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Comments
Thanks for the reference on synthetics.
I do 95% freeway miles in L.A. so 29mpg is pretty consistent. I do run AC twice a month.
As far as Cheveron gas, they sell their additive, Techroline, in a black bottle as a gas additive. The name escapes me at the moment (help me out here), but it is great stuff, "tune-up in a bottle". Costco even sells it. I use it 2-3 times a year.
Performance Claims For zMax Auto Additives Are Unsubstantiated, FTC Charges
The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit in U. S. District Court seeking to halt false and misleading advertising for zMax auto additives and has asked the court to order refunds to consumers who bought the products. The agency alleges that enhanced performance claims for the product are unsubstantiated, that tests cited to support performance claims actually demonstrated that motor oil treated with zMax produced more than twice as much bearing corrosion than motor oil alone, and that the three different products - an engine additive, a fuel line additive and a transmission additive - were all actually tinted mineral oil. zMax is manufactured by Oil-Chem, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Speedway, based in Concord, North Carolina, operates NASCAR race tracks in the South and in California, in addition to marketing the zMax products.
According to the FTC complaint, since at least May 1999, zMax ran infomercials touting its "Power System," a $39 package of three additives to be used in the engine, fuel line and transmission of automobiles. The infomercials feature testimonials from consumers and race car drivers making claims such as, "I was averaging about 22 miles to the gallon on the highway. I installed the zMax and so I jumped right up to about 28 miles per gallon;" and "zMax guarantees a minimum of 10 percent gas mileage increase." Other marketing and promotional pieces claim, "zMax with LinKite has the scientific, CRC L38 proof it takes your car to the MAX!" and "Why zMAX Works - Cuts carbon build-up on valve stems 66%; Lowers wear on valve stems 66%; Lowers wear on piston skirts 60%; Reduces blow-by leakage 17.7%; Increases combustion efficiency 9.25%; Lowers fuel consumption 8.5% - Results of an independent CRC L38 test."
According to the FTC, the CRC L38 test is a standard auto industry tool to measure the bearing corrosion protection properties of motor oils. In February/March 1997, an independent laboratory performed two CRC L38 tests of zMax for Speedway and Oil Chem. In those tests, motor oil treated with zMax produced more than twice as much bearing corrosion as motor oil alone. The complaint also states that the defendants fabricated one "report" from the two test reports, eliminating the bearing corrosion results and all other negative test results, and then used that report and the "official laboratory results" - similarly edited to remove detrimental data results - as sales tools in the infomercial and on the zMax Web site.
The FTC's complaint alleges that the defendants did not possess and rely on reasonable substantiation for the following claims in the infomercial, on the Web site and in brochures that zMax:
· increases gas mileage;
· increases gas mileage by a minimum of 10%
· reduces engine wear;
· reduces or eliminates engine wear at startup;
· reduces engine corrosion;
· extends engine life; and
· reduces emissions.
The agency's complaint also alleges that the defendants falsely represent that the results of the CRC L38 test proved that zMax:
· increases gas mileage;
· reduces engine wear;
· extends engine life;
· lowers fuel consumption by 8.5%
· lowers wear on valve stems by 66%
· lowers wear on piston skirts by 60%; and
· cuts carbon build-up on valve stems by 66%.
Finally, the FTC charges that in consumer testimonials and endorsements in their advertising, the defendants did not have substantiation for the representation that the endorsers' experiences were, "The actual and current opinions, findings, beliefs, and/or experiences of those consumers; and the typical or ordinary experience of members of the public who use the product."
The FTC is asking the court to bar the defendants from violating the FTC Act, which prohibits deceptive acts and to order consumer redress or require that they give up their ill-gotten gains.
This case is the latest in a series of FTC law-enforcement initiatives targeting unsubstantiated claims made by auto additive manufacturers. The FTC previously halted allegedly deceptive advertising by the marketers of Dura Lube, Motor Up, Prolong, Valvoline, Slick 50, and STP, other major brands of engine treatment products.
The Commission vote to file the complaint was 5-0. It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, in Greensboro, January 31, 2001.
I'd expect to get really good mileage on the moon because my lump of a Mercedes will weigh so much less. However, counterbalanced with that is a definite lack of oxygen, so I'm going to be running very rich. Also, the distance between diesel fuel stops is rather vast, but I'm used to that and will make contingency plans, such as zMax additive....hey, why is everyone laughing?
