25 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO TO YOUR NEW CAR IN 2024 // MAKE YOUR CAR LAST A LIFETIME
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
- Engineer explains 25 things you should never do to your new, modern cars - if you want to make them last a lifetime. David Chao provides lots of practical advice in this fascinating video that covers everything from keeping your paint fresh to making your powertrain last a long long time. David also explains what you should DO to make your car last a long, long time.
Automotive Press is owned and managed by David Koichi Chao, a global expert in the field of automotive evaluation, engineering, and strategy. With over 35 years of engineering experience, David is able to review vehicles from unique perspectives utilizing technical and specialized methods. David is a board member and a director at AJAC (Automobile Journalist Association of Canada).
David is known around the world as an authentic specialist of Lean/Agile Thinking, and travels all around the world to review vehicles and teach latest engineering methods. Born and raised in Japan, David has an engineering degree from University of British Columbia and post-graduate education from MIT and Harvard Business School in Boston. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Imagine a collab between David and Mr. Car Care nut. The Toyota internet would explode.
REAL!!!
Ahmed and David - seriously, this would be the dream team for Toyota and Lexus owners - between them they could cover every aspect of each model, no problem.
@@CeeJay591 Toyota/Lexus should sponsor such video
@@MR3DDev No question - would be much better than any promotional material they produce
Thank you! In fact, AMD and I've talked about this a few times and we plan to do a collab in a month or so!
I’m retired now but was in the auto industry for 42 years, these tips have a lot of value. For vehicles that aren’t used regularly a trickle/battery maintenance charger is very important, especially in cold climates. A fully charged battery can survive down to -40*f but a discharged or dead battery can freeze at 32*f destroying its internal structure. It will never come back. So get a charger made for colder climates. 😊
Basically new cars are cheaply made, less durable and more disposable than ever before.
Never knew about the jeans and air freshener. Thanks for the video.
David's advice is detailed and practical, and can help car owners use their cars safely for a million miles without investing a lot of money.
Can somebody bring back the car of the 1990s and early 2000s that were well-built and lasted forever. Of course I'm talking about mostly imports. Why do we really need all of this stuff that just breaks things that are add ons
You mean you want me to actually use physical labor to scoot my seat forward and back? It's not enough that I had to pull on the handle and then pull the door open 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Apparently turning off the start/stop doesn't prevent wear anymore, the cars that have it ship with more robust starters, and the engine is going to stay warm. The engineers have studied it and found that starting a warm engine won't cause wear the same way that starting it cold does, especially with the lower friction piston rings and thinner modern oils. Also it takes about 7 seconds worth of fuel at idle to start the car, so it's almost always going to save fuel.
For those who want to reduce the risk of fine scratching or marring when washing their car, don't rinse with water to start if you can help it, start with a soap or foam stage so the dirt will lift off and be encapsulated rather than being sandblasted against the paint by high pressure water.
Great video, here are some of my notes:
22:00 Some aftermarket companies produce OEM parts for manufacturers. In that case, you are just paying a markup for a rebrand. I prefer to use OEM parts where tolerances are more unforgiving, like the serpentine belt which using aftermarket may squeal. Same with the timing belt tensioner, idler pulleys, etc. If it’s a radio, then it does not matter if it’s aftermarket IMO. Knowing when it is acceptable to use aftermarket is a good balance between cost and reliability because OEM parts add up FAST.
23:00 Buy a reputable trickle battery charger, ideally with overcharge protection. Sometimes, overcharging shows as corrosion on the positive terminal. At least on my car it did.
29:30 The average driver does not have the skills to out drive their bone stock car. Mod the driver first (autocross, drag, HPDE or other driver improvement education), then mod the car after.
When running the gas out of any vehicle so you can put in fresh gas, it's important to know the fuel pump is in the gas tank and it needs fuel over it, or it will burn up. Gas in the tank acts as a coolant for the fuel pump. Those that always drive below 1/4 tank of gas or run out of gas are asking for trouble. The cost to replace a fuel pump is no joke.
In other words: don't use modern cars, don't start modern cars, don't touch modern cars.
that is why I keep my old cars!
LoL, good one!
Don’t look at them either. Remember, that super thin clearcoat!
EXCELLENT video and subject area! Thank you 👍
Excellent video! Very good to know, thank you Dave!
