Service intervals - time or mileage?

[skippymoss]

Our van is purely a summer camping vehicle and does 3-5k miles between April and September and is SORN over the winter.

Consequently I do a service every year at around this time.

The following are described in the Haynes as extended or or long term service;
1 - Renew air cleaner element
2 - Renew fuel filter
3 - Renew brake hydraulic fluid
4 - Renew coolant
5 - Renew automatic transmission fluid

1-4 are 20,000 miles or 2 years
5 is 40,000 miles or 4 years

The question is which of these are more time critical and which are more mileage critical?

I reckon 3,4 and 5 are all about the time it takes for the fluids to degrade and the others are more about the mileage - would welcome your opinions though....

[California Dreamin]

[California Dreamin]

Our van is purely a summer camping vehicle and does 3-5k miles between April and September and is SORN over the winter.

Consequently I do a service every year at around this time.

The following are described in the Haynes as extended or or long term service;
1 - Renew air cleaner element
2 - Renew fuel filter
3 - Renew brake hydraulic fluid
4 - Renew coolant
5 - Renew automatic transmission fluid

1-4 are 20,000 miles or 2 years
5 is 40,000 miles or 4 years

The question is which of these are more time critical and which are more mileage critical?

I reckon 3,4 and 5 are all about the time it takes for the fluids to degrade and the others are more about the mileage - would welcome your opinions though....

On the whole I agree, apart from 3 & 4

1- Yes 20K but it needs checking every 5K and changing if it starts to look overly soiled. (on mileage)
2- Yes 20K is frequent enough (big alluminium type) (on mileage)
3- Brake fluid is Rather unique....irrespective of mileage or indeed if the van is just stood, it must be changed every TWO years due to the fact that it attracts moisture...is hygroscopic. Water contamination internally corrodes the braking system and lowers the brake fluids boiling point. (on age)
4- New OAT antifreezes G12+ (organo acid technology) usually pink/purple/orange are 'long life' 5 years. 2 years if you use the older blue/green non OAT. (on age)
5- 40K or if you see any discolouration (from the clear red) (on mileage)

But then there are the plugs:
Check at 10K and change when there is visable 'rounding' errosion to the centre electrode. (mileage)
Manual gearbox oil: never on the service schedule but given the age of these vehicles should automatically be changed if unknown and replaced every 30K thereafter.

Martin

[skippymoss]

Nice one - that all seems reasonable - thanks.
What about final drive oil for auto boxes....I'd guess that hasn't been touched or even checked since the gear box change 70k miles ago!
Don't even know what gear oil to use - hard to find that info anywhere
All this info could be a good addition to the wiki...for all of us 'part time' fair weather campers!
If we ever get any fair weather that is

[California Dreamin]

Nice one - that all seems reasonable - thanks.
What about final drive oil for auto boxes....I'd guess that hasn't been touched or even checked since the gear box change 70k miles ago!
Don't even know what gear oil to use - hard to find that info anywhere
All this info could be a good addition to the wiki...for all of us 'part time' fair weather campers!
If we ever get any fair weather that is

I absolutely agree....change the final drive oil if it's never been done.
Hypoid EP90 (SAE 90) 1.25 litres for the Auto box final drive or the modern equivalent EP80W90 must be GL5
Dexron II (ATF) approx 3.0 litres for the Auto transmission.

Martin