Car questions

[Chimaera]

Originally Posted by Russ D

I know, but you're in a thread about cars.....

Yeah - well women aren't supposed to know about anything useful, are they?

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by orangebird

I'm the only person who's given him any tips so far!

ermmm

[Russ]

Originally Posted by orangebird

I'm the only person who's given him any tips so far!

Yes because we'd rather give him relevant tips...you know, tips that blokes can use

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Yes because we'd rather give him relevant tips...you know, tips that blokes can use

How deep a hole are you looking to dig yourself into Russ?

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by ZrByte

Is there any essential maintenance you would suggest I carry out on my car since it was bought second hand with no service history?
I have allready had all my tyres replaced aswel as the alternator belt and I will be getting the cambelt done sometime this month, but is there anything else?

Its an L reg 1.2 Corsa by the way.

Looks fine for a 12 year old engine. The manifold (bit right at the front) has rusted a little and the steel shows signs of many cycles of heating and cooling. The aluminium of the cylinder head is tarnished, but that will not have affected the inner workings.

All I would recommend is next time you clean the car, clean the bodywork inside the engine bay. It will help you notice any leaks etc.

Cars thesedays are covered with lots of plastic vanity plates so you can't see most of what you are looking at.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Yes because we'd rather give him relevant tips...you know, tips that blokes can use

Oh, right! Like - Never use a map or ask for directions?

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by orangebird

Engine looks ok to me, considering it's age (approx 15 years). My car is a late 97, and the engine doesn't look an awful lot better than yours. But it has done 150000 miles, never failed an MOT, nor (touch wood) has it ever had anything wrong with it... I wouldn't worry if I were you.

Have you had it serviced and MOTd since you bought it?

Always make sure all your fluids are topped up (brake, steering column if you have PS, Oil, Radiator etc....). There's not much more you can do really apart from cross your fingers...

Mine has done 173,000 wich is a little worrying but its showing no signs of wear or engine failre etc.
It hasnt been serviced but it has been through an MOT recently, took a little effort to get it through but in the end it was just because the Catalytic converter was knackered and we had no way of testing it without booking it into a garrage, wich we reluctantly did in the end.
When it got through the MOT the only thing they had to say about my car was that there is some corrosion in the drivers side chasis arm, he said its not bad but it could become a problem in the next MOT or the one after if left untreated.
Ive just checked all my fluids today as I was taking that picture, the car has used virtually no oil wich I take is good and all my other fluid levels look good too.

Thanks for your advice

Originally Posted by Ramrod

The engine looks ok then


edit--you can always get it steam cleaned......
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Check the oil and perhaps put some anti-freeze screen clean in the water........

Think I might get it steam cleaned then, obviously it will only be an asthetic improvement but it will make my car look a little less worn when it comes to going under the hood so to speak. Can you think of anywhere that I could get that done or is it just a standard service garages offer or something?
The oil filter looked a little old when we got the car so we where going to do an oil change but on further inspection the oil seemed to be getting filtered properly so we have left it for now, were going to do an oild change during the summer when the weather is nicer.

Originally Posted by homealone

It's just the cylinder head cover could do with a bit of TLC - the leads, clips & hoses look in pretty good nick.

Thats good to hear.

[Ramrod]

Think I might get it steam cleaned then, obviously it will only be an asthetic improvement but it will make my car look a little less worn when it comes to going under the hood so to speak. Can you think of anywhere that I could get that done or is it just a standard service garages offer or something?

have a look in Yellow Pages

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Looks fine for a 12 year old engine. The manifold (bit right at the front) has rusted a little and the steel shows signs of many cycles of heating and cooling. The aluminium of the cylinder head is tarnished, but that will not have affected the inner workings.

All I would recommend is next time you clean the car, clean the bodywork inside the engine bay. It will help you notice any leaks etc.

Cars thesedays are covered with lots of plastic vanity plates so you can't see most of what you are looking at.

Would it be worth replacing the cylinder head or would a cleaning sort it since as you say it wont have effected the inner workings?

Thats sounds like good advice thanks.

yeah I noticed that when I was looking in the engine bay of my mates Clio

Originally Posted by orangebird

Oh, right! Like - Never use a map or ask for directions?

lol, so true, I hate using maps and getting directions so much that I invested in a gps, though thats also because my sense of direction is awful outisde of my home town and map reading takes too long (theres also the fact that im a bit of a gadget freak so I love any excuse to try out some technology )

How can an engine look worn from the outside??? Yes its dirty but who cares about that. It can only be worn where there are moving parts and that would be where you cant see.

If it aint broke dont fix it!

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

have a look in Yellow Pages

lol, why didnt I think of that thanks.
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Originally Posted by gary_580

How can an engine look worn from the outside??? Yes its dirty but who cares about that. It can only be worn where there are moving parts and that would be where you cant see.

If it aint broke dont fix it!

Now that sounds like good advice, thanks

[Mr_love_monkey]

you'll probably find that a lot of these car cleaning places that have sprung up over night - you know the ones, 30 different people working there, and they clean the inside and outside of your car? - they tend to do engine steam cleaning as well... might be worth taking a look

Originally Posted by ZrByte

Now that sounds like good advice, thanks

And DONT clean the engine. The grime and oil build up does in fact protect it from the damp and possible oil leaks.

Many a time have i heard of people steam cleaning their engine only to discover that they have created a minor oil leak
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BTW it should use a little bit of oil. The oil that lubricates the cylinder bore gets burnt with each cycle of the engine and as a result the oil level should go down by a very small amount

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by gary_580

And DONT clean the engine. The grime and oil build up does in fact protect it from the damp and possible oil leaks.

Many a time have i heard of people steam cleaning their engine only to discover that they have created a minor oil leak

Now thats something I really hadnt considdered, would it matter if I cleaned up the cylinder head? I think that alone would change the appearance of the bay.

By cylinder head in assuming you mean rocker cover as you cant see much of the cyliner head. Cleaning the rocker cover is fine however they do have Cork gaskets that in my experience can leak oil and this then makes a mess of everything else.

If you really really really really (no you DONT!!) want to clean the rocker cover i'd go and get a new rocker cover gasket and take the rocker cover off to clean it.

At the end of the day, it isnt broke so i'd leave it as it is.