Good advice, thanks for sharing this David!
Very useful information David.
Very useful, David. Thank you & God bless.
David, Thank you 25 times . 🙌🙌
Thank you Mike 25 times back!
@@AutomotivePress 😁
Good info and presented well. Thanks
Thanks David. Great video.
good point about the OEM windshield wipers.
Another thing that might be good to know about the wipers is some of them can have just the rubber or silicone strip replaced rather than the whole blade. You can also get more life out of that rubber by cleaning them with a paper towel and some WD-40 or similar spray, as that stuff is excellent at lifting existing dirt off.
OEM wiper blades. The man speaks pure truth. The cheap crap you get at auto parts stores doesn't even last a fraction of the time one can experience with OEM blades. I've gone 8-9 years on OEM's and ended up selling the car before I replaced the wipers because there was simply no need to do so. Threw auto parts store "premium" (I hate that word) blades on wife's car and the squeaking started immediately followed by a much needed replacement 2 years later.
I actually got more wear from cheap walmart wiper blades (three years now and under 4 dollars) vs. the oem bosch that I had to replace every year.
Your advice is valuable especially if you want to keep your car for a long time. Great video highly recommended.
Great advice! Thank you!
Incredibly informative and useful video of educational construct. David! Thank you so very much!
Glad it was helpful!
Good advice. Thank you.
Thank you David!
Great tips David!
Great advice thank you. 👍
Excellent video! Everything point you make are words to live by if you intend to get the most life from your vehicle!
Try to avoid short trips I.e less than 2 miles, especially with today's DFI engines
I go at least 10 miles on warm days and 15+ miles on colder days. Smaller engines warm up faster than larger ones. Highway miles are preferable.
❤thank you for the valuable information.
As always, the Engineering side point of view. What I love! Arigato gozaimasu!
To add on to what you said about the break-in., if you have a truck you should avoid towing or hauling heavy things while the engine is still breaking in. It stresses the drive train more
Fantastic!
One big thing just before the summer heat is replacing the cabin air filter-filter's, I guess this could also be part of keeping it clean and Nice ice cold A/C, On our Honda's these filters are easy to change by dropping the glovebox down, Many how to Videos here on TH-cam of course for that and almost everything else. But a Great list so far Dave, You or the Car care nut also mentioned Not to use Ammonia based glass cleaner's on infotainment screens because it has destroyed some of them in the past, Anyways Thanks 🇺🇸👍.
All good points. I think you may have forgot one - run the air conditioner every week or two during the winter for 5-10 minutes on days when the outside temp is above freezing.
Not necessary. When you're running the defroster it's actually using your AC system.
@@ericd1632 Compressor doesn't turn on below about 32 degrees.
Good quality advice 👍
Great points thanks.
I have a question. I’ve heard conflicting things.
Can you apply a wax over paint that’s been ceramic coated?
What type of wax can be applied?
Thanks!
All good advice in my opinion.
More like this!
Great video! Didn't know I shouldn't use windex, luckily I have Bon Ami!
This video should be recommended at time of purchase. Thanks for the tips.
Good advice :). For mice 🐭 toned areas, mix peppermint and cinnamon essential oils, into an emulsion, and spray that around. No more mice. I drive trucks and heavy equipment in Saskatchewan, lots of mice looking for homes come fall…. That solution has completely solved nice issues.
David, my wife just purchased a 2025 Lexus Nx 350 hybrid .Salesman says use regular fuel owners manual says 91 octane or higher recommended 87 minimum. Whats your take? Will 87 shorten the engine life ? Great videos. Looking forward to seeing more, thanks.
Some good advice
I absolutely LOVE this video. I didn't know about the "jeans" thing. That is new info to me. I totally agree with everything on here. I see people scratch up their paint all the time. You really need to wash your car by yourself. I live in south Florida, so I don't agree with the PSI tire advice. I use an old tooth brush and "Super Clean" to spot clean very tough areas.
Nice SC430!! These get no respect, but are truly great cars. A Japanese 500 SL without all of the usual German issues.
Can you give advice for engaging 4low for time to time on our GX460. How often should I do it?
Why is paint quality going down? You would think with these outrageous prices the paint quality would be excellent. Prices up, quality down. Lets go brandon
I left my boat motor sitting for a year. I left my motorcycle sitting for a year. Bad thing to do. Cost me $3,000 to repair.
