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100K Maintenance ?

I question that statement. We are surrounded by "luck". Will I still have my good paying job after this layoff?, will the new red car I just bought not be a lemon?, will my girl stay loyal to me after we're married?, will I live to be 100? It's there whether or not it is acknowledged, the rest of it is nothing but a big fat test called life. Since we are thinking creatures, the idea is to place as many factors in our favor as we can. Maintenance, in and of itself, is a hedge against luck, at least the bad kind. You may be more superstitious than you think.
 
I regret not taking measures years ago to prevent it.

I noticed:laugh:

Mine gets waxed every 1-2 months, and washed about every 2 weeks. This keeps all of the dirt/ pollen/ such off of the car. As a result, any bubbling that took place on my rocker panels is completely frozen. Also, I am sure to get the water out of the spots in the back side of the body that may hold it. I never let the car stay wet. Anywhere:cool:

BTW, Ian: My timing belt is original. So it is still a safe bet that yours has been changed, OP; but I'd still change it on the off chance that it hasen't. It'll save your tow money
 
I don't consider it lucky, i consider it not a big deal. I know lots of people who don't even change the tranny fluid at all and they have over 200k on stock fluid. While it might be a good idea to change it it's not a 'you better do it or you won't have a transmission' issue. :shrug:. I've seen more trannys go bad from changing fluid every 30k then I have seen trannys go bad for not changing them at all.

Yes it is a big deal
It is a VERY good idea
Yes it is
What the Hell planet do you live on?

OP, CHANGE YOUR FLUID!!!!!!! We made that mistake with my car, and we almost had to swap the tranny. It's scary going up a hill on Rte 66 in a 50MPH zone, with the car either refusing to get out of second, or shifting constantly between 2nd, 4th, and 3rd. In that order:nonono:

Also, check your Valve cover gasket. That's a common "problem" with 4 cylinders, and I've noticed alot of it on Zetecs; that even CEG seems to forget about sometimes.
 
Old subject...just wanted to throw in my $0.02

I believe what Hector meant by not changing it now since it was never done...was a tranny flush. A flush removes all the old fluid & replaces it with new, while in a simple drain & refill, quite a bit of the old fluid still remains. Just changing the fluid through a simple tranny service is advisable, a flush is a more complete service flushing particles & sludge that has been built up over time & dislodging them but not necessarily removing them from the tranny. Unfortunately in a higher mileage car these are found in larger amounts & can wind up in places they are not welcome, causing in some cases, severe damage to failure.

Definately change the fluid, no need for a complete flush at this point & time...it will help the life of the tranny.
 
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