipstick reads low, the transmission is probably leaking. A low fluid level can cause delayed engagement, slipping and shift problems, and may contribute to premature transmission failure. The harder the transmission works, the hotter the fluid runs. The life of the fluid drops quickly once its temperature gets up above about 200 degrees F.
Many transmission experts say that most transmission problems can be prevented by changing the ATF and filter regularly for preventive maintenance. How often depends on how the vehicle is driven. For some vehicles, this might be every 30,000 miles or two years.
ATF also becomes contaminated with normal wear particles from the clutch plates, bushings and gears. The filter will trap most of this debris before it can cause problems. But many older Asian transmissions only have a plastic or metal screen that does little to protect the transmission against internal contaminants and nothing to keep the fluid clean. On these vehicles, changing the fluid is the only way to get rid of these contaminants. There is no such thing as a "universal" ATF that works in all transmissions. Some fluids meet a variety of specifications but cannot meet them all because of the different friction additives that are required.
Transmission Flush: Like the oil in your vehicle, your transmission fluid can become contaminated with dirt, dust and debris. As the transmission fluid ages, viscosity breaks down and contaminants build up, leaving your vehicle's transmission vulnerable to breakdowns. A complete Transmission Flush replaces all the fluid in the transmission and gives long term protection and reliability.
After a transmission flush, you will notice the difference in smoother shifting, improved performance, reduced component failure, and increased vehicle longevity.
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Fuel Injection Cleaning
In a fuel injection system, the fuel is sprayed through the fuel injection nozzle into the combustion chamber. For good combustion, the injectors must produce a fine cone-shaped mist of fuel vapor. Wear or deposits in the nozzle can create "streamers" of liquid fuel that vaporize and burn poorly. This, in turn, can cause hesitation, emissions and performance problems.
Fuel injection cleaning removes deposits from the fuel injection nozzle and clears the way for that fine mist of fuel to come through.
Fuel injection cleaning will help increase performance, eliminate hesitation, improve gas mileage and lower exhaust emissions.
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Coolant & Flushes
It is important to regularly check your coolant level, strength and condition. The condition of the coolant is also important and should be checked yearly. If the coolant is discolored, contains sediment or is worn out (chemical test strips can reveal the level of corrosion inhibitor left in the coolant), it needs to be changed. With traditional antifreeze, the recommended change interval is every two to three years or 30,000 miles. With extended life products, the interval may be 5 years or 100,000 miles or longer (refer to the manufacturers recommendations).
The coolant reservoir should be maintained at the full level, otherwise air pockets may form inside the radiator, which can cause cooling problems and overheating. If the level is low, the system should be inspected for possible leaks (hoses, radiator, freeze plugs, etc.). If there are no visible leaks, bring it in to Meineke and let us do a pressure test to check for internal leaks (leaky head gasket, cracked head or block). If the cooling system is dirty, a cleaner will remove the harmful deposits and sediment. Then we'll flush your coolant system and refill with fresh or recycled coolant. We will always use the type of coolant recommended in your owners manual.
The strength of the coolant should be adequate to provide freezing protection to the lowest anticipated temperatures for your area. A 50/50 mix of water and ethylene glycol antifreeze will normally protect down to -34 degrees F. If greater freezing protection is required, the mix can be increased up to 70 percent antifreeze, but no higher since straight antifreeze does not cool as efficiently as does a mixture of water and antifreeze.
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Power Steering Fluid
Under normal conditions, power steering fluid does not need to be changed. But it should be replaced if the pump or steering rack has failed to protect the new parts.
A low fluid level in the power steering pump reservoir almost always indicates a leak. Bring your vehicle in so we can inspect the hoses, pump and steering gear, and help you determine what you need to do to fix the leak.
When adding fluid, we use the type specified by the vehicle manufacturer and we do not use ATF unless it is approved for the steering system by the vehicle manufacturer.
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