In the words of The Tick:

[nfpgasmask]

"HELLO RENO"

As some of you may know, I have been wanting to move out west for some time (over 5 years). My city of choice is Reno, NV. Some of you might want to know why, as I have heard a lot of people say they don't care for Reno. But for me, its perfectly situated inbetween so many AWESOME places. I can get to several nice locations in California, quite easily, and without having to LIVE in California. I can get to Tahoe in an hour. I am closer to Utah, Idaho and a slough of other breath-taking spots. And in my opinion, Reno is great because it is on the rise, but not yet quite a humongous city full of traffic and filth and all of the things I long to get away from in Chicago. Plus, its not like Vegas or Phoenix with the sickening heat most of the year...

This week, I landed a job. All that is left for me to do is call back and say "yes".

Now, onto the VX part. I am going to drive out there within the next couple weeks. So, here is a list of recent maintenance:

Changed the oil/filter/pcv YESTERDAY
Changed the spark plugs YESTERDAY
Changed the TOD/Tranny fluid and filter last month
New Tires as of about 5000 miles ago

Before I make this 2000 mile drive, I want to make my VX is in TIP TOP shape, meaning any and all maintenance needs to be done asap.

Things I have not done yet:

DIFF Fluid change
Engine coolant flush and change
Powersteering fluid change
Front wheel bearing repack (how important is this?)

Can anyone else advise more things I should do to my VX before I take the journey? After my Xterra incident and this past weekend I am slightly (ok very) nervous about this upcoming long drive.

Thanks - Bart

[biju]

Nice work, Bart. Congrats on the new gig. :jump:

oh, and in a perfect world, do all of the listed (and then some...) can never be too careful or prudent w/ maintenance. However, if I were in your shoes I'd make sure the following two were done before the trip:

DIFF Fluid change
Engine coolant flush and change

...but that's just me.

p.s. - so, any chance we'll meet up on your way out to Reno like we discussed?

-biju.

[nfpgasmask]

Hey dude, thanks!

I will do my best to see that this happens. As you could imagine, I have A TON of stuff that I will now need to do in the next couple weeks. I will try to make it down to Veldman's however.

Please send me all the details you have on the windshield. If I do this, i will probably need you to send me the cash up front, cause I am kinda broke at the moment, and I must conserve every penny for my upcoming trip.

PM me.

Bart


Nice work, Bart. Congrats on the new gig. :jump:

oh, and in a perfect world, do all of the listed (and then some...) can never be too careful or prudent w/ maintenance. However, if I were in your shoes I'd make sure the following two were done before the trip:

DIFF Fluid change
Engine coolant flush and change

...but that's just me.

p.s. - so, any chance we'll meet up on your way out to Reno like we discussed?

-biju.

[vxDAKINECHICvx]

Congrats Bart on the new job!! I hear Reno is alot of fun, so good luck!

[nfpgasmask]

Thanks! I can't wait!

Bart


Congrats Bart on the new job!! I hear Reno is alot of fun, so good luck!

[Chopper]

Hit all the grease nipples, Repack all wheel bearings... or replace them. Mine were rusty when the car was new! I replaced mine all around. If you've never serviced them , do it now... use a good,(Mobil1)high temperature, synthetic. Wayne

[crager34]

Get alot of music. It's such a PITA searching around for radio stations from town to town. Hope you have satalite, lots of CD's, or an MP3 setup.

Congrats on the job and good luck.

[Ldub]

Maybe bring x-tra belts-n-hoses just in case.

[nfpgasmask]

LOL, yup, 8 GIG Creative Labs Zen Micro Photo full of tunes, plus my JVC head unit reads MP3s off DVD+r so I will have about 50 GIGs of music for the ride ;)

If there is one thing I hate, its the radio. Save for NPR (but I think that is a sign of old age).

Bart


Get alot of music. It's such a PITA searching around for radio stations from town to town. Hope you have satalite, lots of CD's, or an MP3 setup.

Congrats on the job and good luck.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting a timing belt, but if that happens, Im gonna be down for a while anyway. I already replaced my serpentine belt and I have the original one too, which I will bring just in case. I'm taking her in for some serious maintenance later this week, so I will ask the mech to check my belts and hoses also.

Are there any particular ones you recommend I get? Ones that commonly could go bad on a long drive?

Bart


Maybe bring x-tra belts-n-hoses just in case.

[nfpgasmask]

Hmmmm, I've heard many mixed opinions about repacking the wheel bearings...

I will check and see if they can do this as well.

