With the higher cost of fuel these days more and more people are carpooling and while this is a good idea for the environment, it is still important to maintain your vehicle. Did you know that conventional engine oil could start to become “acidic” after about 3 months or so? What does this mean? Even if you are not driving the vehicle you should still change the oil about every 3 months or so.

When engine oil sits in an engine the oil starts to turn “acidic” which may start to damage components inside the engine. For example, internal engine components can form rust on them from moisture content in the engine oil, this can cause serious damage when the vehicle is next started.

Other fluids on the vehicle can be affected by sitting as well, such as: brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering, engine coolant, differential fluids and especially gasoline. All of these fluids can be susceptible to moisture and/or “ph” level changes as a result of sitting. It is best to keep the fuel tank full if the vehicle will be sitting as this will help lessen the amount of condensation in your tank resulting in less “rust” and water in your fuel system. By keeping the tank “full” it will help maintain proper performance aspects of your fuel resulting in proper performance and optimal fuel economy.

Clean those injectors! Probably the least expensive maintenance which yields the best results on today’s modern cars is to keep the fuel injectors clean. By having the injectors cleaned on a regular basis you are more likely to obtain proper performance and best fuel economy.

Don’t forget about the battery! Newer vehicles require more reserve battery power to maintain the vehicle computer system’s memory, especially if you’re not driving. Make sure to start the vehicle and let it run until it reaches normal operating temperature about every 4 days or use a “Battery Tender” to maintain the battery. This is a small device that you plug into a wall outlet and install on the vehicle battery. It will “maintain” the battery for you and is very simple to use.

A vehicle that sits more than it is driven changes the recommended service schedule from “normal driving” to a “severe driving” schedule. The services recommended under the “severe driving schedule” are usually more comprehensive services than you will find under the “normal driving schedule” resulting in higher maintenance costs.

Kingston, WA.

benchmarkauto@msn.com