Ode to the full service gas station

[tw]

Originally Posted by Cloud

oooh, it says to "check the constant velocity joint boots." No fucking clue.

It's simple. Best time to learn is when any car is up on a lift. If in doubt, ask someone to point it out. However a CV boot is even easy to identify by looking under the car. This shaft goes from engine to each wheel. Where a joint exists, a big black rubber boot wraps around the shaft. Any rubber part that is broken or cracked should be replaced. It’s that simple. A CV boot failure can be especially expensive if the joint is washed clean of grease. Rust and wear would require a few $hundred to replace.

Now we add another reality. This failure was most common among unpatriotic cars such as GM who would cost control those boots. That boot should never fail in the life of a car. And the responsible mechanic who changes oil should inspect that boot every time.

You require an oil change every 5000 miles or 3 months if you use the car every day. A better measure would be number of times you start the car. Instead we use a simpler number. That means something that should never fail - radiator leak, low oil, low transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc - is also quickly identified by the lube jockey. But again, is he honest or does he constantly test women to learn which ones can be fleeced?

As CR notes, most failures should be obvious by fluid leaks where car is parked. Every and any fluid leak is a complete failure coming later. CV boot failure - either you must drive over something that cuts that boot open or the manufacturer has made a defective part. Yes, the CV boot is inspected so that a rare defect costs massively less money. But that is why you don't buy high failure products designed by bean counters and why you have an honest mechanic who inspects all those things while replacing the oil.

Let's see. I even bought a grease pump to lube those bearings far more often than required. What did I learn? Bearings and links that had to be greased often also failed often. No matter how religiously I did the maintenance, those bearings failed because they were designed by cost controllers. When did bearing failure stop? When car guys designed the car meaning none of that maintenance was required.

There are some simple tasks to perform or have performed routinely. For example, you must make sure the coolant is changed every two years. Symptoms of not doing that? Four years later the heater does not work so good anymore. You must schedule and have oil and filter changed. Easily inspect the air filter every year or longer, or have it done. More frequent if the ranch is dusty. And, of course, have anything reported by the check engine light fixed. Despite what some ill trained mechanics claim, every check engine light indication means a failure exists - without doubt.

Many of these tasks such as tire pressure becomes obvious - requires no tire gauge - once you learn what to look for by using a tire gauge. And yes, inspecting the spare tire is also important. Push it - pressure should be obvious.

When using brakes, does wheel stay straight and no noise heard? It must on every car. Do you calculate MPG after each fillup - a most powerful tool to find defects long before it becomes a failure? Simple math even performed in the head if you do it routinely. When driving down a highway, does the steering wheel stay straight even when striking multiple tar expansion joints between concrete? Any properly designed car stays perfectly straight. IOW no wheel alignment was going to fix that new 1996 Pontiac designed by bean counters - that also demanded a $100 wheel alignment every year. These things are learned by doing - sometimes making mistakes - and then asking damn embarrassing questions. One embarrassing question - why do GM cars fail so often that even paint pealed off a five year old car? That also was a bean counter generated defect.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by tw

Despite what some ill trained mechanics claim, every check engine light indication means a failure exists - without doubt.

Putting the gas cap on too loosely can cause the check engine light to come on. I suppose you could argue that putting a gas cap on incorrectly is a failure, but most people would probably disagree.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

Putting the gas cap on too loosely can cause the check engine light to come on. I suppose you could argue that putting a gas cap on incorrectly is a failure, but most people would probably disagree.

So a check engine light is on. The mechanic says, "Ignore the light. It means nothing." Of course it means something. In that case, it meant the gas cap is loose or even missing.

Did that once. Forget to put that gas cap on after waiting fruitlessly for the gas attendant to come out (full service State). Heard the cap fall to the road. I was walking that highway when a State Trooper stopped me. He then found it. Troopers have better flashlights and better eyes. And a missing gas cap may also create other (and worse) failures. A missing gas cap is bad for multiple reasons.

Meanwhile, when the mechanic says the check engine light mean nothing, then find a mechanic with basic technical knowledge. Another lesson that others may learn from experience. Not just that the failure happened - but also why.