Back
To Basics Part 2 Classic American Issue 163 |
|
|
Last time we took a look at basic servicing, the
ins and outs of changing oil, filters and spark plugs. As mentioned
last time, doing this on a regular basis will keep your engine running
smoothly for a good many years. But, and there’s always a but,
what about the rest of the vehicle. What about the general maintenance
of your vehicle, what can be done to ensure that it is always in tiptop
condition? Well, again it is simply a matter of habit; you need to organise
a schedule of regular checks that can be carried out over the course
of the year.
So what should we put on this list, what is so important that it warrants us checking it regularly. The first things that spring to mind are brakes and tyres. To these can be added the not so obvious, water hoses, accessory belts, shocks, wiper blades and fluids. Now this may seem like a fairly lengthy list, but spread the checking of these items out over a year and it takes hardly any time at all to make sure all the systems of your vehicle are functioning correctly. The first thing we shall look at is tyres. These are quiet literally the only thing between you and the road so they need to be in the best of order at all times. Depending on the amount of miles you cover you should check the air pressure in all tyres, including the spare, at least once a month, see fig 1. If you cover more than 500 or 600 miles a week then you should seriously consider checking the tyre pressure on a weekly basis. Whilst it may not seem it, tyre pressure plays an important role with many aspects of your vehicle. Too low or too high pressure will affect a vehicles handling and fuel economy as well as also increasing wear on the tyre. Remember that the entire tread width of a tyre must meet legal requirements for tread depth or that tyre is considered illegal, see fig2. So when you check your tyre pressures it is worth just casting an eye over the tyre tread to check for wear. This five-minute job could save an embarrassing run in with the law and a fine! |
|
 Fig 1. Check your tyre pressure. |
 Fig 2. Completely illegal tread. |
| Let’s move on to the braking system. This system is often over looked, but is in fact one of the most important on any vehicle. Firstly, check the level of the brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid is down this could be a sign of problems elsewhere in the system, so don’t just top it up and leave it. You now need to check all the calipers, wheel cylinders and brake hoses for any signs of a leak. If you find any leaks you will need to take appropriate action. Obviously replace any hoses as required, but with calipers and wheel cylinders you have two options. It may be that you just have damaged or worn seals, if this is the case you may get away with simply replacing these, see fig 3. However, if on closer inspection you find that either the caliper or wheel cylinder itself is damaged then you will need to bite the bullet and replace the complete item. This may seem like a costly option, but remember the brakes actually stop your vehicle, so please do not cut corners here. Also remember that if you have had a brake fluid leak and the fluid has contaminated the pads or shoes, see fig 4, then these will need replacing as well, regardless of how much use they may appear to have left in them. If you can’t find any leaks, a simple explanation for a slightly low fluid level is worn brake pads or shoes. As the pads and shoes on a vehicle wear down, to work correctly they need to move closer to the disc or drum surface. This extra distance they need to move causes the fluid level to drop, obvious when you think about it. You now need to check the wear on the pads and shoes. Most good workshop manuals will usually state a minimum safe thickness for pad or shoe material. If your pads and shoes are below this, then just change them. Leaving pads and shoes to wear down to their metal backing is not only dangerous but can also work out extremely expensive. The metal back will start to eat into the surface of the disc or drum causing irreversible damage, so eventually they will need to be changed as well, OUCH! EXPENSIVE! | |
|
 Fig 4. Fluid contamanated pads. |
If you
have a reasonable thickness of pad and shoe material left, then your
safe to top the fluid up to its correct level, see fig 5, and carry
on. Obviously make sure you use the correct fluid when topping up. If
you are unsure which type to use then either check your workshop manual
or have a quick look at the master cylinder lid. Sometimes the type
of fluid is marked on here, see fig 6. These checks on the braking system
should be carried out at least once a year. However, if you cover a
lot of miles you could make it every six months. |
|
 Fig 5. Keep the brake fluid topped up. |
 Fig 6. Check the cap for the fluid type. |
| Water hoses and accessory drive belts rarely even get looked at unless they get a leak or break. Well, by looking at them more you could avoid getting the leaks and breakage’s. Again, about once a year lift the hood, sorry, bonnet for those with a hat fetish, and check the hoses and belts for any signs of cracks and splits. Water hoses tend to go hard and brittle after many years of heating up and cooling down. If there are any signs of this then change the hose. It is far better to change it now than leave it and have it pop under pressure and you lose all your water. As for the accessory belts, they too can get brittle and crack, see fig 7. Some belts may show signs of wear along the edges. The golden rule here is if you are unsure, change it. | |
 Fig 7. Check belts for splits. |
|
Shock
absorbers are something most people would not normally associate with
general maintenance; however, it is worth checking them out at least
once a year. Faulty shocks can lead to poor handling and road holding,
as well as causing problems with excessive tyre wear. Firstly do a physical
inspection, actually get down and look at the shocks. Do they look at
all corroded, are they leaking fluid and do the mounting rubbers look
cracked and split, see fig 8. Badly corroded shocks may carry on working
fine for months or even years, but they could let you down at any time,
as always, change them. Shocks that are leaking fluid can’t possibly
be working at their best, again, if in doubt change them. As far as
the mounting rubbers are concerned, whilst some companies may supply
these it is usually best to change the shocks. If the mounting rubber
has deteriorated how much longer will it be before the shocks follow.
