First off, 7 years old isn't that bad. My car is actually 17 years old by manufacture date.
My New Vehicle checklist consists of:
Oil Change
Transmission Fluid Change
Rear Differential change if the car has one (4 Wheel Drive cars have front/rear, Rear Wheel Drives only have rear)
Check Brake Pads/Calipers/Rotors (Take the wheels off, see how worn the brake pads are, if there is any scoring on the rotors that indicate they need to be turned (which is machined down with a lathe to create a smooth braking service again. Note: If you turn your rotors you MUST put new pads on.) and look for any brake hose or brake line leaks. Note: Brake Lines are metal, Brake hoses are rubber, just so you can make it easier to order parts or tell your mechanic what is wrong)
Distributor Cap and Rotor (usually only $15, so I would just replace them anyway)
Check Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Wires, replace if they look faded or have any deposits on the Spark Plugs (You need to replace Spark Plug Wires every other Plug change for most car brands.)
Run a Fuel Injector cleaner through the system with as little gas as possible in the vehicle, then go out and flog the hell out of it for 20 minutes or so. (Check a forum for recommended driving techniques. My Cadillac runs best when you drive it at full throttle as much as possible. I can tell if I have been babying for too long because the acceleration will be sluggish at half throttle.)
(Note: Fuel Injector cleaner is to be used regularly at fill up, before filling up. The technique I am going to describe is an oft-used MECHANICS technique that is NOT to be used on every tank, but maybe once every three months or so, before an oil change or something similar. I recommend BEFORE an oil change because while most of the deposits will be blown out of the exhaust, not all of them will.)
Insert Fuel System Cleaner (My preferred brand is Lucas Oil, but there are others out there just as good, ask your mechanic for his recommendation if you aren't sure which to use) on an empty tank. If you have a digital gauge, wait until the "E" is flashing, if not, wait until the the gauge is BELOW the "E," but not so low that you will run out of gas in the next five minutes. Drive somewhere where there is a lot of open space and little traffic. Put your vehicle in First gear and LEAVE IT THERE. Accelerate at full throttle until the end of the gear, being careful of the rev limiter. (If your car has a tachometer, watch your revs, if not, learn what speed your car normally shifts at. My Cadillac shifts out of first gear at 45 miles per hour, and this is a LONG first gear. My Ford Taurus shifted at about 35 MPH, but at 6,250 RPM.) Run back and forth in this manner a few times to make sure the fuel injector cleaner is working. If you are unsure if it has entered the system, just keep driving. I once did this technique, and I realized that it took nearly fifteen minutes of driving before I even noticed a difference, and that was after fifteen minutes of driving. Then, drive to your favorite fuel station and top up the tank.
A WORD OF WARNING ABOUT FUEL
As the proud owner of a High-Compression, racing style motor, I want to be very specific about this. The grade of fuel only matters if your manufacturer specifies one. My Cadillac HAS to run 91 octane or higher. I had a truck that ran best on 87, even though 89 is the more commonly used grade of fuel.
Unless you have a high compression motor, you can run whichever fuel your car runs most efficiently using. The thing that DOES matter is FUEL QUALITY. If you use cheap gas, your motor will run rougher, and be less efficient. If you use the highest quality fuels, you will get your money back in fuel mileage and motor life. (Trust me, this Cadillac is on it's second motor, and I AM NOT looking forward to spending another $1300 to replace the motor, so I have done lots of "Research" by driving my car and listening to how it responds. The only way to figure out which gas is best for your car is to do some research, and drive it with different types of gas. I used three different gas stations, and while all three have Top-Tier gasoline, the cheapest (THANK GOD) actually has the best effect on my car, making it run cleaner, more efficiently, and more powerfully. Also, it is 92 octane, so it is actually a higher grade of fuel as well.) The cheaper fuel saves you two or three dollars at the pump now, but the really good fuels will save you thousands down the line.
Now, Service schedules vary by car. My Cadillac has a sensor that TELLS ME when to change the oil, and changing it before then is just a waste. Otherwise, consult your preferred forum or mechanic.
I haven't changed the oil in my car in 9 months (She needs it soon, but I am not overdue yet) and she is running perfectly. A good rule to keep in mind though, even if you don't reach the factory recommended mileage, change your oil no less than once a year.
Transmission fluid usually lasts twice as long as oil, but I have heard of people only changing their transmission fluid once every three years.
It is all based on how you drive, and how often.
Was any of that helpful?
