Keeping an older car reliable: the maintenance that matters most

Start with the manual

Your owner's manual has a maintenance schedule written by the people who designed the engine. Most list two: a normal schedule, and a severe schedule for towing, short trips, stop and go traffic, extreme heat or dusty roads. A lot of Inland Empire driving fits the severe schedule. If you no longer have the manual, a shop can look up the schedule for your car.

Oil and coolant

Oil is the cheapest protection an engine gets. Change it at the intervals your manufacturer lists for the way you drive. Older engines can start to use a little oil between changes, so check the dipstick every few fill ups and top it off as needed.

Coolant keeps the engine from overheating and protects the inside of the cooling system from corrosion. Hoses and radiators age with heat, and summers here are hard on them. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge. If it climbs higher than usual, pull over and let the engine cool before you open anything. Never open a hot radiator cap.

We use Teton oil, made in the USA, and we check oil and coolant levels at every visit.

Belts, hoses and the battery

Rubber parts dry out and crack with age, often before they look bad. If your engine has a timing belt, the manual gives its replacement interval, and on some engines a broken one causes serious damage. Batteries wear out too, and heat is harder on them than cold. A slow crank is a common first sign. As the car gets older, have the battery and charging system tested once a year.

Tires and brakes

Check tire pressure monthly and rotate the tires at the interval your manual suggests. Look at the tread and the sidewalls, since tires age and crack even when they have tread left. Have the brakes inspected at least once a year, and listen for squealing or grinding.

The fluids people forget

• Transmission fluid. A transmission service at the right interval costs a lot less than a rebuild.
• Brake fluid, which takes on moisture over the years.
• Power steering fluid, on cars that use it.
• Coolant itself, which has its own replacement interval.

An inspection once a year

A once over by someone who knows what to look for catches small things before they grow: a leak starting, a worn suspension part, a cracked belt. Tell us anything you have noticed, or ask for an inspection before a long trip. We report what we find in plain words and tell you what is urgent and what can wait.

Keep records

Keep your receipts. A record of what was done and when makes it easier to plan what comes next, helps when you sell the car, and shows the maintenance was kept up. If your car is still under warranty, you can have scheduled maintenance done at an independent shop. Keep the receipts for that too.

When a big repair comes up

At some point an older car needs something larger. Whether it is worth doing depends on the car, its condition and what you need from it. We give you the estimate and our honest view, and the decision is yours.

See our oil change and maintenance and inspections pages, or book a time.

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