Major Service - What would you do?, What would you replace? Options

[JoshuaM]

Hey Guys,

Apart from all the JDM goodies on order, it is time to do some general maintenance on the car too. I bought the car a year ago with 141,000kms, and it just clicked over to 154,000kms. I had the timing belt replaced when I bought it, and I have done one simple oil and filter change in this period (probably about 8 months and 5,000kms ago, so definately time for another one). I am planning on changing the oil and filter again tomorrow, but I wanted to do a comprehensive service very soon, as although I know the car had been serviced regularly, I have a suspicion it hasn't been by the log book specifications.

I have just bought some NKG Iridium IX spark plugs, and I am also planning on changing the fuel filter and the manual transmission fluid (getting the grinds). I just wanted to ask what else would you do to keep the engine in top shape, without know what had been changed when?

Thanks,
Joshua


P.s. also, this is as good a time to ask as any, my radiator has green fluid in it, although there are rusty coloured edges on all of the plastics around the cap. Does this mean the car just started off with red coolant and it stained, or do I have rust in there? And is this a problem? (I have no heating problems whatsoever, no matter how I treat it it always sits dead centre on the gauge!)

[JoshuaM]

change what u said and flush the radiator. The green fluid is just probably green coolant.

You have to realized after 10 years, who really cares about following the logbook. People do it when they remember. Toyota red coolant is great, but on the new cars, not on ours. Any coolant will be fine. oil and tranny oil, may be a different case.

just read in the forums and get an idea... there are a lot of posts regarding general maintenance

Yeah, I realized that, which is why I was trying to gage interest in what everybody here thought was worthwhile. Thank you for the heads-up on the coolant front

P.s. I did read through the forums before posting

To keep the engine in top shape? Just do a full tune up and do it yourself. It will save you loads of money.

I'd recommend you to change your motor oil once every 3 months or 3,000miles, semi-synthetic every 4 months or 4,000 miles, fully synthetic every 5-6 months or 5-6,000miles. Depending on what kind of oil you use. I would never go more than half a year without changing my oil.

Haha, yeah I'm definately doing it all myself, the only thing I had changed for me was the timing belt, and that was only because the dealer was paying to put a new bearing kit or something in that water pump, and I asked them to fit a new timing belt at the same time (so I only paid for the cost of the belt) - and it was nice to have it all done before I drove the 1200 miles home

I don't understand getting routine services done at a mechanic, my friend had his done on Wednesday; he paid $220 for oil, filter, air filter and wiper blades from a mechanic for his Mazda 121 metro economy car. What a complete waste of money! We had even offered multiple times to help him and show him how to do it, but some people just don't want to touch them.

My plan for services was 6 months or 3000 miles, and I always use semi-synthetic. Life just got away from me a bit on this occasion.