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You are exceeding the tire manufacturer's maximum safe PSI for your tires then. Not by much, of course. The RECOMMENDED pressure is on an information plate in the vehicle. This plate takes into account vehicle weight, reserve load capacity of the tires, optimum handling and ride, etc.
Don in Austin
'Scuse me, manual states 33, I run 35-ish. Tire max is somewhere up in the high 40's.
My father insists on the following rules in order to keep your car running well with minimal repairs for at least 10 years. Are these still good guidelines, or are they outdated?
1. Always turn off the A/C or climate system before you turn off the engine. I think the reason for this is to not stress the engine with the A/C on when you turn it back on???????
Any car I've owned in years has a clutch on the compressor. It disengages when starting the car.
2. Always drive like a grandma for the first 1,000 miles. Don't go over 65 mph, don't drive hard, etc. This is not the correct break-in procedure for any car or boat engine I've ever owned. You want to vary the load and RPMs on the engine for the first 1,000 miles. 65 mph is not placing much load on the engine.
3. Always change the oil every 3,000 miles. He does this even for cars that use synthetic and/or require an oil change every 10k miles. It depends. If you have a severe service use pattern, then 3,000-ish is what you should be doing. For me, that's daily subzero cold starts where the car doesn't fully warm up.
4. Always use premium gas. Before 10% ethanol, it was good to run a tank of premium fuel through the car occasionally because the detergent package would keep carburetors and fuel injectors clean. Ethyl alcohol makes that unnecessary. 93 octane fuel has less energy in it than 87 octane fuel. The lower energy level prevents the detonation that causes knocking. Why would you pay more for fuel that gives you slightly worse fuel economy when you don't need to?
5. Always perform oil changes, wear/tear maintenance items before they are due. I repeat: BEFORE they are due. Especially tires and brake pads. Tires? Sure. If I had infinite money, I'd buy new snow tires every fall and new performance summer tires every spring. Brake pads don't degrade in braking performance as they wear. If they're not chirping from the wear indicators, it's a waste of money.
6. Always use OEM parts. It depends on which part. Oil, fuel, air, and cabin air filters? Nope. For everything else, there would need to be an enormous cost difference in the aftermarket part to consider using it. With the internet, you can often figure out who supplies the parts and buy their branded version of the identical part. It's not like 75 years ago when Ford, GM, and Chrysler made all parts in-house.
7. Always keep your tires inflated properly. The TPMS idiot light will fire if I don't. I use snow tires so my tire pressure is checked at least every 6 months during the tire swap.
8. Always park in the shade to protect interior plastics. I don't own cars long enough for this to matter. For a car you own for 10+ years, sure.
9. Always wax every 6 months. I suppose. I feed mine through the car wash to get the road salt off in the winter and the mud off in the spring during mud month. I haven't waxed a car in 30 years.
10. And don't always follow every flush/fluid change they tell you to do. The service interval in the manual is there for a reason. I put extended warranties on my cars. I follow the owner's manual. I replace the air filter more frequently since it's a sub-$10 Walmart part. I also do brake fluid at 2 years regardless of miles regardless of what the manual says. Brake fluid is hygroscopic and absorbs water and I mountain drive where I don't want to lower the boiling temperature of the brake fluid.
2009 Ford Focus. She consistently leaves the max AC on & fans at full blast. It doesn't have a problem starting, but it takes an extra crank, maybe two. Even after a new battery.
1. I've never heard of a starter failing because the A/C compressor clutch was engaged. Heat soak (from the exhaust system) is more likely to cause starter failure.
2. Good idea. This is when the engine is being "broken in." Wear patterns are developing, there's no need to accelerate wear. Don't drive hard until the car is totally warmed up. And regardless of mileage, never, ever rev a cold engine.
3. Oil gets dirty. The more frequently you change it, the more often you remove contaminants. Bypass filtration helps keep oil even cleaner than just a standard filter.
4. Premium gasoline is not necessary unless the vehicle has forced induction, or has a high static compression ratio.
5. This will save lots of money and headache, because you'll never wind up broken down on the side of the highway.
6. There are aftermarket parts that are just as good as, and sometimes better than, OEM parts.
7. Yes. Underinflated tires run hotter, the outer edges wear down faster, fuel economy suffers, and hydroplaning is more likely to occur in wet weather.
