As I kill time waiting for my F150 (being built this week at Kansas City!), I thought I'd start a thread asking a question, since this will be my first pickup and the first vehicle that I intend to keep for a long time. I've mostly been driving leased vehicles or company-provided cars for the last 15 years.

So my question - what things do you wish you had done early on, to make maintenance or whatever easier/better down the line? Obviously the regular scheduled maintenance, but what I'm looking for are little tips/tricks.

An example - "I wish I had put xyz on the battery connections early on, so that they wouldn't have corroded."

Any tips?

 

Blower....

 

I wish I had listened to Mr. Miyagi,...something about wax on, wax off.

 

check recalls early and often!

but I'm sure you shouldn't have a problem with that. do the 2010s come with efans?

 

I'm pretty sure the 2010's have efans.

 

Actually nothing, I love my truck, well maybe heated seats but I can add that if I really wanted to

 

What/why e-fans

 

I'm really not talking about what options you wished you'd gotten, or what mods - I'm talking more maintenance kind of stuff.

Another example... "When I went to replace my battery, the clamps holding it down were all rusted and broke. I wish I had wiped them down and oiled them regularly so they wouldn't have rusted."

That kind of stuff.

 

who oils battery post clamps?

 

Who knows, it was an example. I just recall my dad swearing at an old van we had, when he couldn't get the battery out because the clamps/bolt/nuts were all rusted together.

 

i think it goes without saying, but oil changes are probably the biggest thing that can be done to increase the life and have no problems. i use mobil 1 every 5 K. next would be changing air and gas filters. and then tire pressure. basic preventitive maintenance. addressing problems early rather than waiting cause they usually dont get better on their own. case in point the IWE solenoid. 14 bucks versus replacing the hubs on each side

 

IWE solenoid - never heard of it before, but just did some searching based on your comment. Is that something that people are proactively replacing every xx miles, or just something to keep an eye (ear) out for and replace it ASAP if it starts buzzing?

 

If you do your own oil changes, put on a relocated oil filter. Not sure if the new trucks are as bad as mine ('01 5.4) but I cuss the engineers every 3000 miles. Oil goes everywhere cuz the mount is buried up over the front axle and is HORIZONTAL. Who the H*** puts a oil filter horizontal!?!?!?!?

Also, the comment about wax on wax off. I wish I took better care of the outside of my vehicles. They are well cared for mechanically, but the paint looks bad. :o:o:o

 

Get Line-X in your bed. I did it on this truck and wished I had done it on my previous trucks. Really makes a difference in looks and durability.

 

i thought that was going to be a thread on "things you wish you did before you turned a certain age"...im so lost