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THE TUNE UP |
The 100,000 mile 'no tune-up' myth!!
The Bottom Line is repairs are inevitable regardless of what the tune-up interval is supposed to be.
Some would say the auto maker's move to 100,000 mile "tune-up" intervals on many new vehicles will finally kill the tune-up as we know it today. Maybe, but what the car makers are really talking about is 100,000 mile spark plug change intervals -- which does not include the need for other tune up type maintenance such as oil and filter changes or other repairs that might be needed during the life of the vehicle.
If the average motorist fails to grasp the true meaning of today's 100,000 mile tune-up and thinks he can get away with gas-and-go driving for 100,000 miles without spending a dime on maintenance or repairs, he'll find out the hard way that lack of proper maintenance can be very costly. Today's vehicles don't require as much maintenance as they used to because things such as idle speed and mixture adjustments, timing adjustments, etc. have been eliminated. So too has the need for chassis lubrication thanks to "sealed-for-life" ball joints and tie rod ends.
Even so, regular oil and filter changes are still necessary to maintain proper engine lubrication. Diayutoparts.com still recommends changing the oil and filter 3,000 miles or every three months. The oil change interval can be stretched out to reduce maintenance costs if a vehicle is driven under ideal conditions (no extremely hot or cold weather, no short trip, stop-and-go driving, no excessive idling, no extremely dusty road conditions, no trailer towing, no turbo charging). But the average driver is more often than not a "severe service" driver and should follow the 3,000 mile change interval.
Today's 100,000 mile tune-up interval also skirts around the issue of fuel and air filter replacement, too. A number of new cars and trucks now have "lifetime" fuel filters, most of which are located inside the fuel tank with the electric fuel pump. Such a filter might go 100,000 miles. Then again, it might not. A couple of tanks of bad gas or some corrosion caused by accumulated moisture can cut short the life of any filter, even a so-called lifetime filter. Sooner or later even a lifetime fuel filter will have to be replaced.
Does it make sense to replace a lifetime in-tank fuel filter for preventative maintenance? Maybe -- if one considers what it costs to have a vehicle towed because of a plugged fuel filter.
As for air filters, the service life depends more on environmental factors rather than time or mileage. If a vehicle is driven on gravel roads, filter life may only be a few months or few thousand miles.
It's pretty unlikely that a set of front disc brake pads will go 100,000 miles in city driving -- 20,000 to 30,000 miles is a more realistic figure. The same goes for belts, hoses, the battery, water pump, exhaust system and many other parts. No vehicle that's yet been built can even come close to going 100,000 miles without needing some type of maintenance or repair.
So don't forget to do regular routine preventative maintenance on your car. This could save you big bucks down the road. If you would like help with a maintenance schedule for your vehicle, feel free to contact one of our automotive professionals at 1-800-593-1443 or 1-315-437-7696.
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2008 Ford Taurus Pre-View
Ford is bringing back the Taurus...
But don't expect to see any of those familiar oval shapes in this new version of what not that long ago was the best-selling car in the United States. While the badges may say Taurus, this new version is really just the Ford Five Hundred with some visual and mechanical updating.
Ford all but abandoned the Taurus for the new style Five Hundred, a larger vehicle based on the same platform as the Volvo S80 luxury sedan. The plan was to replace the mid-size Taurus with a vehicle that Ford thought would be more competitive in an automotive marketplace that was fracturing into smaller and smaller niches.
That wasn't the case when Ford launched the Taurus back in 1985. With its oval (egged) shaped rear window and other oval-shaped interior components, the Taurus became America's best-selling car. But the second generation didn't have the same sizzle and Ford chose to try a two-pronged attack to compete with the popularity of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Still, of the 7 million Taurus models built, nearly half remain on the road, and the Taurus brand ranked third behind only the F series pickup truck and the Mustang in a survey of Ford nameplate familiarity, so the new regime running Ford decided that instead of trying to create awareness for the Five Hundred, it made more sense to try to cut through the clutter by updating and renaming those vehicles as Taurus.
