Oil sludging atonement: Toyota settles class-action suit (Car Maintenance)
January 18, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Coupes, Minivans/MPVs, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Government/Legal, Recalls/TSBs, Crossovers/CUVs, Toyota
If you’re the owner of certain Toyota products built with the 2.2L I4 or 3.0L V6 between 1997 and 2002, you may soon be receiving notification from the automaker concerning its recent settlement in a class-action lawsuit. Filed as the result of damage caused by sludged oil (which ultimately can destroy an engine by clogging lubrication passages), the suit claimed that affected customers suffered from failures despite following Toyota’s maintenance recommendations. As a result, Toyota will be extending the warranty of up to 7.5 million vehicles to 8 years and 120 days from the original purchase date (without regard for mileage), and will pay for damage incurred as a result of oil sludge - also referred to as oil gel.
In 2002, Toyota offered an extended warranty to some owners who were affected by the sludging problem, but many customers claim to have been accused of improper maintenance and were forced to pay for their own repairs.
Sludging is the result of several factors, some of which included longer drain intervals, tighter engine tolerances, and the typically higher operating temperatures of new engines. Several other manufacturers have also faced allegations of oil sludging problems and have responded in a variety of ways.
As a consumer, the best defensive measure is, of course, a regular oil change (following the “severe service” schedule if required) with a name-brand oil that meets the manufacturer’s recommendations for viscosity and API service rating. Some manufacturers recommend different viscosities for operation in extremely hot or cold climates; as always, the owner’s manual is an outstanding source of information on matters like these.
[Source: Consumer Affairs; a hat tip to AB readers Drew and Ryan]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Source: maintenance.autoblog.com
[tags]car maintenance, car tech, car care[/tags]
Autoblog Project Garage: Underbody rust mitigation (Car Maintenance)
January 1, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Maintenance, Tech
Quite simply, rust sucks. Most any vehicle regularly driven during winters in the Salt Belt will fall victim to corrosion, and the various spray-on undercoatings available from the aftermarket have their shortcomings. Specifically, the spray-on application of these coatings often results in incomplete coverage, and what is applied will typically degrade upon repeated exposure to a decade’s worth of abrasive road debris.
After dropping the fuel tank on our 1996 Buick Roadmaster, we found some oxidized ugliness despite the vehicle’s near-impeccable maintenance record. Fortunately, the damage was caught before significant amounts of sheetmetal were lost, and modern technology has provided us with the tools to keep the situation from getting worse.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Source: www.autoblog.com
[tags]car maintenance, car tech, car care[/tags]
Determining oil change intervals via analysis (Car Maintenance)
December 28, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
John’s post on Valvoline’s oil change interval survey results got the attention of our readers, so perhaps now it’s time for a slightly different perspective on the topic. If one accepts the fact that each combination of driver and engine is likely to require its own oil change interval, then the idea of some sort of “blanket” recommendation on the topic seems almost silly.
With this in mind, we decided to run some analysis on a couple of vehicles in our motor pool. Due to the mileage put on our 2001 Honda Accord V6 during its daily commute, the 3,000-mile interval suggested by ASE Master Mechanics would require a change every month and a half. The service manual, on the other hand, suggests that the oil need be changed only every 8,000 miles - an interval a bit more practical for busy DIYers. A couple simple and affordable tests from Blackstone Labs offered some insight on who might be right. And what sort of stress does the high-revving stroker V8 in our Impala SS impart upon its oil? Click through to find out.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Source: www.autoblog.com
[tags]car maintenance, car tech, car care[/tags]
Autoblog visits the Mercedes Classic Car Center (Car Maintenance)
December 25, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Maintenance, Time Warp, Euro, Marketing/Advertising, DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes Benz
We recently made a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Center in Irvine, California, to check out this restoration and retail facility. Located adjacent to a cluster of auto showrooms, it looks like just another modern dealership. But the cars inside are anything but modern. For starters, there’s a 1954 220 Coupe out front. Once inside the building, you’ll be greeted by some of the most desirable models from Mercedes’ glorious past. Gullwings and Patent-Motorwagens, SLRs and Pullmen.
(Follow the jump for the rest of the story and a gallery of wallpaper-sized pics.)
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Source: www.autoblog.com
[tags]car maintenance, car tech, car care[/tags]
Nostalgia - Flexstones and Flatheads (Car Maintenance)
December 21, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
With it getting colder here in New England, us Yankee Autobloggers have to prepare for winter. This often entails a final running of the yard equipment, just today I mulched the rest of the leaves that’d fallen on the back yard. There’s nothing quite like the roar of an air-cooled “one-lunger” ringing out through the crisp air. The smell of exhaust brings back memories of long ago, when that same toxic unburned hydrocarbon parfum emanated forth from the tailpipe of passing Delmont 88s and Bobcats, among others. There’s something about the way the scent of decay from the leaves mixes with the exhaust and combines with the air’s coolness that just brings to mind those stylized pictures of happy family life in the horn-rimmed 1950s - earflap hats, red plaid jackets and all.
More after the jump.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Source: maintenance.autoblog.com
[tags]car maintenance, car tech, car care[/tags]
