zachlow

I know alot of people on here have certain little tricks, or ways to do things that they think will make there truck last longer. Just curious what everyone does. Myself, strong believer in marvel mystery oil in every oil change, oil still brownish every 5k with a truck with 144K on the odometer.

Whats your trick/tips? Especially when you live in harsh climates.

dgiancola

be routine with all scheduled maintenance....oil change every 3k.....transfluid change every 60k....

nuff

When you change the coolant go to the store and by 3 gallons of distilled water and add 50/50 distilled water and coolant.do it this way and you don't get any rust or minerals in your engine

3p0x1fx4

Preventative maintenance is huge in my opinion. Today's engines are designed to last well over 200k if they're driven properly and taken care of. When I was stationed in Minot, ND I made sure to allow my engine plenty of time to warm up before driving anywhere. Too many people just get in and go which is really hard on your engine.

Turkey Hunter

I wash my truck once a week. we have harsh winters so its always covered in road salt. I change my oil every 3k miles and get the tranny flushed every 30k. I change my fuel filter every 10k miles and clean my K and N air filter every time I change my oil. Clean MAF and throttle body every 6k miles. Change differential fluid occasionally as well.

sharptp

I Agree,
Preventative Maintenance is the key!
Warm ups are key even in the warmer weather!
OEM Parts! Make the Dealer know you are price shopping.
Besides the regular items like oil & fluid changes, I change my oil at 3k or before when it starts to change in color. Spend time on your truck inspect it twice a year Spring and Fall (it's warm) to look under, around and in your truck. Remove the wheels, clean all your brake parts, etc! Get to know it! Besides not breaking down on you, it's a whole lot safer for everyone, Oh and it's cheaper in the long run!

Get a repair Manual, it lists Routine Maintenance items to perform.
2001 F150 XLT 4.2 ltr 180,000

kaboom10

Full synthetic fluids everywhere. Don't scrimp.

3p0x1fx4

Just be careful with full synthetics on high mileage engines. I've seen leaks appear when switching to a full synthetic that weren't there with a conventional oil.

kaboom10

I've heard of this on older engines due to old gasket technology but not when I've done it on today's gaskets. I saw a lot of advancements working in the RD of a gasket maker.

Cdn Paratrooper

I've heard from many mechanics that idling is the worst thing for your engine and modern engines don't need to warm up...

Now that being said the patrol cars idle almost all day and last for hundreds of kilometres-I guess the regular maintenance is the key to that long life...