stealth32

Hey guys,

I was wondering what needs to be done when the car hits 20,000 i change my oil myself and i got tools to take off the tires for rotation but under the hood what should be checked to maintain the car it run smooth.

Should i take it to the dealership and get it serviced or can i do this myself. I really dont like them working on my car . If it does need to be serviced what will they do.

Thanks Guys

stealth32

i know i can count on you guys any help would be appreciated

conejo172

I am the same, I don't like others working on my car unless absolutely necessary! Owners manual has scheduled maintenance recommended

Nuke

Nothing. Just keep doing your oil changes and watching your other fluid levels. Maybe rotate the tires and begin thinking about replacing the fuel filter but even that can wait another 10k-15k miles. The cabin air filter is, in my opinion, useless to bother with but is easy to change. There's a few writ-ups on it. But it can stay in the car forever and you'd never know it was dirty. Yeah, a cabin air filter and open windows... What a scam.

808muscle

Love it Nuke!!! LOL What does ford charge for a new one? haha....

Nuke

If I recall, Ford charged about 2X what I saw them for on-line and at most autostores. You really don't need a "great" filter. It's for the cabin for christ sake. You'd think it was a clean lab the way they talk about "having" to change the filter. IT'S FRICKIN' OUTSIDE as far as I'm concerned. I'd even consider making my own out of paper towels if they get any more expensive (I think I paid about $7 each and bought 2, 1 for each of my Stangs). I only changed mine just to see what all the hubub was about. There's a write-up on replacing it. Takes about 5 minutes.

The fuel filter isn't too hard to change either. I think I paid less than $10 at an Autozone. There's a write-up for that, too. The hardest part is getting the plastic cover off enough to get your hands in there. I have a real problem with those darned clips Ford uses to hold crap in place.

baddog671

Agreed. At 20k miles, all your fluids are still fresh and everything should be good to go! Regular oil maintanence is the main concern at this mileage, and just keep an eye on your filters. 35-40k is a good time to change your fuel filter.

Nuke, I remember your strong opinions on the cabin air filter from another thread, but did you ever bother reading what I said in that thread? YES, cabin air filters filter the air that you breath. NO, that is not their sole purpose. If it were, then I'd agree with you and say that they are a waste of money and just remove it for good when it gets dirty.

The filter's main purpose is to clean the air prior to it entering the A/C and heater units, as you don't want pollen/leaves/bugs/etc. clogging up the core and evap. coils.

Don't replace the cabin air filter on a hybrid vehicle and watch what happens, ha!

Nuke

I never said to NOT change it. I was simply implying in the thread you refer to that people were getting bent-out-of-shape about replacing it in some specific time frame and "what's the best filter" attitude was emerging. Although I was being sarcastic about using a paper towel as a replacement, even THAT would stop most of the pollen and bugs, etc.. I think we get consumed with a "have to replace with the best and do it ASAP" attitude which is absolute overkill and unneccessary when it comes to the cabin air filter, IMO. After replacing mine at about 30k miles, I might look at it again at 100k or so.

StickShifty

i personally would change the cabin air filter about every 10,000. you can get them for 5 bucks from rockauto.com you will see a huge decrease in dust and pollen bits in the car. def worth replacing.

other then that and normal oil changes, you are good to go.

baddog671

Agreed, there shouldn't be a specific time frame for changing them, and you could probably get the cheapest ones you can find and still be fine. The shop I work at carries Mighty brand cabin air filters, and they are pretty good quality. Most applications are standard paper, sometimes paper with carbon. Usually either 20$ or 25$ installed.

I actually replaced mine at ~18k, not becuase it was dirty, but becuase I had a horrible smell in my vent. system that I could not find. It literally smelled strongly like cat crap everytime I used the A/C or just normal air. I sprayed the new filter with aerosol freshener, and also used an A/C "refresh kit", which got rid of it. Either way, that new filter will most likely be in there for a good 30k miles +.