Quote Originally Posted by Pike View Post
Makes perfect sense to me! It was an interesting read too (IMO)

I get my oil changed every six months or so. I never actually hit the "get your oil changed at this many miles" mark on the sticker because I pretty much only ever drive my car to work and back, which is like. Three miles round trip lol.

<---- proud member of the "my car is 14 years old and still under 100,000 miles" club!! (ok it's at like 98500 but you know)
Yes, that is a really short commute. If you like your Toyota and want to keep it for a while, then changing the oil every 3k miles or every 6 months is a smart choice.

*Gets preachy*

They probably already do, but asking your mechanic to take a look at your air filter, belts, and other fluids once in a while is also important. Your rubber car parts like belts and hoses can get hard with age, outside of the exact mileage they have on them. Rubber wears from use or age.

Your coolant has corrosion inhibitors that prevent the metals in your engine from rusting. Normal coolant needs to be flushed every 2 years. Some manufacturers have special coolants that can go longer, but none of them actually last the lifetime of the vehicle like is claimed. Your Toyota's 'proprietary pink/red" coolant needs flushing around every 4 years/50k miles.

Brake fluid gathers moisture over time. This can damage other braking system components that would other wise be fine, meaning repairing things that wouldn't need repairing with regular fluid flushing. Moisture/water can also flash to steam under heavy braking due to heat load, meaning you no longer have brakes and have an accident. Getting the brake fluid every 2 years is ideal.

I'm sure budget is a factor, because it's a factor for everyone, but none of those things are incredibly expensive and can be planned out in advance as needed.

Thanks for taking a look at the little write-up!


As for Mirage's car.......Vaya con dios.