Common car maintenance
- New
Common car maintenance
2024-04-16
Bushing:
A bushing or rubber bushing is a type of vibration isolator. It provides an interface between two parts, damping the energy transmitted through the bushing. A common application is in vehicle suspension systems, where a bushing made of rubber (or, more often, synthetic rubber or polyurethane) separates the faces of two metal objects while allowing a certain amount of movement. This movement allows the suspension parts to move freely, for example, when traveling over a large bump, while minimizing transmission of noise and small vibrations through to the chassis of the vehicle. A rubber bushing may also be described as a flexible mounting or antivibration mounting.These bushings often take the form of an annular cylinder of flexible material inside a metallic casing or outer tube. They might also feature an internal crush tube which protects the bushing from being crushed by the fixings which hold it onto a threaded spigot. Many different types of bushing designs exist. An important difference compared with plain bearings is that the relative motion between the two connected parts is accommodated by strain in the rubber, rather than by shear or friction at the interface. Some rubber bushings, such as the D block for a sway bar, do allow sliding at the interface between one part and the rubber.


Shock Absorber:
Understand that testing shock absorbers is very important. Surveys clearly indicate that most drivers don't realize that shock absorber condition is critical to vehicle safety. Providing a comfortable and pleasant riding experience is actually a byproduct of shock absorber function, not the object. Vehicle control and reducing wear on the rest of the suspension are the primary jobs of shock absorbers. Comfort and handling come from the overall design of the vehicle and its entire suspension system.Never change a single shock absorber. They should at least be changed in pairs (both front or both rear). If replacing OEM shock absorbers, then changing all four is recommended. If one is bad, the others aren't far behind.

CV Joint :
A CV joint is packed with a special grease and sealed tight with the rubber or plastic boot, that is held in place with two clamps. A CV joint doesn't need any maintenance and can last very long, as long as the protective CV joint boot is not damaged. It's not uncommon to see a car with over 300,000 miles with still original CV-joints.
 The most common problem with the CV joints is when the protective boot cracks or gets damaged. Once this happens, the grease comes out and moisture and dirt get in, causing the CV joint to wear faster and eventually fail due to lack of lubrication and corrosion. Usually outer CV-joint boots break first, as they have to endure more movement than the inner ones. CV boots are typically inspected during regular maintenance visits. Your mechanic will look for cracks, tears and other damage.

Brake Pad:
The brake pad is a steel or cast iron disk that rotates with the wheel hub. This is straddled by a calliper carrying a brake pad on either side. The more sophisticated systems have ventilated discs, and some systems have devices that automatically prevent the wheel from locking up in an emergency stop. Worn brake pads or a damaged disc will affect the effectiveness of the braking operation.There are two types of braking systems used on a vehicle: the floating calliper type and the fixed calliper type. The floating calliper type has a single piston and calliper which moves across the disc as the pads wear, and thus takes up the excessive wear. The fixed calliper model has two pistons, which move closer to the disc as the brake pads wear.Brake pads must be replaced when the thickness of the friction material is at 2mm thick, or when uneven wear is evident on the brake pads.



Common car maintenance tasks include:

Car wash
check/replace the engine oil and replace oil filters
check/replace fuel filters
inspect or replace windshield wipers
check or refill windshield washer fluid
inspect tires for pressure and wear
Tire balancing
Tire rotation
Wheel alignment
check, clean or replace battery terminals and top up battery fluid
inspect or replace brake pads
check or flush brake fluid
check or flush transmission fluid
check or flush power steering fluid
check and flush engine coolant
inspect or replace spark plugs
inspect or replace air filter
inspect or replace timing belt and other belts
lubricate locks, latches, hinges
check all lights
tighten chassis nuts and bolts
check if rubber boots are cracked and need replacement
test electronics, e.g., Anti-lock braking system or ABS
read fault codes from the Engine control unit
 

Louisa

Candy

Carman

Freda

Mico

Anna_Rus