My Maintenance Schedule has stripped a gear...

[mwilson]

I'm usually right up on my vehicle maintenance, take care of a vehicle and it will take care of you....etc..

But after a whacked out year of drama, deaths and other things I find that I am behind on care and feeding of my vehicles...

Pulled the wifes van in for a service, thought it sounded a little ratty when I started it. 3.3 L with 112,000 miles on it.....sitting in it listening and I also hear a noise in the front heater blower motor.....
Dig out my records......somehow it never has had a spark plug change...good place to start as any....
Bought plugs for that (bought the OEM spec, why wouldn't I) and will change those today...

Car sounded ratty on a cold start last week, dug out the records that came with it and guess what?? That's never had spark plugs either!!! 105,000 miles and 12 years old.....bought plugs for that too and will change them today as well. At least those have a 100,000 mile change interval....
Will take longer than the van as I have to remove some stuff to get the rear plugs out.

I am ashamed that I missed that but one can only deal with and do so much....

 

[jgillott]

We have a tendency to worry too much about trivial stuff like vehicles and maintenance. Yes, we want to be preventative and do the needed maintenance as scheduled. However, it is meaningless in the scheme of life. Take care of the important things first, health, family, etc. and everything else just needs to fall in to place.

 

[DavidC]

I dread the day I have to change plugs in the wife's Toyota Sienna sideways 6 cylinder, timing belt and Toyota's great idea of putting the water pump behind the timing belt. It all sounds like a disaster in the making.

Dave

 

[mwilson]

Right off to a good start, boots are all stuck to the plugs. I didn’t get new wires and it’s a Sunday in Lincoln so 50 miles away for Parts...will have to be careful especially on the back three...

 

[mwilson]

We have a tendency to worry too much about trivial stuff like vehicles and maintenance. Yes, we want to be preventative and do the needed maintenance as scheduled. However, it is meaningless in the scheme of life. Take care of the important things first, health, family, etc. and everything else just needs to fall in to place.

Agreed, and it does seem good to be back to a place in my life where I can whine about being behind.....

 

[DavidC]

I would imagine your van has the same arrangement as Cindy's. I will be interested how the back 3 go.

Dave

 

[Bob4x4]

Never had a hard time getting the wires off on a 3.3. Always done on a rack for the back 3. Have fun

 

[mwilson]

Not bad, on this generation van you can reach right over and around the intake. All kinds of room. This is where my overpriced 3/8” drive flex head Snap On ratchet comes in handy.
The rear boots were not stuck like the front three. Spun the front boots gently back and forth til they broke free and grabbed them down low with pliers. Didn’t hurt them. Front plugs started dry but they live in the salt spray that comes in the front.

 

[mwilson]

I would imagine your van has the same arrangement as Cindy's. I will be interested how the back 3 go.

Dave

It shouldn’t be too bad, flex head ratchet really helps with swing or stroke.

I’ve used mirrors to help on the backside as well, Wallgreen makeup mirrors with a piece of carpet glued to the back so they sit still...

 

[mwilson]

Didn’t waste my money for sure!!

 

[Tuesdak]

I have seen worse: You could have run them until the SES light came on for cat efficiency and random misfire.

Sure will run better now!

 

[mwilson]

I have seen worse: You could have run them until the SES light came on for cat efficiency and random misfire.

Sure will run better now!

I think an SES light was in its near future for sure!!!

 

[mwilson]

Hoopty Deux in the garage thawing out now, of course it had to be snowing today....Let it dry while we run to town and then change the plugs when I return...get me some of that Northstar action...bleed a little...

 

[DavidC]

How come you have cotton at your cowl panel

Dave

 

[TFucili]

How come you have cotton at your cowl panel

Dave

Angel hair for Christmas, of course! Crossed candy canes in the grill I'm sure.

 

[mwilson]

37° and raining buckets after snowing all morning.....Maine weather at its finest!!

 

[DavidC]

Now you get to watch it freeze tonight and create Mike's enormous ice skating rink,

Dave

 

[TFucili]

Kubota donuts coming right up...

 

[jhenderson]

Right off to a good start, boots are all stuck to the plugs. I didn’t get new wires and it’s a Sunday in Lincoln so 50 miles away for Parts...will have to be careful especially on the back three...

Somewhere I have a set of plug wire boot pliers. With my 25 years of Cummins trucks and the advent of coil on plug ignition I can’t even remember when I last saw them.

 

[TFucili]

Used them a fair bit in the ATV shop, but now even my SxS is coil on plug.