Thanks
My advice is for you to go online to Yahoo or some search engine and type in key words like "gasoline specifications comparisons". You should find a number of sites that will give you comparisons. You can also go to specific sites, such as www.exxon.com, www.mobil.com, etc. and read up on their gasoline specs. Once you learn how the brands stack up in your region you can start seeking out stations.
On another note... I tend to buy gasoline in the early mornings as the tanks, in theory at least, are the most settled.
I hope this helps.
I worked as a mobile detailer a few years back and am pretty knowledgeable on the subject of auto detailing. I admit that I have never tried Griot's Garage products though. I have a Porter Cable Polisher and plan to place an order next week for Griot's Garage Machine Polish and Best of Show Wax among a few other odds and ends. Does anyone have opinions on Griot's products and service? This will be my first time dealing with Griot's and I would appreciate any opinions on the subject.
Thanks
www.autopia-carport.com
Click on the "Autopia Forums" on the left hand side of the screen.
1/change ALL fluids every year and oil every 10,000kms with Mobil 1 (the best) and change filter every 5000kms. Anything that is wet change every year and your car will last. Rusproof the hell out of it if you live in a northern climate like me and wax it 4 times per year. I have redline synthetic in my manual transmission and rotate my tires every 10,000 kms and service my brakes including lubing the sliders and freeing the calipers every 20,000 kms and cleaning the rear shoes. Just drove in from Toronto and the car runs like a clock. No weird electricals in 10 years and it will be here till 1000,000 kms.
Air filters, fuel filters and plugs are done regularly. Another key is slow warm up when cold. DONT beat on your car when it is cold and it will love you. I will check back later. Claude in Tillsonburg Ontario.
30K summary
Miles Covered: 29,927
Running Cost : $3,062.24
Running Cost per mile: 10.23 cents
Gas consumed: 1274.64 Gallons
Cost of Gas: $2,052.37
Average Economy: 23.5 MPG
Best: 30.2 MPG
Worst: 16.8 MPG
Maintenance Cost: $720.98
Maintenance Cost per mile: 2.4 cents
Gas Cost: $2052.37
Gas Cost per mile: 6.85 cents
Miscellaneous costs: 0.98 cents per mile
(Still working on Total Cost of Ownership with depreciation and insurance)
I've never thought to do preventative maintenance on the brake system other than to drain and replace the fluid every so often. I'm curious if I should be doing more.
Thanks for any additional info.
I'm curious - what is your $.98 per mile miscellaneous expense. This expense would be $29,328.46.
My 89 Corolla has 220Km with original automatic transmission, CV joints, radiator, no loss in oil between 4000Km change interval. I have the same gas millage as it was new.
The main key is to do maintenance by yourself if it's possible. Do not trust the dealer for maintenance.
Good luck.
I think it is mostly due to one new Michelin tire due to an unrepairable puncture, and a gel seat pad that I had to use due to an uncomfortable driver's seat. (I think the foam settled over time.)
I don't have a goal of a million miles, but I do hope to reach 250k over 10 years or so.
Why bother??? I have 535,000 kms on my ORIGINAL rear brakes (shoes and drums) . NO kidding. I have 200,000 kms on my front pads and rotors and they have lots of life left. The front calipers are original!!!
makes a difference. Take care of those brakes and they will be much cheaper to live with and stop WAY better. If your car is 4 wheel disc brakes (what a waste of time as far as I am concerned) then do the same maintenance on your rearsas you do on the front.
Claude in Tillsonburg, Ontario
Ont the 4 wheel disc issue, I have NEVER had a panic stop where I needed the supposed last threshhold of stopping power that an expensive to maintain 4 wheel disc system offers unless they are on a car like my summer car (Z-28 camaro).
Cheers.
I think it's still pretty common for low-line versions of certain cars to have drum brakes in the back. I know I still see Sebring convertibles with drums, for example.
My Camry 4cy has a front disc, rear drum set up. To me it does seem logical to occasionally clean out the rear drums, check the rear wheel bearings, and tighten the parking brake cable. As far as the front discs - I don't know. It seems that since they have regularly moving parts, that they shouldn't need anti seize compound. Perhaps they could benefit from lubrication though. It seems also that I would know it if a pad was dragging or not lining up correctly by the sound and braking feel.
