The Happy Car: General Car Maintenance for the Touge Driver

When it comes to driving on the touge, the most essential thing is having a good car to drive. A driver can't get very far with rotting rubber on their tires or misfiring cylinders. This article will be a simple guide for general car maintenance and things that any at-home mechanic or driver can do in their spare time instead of shelling out the green to make the car gleam.

Now, there are many guides out there that help you fix your car for particular problems. This isn't one of them. The purpose of this guide is to keep your vehicle in top efficiency and to do any preventive maintenance to reduce the future repair bill that you may encounter.

What to Keep in Your Trunk

A trunk is a magical place to store all the things you don't have to worry about while you drive, like an attic in your ass. Many things can fit inside a good, spacious (or even non-spacious) trunk: tools, groceries, tires, a body, extra Twinkie for that unexpected road trip, or even a cooler of drinks to responsibly enjoy at a gathering.

Here are few things I always keep in my trunk besides a donut and jack (keep in mind I don't endorse any specific product or brand):

• Portable battery: these can be a lifesaver out there in the middle of nowhere. You don't want to get stuck in a Walmart parking lot at 2AM with a dead battery. If you drive an automatic like a loser, you'll definitely need one of these. Even those of you with manuals who can bump start their cars, it's really hard to push, fiddle with the clutch, and not crash by yourself. Sometimes, you might not even have enough room to roll your car around. Keep in mind, the portable battery I have has to be charged once a month to keep it going. The one I have also can act as a USB plug or air compressor so that's always a plus.
• Toolset: a handy bag of tools is something everyone needs to keep in their trunk. I highly recommend a few types of screwdrivers, a torque wrench set, and anything else in between that'll fit your car.
  
• Coolant: I always keep a bottle of coolant in my trunk just in case. If you drive hard or normally, there's a chance that your radiator will either burn some coolant or puke it all out through the overflow (here's mine). Sometimes the radiator will spew out all of its fluids because it overheats a little, too much in the reservoir, it's Thursday, or because you said something naughty into its intake. No matter the reason, carry some extra coolant around in one of those cases. Water can work in a pinch, but it's not a permanent solution, and always use the proper coolant for your vehicle (read the manual).
• There are definitely other things to keep in the trunk as well: fuses, belts, flashlights, road flares, and all that. And they're all great things to keep in the trunk, so when the time comes you'll have it ready.

Tires

Tires are the most important thing to maintain on your car and probably the easiest. Low miles per gallon? Check your tires. Unsubstantial handling? Check your tires. Rough ride? Check your tires.

A lot of problems can be solved by simply checking and understanding the car's tires. Keep in mind what constitutes good health for your tires and what the proper PSI your particular tires need. That means checking the treading on your tires for good grip and the proper pressure. It also means to make sure the tires are balanced as unbalanced tires will lead to vibrations at higher speeds.

On the sidewall of the driver's door, there should be a sticker with the proper tire sizes and pressures. I recommend also getting a tire pressure gauge. I personally use a digital one, but you should get whatever works for you because the gauges at gas stations can be wacky and completely wrong.

Tire pressure can change a lot on how the vehicle handles especially around corners. My car recommends 35 PSI for general usage. Some people might run a little higher or little lower depending on what they're doing. For example, higher PSI might lead to better handling, but it might affect MPG and it'll be more prone to bubbles. Lower PSI will handle better off-road, but it'll affect MPG and handling to a degree.

Besides proper tire care, there's something to note for touge drivers. Your tire pressure at the foot of the mountain will be different from your tire pressure when you go up to the mountain, so always keep that in mind for driveability. Due to barometric pressure changing at higher elevations, you'll most likely notice higher PSI in your tires if you check at the bottom and again at the top. This will affect the handling and possibly the MPG your car will give you. As an experiment, take an unopened bag of chips with you to the top of the mountain. At the top, the bag will look like it's about to explode. That's barometric pressure in action as the air pressure outside decreases, therefore increasing the pressure inside the bag.

One last thing about tires is when to change or rotate them. Personally, I don't rotate my tires at all. I just buy a new set of front tires every so often. This makes it so that I go through several sets of front tires before I change my rear tires. This is because I drive a FWD car, so I'm putting everything on the front tires, and the back ones are just along for the ride. Even in RWD or AWD, the front tires are used the most because the car needs to turn and that turning can wear out the tires.

