A Cabbie Once Told Me, “Fix It While It’s Cheap!”

I used to be a New Yorker (not a rude one) and was once taught a valuable lesson from a cab driver who goes by the name Donny.

While on the subject of how he keeps his cab (it was not company-owned) running in tip-top shape he told me, “Maintenance is about either paying for it now or paying for it later. Not conducting proper preventive maintenance has a huge impact because it is very cheap, relatively, to fix something early on with your own two hands (as opposed to taking it to a garage). If you break down on the road, it will usually cost you at least triple the repair cost at these highway bandit shops they’ll tow it to.”

“But, the focus should be on where to spend maintenance money,” he said, “because you can go broke by over-maintaining your automobile as well, so you’ll have to determine the key areas on the vehicle you need to maintain. Pay special attention to your brakes, followed by the tires, axle’s alignment, air and fluid filtration, the cooling system, batteries, transmission linkages, and all chassis and body fasteners.” I didn’t know what all this meant at the time; today, I broke down on the highway, and found out the hard way!

A few rules of thumb for preventative maintenance, you’ll need to stay on top of, are listed below (abide by them, and learn from my costly mistake):

Batteries: If your battery runs low, your car may not even get you out of the driveway. Donny told me that battery cables should be disconnected, cleaned and load-tested at frequent intervals, which will help you make sure a full charge is getting through. Of particular concern are low voltage batteries: they may get a car started, but they put more pressure on its alternator and starter, leading to a shorter battery life cycle.

Cooling Systems: Cars and trucks generate a lot of heat! Consequently, the cooling system has to be in top shape. Corrosion over time can lead to internal engine issues and leaks in the cooling hoses. High temperatures generated by the engine and other systems can evaporate any traces of coolant leaks, making a repetitive problem difficult to find. So, regular pressure testing of the cooling system is certainly a must.

Tires: Tires are one of the most expensive areas for vehicle maintenance! Donny said, “The key is to keep tires properly inflated, and ensure that the front axle is aligned properly to minimize abnormal tire wear.” Have them check the front axle toe at each tire rotation because it only takes 5 minutes, but will save you in the long run. If the toe is out of alignment, you should have it adjusted because that is what accelerates and wears tires out the most.

Oil and Grease: You must buy the best engine oil and component grease available (note: think quality, not the most expensive) because it will add a much longer life to your car. Front ends, clutch linkages and especially u-joints need to be constantly checked for dryness. Donny said, “If you don’t grease a u-joint regularly, it’s going to blow out on you, and when that happens, you’ll have to tow the vehicle, which will be very expensive.” Paying attention to the small details helps you avoid the big problems in the long run!

I vaguely remember Donny saying, “Most people know what their car’s problems are — they’re just not sure how to get started, or don’t have the patience to try and fix it their selves, or even worse: they’ll take it to a thieving mechanic.” My response to his insight, which might sound like a crazy-man’s warning to you, is to learn to do the small stuff yourself before it gets out of control. Do your own preventative maintenance, and you’ll be saving yourself some seriously expensive garage bills down the road.

I hope I taught you something here today. I’m so mad at myself for not learning this lesson sooner (I was like, “Yea, Yea,” in the presence of greatness — my man Donny).

Oh well, depending on the size of this bill, it might be time to look for a new car (I hate this)!