I don't know guys - I'll have to keep thinking about it. You both raise good points.
It doesn't surprise me 210delray that your 20+ year old Volvo has disc brakes where as your two late model cars do not. Typically, it seems European manufacturers have favored the use of 4 wheel discs for quite awhile now. (Now if they could only perfect their electronics)
As far as decontenting... It some ways I really have seen it over the last few years and in other ways (namely safety) I have seen vast improvement. A lot of people say that the 97-01 Camry's were decontented from the 92-96 models. I agree in some respects. I have a friend who has a 92 Camry and I think some of the interior materials in his car look and feel a bit classier than my 01 model. Yet I think my car certainly has gained considerable safety content afforded by 9 years of additional research. I have dual air bags (had the option of side air bags), ABS, multi beam reflector headlights, seat headrests in all outbound positions, etc. His car doesn't.
I think in general cars have lost certain features over the last decade - extra gauges like oil pressure, velour fabrics, interior door lighting packages, in some cases disc to drum brakes, etc. I think that some of these though have been offset by new and better things. Maybe we don't need oil pressure gauges as much since engines tend to be more reliable. Maybe current disc x drum brakes with ABS set-ups are more powerful than yesteryears 4 wheel disc with no ABS set-ups and can be offered for less money.
Interseting topic. What does everyone else think?
What things should I have the dealer do for 60k maintenance, what should I have my local shop do and what should I do myself? I can handle basic maintenance, but nothing complicated.
I am not shooting for 1,000,000 miles, but 200,000 would be nice.
- Change the fuel filter (recommend the shop, the nuts are super tight)
- Spark Plugs & Check wires for resistance (nothing more than 25 K-Ohm) (yourself)
- Distributor Cap & Distributor rotor (yourself)
- Check or replace air filter (yourself)
- Change the PCV valve (yourself)
and whatever else is in the manual
Below would be my recommendation for 60k service:
Dealer or independent shop:
1. valve clearance adjustment
2. compression and vacuum test
3. leak down test
4. electrical and emissions diagnostic test
5. if AT, then transmission pan drop, inspection, magnet clean, and fluid replenishment
You mentioned that your car is at 59k miles. This means, that unless you purchased an extended warranty or certified used Toyota, your drivetrain warranty will run out in 1k miles. If you spend the $125 or so to have the compression check, leak down test, and diagnostic performed, you will be able to identify any major problems before your warranty runs out.
yourself:
1. spark plug and wire replacement
2. fuel filter replacement
3. air filter replacement
4. cooling system flush
other things to consider:
1. tire rotation
2. 4 wheel alignment
3. battery charge retention test
4. power steering fluid change
5. brake fluid change
Hope this helps!!
Retorque the suspension subframe mounting bolts. If you have a torque wrench, it is pretty easy to do. I've done it on my '01 Camry. One of the bolts was about 5 ft lbs loose. The rest were already to spec.
I've found that proper care at 30K doesn't cost too much, but the 60K ones are bad for me since I have to change the timing belt and oil seals. Your is new enough that you shouldn't have to do that yet.
No doubt best to have done with timing belt changes due to labor cost.
A few recommendations that are good to follow for everyday driving are to follow. They are paraphrased from memory from the book and my own personal experience. I don't agree with everything in Mr. Sikorsky's book (like the use of oil additives), but for the most part it makes a lot of sense.
1. DON'T warm your car up on cold mornings by letting it idle for an extended period. Start your car, wait a few moments for oil pressure to rise, then drive slowly with minimal throttle for the first few miles. This lets the engine warm up faster and allows fewer contaminants (water, gas, etc) that are abundant in a cold "rich" mixture from entering the crankcase. An engine block heater is highly recommended for cold regions and ungaraged vehicles.
2. Drive conservatively. Don't jackrabbit from one stoplight to the next. And, if you see a red signal or anticipate one by the time you'll reach the intersection, get off the gas and just let the car coast. Let the engine do the braking. It will save gas AND brakes. Not to mention, the heavy-footed folks aren't going to get there any sooner. A lot of people will find this hard to do because traffic around them will get frustrated, honk their horns, and try to pass you. Don't let a few impatient drivers get in the way of making your car last forever.
