topic Re: Car Maintenance in Among Friends

Car Maintenance

BunSnoop — Sat, 10 May 2025 03:46:40 GMT

My husband passed away recently and my mind is racing as to what I need to do to keep everything at home operating well.

In regards to cars:

My cars are older so they do not give me any prompts that oil is low, etc. How often do you check to be certain your oil is at the right level? Do you do it yourself or do you take it somewhere to be checked?

Same for tires. As my cars are older, I do not get any prompts regarding tire pressure. How often do you check the tire pressure? Do you check it yourself or take it somewhere? Do you use a portable air compressor to add air yourself?

To make sure that your car is maintained correctly do you ever just take your car to a reputable car repair business and request they do a full inspection of the vehicle and review fluids, filters, brakes, etc.? If so, how often do you do this?

My husband did almost everything himself in regards to car maintenance. (Brake work, oil changes, tire rotation, checking fluids, tire air pressure, etc.) I wondered sometimes why he was outside so much doing "stuff" with the cars. Now I understand better why he was always busy in the garage.

Thank you!

Re: Car Maintenance

spumoni99 — Sat, 10 May 2025 03:57:23 GMT

@BunSnoopFirst, I am so so sorry about your husband, my condolences. I think the best thing you can do for your car is a regular oil change, a good mechanic should check other levels while its there for the oil change, I take it to the dealer since its not really more expensive and they have a list of what they have checked. Brake pads, tire pressure, transmission oil etc.

Make sure to change the filters on your heater and A/C in your home also. I actually am the one that reminds my husband to do these things.

Just take it one day at a time and be gentle with yourself. I hope you are eating and sleeping well and taking care of yourself.

Re: Car Maintenance

Desertdi — Sat, 10 May 2025 04:08:20 GMT

For tires: Discount Tire tests your tires free any time. (You need to wait in line)

For oil: Every 4,000 to 8,000 miles depending on the grade of oil you use. There are oil-change places listed in the "phone book" (internet).

Re: Car Maintenance

rockygems123 — Sat, 10 May 2025 03:58:42 GMT

@BunSnoop

I just want to hug you. Your posts about your new situation are wonderful in the sense that instead of waiting for something to happen you are asking for practical proactive advice. I admire that.

As for car maintenance it depends. Do you put a lot of miles on your cars and are they generally reliable vehicles?

You may want to do seasonal checks for the basics like you say tire pressure, oil level, radiator fluid etc.

Any local friend that can help you with your car maintenance schedule?

Re: Car Maintenance

spumoni99 — Sat, 10 May 2025 03:59:18 GMT

@BunSnoopAlso you can buy a tire pressure checker pretty cheap.

Re: Car Maintenance

Goodie2shoes — Sat, 10 May 2025 04:14:50 GMT

First of all my sympathy for the loss of your dear husband.

I maintain my 2013 Equinox myself and it's at 97,000 which is very good for that old of a car bought new. I just got my oil changed a couple of days ago I do have a screen on the car from the manufacturer that comes on automatically when the oil is nearing a time for change. I have my oil changed at Valvoline and they also attach a sticker on the upper corner of my drivers window that states the mileage when the next oil change is due so that's something I check. They also reset the screen that notifies me of oil change time.

Valvoline also checks my tire pressure. If your Husband maintained the tire rotation, oil changes and other maintenance updates you should have paperwork that you can review to assess when maintenance work is due again.

I do hope that helps somewhat and I'm sure others here will provide other tips for you.

Re: Car Maintenance

patbz — Sat, 10 May 2025 04:42:13 GMT

Get your car's maintenance manual and highlight items that need to be checked on a routine basis ( oil and other fluids, tire rotation, balancing, air, filters) as well as major checkups ( 50k, 100k, etc). If its an older car and you are out of car warranty maybe go to Big O, Discount Tire or independent mechanic. When you change your oil have them rotate your tired ( if they tell you you need new tires always buy them in twos ( if this comes up ask them if they are having a sale in foreseeable future). Also if a service light goes on your first stop should be O'Reilly's or similar car parts store. They usually do a fast check of these things for free and will do many small repairs for the price of the fuse, switch etc. They also will replace your windshield wipers or key fob batteries with no service charge. I was single until I was 40, so I learned these things on the go ( now we keep our cars until minimum of 100k miles. Good luck; you've got this!

Re: Car Maintenance

Snowpuppy — Sat, 10 May 2025 04:23:59 GMT

A reputable oil change place will offer full service above just the oil change. I stay in my vehicle and it's never more than 25 minutes.

Oil/filter change, fill the tires with air/washer fluid/check wiper blades and air filter, test car battery and power steering fluid. If tires need filled or you need fluid top off they do it between changes for free.

Older vehicles don't need high mileage oils or pricey synthetic oil.

There is a locally owned place I take my vehicle to every 7,000 miles. Been happy with them so far.

