Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 05:46 am, by: Peter Nitschke
Notes only:
When the car is on the floor: Check all lights, fans, wipers (and their rubber conditions), w/screeen washers, horn. Headlight alignment if needed. Check Park brake tension, no more than 1/3 travel of the handle or about 5 clicks.
Under the bonnet: Check radiator hoses, ensure they are not crunchy inside or split or leaking, look for coolant marks on the thermostat, heater hoses and radiator tanks. Check fan belts are not cracked. Check all fluid level AND colour, flush if necessary. The auto fluid is especially important, if it is brown or darker, you must flush the auto, as it takes so much stress and heat everyday. Check battery water level and terminals, and spray anti corrosion spray on it, to prevent white battery acid build up. Look for oil leaks around p/steering pump, rocker cover gasket, timing seal, master cylinders. And oil marks near intake tubes from turbo blow backs.
Car in the air on the hoist: Wheels off, swap back to front, check for toe in/out or camber caused worn marks. Set tyre pressures, including the spare. Drain the eng oil and remove oil filter. Check front/rear end, uni's, all boots, brake wear, exhaust system. Watch out for any oil drips, usually they are from rocker cover gasket, p/steering system, timing seal, sump gasket, transmission oil pan gasket, g/box rear seal, selection shaft seal and servo, rear main(so common on Commodores!), diff pinion seal and housing gasket.
......and the list goes on for just a minor service.
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