Category Archives: Maintenance
Maintaining Your Older Car In Des Moines IA
The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Des Moines IA: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Des Moines IA motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new car.
Because new cars are more expensive, people in the Altoona area are driving their old cars longer. The average car is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in Altoona have more than 75,000 miles. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today’s cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin’.
Give Des Moine BDG a call to schedule your next maintenance.
2222 East Douglas Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313
1.800.LET.NAPA
Some owner’s manuals don’t specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be done. In fact, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of routine maintenance for cars with more than 75,000 miles.
First, just extend regular service intervals out: for instance a service that’s recommended every 15,000 miles should be performed at 15,000, 30,000, 45,000 and 60,000 miles, and so on. Because of the additional stress older engines experience, the severe service maintenance schedule is more appropriate than the regular schedule – ask your service advisor. Watch for leaks – seals and gaskets dry out over time and don’t hold the fluids as well as they used to.
It’s also time to make sure you have a good Des Moines IA technician. There are some services and replacements that are scheduled after you put on some clicks, like timing belts, valve train adjustments, suspension, anti-lock brake service, air bags, etc. And unexpected repairs down the road are just par for the course. Check for unusual sounds, smells or the way your car feels. These could be hints that trouble’s brewing. Better to catch it early before it turns into a costly repair.
And a regular wash and wax will help maintain your car’s appearance. One of the things you can do to really help your high mileage vehicle is to begin using high mileage formulation fluids. There are special engine oils, coolants, and transmission and power steering fluids that are formulated for cars that have a few clicks on the old odometer.
High mileage oil is designed to condition seals and gaskets, reduce wear and avoid premature burn off. Older engines are dirtier inside – and dirty engines contaminate their oil faster. High mileage oil has special additives that clean the engine, removing sludge deposits over time. The result is less stress on the engine, better fuel economy and excellent wear protection.
Studies have even shown that using high mileage fluids early will actually prevent some of the problems of high mileage vehicles. So once you hit around 50,000 miles, consider stepping up to high mileage formulations. High mileage fluids cost a bit more than standard fluids because of the additional additives, but they can be worth their weight in gold in terms of preventing repair costs down the road. It does cost more to properly maintain a higher mileage vehicle – but it’s way cheaper than a new car payment!
Economics of Maintenance For Des Moines Auto Owners
Buying a new car in Des Moines is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape? How do you decide?
People in Des Moines who’ve been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty?
For purposes of our discussion, let’s assume you live right here in Des Moines and have a five year old vehicle. It’s now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there’ll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don’t know what to expect. For help we turned to Edmunds.com.
Edmunds.com has compiled maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs for a particular make and model. They’re able to use manufacturer’s maintenance schedules and repair histories for the projections.
Of course, these projections can’t predict what will happen to your vehicle in Des Moines, but they do give you information to use in your decision.
Let’s look at the numbers for a five year old Toyota Camry V-6. In this example, the combined maintenance and repairs for the five year period is $5,748. This works out to an average of $96 a month. The year-by-year averages range from a low of $49 a month to $124 a month.
So compare $96 a month with a new car payment. And it’s actually better news than that; you would still have maintenance expenses with a new car, so the repair element could be less than half that figure.
Here are numbers for some other five year old vehicles from around Des Moines:
- Ford Escape – $116 a month
- Chevy Silverado – $131 a month
- Jeep Grand Cherokee – $138 a month
- Hyundai Accent – $85 a month.
Now, if your vehicle is older than five years, have a chat with your Des Moines service advisor at Des Moine BDG. We see hundreds of vehicles through our bays every month and we know your car. See if there’s any particular problem common with your vehicle that you might see over the next couple of years.
And of course, the best way to keep future repair costs down is to take care of all your scheduled maintenance. This is especially important in older vehicles that have had time to accumulate some deposits.
There are special motor oil formulations that help clean older engines and protect and recondition their seals and gaskets.
We hope this eliminates some of the unknowns in the decision to keep or trade.
Give us a call if you have any questions:
Des Moine BDG
2222 East Douglas Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313
1.800.LET.NAPA
Maintenance for High Mileage Vehicles In Des Moines IA
Before the recession hit, the median age for cars in the Des Moines IA area (zip code: 50313) was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At Des Moine BDG we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise.
