What The Dealer Doesn't Tell You

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Chris Medford
Dalhart, TX

There was a time when you bought antifreeze to service a customer's cooling system and you knew that in the bottom of each gallon was a precious amount of water pump lube, actually water-soluble oil. Over the years, something seems to have happened to this small amount of liquid. So unless the technician servicing your car adds extra water pump lube—or unless you do—guess who will need a water pump replacement much sooner than necessary? This should be a part of yearly service. Your dad is absolutely right, and the lube is available at the nearest auto parts store. Just ask for a can of water pump lube, and the next time the car sits overnight with a cold engine, carefully remove the radiator cap and top it off with the lube. If any is left over, just add it to the overflow tank. If you get a can with a twist-off cap, save what is left and add it later. The result may be one loss weekend ruined by a water pump.

Which brings up that age-old "saw," the almighty "regular maintenance:" I simply lose count of the otherwise intelligent people who ignore maintenance schedules, then fume in frustration when trade-in time leaves them with a car worth half of what it should. So here goes!

While I'm still thinking about that water pump, let's just cover one more very much neglected service point. The recommendations of car makers on belts and hoses is so simple. Just replace them all every four years. Period. Even if you never turned a wrench bigger than a fingernail file, you can spot a bad belt under the hood. Just watch for any frayed edges or cracked spots. Having a belt fall off in traffic is a nutty way to ruin a day. Get them replaced before they drive you nuts.

The same goes for air filters. Every few months, wrestle your filter out of your car and hold it up to the sun or the trouble light built in under the hood. If you see lots of light through the filter, it's fine. Now just put it back. More than one seasoned professional has sandblasted the valves in an engine by leaving the air filter lying on the shop floor. I change both air AND oil filters every season regardless of mileage on my cars, and just before any long trips. An average driver with less than 12,000 miles on the road a year will do fine with a seasonal change, however. One determining factor is where you drive. Big cities eat air and oil filters for breakfast.

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