Newsletter - October 2005

MAINTENANCE

– Not Enough – Enough – Too Much

Why do maintenance at all; after all aren't cars built a lot better than they used to be? Yes they are built better and where in the past some cars would run upwards of 200,000 miles, now most cars will go this far with a reasonable level of maintenance but won't last near that long with minimal or very low maintenance.

Materials and design in modern cars allows a less frequent service of some items. In the 70's it was common to replace spark plugs every 15,000 miles but now 60,000 miles is more common using platinum tipped spark plugs.

Oil changes may be even more important than they used to be because of the closer tolerances of modern engines. Have you heard the Castrol commercials about sludge? It's a real thing and if you do short drives where your engine isn't at operating temperature for 15 minutes, you'll experience sludge buildup unless you change your oil every 3-5,000 miles or use synthetic oil. We've seen sludge buildup block the oil flow causing engine failure.

Replacing things on time often prevents damage to other components.

* Worn out spark plugs can cause ignition module failure,
* A clogged fuel filter can cause a fuel pump to work too hard and fail.
* A dirty air filter causes bad gas mileage.
* Worn out brakes will destroy a brake disc or drum.
* Dirty and burned transmission fluid can cause transmission failure.
* Tires with low air pressure will wear prematurely and decrease gas mileage.

Here's a general maintenance guide:

* Every 3,000 miles: Oil/filter and inspection
* Every 6,000 miles: Oil/filter, inspection and rotate tires
* Every 15,000 miles: Minor service, including oil/filter change, rotate tires, inspect brakes and transmission and air filter and a vehicle inspection*
* Every 30,000 miles: Lubrication, oil/filter change, rotate tires, check brakes, replace air filter, spark plugs, fuel filter, flush brake fluid, change transmission fluid, cooling system flush and a vehicle inspection*

*Vehicle inspection includes: battery service, rotate tires/wiper blades, inspect condition of belts, hoses, coolant, brakes, exhaust, cv boots, tires, ext/int lights, steering, suspension, fuel system, e-brake, manual or auto transmission and top off fluids.

Maintained correctly, not to little or too much, today's cars will last a long time and save lots of money over replacing the vehicle every four to five years.

IS MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE MORE OR LESS CORROSIVE THAN SAND/SALT MIXTURE?

General Description of Liquid De-icers

Ever notice that wet looking stuff on the roads early in the morning in cold weather? It's splashed on the highways before and after snowstorms and lowers the freezing point by about 10 degrees acting as an anti-freeze. Liquid de-icers are salt compounds extracted from the Great Salt Lake or Salt Flats with added corrosion inhibitors. It helps prevent the build-up of ice and snow and melts existing ice and snow.

Safety

In a comparison of the two major interstates through the Denver metro area, CDOT found that increasing the use of liquid de-icers over a 12 year period, reduced snow and ice-related traffic crashes by an average of 14% while traffic volumes increased over 23%. Several states in the snow belt areas report decreasing winter related crashes.

Roadway Economics

A major drawback to sanding and salting is that you have to pay to crush, mix and stockpile the sanding material. Then you pay to apply it; then you pay to sweep it up. Mag chloride according to transportation officials is the best answer available for the money. At 30 cents per gallon it's the least expensive alternatives to sand/salt.

Environmental Impacts

When sand is used it's ground up by traffic to become dust and hangs in the air becoming a major component in Denver 's infamous cold weather brown cloud. Over a long period of time, sand polluted creeks and suffocated aquatic life under tons of sand pebbles. However, there is controversy over mag chloride's use and some mountain communities have chosen not to use it.

Impact On Your Vehicle

With the use of sand/salt CDOT used to have a lot of chipped paint and windshield damage complaints. The biggest complaint they hear with the use of mag chloride is the continual water spray from wet highways. A survey of several trucking companies reported increase wear on their equipment since Colorado began using mag chloride. The specific type of damage mentioned most often included corrosion, pitting, staining/tarnishing, discoloration, drying and cracking (hoses) and accelerated rust.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Remove that grayish, gooey substance (mag chloride) immediately after a storm, including the undercarriages, to prevent corrosion of electrical wires, nuts, brake shoes, etc..

Don't abandon your warm weather car washing routine. Washing is a critical step in car maintenance continuing into the winter months.

© Copyright 2010. Addison Auto Center

Addison Auto Repair & Body Shop
2005 South Holly Street • Denver, CO 80222 • 303-691-9484

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Serving Virginia Village, Holly Hills, Southmoor, Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village, University Park, University Hills, Belcaro, Hilltop, Cherry Creek, Washington Park, Bonnie Brae, Southmoor Park and greater SE Denver area since l982.

We work (mechanical repair and auto body work and hail damage) on all makes of cars and trucks, including: Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Nissan, Plymouth, Saab, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota and Acura through Volvo.