Hi scotty I'm 16 yrs old and 17 this summer, I also live in Colorado and love your vids. I have a 2000 Honda accord. It has 191,116 miles on it and only 2 previous owners. I've still gotta finish paying off my grandpa for it but I'll have it to myself this summer. When it's in my possession I want to start doing as much work on it as possible, cleaning every nook and cranny and replacing whatever I come across that needs it, I'm wondering though if its even necessary to do that. I I dont plan on tearing the engine apart or anything like that but I mean more like checking the air filter, oil changes, brake changes, gasket cleanings, things like that which are fairly simple and quick but something's I can get my hands dirty on. What I'm wondering though is if I should just leave it be and not do anything with it till something needs to be done?
Thank you! -Jayden
I like to thoroughly clean vehicles I get too.
air filters and brakes are changed when they wear out.
engine oil + filter are changed on a schedule.
I don't know which gaskets you mean.
The car will tell you when it needs something if you listen.
Nice that you're wanting to get into cars and doing stuff on your own. Air filter, oil changes, spark plugs, simple stuff. Yeah, take it easy on the other things you mentioned, brakes, gaskets et.... "if it ain't broke, don't mess with it". Deal with the other more complicated things when the need arises, and have someone that knows what they're doing work with you, especially brakes. I watched and helped on many brakes jobs first before doing my own.
Going through the brake system on a 21-22 year old car seems like an excellent idea but be sure you know what you are doing. Certainly normal maintenance should be done such as replacing filters, oil changes, etc., and by doing those right off the bat you know you'll be at a good starting point.
I’ll only add, since it’s within the family, ask your granddad about all prior maintenance performed on the vehicle.
Only carry out all the jobs which are pending (apart from cleanliness).
Leave the rest alone.
If the car was well cared for & has a known service history, it may still last for quite some time.
All the best!
Some items are maintenance and some are not. (Oil and fluid changes are maintenance). And you can change some items while doing normal maintenance. On a car with that many miles changing the PCV Valve is probably a good idea.
When you drain and fill the radiator, it's probably a good idea to replace the thermostat. If there's no history of spark plugs replacement, these are worth a look. Also check and clean the MAF and Throttle body.
If the brake fluid hasn't been checked, check and service, as needed.
Make sure you use OEM parts for the PCV Valve and thermostat (watch out for counterfeit OEM parts, as well).
Good prevention is always cheaper than "run to fail."