ETA: yep, I'm a car girl and can do all of the above myself. I just no longer do.😉

Re: Car Maintenance

Imaoldhippie — Sat, 10 May 2025 11:35:23 GMT

@BunSnoop .................Im very sorry to hear of the loss of your husband.

In regards to your cars. Unless you need 2 cars you might consider selling one of them. You will save on repairs, maintenance and insurance and stress. There is no "set" time to do all the maintenance checks, you can set your own routine. Regular oil changes are a must. Tires depend on how much you drive.

Do you have a family member or friend that could help you with your questions? Be very aware that taking your care to a dealer or repair shop will be iffy as they will try to tell you there are multiple things that need attention, car dealers are the worst. Since you car is older a dealer will try to sell you a new one.

Another thought would be to sell both older cars and get a new or newer used car. Those would probably come with some type of maintenance deal.

Good luck hope you get the help you need.

Re: Car Maintenance

CalminHeart — Sat, 10 May 2025 12:01:58 GMT

Take your car in for an oil change every 3,000 miles and they'll check everything. Just don't be talked into more repairs without a 2nd opinion.

All this may be new but never let a repair shop see you sweat. Be confident. Don't let them see that you're unsure about anything. Repair shops see unsure women as targets.

Fyi, I don't put 3,000 miles on my car in a year so I usually do the oil/filter change in April and November.

Re: Car Maintenance

geezerette — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:06:12 GMT

You received a lot of good suggestions as to how and where to start. You're going to have to decide what works best for you and it may be a hit and miss.

Your husband most likely kept track of when he changed the oil, filters, etc. Find those records and it will give you an idea of when the last maintenance was done and duration between previous maintenance.

If you don't know how already, learn how to check your own oil and tire pressure. Ask family, friends to show you if necessary. Or Google for your car brand, make, year--there are YouTube videos for everything. If you can check the basics yourself, you can keep an eye on when you need to take to someone to have work done. QVC sells those Halo devices that can put air in your tires automatically, although I'm sure your husband probably has all the equipment to do so.

As for taking the vehicle for service, did your husband have somewhere he went when he needed an expert for something he couldn't do himself? I was familiar with the local shop my husband used so they knew him and our vehicles. A lot of specialty mechanics also do basic maintenance. Most have websites you can check to see what services they offer. Again, I would ask local family and friends as to who they would recommend.

Some people are leery of both dealers and mechanic shops. I have not had any trouble with either. Perhaps because I live in a small town, I have found the best way for me was to explain I was a recent widow and had no knowledge of what needed to be done and when. I never had anyone try to upsell me anything I didn't need. In fact, they would tell me what I didn't need sometimes. I take my newer car to the dealer for maintenance, and the older one to a local mechanic shop. I tell them to check the whole car over, which they normally do anyway, and to let me know if something other than basic maintenance is needed before I agree to it.

It's a lot to have to deal with on top everything else, I know. But you can do it. ❤️

Re: Car Maintenance

Desertdi — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:14:23 GMT

Oil changes and maintenance PRICES have gone WAY UP...so you might want to ASK before you take your car in. Had mine done this week...and it came to $173.

Re: Car Maintenance

katie1859 — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:25:30 GMT

I'm in the process this year of maintenance on my car

Every car has a manual with recommended maintenance

it's by age and mileage

Its pretty simple actually and roughly 1500.00 invested a year

Yes oil changes every three months, rotate tires or replace them as needed with an alignment, coolant exchange for air conditioning so they flush and refill as with transmission. Flush out the old and refill or replace as needed.

I also have my engine cleaned which blows out the dirt and not complicating to anything

considered labor

Find a local repair shop

example: TUFFYS or FIRESTONE

They do basic maintenance on all cars

They are reasonable and offer discounts

Should anything appear wrong they will give you a spec report

then you're free to get a second opinion at a place of your choice

Im 65 and single and if I can do it so can you

Also I had 2 cars too and realized I didn't need two

to maintain

Think about selling one

With the costs of everything spend for quality on one car

and it helps you not be stressed

Re: Car Maintenance

Eileen in Virginia — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:41:43 GMT

We don't do any work on our cars ourselves (we have 3 cars - 2 are 15 and 1 is 17 years old), but DH takes the lead on car maintenance. We have an excellent local service station where he takes them for routine maintenance. Since Virginia requires that cars pass an annual inspection, he usually asks them to check the oil and maybe rotate the tires at that time. If we're going on a trip, he'll take the car we're using in so they can check the fluid levels, belts, etc. before we leave. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with your car's owners manual. If you don't have it, you can probably find it online and download it.

A few years ago I bought DH a Snow Joe tire inflator/compressor for Christmas from QVC and he loves it! It kind of looks like a drill. You charge it and it measures the tire pressure for you. If you need to add air, set the correct level and it stops inflating when it reaches that level. If a tire's over-inflated, you can release air until it reaches the appropriate pressure level. Although QVC isn't selling that particular compressor anymore, they do have E314634, Limitless Air Pro...Power Bank on sale for $39.99. It has a 3.9 star rating with 613 reviews. Amazon also has a good selection of these machines at various price points.. Search under "tire inflator/portable air compressor ."

