Another dumb car maintenance question

[Cloud]

How do I follow the recommended required maintenance if my mileage is way lower than average? By mileage or by time?

I.e., my car is 7 1/2 years old (90) months) old, but I only have 45,000 miles on it.

[glatt]

If you are a stickler for following the rules, it's whichever comes first.

[Cloud]

thank you

[classicman]

I'd go by time in your case, but there are plenty of people here that know a lot more about cars than I do.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Under the hood, for the steel parts it isn't the years, it's the mileage. Rubber parts like belts and boots and hoses may deteriorate a little more, so look at them more carefully.

45K miles, heck, your original tires should still have some tread life left. Do the penny check on any tread groove that seems really pretty darn shallow.

[DucksNuts]

Check your service manual, Cloud.

It will tell you the recommended time lapse between services, as well as the mileage.

My vehicle gets serviced every 3 months due to my mileage, I wish I was in your shoes

[Cloud]

I have checked the service manual, and do try to follow the recommended service schedule, but the disparity between the months and mileage is confusing me.

@ UG: Gee, I've replaced my tires from the original set twice already. I do think that my driving qualifies for severe conditions, because of the heat and dust here, and because of frequent short trips.

But it sure has been a good little car. Not very stylin, perhaps, but even after it was repaired from an accident (Hallo Santa fe!) it bounced back perfectly.

[lumberjim]

you should change your oil every 3 months, cloud. short trips, dust, high heat all wear a motor. hoses and belt lives will be shorter too. have them checked every other oil change with a tire rotation. what kind of a car is it again?

[Cloud]

Honda civic. I'm way past due for an oil change, too, and need to take it in, so I was trying to figure out what else to ask them to do.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Just tell them how much money you have, they'll know what to do.

[Cloud]

er . . . thanks. I think.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Cloud

Honda civic. I'm way past due for an oil change, too, and need to take it in, so I was trying to figure out what else to ask them to do.

Change the oil. Best also use a Honda filter.

Have all fluids checked (coolant, brake, transmission, windshield washer). Check tire pressure. Inspect brakes. Check wiper blades (which need replacement every three months if no using Honda blades and will probably last years is using Honda blades). Check battery. Check belts. If in dusty environment, check air filter.

If most driving is short distance (less than 4 miles in the entire day), then the exhaust system might be checked. Otherwise that should be good for at least 70,000 miles.

Very little actual maintenance is required. All checks are for failures that should not exist or that were created by some previous irresponsible mechanic. Standard technology cars require so little maintenance.

A US law. If some part fails and causes emission failures in the first 100,000 miles, then the automaker must replace that part for free.

[Cloud]

thanks!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by tw

Best also use a Honda filter.

But that will make her headlights slanty.

A US law. If some part fails and causes emission failures in the first 100,000 miles, then the automaker must replace that part for free.

I thought it's 8 years/80,00 miles, now?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Hmm. Unless you're bucketing over rocky roads each time you turn the key, eating tires like that, I'd be suspicious of your wheel alignment. You probably know the uneven/localized-wear signs of misaligned wheels; the eventual overall effect is it planes off the entire tread, after quite obviously starting on one edge or the other. If you have to steer to keep the car following the road, constantly having to hold it left or right, check alignment. Well aligned wheels also roll quieter on pavement.