This is not a flame to anyone in particular or anyone at all for that matter, so dont take it as one.

To steal and paraphrase a phrase from Brand X:
Have you had a tune-up, lately?

I see quite a few posts here with cars having problems and it comes out that there was a maintenance part overlooked either unknowingly or purposely. Or even I see an "I'll get to it later" type of thing. All of us gearheads here are looking for the same general purpose: more power, better mileage (I hope), and a good running car in general. I cant stress enough how important a well tuned car, properly maintained, serves that general purpose. Old spark plug wires that glow in the dark and fuel filters that were last touched so long ago that there are tar marks on it from the nearest tar pool are not ways to make your car faster. Should I spend money on mods before I replace my bad (Insert busted part here)? HELL NO! Choose your part, but broken parts left unrepaired can and usually do take other parts with it. That means more money spent on repairs. Less mod money. And your car stinks on top of it. Or it is almost undriveable. Or it doesnt run at all. Fix the car first, and get it to a point where it runs like it is supposed to, and then think about wise mods to do to it. Spend some time, make a plan. Choose how fast you want to go or whatever you want to achieve, and change parts and make mods accordingly. But if the car runs bad in the first place, and you spend money on mods, you will have a bad running and slow car with mods in the end. And more than likely no money to fix the original problem.

My advice:
Get yourself a booklet that will easily fit in the console glovebox, and write down when you did your tuneup. Write down when you made a change or a mod. If the car acts funny or does something that isnt right, write it down. Sometimes trying to track down a problem is much easier when you look back, and say "Hey, this all started when I changed plug wires" Gives an excellent place to start looking. Maybe you missed a vaccum line, or the guy who changed the oil pulled it off and stuck it on a protruding screw on the firewall. Taking notes makes all the difference.

I know this really is sorta non-tech, but it is tech too IMO. Everyone here can benefit from taking a look at their car and seeing if it needs a tuneup and if it is running right before throwing a bunch of money under the hood. To make it more tech, I think I'll let Vader give us a list of recommended service intervals, starting with my car, 1986 TA.

Just what you want to do, right Vader?

------------------
Madmax: Providing information to violate federal law and kill off all those pesky smog-sensitive bunnies in your area.
If nothing is going wrong, you're not doing anything.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited February 04, 2001).]

 

Ditto.

------------------
'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

Vader, Can we have that list with both the severe use and the normal use guidelines? And a tech description of normal use if it's not too much trouble

 

Yea, I would like to see what is the right mainetance scheduling for our cars. I don't have my original book wiht me anymore...
Only owners manual, wich says that change your oil at 3k miles.

------------------
'89 Formula 305 TPI T-5
Check out my car HERE!

 

This is a compilation of GM recommended service schedules from 1986-2000. Generally, it should be correct for routine maintenance on most ThirdGens. Incidentally, if you race your car, even between stop lights, you're in the "SEVERE" service category. If you operate you car when temperatures are below 32°F/0°C or above 90°F/35°C, you are in the "SEVERE" category. If your daily driving includes more than three stop lights in a five mile span, you are "SEVERE/Short Trip".

If you warm your car for five minutes, slowly start and drive under 45 MPH for the first five miles, then enter an expressway or highway for 15-20 miles of crusing, cool down the car for two minutes, then shut it off for a few hours, you are "NORMAL".

About 1.5% of drivers actually fall within the "Long Trip" or "Normal Service" category.



------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"Make Me Bad..."
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

man, a spark plug change after 100k miles!! :roleyes: huh?

------------------
'89 Formula 305 TPI T-5
Check out my car HERE!

 

Well said, max. I share your ideas. When I bought my IROC not long ago, I knew very little about how it worked, especially the engine management and smog control components.

The engine was stock when I bought it, still is. When shopping for my IROC I wasn't sure if I wanted a 'fixer upper' at a good price or a more expensive car in better condition. I decided to pay more for a car in good shape. For one, I had to have a car that was a dependable daily driver, and two, I wanted to spend time and money working on it (or having work done to it) because I wanted to, not by necessity. I wanted to enjoy it and did not want it to become a PITA.

Since then I have really enjoyed learning about the car, it's history, how it works, what mods are available for it and so on. It runs pretty good right now but there are several more things I want to do to it. Eventually I'll get to a place where I'm satisfied with the performance, reliability, and economy. At that point I'll have a 'baseline' to work from. I'll know how each system was designed to work and (hopefully) why it was designed the way it was. I'll know how it's supposed to work in its stock form and, at least to some degree, be able to troubleshoot it.

Then, as finances permit, I'll do some mods and see how each one impacts performance, reliability, and economy. The point I'm trying to make is that it is best to 'Master the Fundamentals' first than to attempt to build a race car out of a POS (some people make a hobby of this, but most know what they are doing). Follow recommended service intervals, save service records, document changes (oil, coolant, trans, etc.). Fix everything, start with the running gear. After time, if not already, you'll have car you enjoy driving and working on, then you can mod the hell out of it if you want.

 

I have 117,000 on my Lumina 3.1 and I changed my plugs at 100,000 the first time and they still looked good. I did my tranny fluid and wires too at 100,000. car has 0 problems.