Totally agree.
So many great tips. I finally just bought my first “brand new” car, at age72! A 2024 Honda Civic because I know I can rely on Honda quality. Alas I have to part with my (bought used) 2003 Honda Accord, as the trans is fading after 268,000 miles.
I still love Honda, but the quality of products everywhere today is just not the same it seems. There is just no comparison. Still, I hope to have this Honda outlive me, even if it isn’t quite as posh as those of days gone by.
So glad I found these pointers.
What about heel wear on the floor mat. Should I get a heel mat protector?
About the air freshener, is it ok if it doesn't touch any plastics?
Great selection of tips. I put a small 3 x 5 canvas sack with cat fur in my engine bay and seems to keep animals away. Coincidence? Not sure! Would love to hear your thoughts on anti corrosion methods for the under carriage. Picking up a 6th gen 4runner and want to ensure inside of tail gate and underside stay rust free!
If you are in a heavy salt area I would go and get the undercarriage treated at a local anti rust shop. They can coat the whole undercarriage. Here in Seattle we don’t get rust but if you are in the rust zone you’ll have plenty of folks that offer that service. I would get done every 5 years probably.
Thanks David‼️👍🏼 32:14
David, Re: your mention of tackling the question of automotive undercoating in a future video. What do you think of simply using a high quality clear coat for a new car on those areas that are subject to corrosion, such as all painted areas, nut & bolts, frame/chassis , etc. The alternatives are usually messy and they have a short life & would need to be reapplied.
It will be difficult to find a clear coat paint that will stay on and not get peeled from road debris... but if you can find a clearcoat that's thicker than normal ones it may be worth a try.
Very good points. I would add not using some silicone based cleaning agents on the inside that can damage some surfaces and materials, using good products to clean and protect the leather. Overall, I agree with everything.
What about a tire that’s not worn because driven sparingly out but about 7 years old. The car still drives fine doesn’t show signs of dry rot. Should I drive it for another few years. The tires are performance Pirelli brand.
Outstanding. Every new driver should be required to view this video. Thanks David !
Thanks, David! Really great tips! Could I also ask about the Sports Mode that many new cars come with nowadays, with just a flick/push of the gear lever. What's your advice on driving with Sports Mode or should we stay off using that? Also about using manual override on automatic gearboxes. As you know, some gearboxes are not programmed well/optimised or that they shift too early etc. Would switching to manual override cause more damage to the engine? Thanks.
Neither of those would cause issues but they will use more gas since engine will rev up earlier and transmission shifting earlier as well. So a bit more wear and tear if you do those things...
This is exactly what I feel on my brand new Toyota highlander 2.4l turbo. My area is not flat but hilly. Putting it on Normal mode the car is lugging when going on an incline...so I have to force the transmission the down shift to get more power. Now, I am trying to put it in Sport Mode when going uphill. The ECO mode is even more pathetic. This new car has no better milage than the 2002 Sienna that I was replaced. I'm kind of disappointed,they should offer the V6 as an option. Can David share us the insight why every company is going this route?
Waterless (spray bottle) is just fine if you use the right rag technique. You need to roll the rag so the leading edge that picks up dirt is constantly being pulled away from the surface to reveal the clean towel towards the back. Never re-apply the dirty part of the rag to the car. The water from the spray is enough to prevent dry abrasion.
Great video David, just a couple of others that I’d like to let viewers know about. Never use glass cleaner on touch screens like windex as it will permanently damage the screen. Also touch up paint chips that have exposed bare metal as soon as possible, so the bare metal doesn’t start to corrode.
I’ve read that Federal EPA has forced auto manufacturers to remove certain chemicals from the paint which leaves it closer to a water based paint…not as durable.
Also, I’ve read that Honda is intentionally putting on a thinner coat of paint.
We have a couple of car wash places that do undersides, but they are touch-less too.
Common Sense advice Thank you
Love the jeans warning!
Me too but also makes me mad. We literally just bought a rx350 and specifically asked about that. They sold us on newer leathers don’t do that but I think we got a story sold to us
@@jerryyoung6494 hot tip- send new jeans to the laundry before wearing them!
@@CJ-rk5eg we had a 2010 Nissan with light colored leather. My wife’s jeans had been washed but definitely left a stain
My jeans have been washed repeatedly for 10-20 years. I doubt they will stain!