If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Altoona area, bring it in for high-mileage maintenance:
Des Moine BDG
2222 East Douglas Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313
1.800.LET.NAPA
Many people in Des Moines are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern minivans are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn’t have to be a painful experience.
Local car owners in Des Moines with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let’s start with the special needs of the older vehicle…
The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have gum and varnish built up. There’ll be more dirt and contaminants in the fuel tank. Corrosion and deposits in the cooling system. And seals and gaskets will start to dry out.
All of this, plus normal wear and tear, means that the engine might not be as strong as new, so it just has to work harder to get the job done.
So we need to compensate. Consider high-mileage formulations for oil changes, transmission service, etc. These special formulations contain additives that condition the seals and gaskets to prevent leaks. They also have more detergents to clean sludge and other deposits. They cost a bit more, but they’re worth it.
In general, if an auto service was recommended every 15,000 miles when the car was new, you should continue to get the service done every 15,000 miles.
Talk with your Des Moines service advisor at Des Moine BDG about the condition of your engine. See if he thinks you should adjust your auto service intervals for oil changes or other auto maintenance to account for the older engine working harder.
Expect the oil filter to get dirty faster. Same goes for the fuel filter. And some leaks are to be expected so you need to keep a closer eye on fluid levels.
If anything, following recommended service intervals for your minivan is more important in a higher mileage vehicle. Skipping oil changes or other services can lead to problems much more quickly than with a newer vehicle.
So, have your Des Moines auto service advisor at Des Moine BDG help you with an assessment of your older car or truck. If you haven’t gotten around to a fuel system cleaning, or replacing power steering or brake fluid, a differential service or transmission service – it’s time to start taking care of those things. It’ll help keep you on the road for many more happy miles.
Des Moines Drivers Severe Service Maintenance Schedules
Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Des Moines car owners, minivan manufacturers publish two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should you follow?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Are most of your trips less than four miles?
Are most of your trips less than 10 miles in below-zero IA temps?
Are most of your trips off-highway?
Do you drive often in dusty areas?
Do you regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads around Des Moines?
Do you drive in very hot or very cold IA weather?
Think about your typical week. Do you live by your nearest Des Moines highway on-ramp and enjoy a non-stop commute to Altoona or Ankeny? Or, do you drive the neighborhood car pool in stop-and-go traffic on surface streets?
Let’s suppose your owner’s manual says the severe service oil change recommendation is 3,000 miles and the standard recommendation is 5,000 miles. You know that you need to change the oil somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. Analyze your driving patterns and Des Moines weather and road conditions to determine which end of the spectrum you’re closer to.
Why should Des Moines car owners care about this? Normal condensation causes moisture accumulation in the engine oil. Short trips around Des Moines or winter driving means that the engine doesn’t heat up enough for the moisture to evaporate. The water in the oil turns to oil sludge that clogs up your engine and doesn’t let the oil protect it adequately. That’s why IA car owners need to change their oil more often – to clean the sludge out before it causes problems.
Carrying heavy loads (with or without a trailer) in warm IA summer weather causes your engine and transmission to run at higher temperatures and with more stress. The fluids will break down more quickly. Additives that clean and prevent corrosion will be depleted sooner. Air pollution and dust cause fluids to get dirty faster. Ditto for filters. All of these things can lead to premature wear and eventual repairs, not to mention your gas mileage. If you want some expert advice, talk with your helpful Des Moine BDG advisor. We can help you restore your minivan to good working order and help you know the best schedule to follow.
To learn more, watch our informative AutoNetTV auto video tips at the top of this post.
Des Moine BDG
1.800.LET.NAPA
2222 East Douglas Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313
Des Moine BDG And The Maintenance Mindset
When it comes to their vehicles, some Altoona auto owners don’t have a maintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Altoona drivers generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance, but just may have not applied it to their minivans.
For example: the lawn. You water it and mow it every week. And weed the flower beds and rake the leaves. There are other things that Altoona residents are diligent about. Going to the dentist twice a year. Clothes to the dry cleaner. Flu shots. Taking the kids to your Altoona doctor for a checkup before school starts.
