Most people don’t realize that you can basically set your car or truck up to last forever if you pay attention to few key elements. I have a great track record of long vehicle life with low maintenance and I attribute it to these 3 things:
Cheap Air Filters:
There is so much hype out on the street regarding air intakes and how you can save money on gas or increase your horsepower just by changing out your air filter. There is some truth to this but the rewards are tiny compared to the costs. The most important filter on your car by far is your air filter. When you skimp on filtration to reduce intake pressure drop… usually you are allowing more entrained particles to fly into your engine. This is where the abrasive dirt and grit show up. So focus on using a high quality paper filter that has a high filtration efficiency.
Cheap Oil Filters
Next filter in the hierarchy of importance is your oil filter! After contaminant enters the engine through the air intake of fuel intake the only way to get it out is for the oil to trap it and carry it through the oil filter. A couple things to consider. YOu want your oil filter element to be constructed of materials that will not weaken with time. I personally like the internal end caps of the filter to be made out of steel. A lot of times the filters have cardboard ends. THe other issuse is the bypass valve. WHen you first start your engine the cool oil is much thicker. The bypass valve on the oil filter allows the oil to flow around the element until it heats up. If the bypass valve is of cheap construction it could hang up and stick open… bypassing your filter continuoisly and pumping your engine full of unfiltered oil (watch out piston rings!).
Cheap Oil
Here is the bottom line on oil… cheap oil has lower detergency, was poorly filtered at the factory, has a higher tendency to sludge, and has lower ability to prevent damage inside of your engine. “Oil is Oil” is not true. That is an old wives tale. The time it takes to read up on oil quality and know what your looking for is well worth the lifetime of protection that results from it. Don’t shop for oil based solely on price… if you see a bottle of oil priced at a dollar… run!
So here’s the reality of maintaining your engine: using quality products will dramatically increase the life of your vehicle and save time and money on vehicle maintenance down the road… Take the time to find a great air filter, quality oil filter, and quality oil.
Have questions? Please leave your questions or comments below. Thanks.