8. This, plus parking in the shade keeps interior temperatures down.
9. If you want to maintain a showroom finish, periodically use a clay bar and a very high quality wax. Otherwise, just keep it clean.
10. Flush the cooling system and refill annually. Do this before winter if you live where it freezes, do this before summer if you live in a hot climate.
Automatic transmission: flush, replace the filter, and clean the metal shavings from the pan every 30,000 miles (more often if you tow, or live in a very hot climate). Have the bands and clutched adjusted, too. Change manual transmission fluid, differential fluid, and transfer case fluid per the manufacturer's recommendation. Brake fluid and power steering fluid should be checked at every oil change, top off when necessary.
I'd add the following:
Replace the serpentine belt and timing belt/chain BEFORE they fail. Transfer case chain, too, if the vehicle is a 4 wheel drive.
Replace the air filter regularly.
Periodically, remove the duct that connects the air filter housing to the the throttle body. Clean the butterfly (both sides and the edge) and TB bore with a rag soaked in carburetor cleaner.
Check the PCV monthly, and replace as needed. If it rattles when you shake it, it's still good.
Replace the fuel filter per the manufacturer's instructions.
Don't let the fuel level get below 1/4 tank. The in-tank fuel pump is cooled by being immersed in liquid.
If your vehicle has grease zerks, apply grease periodically.
If the vehicle is 4 wheel drive, every 2 or 3 months, put it in 4 Low, lock the hubs, and drive about half a mile at a speed of less than 30MPH.
Between tuneups, I like to remove the spark plugs, read them, and verify that the gap is still at spec. If the metal wears down, the gap will be too big. If the plugs are fouled with carbon or soot, the gap will be too small.
Most newer vehicles recommend changing coolant at much longer intervals. My 2015 Jeep is 10 years/150,000 miles. My 2016 Silverado is 5 years/150,000 miles.
Yes, it is. The only one I would totally agree with is maintaining correct tire pressure. Even so, I usually run a couple extra PSI. In a few months my tires are to the correct PSI and I'll air them up again a few PSI. I'd rather be over a few PSI than under.
My father insists on the following rules in order to keep your car running well with minimal repairs for at least 10 years. Are these still good guidelines, or are they outdated?
1. Always turn off the A/C or climate system before you turn off the engine. I think the reason for this is to not stress the engine with the A/C on when you turn it back on???????
Most vehicles disable the A/C for the first 3-5 seconds the engine runs before engaging the compressor. Once the engine starts and idle settles, then the A/C compressor engages. I don't know a single vehicle, in proper operating condition, that starts with A/C engaged
2. Always drive like a grandma for the first 1,000 miles. Don't go over 65 mph, don't drive hard, etc.
Depends
3. Always change the oil every 3,000 miles. He does this even for cars that use synthetic and/or require an oil change every 10k miles.
If you feel like spending the money, go for it
4. Always use premium gas.
Again, if you want to spend the money, go for it. But the word premium is a bit misleading. It makes you think the gas is "better" than 87 octane but the truth is if you simply go by the min octane requirement in the manual you will be fine. if it says 87 octane is all you need, then going with premium won't make more Hp or better fuel economy
5. Always perform oil changes, wear/tear maintenance items before they are due. I repeat: BEFORE they are due. Especially tires and brake pads.
Again, if you want to spend the money go ahead, but I prefer to not replace my brake pads or tires when only half worn out.
6. Always use OEM parts.
Agree, with exceptions
7. Always keep your tires inflated properly.
Agree, with exceptions
8. Always park in the shade to protect interior plastics.
Agree, with exceptions
9. Always wax every 6 months.
Meh
10. And don't always follow every flush/fluid change they tell you to do.
My car's manual has a statement that says something about how 87 octane is adequate but 93 octane will result in a small increase of hp and fuel economy. I usually put in premium. I really don't notice the difference between premium and regular though.
I find it hard to believe that octane rating results in better performance. My car is turbocharged, does that have anything to do with it?
i had an old car that i would change the oil on every 3 months/3,000 miles (about $25). then i got a newer car and got an oil change and was charged like $80. i was like i'm not paying that. and they advised me that the oil reservoir and filter were enough to hold and clean oil for about a year.
What about running the AC at least once during the winter?
Every couple weeks is best, especially if your windows are fogging over. Don't turn on the AC for six months or so and it may recharging when the weather gets hot.
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