In the end, the important thing is to keep up on the treads of the tires. If your tires are wearing out too fast (even if you drive on the touge every day), check the alignment and camber of the front axle/wheels. And definitely get good tires if you're hitting the touge. Be mindful of summer and winter tires as well. Good tires will do a lot of good as it will keep on the touge and away from the tumbling cliffs.

Fluids

Cars these days have a lot of fluids shooting through their various veins, but there are only a few to be aware of and maintain for the most part: oil, gas, and wiper.

First, wiper fluid isn't really a maintenance thing, but keep the reservoir full to keep that glass clean and visibility up.

More importantly, let's talk about gasoline. Everyone knows how to put gas in your car (despite what some state governments say). It's basically the closest thing you'll ever get to intercourse with your vehicle. It's important to be mindful of what kind of gasoline you're putting into your car, and brands here do matter a bit.

There are basically two types of "brands" to be aware of, and that's top tier and not top tier. Top tier gas has detergent in it to clean up the engine while not top tier doesn't. It's worth it to put top tier gas in your vehicle because it's simply better for your engine. That shady looking neighborhood gas station that has cheaper prices than all the competitors are most likely using cheap non-detergent gasoline, so try to avoid those kinds of stations.

Next thing about gasoline you have to be aware of is octane. Octane is basically how the gas combusts in your engine; thus, it creates a knock in the engine. Higher octane reduces this knock. With that in mind, the easiest way to know which type of gas you need to put in your vehicle is to read the owner's manual. That's it. Just go read the manual, and it'll tell you what specific octane you need for your vehicle. It's pointless to buy higher octane fuel if your car isn't tuned for it; conversely, it's a bad idea to put lower octane fuel into your car if the car needs the high stuff. Typical muscle cars and supercars will need higher octane fuel because their engines demand it.

Finally, let's talk about the oil that goes into the crankcase. Regular oil changes are a must and should be done at regular intervals. As far as the type of oil, again, check the owner's manual. For example, my car takes 5W-30, which is typical for an economy sedan. The owner's manual might state two different kinds depending on the climate (0W-30 for me in -27-degree weather). Besides the oil viscosity, there's also conventional oil and synthetic oil.

Conventional oil is the default and it can pretty much go into most cars (again check the manual); however, synthetic is mostly used on modern or turbocharged cars. I heard tales of people putting synthetic into their old 80s car, and they would start leaking with the oil. That's why it's important to use the correct oil for your particular car. Also be aware of the different oil change schedules for each type:

• Conventional: change every 3,000-5,000 miles
• Synthetic: change every 8,000-10,000 miles

Oil changes are necessary to keep the engine healthy and avoid gunk in the crank. Oil does wear out over time. Think of frying oil, it needs to be changed every so often because the oil degrades through regular frying (ask any fast food worker). It's basically the same with motor oil.

With all that in mind, I highly recommend when you go to the gas station to also check your oil with the given dipstick (unless you drive a BMW) while your engine is fairly cold. Do it at least once a month to check to see if the oil levels are the same to show that your engine isn't burning or leaking oil.

Filters

The engine actually needs two things to make it go boom: gasoline and oxygen. Oxygen (or air in general) is the other half of the boom equation, which is why people sometimes get cold-air intakes. Now, cold-air intakes are mostly a waste of money as most cars already have the intake away from the engine anyway. But I'm not here to talk about cheap, bolt-on mods. It's important to regularly change the air filters in your car.

Now, any old air filter will work, and I honestly do not believe any performance filter will actually make much of a noticeable difference in power. Any filter that fits in your car will work for the most part, and it's a good idea to change the filter once it gets dirty (as in if you live in a dusty environment) or at least every 12,000 miles or so. When you do change the air filter, it's also a great idea to clean out the mass air flow sensor (MAF). 

The MAF tells your car's computer how much air or compression it needs in the engine. A clean MAF will help the computer tell the right amount of compression and air/fuel mixture is needed in the engine; therefore, a dirty MAF will often lead to poor acceleration or degrading MPG. Keep in mind, not all cars will have a MAF, but cars that come with a computer (I believe anything after 1997) will have a MAF. Check online or your owner's manual to learn more about your car's particular MAF.

The MAF will usually be right next to the intake box where you change the filter. Be sure to use a cleaner that specifically states it's made to clean MAF and nothing else. The MAF is both sensitive and expensive, so delicate hands are needed here. Once you take out the MAF (unplug it and all), spray down the coils and let it dry for at least ten minutes.

