| Making Your Car Last...and Last...and
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| | running an engine cleaning test, clears
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| Last
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| | up. Think of it as clearing the gunk out
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| Buying a car is a big investment. While
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| | of the engine to make it run better.
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| in inflation adjusted dollars, the cost
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| | Speaking of engine damage and damaging
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| of a new car hasn't actually risen that
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| | your car, it's pretty clear that anything
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| much (due to cheaper labor overseas, and
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| | that makes your oil last longer is going
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| efficiencies in manufacturing), for most
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| | to be beneficial to your car's health and
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| people just starting out, a new car is a
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| | operations. One of the big culprits in
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| substantial investment - easily a year to
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| | engine damage, especially with new cars,
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| half a year's take home income. Making
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| | is the "break in" phase. Drive gently
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| that investment last is in your best
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| | during the first 50-100 miles you own the
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| interest as a car owner.
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| | car; and vary your speed regularly over
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| Cars, in routine operations, run with
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| | the first 500 miles. What you're trying
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| temperature extremes ranging from ambient
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| | to do is give your engine an opportunity
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| air to three hundred degrees. While
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| | to "work in" all the places where contact
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| they're designed to handle this range,
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| | occurs; this is the time when most of the
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| that range of temperatures, and the sheer
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| | internal particulate damage to a car is
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| amount of power involved in running a
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| | done. By varying your speed for the
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| car, should give you some appreciation
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| | first 500 miles or so, you're helping to
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| for the high quality engineering behind
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| | ensure that proper seating of your piston
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| your car's engine, and should give you
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| | rings takes please, which will help
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| some hints on what to do to preserve the
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| | reduce oil consumption for the life of
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| life of your car.
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| | the car. Also, be sure to flush and
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| First of all, don't put off maintenance.
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| | change the oil after the first 1500 miles
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| Routine maintenance of your car is just
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| | or so; this will eliminate microscopic
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| like getting a physical every year from
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| | bits of metal and grit that get shaken
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| the doctor; it's not that you expect to
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| | loose during the break in phase.
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| find something wrong, but that you want
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| | After changing the oil, be sure to
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| to find the small problems before they
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| | replace it with a high quality synthetic
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| grow to become large ones. In similar
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| | motor oil. Synthetics are formulated to
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| light, don't put off changing the oil;
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| | maintain viscosity over a wider range of
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| remember when we talked about the wide
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| | temperatures, and to avoid high
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| range of temperatures your car undergoes
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| | temperature breakdowns and boil off.
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| in routine operations? Well, your oil is
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| | They produce fewer carbon deposits, and
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| what protects the moving parts of your
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| | retain their viscosity for up to three
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| car when it runs. Motor oil is meant to
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| | times longer, and offer generally better
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| coat the parts of the car and lubricate
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| | protection throughout their cycle.
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| them, and also transmits heat from
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| | The other place where routine work and
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| friction and wear and tear. The
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| | careful driving can greatly extend the
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| "clinginess" of oil to engine parts is
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| | life of your car is the transmission.
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| its viscosity, and in general, engines
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| | Drive gently - avoid making sudden starts
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| are built and tuned to run within a
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| | and stops. After you're done with the
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| certain range of engine oil viscosities
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| | break-in period, try to maintain a
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| and weights.
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| | constant speed when you drive. It
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| That lubrication effect from oil helps
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| | doesn't save any time to accelerate and
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| prevent the single biggest cause of
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| | break suddenly, but it does wear the
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| engine damage: Grinding and wear from
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| | engine out faster. Likewise, only change
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| road grit, metal particles ground off
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| | gears when you need to - this prevents
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| from inside the engine and more. The oil
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| | wear and tear on the transmission. Like
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| traps these microscopic particles, and
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| | the advice above about engine oil, use a
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| keeps them from abrading the surfaces.
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| | high quality synthetic for your
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| These accumulated particles, plus carbon
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| | transmission fluid, and replace the
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| that's "cooked out" of the oil in high
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| | transmission fluid early on a new car,
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| temperature circumstances, form engine
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| | for the same reasons you do your first
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| oil sludge, which is one of the things
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| | oil change after 1500 miles.
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| that regularly changing the oil, and
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