The update includes a new 3.5-liter V6 engine with 260 horsepower, a much-needed increase over the 203-hp, 3.0-liter V6 that powered the Five Hundred when it was launched as a 2006 model.
The car also gets a new grille, new tail lamps and rear fascia, new chrome exterior accents, new mirrors, better sound insulation, revisions in the suspension system, and will be available with Ford Sync, a Ford/Microsoft joint project for connecting and controlling cell phones, music players, even providing text messages that can be heard rather than read while driving.
Seat-mounted side airbags for the front seats and two-row side-curtain airbags will be standard equipment. Electronic stability control and all-wheel drive will be available.
The new Taurus will be available in the summer of 2007. The expected price is to be between $24000.00 and $30000.00 U.S. dollars.
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Do It Yourself Auto Repair Lesson: Changing Your Front Disc Brake Pads
A brake job, or changing your brake pads, is a great do-it-yourself job.
Before you begin, it's important to remember that the brakes are the single most important system in your car. Take plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the brakes on your car before you begin to work. If need be, purchase a good repair manual specific to your car, to help you complete this repair. Work on one side at a time in case you have trouble. That way, you have one side to use as a reference. We'll assume that you want to know how to change the front disc brakes on your car since front brakes provide most of the stopping power.
Preparation
You will need to buy brake pads before you begin this project. Make sure they come with an anti-squeal device such as a shim, or buy some specially made fluid to add to the back of the brake pads.
Brake pads come in several different grades. The cheap pads generally wear out faster and leave an unsightly black dust on your front wheels. This dust is often the cause of common brake squeal. More expensive pads leave less dust and provide longer brake pad life. Feel free to contact an auto parts professional at DIYautoparts, our staff can explain the differences in pad grades and help select the pad that is best for you. Our parts professionals are available via phone (1-800-593-1443 or 1-315-437-7696) or live chat, Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM eastern standard time.
Changing your front brake pads:
- Set the parking brake, and block the rear tires so that the car cannot move.
- Loosen the lug nuts.
- Raise the car with a jack and place it securely on jackstands.
- Remove the lug nuts and remove the wheel.
- Unbolt the caliper mounting bolts to and pull the caliper back from the rotor. Be careful not to bend or break the brake hose. Sometimes the caliper mounting bolts require you to use a torx or star bit instead of a normal socket set. Plan ahead and make sure you have the right tool for the job to save yourself a trip back to the parts store. Give us a call and we can tell you what tool you will need before you start the job.
- Remove the brake pads from the caliper. Examine them for unusual or uneven wear. Is only one pad wearing down? Are the pads wearing at an angle? These could be signs of problems that need to be addressed immediately.
- This is also a good time to examine the condition of the rotors. If they have deep grooves or if you have noticed that the car shudders when you hit the brakes, then you will need to get the rotors turned or replaced.
- Press the caliper piston fully into the caliper by using large channel lock pliers or a c-clamp. Inspect all pad and caliper hardware. Replace any pieces that are worn or broken. Install the new pads in the caliper. Usually, it's best to place the inner pad first, then the outer pad second.
- Once the pads are properly seated in the caliper, put the caliper back on the rotor and bolt it firmly in place.
- If everything is correct, you may put the wheel back on, hand tighten the lug nuts, and lower the car to the ground. Finish tightening the lug nuts in a star pattern so that they are even.
Test your brakes! Carefully check your brakes and brake fluid levels before entering traffic. Sometimes some air can get into the brake lines when you change the brake pads. If this happens, you will need to bleed the brakes before you try to move the car again.
If you have any questions we are here to help. Contact one of our parts and repair professionals at 1-800-593-1443 or 1-315-437-7696.
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Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved. DIYAutoParts.com, Inc. For Comments or Questions please send us an or call us
Toll Free: 800-593-1443 8am-5pm EST. Outside the U.S. 315-437-7696. Fax: 315-463-5990
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