I am 17 and drive a 2007 mazda 6 with just under 40,000 miles on it. I feel like ive been spending way too much for services and i still need to get more done. I mostly drive just from school and work both very close to my house (less then 2 miles). My car needed to have the carbon build up removed and that was $400, then I just had my brake fluid flushed and new brakes put on the front. Do i really need to have stuff like the brake, differential, transmission, or power steering fluid or fuel filter changed every 2 years or 30,000 miles (most shops and internet sites say this)? Stuff like that seems like no one has ever changed on a newer car. Does it really need to be done or are all the service stations just wanting to rip me off? What would you recommend changing/replacing now? Some people have told me that the fluids just need to be checked and topped off but the filters need to be replaced every 30,000 miles. If you know how much those services you suggest cost add that too or if its really easy i could do myself.
Thanks

 

Hi jdk, and welcome to the forum!!
The fact that you drive so little mileage means you should do everything.

The oil never has a chance to get up to full temperature, meaning it can collect condensation (water) in it much faster than a car driven longer distances. In fact nothing has an opportunity to get up to full temp, and that is important. Using the starter and battery for such short jumps is like using them 3-4 times as much as the average driver would. They will get used up and burn out quicker. Just starting and stopping the engine that often (relatively speaking) is like putting many more miles on bearing and piston rings than you actually are. Remember that every time you start the car, there is no oil pressure until it start. They call it dry starting... one of the worst things you can do to shorten the life of those parts.

Driving that little bit is really not a good thing to do. Your fuel mileage will suffer in a BIG way. I know. I used to have a 1.1 mile drive to work, mostly up hill and @ 4:00AM, so yes I drove. My mileage in my old Mitsu Expo van (4-cyl, 5-sp manual) was between 12 and 15mpg.
When we moved further away and the drive became closer to 20 miles each way, the mileage went up to well over 22mpg.

If you can, leave the car at home for such short distances... or be prepared for a lot of maintenance and later on, more repairs.

 

what he said . my wife had a 1995 blazer and she drove like an old lady and never got it up to temp with a 2 or 3 mile drive to work.in about 30,000 miles we went through 3 muffler and an egr valve.after the egr code came up the every year i would take it out and clean it.when you dont get up to temp,the gases stay in the SYSTEM and carbons up.the muffler holds moisture and rusts through.i started taking it out on the weekends and drive it like I stole it to BLOW it out.dont drive like a maniac but take a long trip (50 miles or so)everyonce in awhile (weekend)...ive also had friends who NEVER took care of their cars and didnt have many problems,but i wouldnt go to far with them.good luck

 

well, getting your oil changed every 3,000 miles is not necessary. Especially if you use synthetic. If you use synthetic oil, you can go 6,000 to 7,000. Change the transmission fluid around 60,000 miles for an automatic.

 

Sorry I have to disagree w/that, MG, but with so few miles put on/day-week, it would take over two years before 3000 miles even reached. Considering best case circumstances, 4 miles a day round trip multiplied by 365 days in a year would only get you 1460 miles total!!! Water in the oil from condensation would certainly build up and be starting to do engine damage by then. Short miles are the worst for any gasoline powered engine, and related parts.

And as Rockoe said, carbon build up in various systems is also a big consideration. The valves, egr system and piston tops will likely have carbon built up on/in them in short order. The catalytic converter will burn out much sooner too, and that's an EXPENSIVE part to replace.

The best thing to do is not use the car unless you are actually going some where. Hop a bus or get rides from friends, or simply walk/jog as much as you can.

 

+1 to wnah Vigirn said. There is a reason they put a date on those stickers in addition to mileage. Yes, with regular use when that car normally gets up to operating temp you can go 6k miles between oil changes, but not when all you do is short hops.

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't realy have any other options besides driving. Is there really any kinda of maintenance I can do to prevent all those things from going wrong? Will changing all those fluids really help it? Which things would you do to prolong the life of certain parts in my car? I googled some of this and some said to just take my car out on the highway and run it really hard for 20 miles a week and that should help it. is there really any way to prevent the condensation build up in the exhaust system and since I have dual exhaust I know that makes it a lot worse. If there's something you would suggest that I could do myself that would be helpful.

 

Lots of oil changes and taking the LONG way home would be two of them. But they are only likely to ward off trouble for a bit longer. Regular longer trips of 15-20 miles at least would help too.
The tranny should be all right (automatic, right?) The engine and starter motor are the two things I would worry about most.

edit: OH, and keep your fuel tank as full as possible w/o overfilling it. That too (over filling) can cause damage to the fuel evaporative system. This is important especially at humid times of the year or in constantly humid climates. Keep it full, but stop filling at the first or second click of the pump handle.

 

I have a manual. So what's the shortest distance (in miles) should I go in a trip to allow the fluids to reach the right temperature and everything? Since I have a manual would it be better to keep it in a lower gear to have the engine work harder where it normally wouldn't?

 

Well... I for one am glad to hear that. Manuals are so much more forgiving... and SOOOO much more FUN too!!
The answer to your 2nd question is an unqualified no. Just drive the car and enjoy it. Don't beat it.
As for miles: That depends a lot on the ambient temp. Consider that oil is much more viscous than coolant is and takes approximately two to three times longer to get up to operating temp. Add to that proper operating oil temp will be slightly higher than coolant temp when in operating range. And, you don't just want to bring the oil up to temp, but maintain it for a while, at the very least, several miles, to help clear any condensation from the inner engine block.
In essence, you want the water/condensation built up in the block to boil away, and all the various metals/alloys that make up the engine to have a chance to fully expand. They call that heat cycling.
See what I mean?