3. Drive the speed limit. You'll consume less fuel, turn lower engine speeds, and likely arrive within a few minutes of your speeding counterparts. Tires, engine, transmission, differentials will all run at lower temperatures, thus extending life.
4. Think ahead. Cold tartups are where engine wear is most severe. Try to combine errands or other trips into one trip. Pickup the dry cleaning, go to the post office, do the grocery shopping, and get gas all in the same outting. He even goes so far as to encourage you to plan your route so that you minimize the number of miles, number of stops, etc. It will save time and your car. We keep our cars in a garage. Sometimes during the day we'll leave the car outside. At night the tendancy is to put the car in the garage, after the engine has cooled down it doesn't make much sense to start the car, move it 20 feet, and then shut the engine down again. Sitting in the night air for a few hours is going to do less harm than starting your engine for those few moments. So, just leave it out there or get in the habit of always putting it in the garage.
I recommend Robert Sikorsky's book to anyone interested in getting the most out of your car with the lowest long-run cost. In essence, the best value. The edition I own talks a lot about carbuerated engines, but the principles are the same (although you may not want to put a manual choke on your fuel injected car). As I said earlier, about the only thing I don't agree with is his advocation of crankcase additives. It probably won't hurt the engine, but I don't think they are neccessary. But, if you follow his recommendations I have no reason to believe that your car - ANY car - can go the distance. (Yugos exlcuded)
I now change the oil seals out with the timing belt at 120K 2. Had to do 2 this year alone.
I learned not to buy 2 cars of the same year and with similar mileage on them. Once again the hard way. (Then again, I only paid 2,000 for one of them, and it's the wife's favorite.)
Like you, I tend to agree with most everything he suggests - not letting the car idle at warm-up, driving at low rpm's the first 10 miles or so after starting your car in the cold, generally driving moderately, etc. I don't think much of oil additives either.
I'm curious though what does everyone think about Lubeguard for the AT? I've heard it may be the one additive worth considering.
I have a Subaru with a manual tranny that said never to change the fluid. At 90K it was very hard to shift and if in fourth gear above 60 MPH it would shake. Replaced with Synthetic and added Lubegard. Shifts much smoother, and no vibration in 4th, even at 80.
I credit it also with stopping problems in at least 2 other relatives vehicles.
I am kind of hesitating of paying that much money for bunch of checking and replacing engine oil and air filter. The only one thing is making me do it at the dealership is the warranty. I know I won't loose the warranty if I do it somewhere else and I will have the document that I did have it. But still it could be a problem. Thanks in advance for replying to me.
When they say manufacturer recommended, it's true.
Also, does chilton or hayes make a car manual for the 97-01 Camry? I haven't been able to find one.
You can also use the earlier manuals for engine and transmission maintenance also.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1820168028&r=0&t=0
1. Flush cooling system and replace with Toyota OEM Coolant. (I know they say it can go longer than 30k, but I still like to change it. At the least have the coolant tested.)
2. Drain and refill the AT and Differential. Your Camry has a separate differential from the AT and they both need to be drained and refilled. I would recommend refilling them with a synthetic AT Fluid like Amsoil or Redline. If the dealer or a local shop has the machine that completely cycles out the old fluid and replaces it witht the new, I would go for it. A straight drain and refill, while beneficial, won't get all the old fluid out.
3. Check your spark plug gaps and ensure that your plugs are clean. You shouldn't have to replace them.
4. Replace your Air Filter if you haven't done it recently
5. Replace your fuel filter if you have bad gas in your area.
6. Check the torque on your suspension sub frames.
7. Check your belt tensions.
8. Do an oil change and tire rotation if need be.
Most of these things you should be able to do yourself if you have some basic tools. The only thing I personally would pay to have done would be the AT and Differential fluid change if the dealer or shop has the aforementioned machine. You can do the coolant flush yourself pretty easy by buying a $7 flush kit. The rest of the items I mentioned are very basic and don't cost much.
Bottom line I wouldn't pay more than about $75 to have the dealer do the AT and Differential. You should be able to do the rest yourself for about $30 in parts.