On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 14:41:08 -0800, power <power@jeffry.com> wrote:
Make sure all the maintenance is caught up to the factory schedule,
and when you take it in tell them you are planning a long trip. The
service might cost you a bit more for labor time, but they should do
the usual Lube-Oil-Filter, plus - meaning get it up on a lift and take
20 to 45 minutes to check everything over stem-to-stern, problems are
often apparent early to the trained eye. And a good mechanic who
knows your model car can check all the likely trouble spots.
(Do NOT go to a "Spiffy Lube" Quick Lube Shop for this, take it to a
real mechanic or a Toyota Dealer Repair Shop. Money well spent.)
If the radiator hasn't been flushed & filled with fresh coolant
lately, do it. If it's an automatic and over 30,000 miles, have the
transmission fluid changed. A full "Transmission Fluid Flush Service"
is not needed unless you have been abusing the transmission (towing
without an auxiliary cooler) or haven't changed the fluid in a
Loooooooong time (100,000 miles), it's just a way for the repair shop
to make some more money.
Pop the wheels off, rotate the tires while checking the tires
carefully for nails, cuts, bruises & bulges, etc. If they're getting
close to "worn out" buy a set of tires now while you have bargaining
power - and while you can easily special-order to match what's on
there now if you only need one or two new tires.
Check the spare tire, too - air pressure, and for regular-size tires
you might want to put it into the rotation pattern to get some wear
out of it. (But not steel rim spares on a car with alloy rims, unless
you want to dismount tires to switch it for a worn one.)
Pop the rear drums and check the brake linings on all four wheels.
You don't want to run out of brakes while out of town. Check for
leaks or seeps on the master cylinder, wheel cylinders or calipers,
lines and hoses, and the clutch cylinders and lines if the car is a
stick. The brake fluid needs to be changed with fresh fluid every 2
to 3 years because it absorbs moisture, which simply means "have them
Bleed the Brakes".
Do a "Bounce Test" for the shock absorbers - Get a few strong people
pushing down on the bumper and get the car bouncing at each end, when
you stop bouncing the car should stop in one or two cycles. If it
keeps dancing like the "Hula Girl" doll on the dashboard, it's time
for new shocks and/or struts. ;-)
Have the battery load-tested to make sure it's healthy, 5 years is
about where the factory batteries start going bad. "Western driving"
means check the refrigerant level in the air conditioning - we
invented "Hot weather".
--<< Bruce >>--
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.
