Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 32

Thread: Time based maintenance: basis?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Warrandyte
    Posts
    16
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Time based maintenance: basis?

    I have recently purchased a D4, MY12, SDV6 HSE.
    Its predecessors were a 98 D1 and an 84 RR, both of which I maintained myself.
    The D4 will be my first car where this will not be the case: quite beyond my knowledge and facilities.

    I believe I have identified a suitable service outfit, but I need to understand what they're doing.
    I have had a look at the maintenance check sheet - which was actually for UK and EU to 11MY - and I see services for a 3.0 diesel, alternating 'A' and 'B', every 26,000 kms or 12 months.

    The car is now 9 years old and has done 174,000 kms.
    Timing belt was supposed to have been done at 163,000.
    I believe it was serviced just prior to purchase, but don't know what was done at this point.
    The repair shop put a sticker on it saying next service due at 184,000/6 months, ie 27/11/21.
    This equates to 20k per year, whereas I'm likely to rack up only 8k, per year!
    So by November, just another 4,000 kms.

    That's all preamble. I'm not aiming to scrimp here. On the contrary, I intend to service it to the max.
    I know that timed services is a well established approach, but I have never seen any justification for it.
    If a car travel 10k per year, why not service it every two years?

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    502
    Total Downloaded
    0
    From what I have been told, if a car does only low kms (ie less than 10k) per year, the chances are that the car only does shorts trips and so hardly ever gets up to full operating temps. As such oils absorb moisture that never gets "boiled" off and the oil degredates over the time, and then looses its protective characteristics. Not that I buy 2nd hand anymore but when i did I would generally avoid low kms old cars or those just driven to Church on Sundays by old grannies. In any case if you have a D4 and only do short trips you will soon find out the battery cannot cope and you will need to put it on charge. There are lots on the D4 forum regarding this. Cheers
    2016.5 TDV6 Graphite D4,Corris Grey,APT sliders,Goe air comp plate,UHF & HF radio,Airflow snorkel,Discrete Winch,Compo rims with 265/65/18 KO, LLAMs,Traxide dual battery with winch set up,EAS emergency kit,Mitch Hitch EGR blank & delete,ECU remap

  3. #3
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
    No one of consequence
    Supporter
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Perth (near Malaga)
    Posts
    2,862
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by dirvine View Post
    avoid low kms old cars or those just driven to Church on Sundays by old grannies.
    When my grandmother gave up her car she had me sell it for her. In its last 5 years it had done on average 2,000km a year and had a logged oil&filter change every 3 months. It was a Getz, so I figured it’s oil was changed more frequently than it was filled up with fuel. There are exceptions to every rule.

    Personally since the advent of affordable synthetic oil I’ve done 10kk or 12 months. Whichever comes first.

    Routine maintenance on a 3/4 is absolutely doable by a home mechanic, more so given your previous experience with the manufacturer.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Coffs Harbour
    Posts
    506
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I am launching some aircraft style pre emptive maintenance in a couple of weeks.
    I am about to turn over 270000km soon so I am getting both intake manifolds replaced, oil cooler, and any injectors which are not up to scratch. The mileage is 95% country driving as I do work in Scone, Parkes, Sydney and Wollongong.
    I am after reliability as I do mainly long highway trips for my work, and I could not think of going back to a less comfortable or less capable vehicle so the quote so far is approx $4700 plus injectors if needed.
    I have only replaced brakes, lower arms, belts, auto transmission mechatronic accumulators and seals. The transfer case replacement was my own fault as the range change forks got bent when I did a range change on the run going up a mountain and got stuck in low.
    I have had many quips about reliability, but when I tell them the mileage without major dramas they are amazed. A couple of LC200 owners have had engine problems and several changes of injectors in that time among other things within that sort of mileage.
    2012 Fuji White 3.0 D4, Rear view camera, Hi-line sound, E-diff, Xenon lights, ARB winch bar, Lightforce 240 50w HID. Brads sliders.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Fremantle WA
    Posts
    3,742
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclist View Post
    I have recently purchased a D4, MY12, SDV6 HSE.
    Its predecessors were a 98 D1 and an 84 RR, both of which I maintained myself.
    The D4 will be my first car where this will not be the case: quite beyond my knowledge and facilities.

    I believe I have identified a suitable service outfit, but I need to understand what they're doing.
    I have had a look at the maintenance check sheet - which was actually for UK and EU to 11MY - and I see services for a 3.0 diesel, alternating 'A' and 'B', every 26,000 kms or 12 months.

    The car is now 9 years old and has done 174,000 kms.
    Timing belt was supposed to have been done at 163,000.
    I believe it was serviced just prior to purchase, but don't know what was done at this point.
    The repair shop put a sticker on it saying next service due at 184,000/6 months, ie 27/11/21.
    This equates to 20k per year, whereas I'm likely to rack up only 8k, per year!
    So by November, just another 4,000 kms.

    That's all preamble. I'm not aiming to scrimp here. On the contrary, I intend to service it to the max.
    I know that timed services is a well established approach, but I have never seen any justification for it.
    If a car travel 10k per year, why not service it every two years?

    Thoughts?