So Altoona auto owners really are maintenance minded. They just have to learn to apply that mindset to cars. I mean, if you never brush your teeth or go to the dentist, you’ll become painfully aware of your neglect when you get a big cavity. Once the damage is done, most of us learn our lesson and shape up.
Unfortunately, Altoona auto owners too often learn a hard automotive lesson when they bring their vehicle to Des Moine BDG on a tow truck. So many times a little routine maintenance would have prevented a breakdown.
So how can Altoona auto owners get into the habit of taking care of their minivan? It’s so easy to forget. If you skip cutting the grass, you see it every time you pull in the driveway.
Here’s something that will help: The key to good vehicle maintenance starts with the oil change. Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change, your Des Moine BDG tech will check all your fluids. If one of them is low, he can look for the reason why. If your serpentine belt is cracked, he’ll see it and let you know. Corroded battery cable – they’ve got you covered. And at Des Moine BDG, we check to see if your minivan manufacturer has recommended any services at your current mileage.
The oil change becomes kind of a focal point, a way to check in to see what needs to be done. The fact is that vehicle inspection surveys consistently reveal that over 80% of vehicles have one or more unperformed repair or maintenance service. Vehicles are generally very reliable and can take a lot of abuse and neglect. But, you’ve got to remember that minivans are complicated machines. There are parts and fluids that are critical to their operation. Without them, the minivan won’t run at all.
So when you come in to Des Moine BDG for an oil change, you get a diagnostic examination from your helpful service advisor and a reminder for recommended services so you can avoid a total failure. And remember that your Des Moine BDG technician can help you work out a maintenance and repair plan, prioritizing and scheduling the work to make sure you and your family are safe, and helping you avoid expensive breakdowns.
Severe Service Requirements
A lot of Altoona motorists have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their car owners’ manual. It can be somewhat confusing, so we decided to consult an expert. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive products and fluids. She’s been in the automotive business for 24 years and is a speaker, a trainer, and a writer.
Cricket says there’s so much confusion on this topic because, “Most owners’ manuals actually have two maintenance schedules. Sometimes these are called ‘regular service’ and ‘severe service’. Sometimes they’re simply called Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. A severe service schedule recommends that things like an oil change, air filter replacement, and transmission service be done more often: either in fewer miles or in less time.”
Foreign and domestic car makers create a specific schedule for each vehicle they manufacture. So there isn’t one generic schedule that applies to all cars. In addition to your owners’ manual, Des Moines automotive repair centers (including Des Moine BDG) subscribe to information services that provide the maintenance schedules for every vehicle – so they can help you know when to take care of needed services. Below is a typical definition for severe service.
- Most trips are less than four miles
- Most trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing
- You drive regularly in very hot IA weather
- The engine is at low speed most of the time (not on the interstate)
- Stop and go driving
- You drive in in dusty or muddy conditions
- You routinely tow a trailer, haul heavy loads or carry a car-top carrier
It’s common sense: Just a few minutes at interstate speeds allows the moisture in the oil to evaporate. Very short trips, or trips of less than ten miles when it’s very cold in Des Moines, don’t allow the engine to heat up enough to get rid of the water. And water in the oil leads to damaging sludge. Also, towing and heavy loads raise operating temperatures and cause fluids to break down faster. Dusty and muddy driving means that more dirt will get past the air filter to contaminate the fuel system and engine oil.
The bottom line is that you need to decide for yourself if the regular or severe service schedule is right for you, based on your driving habits. Look at your owners’ manual, or talk with your Des Moine BDG service advisor who can help you know which schedule to follow. Des Moine BDG is located at 2222 East Douglas Ave, Des Moines IA.
Here is what a fleet manager said recently: “Since city miles are generally tougher on vehicles than highway miles, we use the manufacturer’s severe service schedule as the basis for our preventative maintenance program. We massage those schedules over time, increasing or decreasing the service intervals so that they make the most sense. There is a little bit of art to go along with the science.“
Make an honest evaluation of your driving habits. Unless you do mostly IA highway driving in moderate weather, you’ll likely have a fairly good amount of severe service mixed in. Some Des Moines motorists just want to play it safe and follow the severe service recommendations, rather than analyzing how they drive each month.