If you're not already a member, consider joining AAA. In addition to their roadside service, they also have service centers in some areas. We've been members for almost 50 years. Every time we've thought about not renewing our membership, something happens and they come to our rescue. In addition to jump-starting your battery, they've got new batteries on their trucks (the prices are comparable to other vendors). They've got pneumatic jacks on their trucks and can change a flat tire in a jiffy. If you need a tow, they're great at that, too. Whenever we call, the first question they ask is if you're safe. If you're okay, they generally estimate an hour response time, but usually get there within 20-30 minutes. We pay $178 per year for the basic membership for 3 drivers.

There are so many things to take care of after a loved one dies, I hope this helps lessen that load.

Re: Car Maintenance

Still Raining — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:54:55 GMT

You can do this! Just need a schedule and a list!

Once I was in the same boat 😞 and had a rattle in a tire thingy. I was in line behind a guy and when it was his turn he said "Can you come outside and have a look? I am puzzled?"

YES! I can do that!

Re: Car Maintenance

conlt — Sat, 10 May 2025 17:17:59 GMT

I am single and alone age 66. I have a relationship with a shop, I take it there for oil changes. My car tells me when but I think it is around 5000 miles. They check the belts, tires etc. It has to be a trusted shop though. I would check reviews for shops in your area.

I recently got 4 new tires because mine were so worn. They gave me the same price that I could get them at Costco. I was thrilled because I am on the road so much, I needed great tires.

I also went to an auto parts store and purchased some premium windshield wiper blades and they are so worth it. The man at the auto parts store installed them for me. My windshield wiper blades were terribly worn, they squeaked. I could not see well. The new ones work great, smooth as silk. I live in Florida and drive in heavy rain sometimes. I considered this a real safety issue. I wanted to pick out my wiper blades myself rather than have what the the repair shop might have put on. I purchased the rainex brand. Expensive but worth it.

Re: Car Maintenance

deeva — Sat, 10 May 2025 14:27:02 GMT

If you have any AAA car service centers near you, I would start there.

Re: Car Maintenance

Jaspersmom — Sat, 10 May 2025 14:46:23 GMT

I'm sorry for your loss. When I was a teenager, my father taught me the basics of car care and believe me, it has paid off many times through the years.

First, find a reliable and honest mechanic. Ask friends. I own a Honda and take my car to a shop that works solely on Hondas. I found my mechanic through friends and have been going to him for over thirty years.

However, there are things you CAN do if you're so inclined. Get a tire pressure gauge. They are good to have and easy to use. I bought a small air compressor from Amazon or QVC and it's the best investment I've made recently. Very easy to use and I can add air if and when necessary. You can always go to a gas station if you don't want to purchase a compressor.

Windshield wiper fluid is easy to add too. The hardest part for me is opening the hood because it's heavy, but once I have it in place, adding the fluid is a breeze.

You can check your own oil too. I have a newer car, so it does show me the oil level. However, for years, I checked my own oil every couple of weeks. It's easy too. Just pull out the dip stick, wipe on cloth, then dip again and remove and check level.

Your mechanic will also let you know if any big servicing is due. When you have the oil changed, ask them to rotate the tires which they usually do.

Just a few ideas that I hope help.

Re: Car Maintenance

RedTop — Sat, 10 May 2025 16:03:14 GMT

I drive less than 5,000 miles a year, but take my 12 year old vehicle to the Toyota dealership 2x a year for service; oil and filter changes, new wiper blades, tire rotation. WV required yearly vehicle inspections until 2024 when the law changed to inspections every 2 years. Besides the inspection sticker on the car, I make a note on the calendar to help me keep up with this as well.

With all the things you have going on right now, I would make this easy on myself and take the vehicles to an in/out business like Jiffy Lube. My area of WV has a local business like this that does a 25 point inspection on every visit, which is going to check the most important parts of keeping your vehicle maintained. These businesses put a plastic sticker on the upper left corner of your windshield with a date or mileage reminder of when you need to take the vehicle in for service again. Since you know your husband kept the vehicles well maintained, one visit will give you the starting point to keep track going forward.

Whether you use a quick serve business or schedule an appt with a WalMart service center, or garage, I urge you to just focus on finding a reliable service center you trust and feel comfortable going to.

Re: Car Maintenance

haddon9 — Sat, 10 May 2025 16:07:54 GMT

I'm so sorry for your loss.

As for the car, I'm not very good at this sort of thing. We are lucky to have a neighbor who we are close to that owns a Goodyear.

He will take our car in and do inspection and anything else including oil changes (DH used to do them himself when he was well). Then bring the car home....he lives two doors down.