    You will find most on here subscribe to the 10K km/6 months which ever comes first rule for basic servicing.

    I'm a 10K max person but will allow up to 8-9 months if all is going well and providing its been not all short suburban trips - need to blow out the cobwebs every now and then. If doing mainly suburban running you will also find your battery/ies degrading and needing a topup by either battery charger, or as I do, connect up a small solar panel.
    Enjoy the beast - they are awesome if looked after
    MY16 D4 TDV6 - with a little Cambo magic for towing "The Brick"
    MY95 RRC LSE Vogue Softdash "Bessie" (turning circle comparable to QE II) with MY99 TD5 and 4HP24 transplants. Back home Nov 22 after a magic overhaul by Chivalry
    SADLY SOLD MY04 D2a TD5 auto Classic and MY10 D4 2.7 both with lots of goodies

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Warrandyte
    Posts
    16
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by dirvine View Post
    From what I have been told, if a car does only low kms (ie less than 10k) per year, the chances are that the car only does shorts trips and so hardly ever gets up to full operating temps. As such oils absorb moisture that never gets "boiled" off and the oil degredates over the time, and then looses its protective characteristics. Not that I buy 2nd hand anymore but when i did I would generally avoid low kms old cars or those just driven to Church on Sundays by old grannies. In any case if you have a D4 and only do short trips you will soon find out the battery cannot cope and you will need to put it on charge. There are lots on the D4 forum regarding this. Cheers
    Thanks for that. A bit lazy of me to not investigate a bit first.

    What's a short trip? From a Castrol article:
    "When a vehicle is regularly driven for less than 20 minutes at a time the engine does not get hot enough for long enough to force the contaminants out of the oil. This can result in an excessive build up of contaminants in the oil."

    From a 1993 L A Times article:
    "Water contamination of the oil occurs when moist air is drawn into the crankcase and condenses after the engine is turned off. Frequent short trips increase the amount of condensation. The water in the crankcase is not harmful, but it can combine with sulfur, a byproduct of combustion, to form sulfurous acid, a weak acid that breaks down the lubricating qualities of the oil."

    Fifty years ago I changed the oil in my Mark V11, all 24 pints of it, every 2,500 miles. Modern synthetic oils are obviously a lot better than Castrol XL.

    Although my kms are low my trips <20kms are very few. However, upon reflection I will adhere to the six months interval. Forty years ago my Saab Turbo needed two replacement turbos. Two turbos on the D4, with movable vanes on one!
    I'll think of it as a six monthly insurance premium.

    Thanks again for your response.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Warrandyte
    Posts
    16
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by BradC View Post
    ..

    Personally since the advent of affordable synthetic oil I’ve done 10kk or 12 months. Whichever comes first.

    Routine maintenance on a 3/4 is absolutely doable by a home mechanic, more so given your previous experience with the manufacturer.
    After the D1 I feel I've bought the Royal Yacht Britannia!
    I read in an article about the 2.7 diesel that to replace the turbo it's easiest if you lift off the body!
    I open the bonnet to connect my little compressor to the battery but where is it? Under a plastic cover!

    After the shock and awe has worn off I may start doing stuff myself..

    Thanks for your thoughts.

  8. #8
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
    No one of consequence
    Supporter
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Perth (near Malaga)
    Posts
    2,862
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclist View Post
    After the D1 I feel I've bought the Royal Yacht Britannia!
    I read in an article about the 2.7 diesel that to replace the turbo it's easiest if you lift off the body!
    I open the bonnet to connect my little compressor to the battery but where is it? Under a plastic cover!

    After the shock and awe has worn off I may start doing stuff myself..
    They certainly are complex and a diagnostic tool like a Gap IID can help a _lot_ because there are computers around every corner. There are a lot of things that would be easier "body off", but a great deal of them can be done "body on" with sufficient stock of beer and expletives. It also helps if you know a double-jointed midget russian contortionist to assist. Also keep a good stock of 10mm sockets. These cars are like the Bermuda triangle for 10mm sockets.

    The workshop manual would be a valuable addition to your bookshelf, although the muppet who coined the phrase "reassembly is the reverse of removal" should be cast into the pit of despair. There is an excellent resource here in a lot of members who have "been there, done that and ruined the t-shirt in the process", plus the D3 UK forums and loads of stuff on youtube.

    Welcome to the family and condolences in advance. At least they're nice to look at even when they go past on the flat bed.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Adelaide Hills
    Posts
    13,298
    Total Downloaded
    0
    back in the day, when oils were less advanced, they turned acidic over time, hence the every 12 months part regardless of km.
    modern oils don't seem do this if you believe the literature.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Black Rock
    Posts
    997
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by BradC View Post
    These cars are like the Bermuda triangle for 10mm sockets.

    ...the muppet who coined the phrase "reassembly is the reverse of removal" should be cast into the pit of despair.
    BradC will be appearing soon in his one act play "The Sermon on the Bonnet"
    2013 D4 expedition equipped
    1966 Army workshop trailer
    (previously SII 2.25 swb, SIII 2.25 swb & lwb, P38 Vogue, 1993 LSE 3.9V8 then HS2.8)

Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!