But I still feel we were sold a story by the Lexus salesmen on improved new leather quality not doing this
Stop start feature is designed to reduce emissions primarily, altho it also reduces fuel consumption.
During the winter, i use the clear flood mode, to allow the engine to turn over but not start, oil pump allows oil to circulate, water pump doesnt stay in same position, as well as serpintine belt. As far as varmints under the hood, i remove the engine beauty cover, which i found 90 % of most nest are built.
I just bought a new car and changed the engine oil at 600 kilometres …. usually I fill the oil filter but it’s a Subbie with the filter mounted on top of the motor …. the clear flood start is an excellent way to prime any engine with oil before starting, thanks for your advice. 👍
@@J_S209 i just bought a crosstrek, ive got 200 miles on it, getting ready for its first also at 500 miles.
Tuxmats are the best floor mats!
I'm loosely laying aluminum foil on flat part of the engine bay after turning off the engine to keep rats away and that seems to work. Would my engine get damaged over time because laying foil takes longer for the engine to cool down?
Do you recommend ‘ claying’ a car?
All good advise. Unfortunately don’t have a hose at home so gotta use the touchless car wash.
You need to hire a plumber to install one.
Most people don't have homes either
@@aaronsmegmasson7184 If you’re homeless you should be focused on buying a house not buying a nice car that needs washed. I shake my head when I see expensive cars at apartments. They should be driving old cars with faded paint.
@@user-tb7rn1il3q You sound old
@@user-tb7rn1il3qThis is a goofy post. It hasn't been economical to buy a home for years now.
People renting out homes have mortgages at rates 7-8x better than those available.
I'm going to punitively downvote you for boomer posting. Learn from this.
Any recommendations regarding cylinder deactivation?
It works fine in modern vehicles, but in older vehicles, I would just turn it off.
Some great points in here David! I will be getting a 2024 Prius Prime sometime in 2025. For breaking in PHEVs, should I just try and force the engine on as much as possible for the first 1,000 miles in order to get the best break in for such a system, or is it best to let the vehicle choose EV and / or engine and break it in for a longer period? Thanks!
Good question - when the battery runs out the PHEV will automatically switch to hybrid only mode. So I would let that happen and use it as a hybrid for a month or so in order to break-in the engine itself.
@@AutomotivePress Thank you very much for the response. I was thinking along those lines. With my Crosstrek PHEV, I can do all of my normal city driving on EV power alone and the Prius will have a lot more range. I was thinking that maybe every other trip or so, I should force the mode to engine only and vary my revs in traffic. Thank you so much for your amazing videos.
Do you recommend PPF coating? Or always go with ceramic or graphene coating?
I'm not too crazy about PPFs because if not done correctly, they can permanently damage the paint if left for too many years.
Had some ppf coating my truck before. It helps with rock chips but they can still get through the coating. When it does get through the coating, it doesn't get to thr bare metal, so it was easy to touch up. I would get ppf on the headlights though. It makes it much more resistant to uv rays
The first on I have never believed in or done. Call it coomon sense!
@AutomotivePress What do you recommend regarding automatic transmission maintenance? I have an Alfa Giulia and they tell me it's "lifetime" fluid, but I want to keep my car for many years. But I hear ZF recommends 60,000 or so mile fluid change in "severe" conditions (city and suburban driving with lots of stop and go), which is what I encounter in NYC Metro area.
Go with the transmission manufacturer.
@@danielbruneau2222 That's what I"m thinking. I'm wondering if a flush is possible on my car, and not just dropping the pan and replacing the fluid. And is the dealer good enough to do this without screwing up?
th-cam.com/video/kXKhZievmSI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xCdWJ5g31aSBjfWz Your dealer or any good independent shop can do this correctly. In my opinion replace the filter and drain at 40-60,000 miles. Just do a drain and replace fluid every 40-60,000 miles for the life time.
@@jamesmasciale6246I don’t know about your vehicle’s transmission, but my Honda it is definitely NOT recommended to flush, but only drain and fill. So definitely check with the manufacturer.
Dryer sheets work for engine areas for mice
I would like to disagree with the first point. You can use a rinseless solution such as ONR. You can presoak first you don't need to hose it down.
