Basic Tips To Maintain Your Pickup Truck

The good old Aussie Ute or pickup truck really takes the knocks and for many, including farmers and contractors having a well running reliable “Tilly” is not only a sense of pride, but an essential part of their livelihood. Even main-street farmers who live in the cities and never get their muscle truck off the tar seal, having a good maintenance program is essential to keeping it in pristine condition.

These simple steps can help you save big bucks on repairs as well as retaining a high resale value for your pickup.

• Keeping your pickup clean and tidy to retain the aesthetic value as well as preventing the buildup of grit and dust that can wear at moving parts and attract moisture promoting rusting. There is a huge range of cleaning products available to help protect both the interior and exterior of your pickup.

• Keep the tyres in good shape, they are your feet on the ground and having the correct pressure gives you the best ride and economy. Rotate and balance the tyres so they wear evenly and ensure the wheels alignment is correct as this can lead to excessive tyre wear.

• Change the oil and oil filters at the recommended schedules, this is one of the most important and least expensive measures you can take to ensure your engine lasts the distance. Consider using a high quality high performance synthetic oil these last much longer and are actually cheaper in the long run.

• Just like us your truck needs to breathe so replace the air cleaner at regular intervals (more so in dusty conditions). This will improve acceleration and fuel consumption.

• Change all the fluids in your truck including the brake fluid regularly as it can absorb moisture causing corrosion in brake cylinders and other parts. The cooling system must have a good coolant that stops electrolysis, the electrical breakdown of metal parts due to electrical currents. This especially affects alloy and copper parts when they are linked to steel areas of the motor through the radiator water.Other fluids that need to be regularly changed are transmission fluids and do not forget to check the power steering reservoir. Check that the battery and alternator are working correctly and that all the wire connections are in good repair.

• All rubber hoses including the radiator and brake line flexible hoses need to be checked regularly, they are prone to damage in the rugged Australian climate.

• Read your owner’s manual and be informed about all aspects of what for most people is their second most valuable passion after their home. It is good to do much of the stuff yourself, but some things are best left to a competent and trustworthy mechanic such as brakes, steering and suspension.

• A visual inspection of springs, shocks, struts and linkages can help to give you an early warning of likely maintenance issues that could arise.

• Be aware that you usually get what you pay for and if you go for cheap replacement parts you cannot expect them to last and possibly they will cost you more in the long term because when they break down the can cause more damage.

• Many new pickup trucks are not so easy to work on under the bonnet, but if you can change the spark plugs using long life plugs can help with performance and fuel efficiency. Many Ute rental agencies suggest that unless you really know what you are doing tune-ups of modern vehicles are best left to competent mechanics with well-equipped electronic workshops.

• Check your fuses, they are usually in an easy to find place, under the hood or dashboard, this will be in your owners handbook. A blown fuse is the most likely cause of electrical stuff not working.

• Check all your lights, the headlights, high and low beam, spotlights, indicators, brake lights reversing and parking lights. If they are not working properly. it is a potential safety issue and could lead to a traffic infringement notice.

Driving your truck

• Warm up the truck, the best way is to just turn your engine on and wait about 30 to 60 seconds before driving away, but take it easy until the engine has warmed to normal. This helps it to reach normal operating temperatures quickly so minimizing wear and tear.

• Being a smooth operator puts less strain on your truck, try and avoid hard acceleration and breaking as this helps it to suck the fuel and promotes wear and tare. Only change from forward to reverse when stopped so you do not place undue force on the transmission and drive shaft.

If you take proper care of your pickup it will last the long distance most people drive in Australia. By following these and the manufacturers recommendations you will be able to enjoy years of trouble free economical motoring while your truck maintains its full resale value.