By Lindsey Schibelhut, Senior Reporter.
When most people think of car maintenance they may consider it difficult or requiring professional expertise. The truth is, there are simple steps that car owners can take which will not only extend the life of their vehicles but are as easy as doing it yourself (DIY). Thomas Coats, coordinator of Automotive Service Technology and Delta assistant professor, has several DIY auto maintenance tips that will help you keep your car in shape.
“Some of the maintenance items I feel that the average person can do without being a technician is obviously fluids and tires,” says Coats.
The first area Coats discusses is the brake fluid tank. He says car owners should know the significance of the letters DOT, or Department of Transportation, on the brake fluid tank cap.
“We have DOT 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and they’re for different applications,” says Coats. “DOT 3 means the quality, whether it’s a synthetic or a mineral based fluid. DOT 4 and higher are all synthetic blend brake fluids. You’ll see a DOT 4 or 5 over on that Corvette, because the brakes are going to be getting much hotter in that Corvette for obvious reasons. DOT 3 is for conventional vehicles.”
Coats says car owners should also be aware that brake fluid is “hydroscopic.” Once the fluid is opened it starts to absorb moisture. So he advises that you only buy the amount you need, rather than buying in bulk.
“An open container is only good for 24 hours,” says Coats, “so buy a very little bit if you think you need to add.”
Another area car owners may not think about is the replacement of the vehicle’s air filter. With an old air filter you may notice a slight decline in gas mileage.
“Go to your owner’s manual. It’ll tell you that an air filter should be replaced every 30,000 miles,” says Coats.
Coats warns, however, not to skimp on the price of the air filter and go with a lower quality one because it could affect the way the car runs.
The next big area Coats says car owners can focus on is changing their vehicle’s oil. He cautions, though, when changing the oil to make certain you do not overfill the reservoir.
“Overfull is worse than under,” explains Coats, “if I’m overfull when the crankshaft rotates inside the oil pan, it starts to aerate the oil and put air bubbles in it.”
Air bubbles in the oil will cause the parts of the car that need the lubrication to be deprived of it, which can harm the running of your vehicle.
The next car part automobile owners should make sure meets quality specifications is the car’s oil filter. Coats advises the importance of making sure the oil filter replacement is of OEM or original equipment manufacturer standards.
“When they’re [instant oil change businesses] going down to those $19.95 oil changes that filter is from overseas and doesn’t meet OEM specs,” explains Coats, “They really are, seriously some of them, nothing more than a roll of toilet paper.”
So if you do get your oil changed at an instant oil change facility or do it yourself by finding the part number in your owner’s manual, Coats says you should make sure you are getting a name brand oil filter that states OEM on the box. He even says to go as far as asking to see the filter prior to installation when going to an instant oil change business.
Next Coats explains the dangers that can occur from removing the cap off of a pressurized coolant reservoir to fill it while it’s still hot – something no car owner should ever attempt.
“Here’s what I want you to understand: when the engine gets warm, this [reservoir] builds up pressure higher than atmospheric,” explains Coats. “Remember, 40 percent of this is water, so that means if this engine’s running at 230 [degrees], 240 [degrees] and that’s normal in the summertime to get that hot and I take this cap off I’ve just reduced the pressure in this cooling system to atmospheric. Water boils at 212 [degrees], this engine is running at 230 [degrees], so if I take the cap off I instantaneously took the lid off the pressure cooker at home. This works just like a pressure cooker. So that’s when this will come out like a geyser and people get hurt.”
Last, but certainly not least, Coats goes over the significance of making certain your tires are at the right pressure during the summer and winter seasons.
“Here’s what people don’t understand,” says Coats, “any 10 degree change in Fahrenheit of atmospheric temperature changes the air pressure in your tires.”
Changes in the air pressure during temperature fluctuations will create issues with how your tires perform while you’re driving. Coats recommends checking for the proper air pressure amount on the label which should be inside the car’s door frame.
“There’s things I can do as a car owner, things I need to be aware of and dangers that I need to stay away from,” concludes Coats.