Does using 87 in a 91 "recommended" high compression engine regularly affect the engine life at all or have other adverse affects outside power and mpg?
Not really, since the engine management system will automatically adjust its parameters...
@@AutomotivePress thanks, you just saved me a lot of money!
i dont know about a lifetime, but i been driving a 1990 ford for 24 years.was so reliable i restored it over 4 years ago.if the next 24 go as good as the 1st 24.it may well last my lifetime.especially if i fall over dead tomorrow.we NEVER know.its possible.
New Honda’s don’t have maintenance schedules. They have a maintenance minder system that adapts to your driving habits. The maintenance minder will show at 20% and will give a A code that indicates what services are needed. With the 2 year 24,000 mile free service the maintenance minder notification has to be showing to receive the free service.
My experience with late model Acuras and Hondas is that the maintenance minder comes on way too late for oil changes … typically 10,000 miles. That’s nuts.
@@codincoman9019Synthetic oil, even group 3, is good for 12k miles unless you beat on the car. Car manufacturers don’t want the car to wear out since you won’t buy another one from them. They want you to buy a new one because of new features.
Which tuna chip companies are reputable?
There are so many brands so best to check with your favorite forums
Regarding Rodents and what works: Gel Stream Mace. It’s the only thing that works. Just be very careful where you spray it. Dont put it on an area where you might touch or might get sucked in via heater/conditioner. The rodents will leave and won’t come back for some time due to it being a gel. Also don’t spray it on a windy day 🤢 lol
I spray my wheel wells with peppermint oil and water mixture every few months. That seems to work.
Excellent video, David. I feel your pain on rodent damage. My 2022 4R ORP became a home for a family of mice. One of the issues is that a while back Toyota and other OEM's went to a soy based wire insulator, which mice love to eat.
I completely disagree about OEM wipers. I have been using Bosch Icon, and they have consistently been better and lasted much longer than the OEM's.
Actually many of the German OEM wipers are made by Bosch...
@@AutomotivePress And my cars are both Toyota's (also two Kia's and one Hyundai in the past)...
Change your oil every 3,000 miles for the first 20,000 miles. Doesn't matter if you use expensive synthetic oil, or regular oil. Every 3,000 miles. There are several videos explaining this on 1,000 horsepower engines that wore out. Piston rings, lifters, injectors, the whole metal/explosion area of an engine needs clean oil.
That’s outdated advice. Changing oil early will lead to an oil burner for life. They need the grit to break in. Honda warns not to change oil early.
@@user-tb7rn1il3q Not to be a "conspiracy theorist", but maybe Honda says that so that the engine wears out early and then you have to go buy a new one.
A brake burnout?
Funny how many people go and pick up a new car in another state and drive it home, not knowing the constant speed is not good for break in.
Always flatbed a new car from out of state
Even Porsche and AMG won't let you launch the car before 1,000 km.
Modern cars don’t need special driving to break in. Just drive it.
When you get your McDonalds Big Mac/Fries/Shake, get your lazy ass out the drivers seat, and sit in the back. LOL
I think the peak of automotive reliability was the late 90's / early 2000s... Just enough tech to provide economy and performance improvements while not being so overly complicated that reliability suffers.
Modern cars prioritize the environment over everything else. Not that protecting our environment is bad, but all these things come with a cost that we pay for - and we get less reliability for our money. Tell me the cost to our environment when we need to replace our vehicles more frequently because they fail earlier and are too costly to repair.
All of a sudden older cars seem appealing again.
Silicone wiper blades
Yeah, excess leaves and rotting ones clog up drainage hose and channels, leading to water retention and flooding. Not good....
Lol only ammonia based window cleaners dont leave streaks for me. I go out of my way to only buy that
I have a 2002 SC 430 like yours and my tire pressure is max 50 I tend to run about 45 and it works just great Car handles better than he does at 34 and better mileage and the tires last longer
Sounds like the paint jobs are not up to par compared to the past.
I still want to take the car to a touchless car wash in the winter though.
Solution flip cars very 12 months and have 3-5 cars available for all road and weather conditions. Sedan, SUV, sports coupe, small sedan, large sedan, maybe light truck etc 😂 Preferably Toyota, Honda Mazda Acura and Lexus maybe throw a Porsche in there too 😂
I change my oil every 5k miles even though I do mostly highway driving.. Oil is cheap, engines aren’t…