If your vehicle is fitted with air shocks, then obviously check all
the airlines as well. If you have any leaks here then the shocks will
not be working at their full potential. If you need to replace any airlines
then kits are usually available for just a few pounds. As a final word
concerning shocks, all ways but all ways replace as pairs. Replacing
a single shock is only a temporary fix and it is usually not too long
before you find yourself climbing back under the vehicle to replace
the other. Replace both at the same and save time and money. |
|
 Fig 8. Keep an eye on your shocks. |
|
Probably
one of the most annoying things that can happen when driving is attempting
to clean the window screen with wiper blades that have seen better days.
Instead of the screen just being difficult to see through, it becomes
impossible to see through, everything on the screen, mud, insects, grease
and grime just get merged into a thick paste that is smeared across
the entire screen. This can be avoided if just once a year you check
the condition of the wiper blades. When checking, lift the wiper arm,
it should lock off against its spring. You are now in a position to
inspect the blade. Just run your fingers down the length of the blade
checking for any splits, tears or breaks in the rubber, see fig 9. Also
check for any contaminants, such as grease or oil, these will not allow
the wiper to function correctly and will obviously cause smears. If
you find any problems, change both blades. If you have checked the blades
and found damage it is also worth checking the screen itself for any
chips or cracks. These can often cause damage to new wiper blades. The
glass obviously tears the new rubber. |
|
 Fig 9. New wiper blades make all the difference. |
|
Finally we move on to fluids. By fluids we mean engine coolant, power steering fluid and window washer fluid. Firstly check the engine coolant level and top up as required. If you find you are topping up the coolant more often than you would expect, then check for other problems. Maybe you have a leaky radiator or radiator hose, of course worst case is you may have a damaged head, block or gasket. At the same time you check the coolant it is worth making sure you have the correct amount of antifreeze in the engine. Remember that if you have any alloy components that the coolant passes through then you will require an antifreeze that is suitable for use with aluminium. If you use antifreeze that is not for use with aluminium you may find that your coolant will begin to corrode your alloy components. An all year round coolant additive is a good idea for temperature control and for aluminium components, see fig 10. Checking your power steering fluid, see fig 11, is fairly straight forward and making sure that it is kept at the correct level will ensure that your steering functions properly. The window washer fluid is equally as easy to maintain, just keep the bottle topped up and hopefully a dirty screen will be a thing of the past. All we will recommend is that you use a proper screen wash, see fig 12. These tend to contain anti-smear agents and most do not freeze in low temperatures. How often you check your fluids will ultimately depend on the amount of miles you cover. The more miles you cover the more often you will need to check them. As a guide if you do 1000 miles or less a month then you should be able to get away with a monthly check. However, any more miles than this and you should increase the check to fortnightly or even weekly. |
|
 Fig 10. Use a good quality anti-freeze. |
|
 Fig 11. Check the power steering fluid. |
 Fig 12. Keep the washer fluid level up. |
Hopefully the information you have from this article and the last will be a guide to you being able to organise your own maintenance and servicing schedule, and if you have got but one thing from these two articles, it will be that prevention is better than cure. Remember that replacing a part before it breaks completely can not only save you money but will also improve the safety of your vehicle. So until next time and in the words of some 1970’s American cop show, “Becareful out there.” |
|
