Basic Maintenance and Mods

Newlin · 08-23-2012, 01:37 PM

I've been searching around the forums a lot today looking for basic things I should clean/change on my '04 Alero to keep it running well (137k miles) and improve fuel efficiency a bit as well as a few mod suggestions.

I know I need to get the transmission filter/fluid replaced as the mechanic I had look at it before purchasing mentioned it. This is something that I plan to do when my next paycheck comes around and I was just wondering if I could see any fuel economy increase from this?

In my reading I also noticed that cleaning your CAT can help with some issues, is this something I should look into?

I've also seen a few people mention increase the PSI in their tires above the recommended 30 PSI, in my case at least. Right now mine are sitting at 32 and I just wanted to make sure there weren't any detrimental effects from that.

Seafoaming seems to receive both positive and negative comments from you guys so I was curious if I should look into that or just some fuel injector cleaner.

As for modding the car I was looking at getting a WAI (the CAI seems more costly and I'm a bit worried about water getting in). Are they all basically the same outside of the filter? (K&N seems the choice there)

Sorry if some of my questions are answered already somewhere, I've been searching only today so it's quite possible I missed something. Try not to be too mean

If you guys have any other suggestions for maintaining this car (I hope to keep this for quite a while) they'd be greatly appreciated. Just keep in mind I'm a poor college student.

zzyzzx · 08-23-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newlin

In my reading I also noticed that cleaning your CAT can help with some issues, is this something I should look into?

My cats usually clean themselves.

Although I do find that if I brush them enough with the right type of comb, they don't get hairballs.

a.graham52 · 08-23-2012, 04:10 PM

your bringing up a lot of good thigns here. at the dealer i work at we do milage based service. at 100k we do plugs and wires, oil change tire rotation blah blah, trans flush, air filter change, fuel filter change (gm did away with fuel filters in '04, check and see if your car has one).

if you dont know when the last time your plugs and wires have been done then go ahead and do them.

tires: i have 16s" and at one point i ran 37psi. didnt help much in fuel pressure and made the car squirly. i now run 32-34. keep an eye on the tire tread, if its wearing in the middle more then the outsides then it has too much psi. to little psi and the outsides wear more.

alignment can effect millage and overall handinlg of your car

cai/wai. had both. buy the cai and you can easily convert it to wai. i live in main and durring the winter the cai was a POS and killed gas millage but i had power hahhaa. i run the wai for better millage (think of this: you get warming air into the engine (thinner air) and it requires less fuel to burn. get colder air into the engine (denser air) and it will require more fuel to burn resulting in less millage).

msd coils might help your engine be more efficent if you can get them for the eco???? i have an LA1 so i dontrealy pay attention to the 4bangers. need any help just keep posting. feel free to pm me with questions.

Newlin · 08-23-2012, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.graham52

if you dont know when the last time your plugs and wires have been done then go ahead and do them.

I'm pretty clueless as to when the plugs were changed last so I'll be sure and do that. I'm not too mechanically inclined but what wires do I change along with that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.graham52

cai/wai. had both. buy the cai and you can easily convert it to wai. i live in main and durring the winter the cai was a POS and killed gas millage but i had power hahhaa. i run the wai for better millage (think of this: you get warming air into the engine (thinner air) and it requires less fuel to burn. get colder air into the engine (denser air) and it will require more fuel to burn resulting in less millage).

It sounds like I'm after a WAI then, I'll take efficiency over power most days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.graham52

msd coils might help your engine be more efficent if you can get them for the eco???? i have an LA1 so i dontrealy pay attention to the 4bangers. need any help just keep posting. feel free to pm me with questions.

Thanks! And I have no idea what the coils are but doing a little Googling it sounds like they might be internal on the ecotec.

a.graham52 · 08-23-2012, 05:22 PM

internal coil sounds very plausable. if i had one in the shop right now id look but i dont. i think your right though. in which case you wont have "[spark] plug wires" but you still may have a little spring and little rubber boots between your coil assembly and your spark plug wires that can be replaced.

rocketfast321 · 08-23-2012, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.graham52

fuel filter change [/b](gm did away with fuel filters in '04, check and see if your car has one).

a.graham52 · 08-23-2012, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketfast321

they did. $hit you not. the way gm sees it is if anything can fit through the fuel filter sock, then it can also go through the injectors. i know for a FACT '04 and up pickups do not have fuel filters. not sure about some of the cars.

spc2125 · 08-23-2012, 07:44 PM

Your spark plugs are screwed into the head of the engine.
To remove the plugs you have to take this off

Then inside those four rubber boots are coils which touch the spark plugs.

Its basically four bolts and that thing is off. Then take your spark plug socket and extenstion and undo them carefully.

To put them in, take the new ones and PUT ANTISIEZE ON THEM. DONT FORGET THAT.
PUT ANTI SIEZE ON YOUR SPARK PLUG THREADS ! or else youll end up putting a crack in your cylinder head the next time you try and take out your spark plugs. Then turn them as much as you can and when it becomes tight, just do 90 degrees more and your all set.

Newlin · 08-24-2012, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spc2125

To put them in, take the new ones and PUT ANTISIEZE ON THEM. DONT FORGET THAT.
PUT ANTI SIEZE ON YOUR SPARK PLUG THREADS ! or else youll end up putting a crack in your cylinder head the next time you try and take out your spark plugs. Then turn them as much as you can and when it becomes tight, just do 90 degrees more and your all set.

Thanks, I wasn't sure where they were either. Are replacement spark plugs from GM acceptable or are other brands preferred?

a.graham52 · 08-24-2012, 01:05 PM

ac delcos. get good ones! $$

Newlin · 08-24-2012, 01:27 PM

Four of these then? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And a little antisieze and I should be all good for the plugs?
http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81343...ords=antisieze

I'm still curious if using seafoam or another product is a good idea to clean all of the carbon buildup from the number of miles that has been put on the car.

Shiwnath · 08-24-2012, 01:39 PM

Change your pre-cat O2 sensor if you don't know if it's been changed yet.. I did this for both my 3400 and my girlfriend's 2.2 Ecotec and we both had a noticeable increase in MPG without changing our driving habits. Both of our cars had over 135K miles on them and I know for a fact that mine was never replaced. I'm not sure about hers. I know people are going to say "if it aint broke don't fix it", but that doesn't always apply with electrical sensors because they can become inaccurate after so many years of usage. With O2 sensors they tend to become less responsive over time even if they don't throw a check engine/service vehicle soon light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.graham52

(gm did away with fuel filters in '04, check and see if your car has one).

All Aleros use the same fuel filter despite the year/engine.

a.graham52 · 08-24-2012, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiwnath

All Aleros use the same fuel filter despite the year/engine.

thanks for letting me know. have yet to see an 04 alero so i wasnt sure. maybe its only the trucks. but i know atlest 2010 cars dont have fitlers.

Newlin · 08-24-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiwnath

Change your pre-cat O2 sensor if you don't know if it's been changed yet..

Is this what I'm looking at then for an O2 sensor then? It seems a bit pricy for something so small.

http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-213-1638-Heated-Oxygen-Sensor/dp/B000C9I49S/ref=au_pf_ss_10?ie=UTF8&Make=Oldsmobile|51&Model=A lero|566&Year=2004|2004&carId=001&n=15684181&s=aut omotive

Shiwnath · 08-24-2012, 02:47 PM

I bought this one for her:
http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-213-96...ype=automotive

Works great and is cheaper than that one.