Also, don't neglect the cabinet filter either. Not that it directly affects the performance of the car, but it will also help keep your car smelling better on the inside. Usually, the cabinet filter is behind the glovebox.

Brakes

For the touge driver, brakes mean everything. They don't just help us slow down, but they also help us go faster when properly used in corners. That means having excellent brakes that can actually make your car stop and not kind of stop like an excited puppy. When driving hard on the touge, if your brakes tend to melt, get new brakes.

You should have excellent, strong brakes when you drive on the touge because hard braking means everything. But first, let's talk about when to check the brakes and rotors for maintenance. For the most part, check behind the wheels to get a good look at your brakes and rotors. Is your rotor clean and not all gnarled or warped? Then it's probably fine. However, when you brake and you feel like it's not stopping properly or you hear something, you need to check if your rotors aren't warped from hard braking. Resurfacing the rotors may help with any vibrations if you're experiencing any.

Of course, check the brake pads and the calipers as well. Brake pads are the thing you should change once they start going out or if they're simply not up to the task of hard-braking on the touges. As a general rule of thumb, if you're hearing something while braking, check it. A screeching sound isn't something to panic about since most brake pads these days give off a sound to let owners know when to change them anyway.

Then, there's the option of the best brakes for your particular needs. There are generally three types of pads: organic (as in fibers and stuff), ceramic, and metallic. Most cars these days come with organic pads as they are the cheapest and the best for daily commuting. However, if you're reading this, you do more than commuting, right? I know you do; that's why you want to grab some either some ceramic or metallic brake pads. Each of them has their pros and cons, so I want to touch briefly on each.

• Ceramic: these tend to be the middle ground in performance and daily driving. If you don't push your car to the extreme and only occasionally hit the touge, ceramic brakes would work for you. These pads tend to be quieter than the others, but they tend to have a funny way of distributing heat, so they may cause more wear and tear on the whole braking system if you really push them.
• Metallic: these pads are more suited for performance. They distribute the heat when braking more evenly, meaning less wear and tear on the whole braking system. These pads would work well in cars with their high horses or if you go downhill a lot every day. These would be the best choice for pure performance.

Other things

A few other things to keep in mind when trying to keep your car healthy and happy is to check the battery, belts, and various other little niggles here and there. For the most part, if your car turns on, the battery works. However, it's a good idea to check the battery terminals as they can get crusty and dirty over time. Water and baking soda is a good trick to clean the terminals, but I recommend a terminal cleaner to thoroughly clean it. 

As for the belts, keep an ear out for when the belts might be getting old. They'll usually go chtk-chtk-chtk if they're getting old and need to be replaced soon. Depending on the car, change out the belts every 40,000 to 60,000 miles for optimal health. The belts usually connect the alternator and auxiliary units like A/C or power steering to the engine. 

If your engine is misfiring or chugging as it trying to go from a dead stop, it might also be time to change the spark plugs. Spark plugs are usually easy to change (except for retarded German cars). Just be sure to grab the right one for your engine and change them out with a torque wrench. Each engine is different, so be sure to check the owner's manual or any online guide, and a good half hour will do the job (and it's cheaper since you did it).

Fuel filters are another thing to pay attention to, but not all cars have accessible fuel filters. Modern cars have the filter in the pump or fuel assembly itself, and they allegedly have a lifetime guarantee. However, on older cars, you should definitely change out the filter every 20,000 to 40,000 miles.

Be mindful of any lamps/bulbs that your car may need. If you hit your blinker and it's blinking rapidly, change it. Do a visual inspection as well (get a friend to help).

Take into account any chemical or additive that makes claims. Now, some additives do work like the ones that clean your fuel injectors or something to add to the crankcase for older cars, but you should ignore anything that says it'll fix leaks or improve mileage. Leaky radiators or engines cannot be fixed with snake oil, just fix it!

Preventive maintenance can also start on how you drive your vehicle as well. Modern cars don't need to be warmed up like older cars, but you shouldn't also be doing high-revs from a cold start. Give the engine about half a minute to get the oil flowing and give it another ten minutes of driving before really flooring it. It's the same when you wake up. You don't jump right out of bed and immediately go on a triathlon, right? Good, I hope not.

Personal health and car maintenance are one and the same. You want to stay healthy, so you should also want your car to stay healthy. The healthier you live, the happier you and your car will be, so eat your veggies, brush your teeth, and change your oil. 

Remember, drive safe.