115,000 Mile Check Up

[2xclutchin]

Hello all, I have access to a heated shop on my days off this time around and I figured it would be a good time to change oil and look at a few other things.

Then I thought why not talk to you guys who have had umpteen many Festivas and ask, at or around 100,000 what should be checked? Problem areas? Preventitive Maintenance? I understand no two cars will ever be alike, but this may also come in handy to a new person some day to see a list like this compiled of the "usual" things. I should add my car happens to have lived it's entire life in MN so she is a little rusty but trusty, so I might have issues somebody else will never ever experiance.

That's why I think it would be a good idea to compile problematic areas and in what area of the country/world they occur so if someone buys a car from ____ they know to check out ____ first.

Maybe I'm crazy :p Thanks, Mike

[Larry Hampton]

Hmmm, I gotta wait another 10k for the 115k checkup.......

Well, I just picked this car up, was told it needed a rack and it had a tick. I replaced the #2 intake rocker arm (stuck HLA) and bought a pair of swaybar end bushings (one split on each side) and did some speedo work (it reads 5 mph fast, gonna see if I can adjust that in the speedo) and tonight I'll POP the inner hatch panel and put the clip back on the key cylinder.

I need to change the oil, check the trans fluid and lube the cable (oh, and get it transfered into my name). Wife washed it and vacuumed it and got it insured, our Festys will be our DD's for now, backed the insurance off on the van and Sport Trac.

[Movin]

You have the normal list supplied by ford..here is something a little different
Go on a rubber hunt, the age has more to do with this than miles..
things like cv boots, tie rod boots, rack boots, sway bar bushings, vacuum diaphrams
anything rubber, find it, check it!

[Ford Fester]

Change the fuel filter and clean out the tank! Replace spark plugs and air filter. Flush cooling system and put in fresh. Check wipers and brakes.

[georgeb]

Replace the U-shaped coolant bypass hose near the thermostat. Mine burst on 2 different cars.

[htc]

You mentioned rust. I'd check the condition of your e-brake cable and levers. You might want to check for play in your wheel bearings as well, but other than that, the usual: belts, hoses, plugs, fluids and filters. I gave mine a fuel system treatment as well.

[FestYboy]

Brake Fluid! replace it. at it's age, it's turning acidic and damaging the rubber hoses and seals. what's the point of going if you can't stop safely.

oh and +1 on the e-brake actuators.

[Pgh5spd]

Yep to all, and also since you're in the rustbelt, apply heavy gear lube or anything else greasy to your emergency brake cable where it's exposed to salt slop. The alternative is eventually buying a new one from FMS, but since he's incommunicado now you'll be facing a more difficult solution.

[Pgh5spd]

Also, first, before you do anything, or while the oil's draining, go around and spray PB Blaster on everything - anything with threads that you might ever need to unscrew. Brake bleeders, tie-rod adjuster nuts, steering knuckle nuts, the ends of the emergency brake cables, the two nuts that hold the transmission mount to the crossmember, the bolts that hold the brackets that hold the brake and fuel lines, all the bolts holding swaybar and other suspension items, and so forth. And give the shifter universal a shot of gear lube/oil. After having replaced enough brake lines, this fall I painted my brake lines with something like heavy (black) gear lube, and I plan to keep doing it annually. Related to that, if you really get ambitious, and all four bolts will come out easily, you could pull the crossmember and paint the lines where they run thru the crossmember. If they start leaking, it will probably be in this region which is hard/impossible to access otherwise. Oh, and repack at least the outer rear bearings. And knock the front calipers apart, knock the slag off the rotors, pull the caliper bushings out and clean/lube them up, including pulling the bushing boots and scraping any rust scale out of the hole they fit into. Also knock any rust slag off the ends of the brake pad backing plates.

How many days off do you have? ;-)