All Entries in the "Maintenance Tips" Category

2500 Mile Oil Changes Because You’re Running E-85? P-shaw

Last week a Toyota dealership dropped a link on Twitter with the warning “Did you know you have to change your oil twice as often if you’re running E85?” (or something like that ).

The link went to a page that advocated a 2,500 mile oil change frequency for truck owners using E85. Of course, there was no explanation as to why E85 users needed to change their oil twice as often, just that they should. THAT, ladies and gentleman, is why dealership service departments get a bad wrap. Instead of explaining why 2,500 might be a prudent choice (and it might), they make a blanket statement. I say p-shaw. This recommendation is, at best, paranoid.

First, here’s why this recommendation was made.

Popularity: 3%

Putting Toyota’s Big Loss In Perspective

If you’ve been paying attention to automotive news in the last week, you’ve undoubtedly heard that Toyota lost an obscene amount of money in the first quarter – $7.7 billion to be exact. Toyota was quick to point out that this loss is against a $3.3 billion profit in the previous three quarters, resulting in a $4.4 billion loss for the 2008 financial year. (NOTE: Toyota’s financial year ends after the first quarter.) Worst still, Toyota anticipates losing about $5.5 billion for the coming year.

Toyota’s Loss is Big, But Don’t Let Anyone Fool You
photo credit: Andres Rueda

In other words, Toyota lost a lot of money last year and they’re planning on losing a lot of money this year too. Considering the fact that Toyota hasn’t had an operating loss since 1950, this is a big deal. Toyota has taken sweeping action with tremendous production cuts, cost cutting measures, and most recently announcing that they’re going to fire half of their corporate management team.

However, before anyone starts worrying about “Toyota being the next GM,” here’s some perspective:

Popularity: 3%

Caring For Your Truck’s Leather Interior

Leather seats are the ultimate when it comes to truck upholstery. Comfortable and classy, leather is also unfortunately a little harder to keep looking good over time than simple vinyl or fabric. Not only does the sun conspire to burn your legs (and behind) if your truck is left exposed to its hot rays in the afternoon, but the UV light and heat can cause the leather to crack and fade over time, leaving a wrinkly-looking mess that might eventually tear.

Keep your Tundra leather interior looking new.

Obviously, depending upon the climate you live in, it can take a long time for your leather to end up in that kind of condition. With a little bit of effort, however, you can take some steps now to prevent your leather seats from ever succumbing to decay.

Popularity: 3%

Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher Review

Curious as to how much I could improve the paint on my vehicle using an orbital polisher, I decided recently to pick one up and try my hand at it. I had heard many good things about dual action polishers, and the model that was most often recommended to me by friends in the detailing business was the Porter Cable 7424.

Porter Cable Polisher model 7424. About $140 from Amazon.com.

Orbital dual action polishers are great for newbies because their rotation is designed to be random. With a random action polisher, there is little chance that heat will build up under your polishing pad and burn into your paint (unlike a regular rotary polisher). In other words, it’s virtually impossible to damage your paint with an orbital polisher.

Popularity: 2%

Auto Detailing Trick – Mothers Clay Bar

It’s something that has happened to all of us – there’s always a stain or dirty area on your trucks’ paint that never seems to come clean no matter how many times you wash it or how hard you scrub. Or maybe you have a light colored truck and you’re confused by what seems to be pinpricks of corrosion thatsit on the top of your paint. Either way, it’s enough to drive you crazy.

Is your truck too dirty for soap? Use Mother's clay bar to rub out that spot.

The fact is, dirt can become chemically bonded to your paint in such a way that standard washing just can’t remove it. You might get so frustrated that you end up throwing soap all over yourself – see above.

Enter the clay bar.

Popularity: 3%