04 chevy van w/ 50k , what routine maintenance would you do ?

Question

I dropped the van off tonight and asked for a l.o.f. , trans service, and rear axle service.Is the rear axle service similar to older models, with pack-able bearings and such ? What will they likely do, just drain the pumpkin oil and re-fill ?

Answer 1

Be sure you have the front end lubricated probably and make sure you lube the door hinges at least once a yr.

Plus just making sure the brakes are given a free inspection by a reliable mechanic on a yrly basis or more depending how many miles you drive yrly.Mainly making sure the braking system is up to par and cleaning readjusting the brakes can help a lot in saving wear and tear and increase mileage.

Be sure you check and maintain proper air pressure in tires and be sure to change the pressure due to climate temperature and condition changes.

Having the wheels balanced at least yrly and a free front end inspection performed yrly with a front end alignment is needed is very wise too.Plus rotating your tires in the proper recommended manner is vital.

Try to always use the same type of tire on all 4 wheels and same tread patterns bec that helps maintain best smoothest possible roll and even traction from the tires and also saves gas.

A full rad flush is wise once the vehicle is hitting the age of 5 yrs or so and also flushing the brake fluid might be a good idea too.

Changing simple things like a air filter or gas filter and making sure you don't run the vehicle without having a good half tank helps too , plus changing the gas filter is wise once a yr.

I'd forsure by next spring over all the vans electrical charging system bec that is vital in keeping the van's starter and other charging system devices from over working or not performing up to par , plus a vehicle will be able to start quicker , run better and also you could restart it several times more then most vehicles a yr just bec of the over haul work done.

That aged vehicle probably needs the electrical charging system's circuit over hauled and that could be part of the problem you're having now.You'll need to check, for corrusion or rust and maybe clean the system with a small file, fine sandpaper , small wire brushes the battery, starter, alternator posts, connections and connectors, plus the engine block ground, clean or replace any and all ground wires,plus use new screws etc in connecting the grounds ,and create new ground wires or ground connections when their too rusty etc to remove.If you want to spend the time it's well worth it to take out the relays , and fuses with the battery disconnected and clean their connectors, especially any fuses etc located under the hood. Plus clean , re-gap or change the spark plugs , clean the connectors  inside the spark plug wires with a flat head small screwdriver, just be careful not to scrape the wire itself inside the connectors and be sure to clean the ignition coil connectors too.Plus I highly recommend changing the gas filter especially if you've not been changing it on a yrly basis.

Don't even worry about any old grounds if you made up new ones as long as their not in the way and you've it done right.

Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way it is a good idea to read and go by what the owner manual says plus really there are so many things that really should be checked on any vehicle.

I use to hear this question a lot.......why do people see me working on my vehicles so much? my reply is that vehicles don't maintain themselves lol

Also it might not be a bad idea to pick up a service manual  for that vehicle.



  

Answer 2

You don't really repack rear axle bearings on solid axle rer ends. The trans service is an excellent idea. I'd change all the air and fuel filters as well. All the drive belts should be checked. I'd just change them if they are original. I'd flush all the brake fluid as well as coolant. Use power flushes for both of these.  In the owners manual, there is a VERY good list of things that are to be checked at 50,000 miles. Those owner's manuals if followed can really extend the life of a vehicle. Too bad more people don't follow them.  

Answer 3

oil filter fuel filter new oil plugs air filter pretty standard.. more than likely they will just check the rear end and refill and you dont really want to mess with the rear end if its not leaking