Maintenance Questions...

[WILMASBOYL78]

So...I am working on Karen's 2002 Berger...the car has 10,000 miles on it since new. Other than the normal annual oil change and periodic tire rotation we haven't done a lot of maintenance. Mostly cosmetic TLC to keep the car looking nice.

I did change the air filter today and picked up a fuel filter as well...but, what about other items like; brake fluid, rear axle oil, tranny fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, spark plugs, belts, etc..

Karen's big concern is the tires...they are 12 years old, or young, depending upon your perspective. The tires are the 275/40 R17 BFG "directional" style...they have the little arrow that says..."this way".
I wiped them down today and looked them over carefully..no cracks or checking..no abrasions...they all look fine to me...BUT, I have read lots of threads on this site about radial tires...and concerns about safety when they are old...

Well, there you have it...the car runs fine...looks good...and Karen loves it..I just want to be sure we keep it that way...

Any thoughts or commentary are appreciated.

wilma

I

[njsteve]

Tires are really only safe to drive on for 7 years. Since they are the originals, I would take those off and store them somewhere where they won't be near any electrical equipment. Yeah, I know that sounds bizarre but the trace amounts of ozone created by electrical motors, like the one in your furnace accelerate the deterioration of rubber.

I have two original set of zero mile Michelin MXX tires and rims from my '93 Viper stacked up, hibernating in a closet.

[SuperNovaSS]

I would keep driving on them and not think twice about it. Lots of wine goes bad in 7 years too, it doesn't mean it all goes bad. I'm sure others will chime in. Other than greasing zerks etc., I would check the service schedule and call it good personally.


Just my two cents,

Jason