hi scotty i just got a new job delivering pizzas, i have a hyundai accent blue 2010, 58k miles, manual. do you have any advice to keep my car in best possible shape, for the longest life i can give the engine? everything seems pretty solid right now.
Change oil and filter ever 5K miles with a good synthetic, use the weight specified by the manufacturer. If that engine has a timing belt change it on schedule, and change the water pump out at the same time if driven by the timing belt. (That's an interference engine, so if the water pump were to seize up and snap the timing belt - goodbye engine.) Change spark plugs at manufacturer specified intervals.
With 58k miles you might want to think about changing out the manual transmission lube as well. Other than that don't beat the thing to death. Some of the pizza delivery guys I've seen drive like they're in the Indy 500.
Follow your factory recommended maintenance. That's all you can do really. That and use good fuel.
The best would be to use a company's car so it's not your problem, to me the money you make will be used to pay back the wear and tear from city driving all the time. Also there's a big stereotype from police against food delivery drivers (at least in Canada there is) as they usually use the company's car so they go fast and beat it. Watch out for speed limits and police.
Good advice by Chuck. I'd add this: Understand that service intervals are under the "severe" use recommendations. Constant stop-and-go, frequent shifting, idling, braking, etc are all severe use. So, yes, more frequent oil and ATF changes. Don't forget, too, to check your engine air and cabin air filters. Use "Top Tier" gas (this has nothing to do with octane, and everything to do with using gas that has extra detergents and additives, to reduce carbon buildup in the air/fuel system).
Also, since the vehicle is eleven years old, clean the MAF and Throttle Body. (Easy, DIY project)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWCKvU2FmDc
See below: I can’t emphasize enough being on top of your engine oil and transmission ATF fluid changes regularly, even more aggressive than the user’s manual, so every 5,000 miles for engine oil (using full synthetic) and every 40,000-50,000 miles for your transmission. Oil is (relatively) cheap but a new engine/transmission is not.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/what-is-the-basic-car-maintenance/#post-51752
Our ATF sticky:
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/atf/