Thanks - Bart




Hit all the grease nipples, Repack all wheel bearings... or replace them. Mine were rusty when the car was new! I replaced mine all around. If you've never serviced them , do it now... use a good,(Mobil1)high temperature, synthetic. Wayne

[IndianaVX]

hey bart..........
congrats on the new job. im glad its what you wanted. im glad you got ahold of biju, or biju got ahold of you,........anyway, good luck with everything
david

[ameetw]

All this service is good, but make sure you drive the Vx around the block for a while before taking the long trip. I'm always worried that the job was not done well or sloppy. At least I will still be in town if anything goes wrong. No major service just before leaving.

The usual stuff is :
Change Engine Oil
Brake fluid
Transmission Fluid
Power Steering Fluid
Differential fluid
Grease Up

Check:
CV Boots
Wheel Alignment
Brake pads
Engine mountings
Battery
Spark plugs
Spare Tyre
Tools & Jack
Beltings
Radiator Water
Wiper water
Wiper Blades
Horn
Lights
Leaks or loose stuff under the car.

Bring:
Med-kit
Jumper cable
Tyre patching kit
Tow Cable * (Optional)
Emergency Triangle
Lot's of water

The list goes on, but sometimes it's better to over prepare than under.

Hope you have a good and safe drive.

[biju]

If I do this, i will probably need you to send me the cash up front, cause I am kinda broke at the moment, and I must conserve every penny for my upcoming trip.

Absolutely. Just keep me posted as to when/where, etc.

again, congrats.

-biju.

[MSHardeman]

Bart,

Congrats on the new job. It's always great to be able to do what you want to do where you want to do it.

I don't know what route you're taking to your new home, but I'm with biju. If you pass anywhere near the Glenwood Springs/Aspen, Colorado area let me know and we can meet up for a quick hello.

Mark

[nfpgasmask]

Ok, from my understanding, the Power Steering Fluid for the VX is actually Dextron-III ATF.

My question, can I use the same Mobile-1 Synthetic Dextron-III ATF I used for my tranny service in the power steering reservoir? Also, if I have a mech drain it and refill it, how much will it take in quarts? I want to make sure I have all the supplies needed for the mech in case he cannot supply the best fluids available.

Thanks - Bart

[nfpgasmask]

Awesome, thanks man. I'm sure I will need some reassurance after the first 15 hours....

:) Bart


Bart,

Congrats on the new job. It's always great to be able to do what you want to do where you want to do it.

I don't know what route you're taking to your new home, but I'm with biju. If you pass anywhere near the Glenwood Springs/Aspen, Colorado area let me know and we can meet up for a quick hello.

Mark

[Spike]

"HELLO RENO"

Thanks - Bart

SPOOOONNNN!!!!! - Tick

Doh!!! - Homer

Yep... - Hank

[MSHardeman]

No problem Bart.

I actually bought my VX in Chicago and drove it back here to Colorado. If you take the route through Wisconson it's actually not to bad. I would think the drive through Kansas would be a snooze. If you're not in a hurry, and you do take the Northern route, you can stop at the Petrified Gardens, the Badlands, Wall Drug, and the Corn Palace. Also, depending time you can stop at Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument and Sturgis. The Black Hill in South Dakota are beautiful, and I'm sure some of the leaves will be changing by the time you head through.

I'm sure the VX family will be there for you, so keep us updated on your progress across the country.

Mark

[biju]

MSH:

Sounds like Bart might be staying at my place for a night if he ends up driving through. I have to wait and see from him if his plans bring him to our neck of the woods...

If so, think we could all get together for a mini meet at the same time? (Moncha, pbkid, MSH, Bim, vxDAKINECHICK, driver3, fuzzy, etc., etc., etc.) Hmmm... Just a thought...

-biju.

[nfpgasmask]

Hey Mark,

Man, I wish I could take my time getting out there. Problem is, I need to start working really soon, so I am basically going to have 3 days to get there and I am giving myself one extra day to deal with anything "unexpected".

I will be taking I-80 all the way. Its a straight shot through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah to Reno. I may dip down to Denver for a bit thought, but those details have not been finalized as of yet.

Thanks for the reassuring words.

Bart


No problem Bart.

I actually bought my VX in Chicago and drove it back here to Colorado. If you take the route through Wisconson it's actually not to bad. I would think the drive through Kansas would be a snooze. If you're not in a hurry, and you do take the Northern route, you can stop at the Petrified Gardens, the Badlands, Wall Drug, and the Corn Palace. Also, depending time you can stop at Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument and Sturgis. The Black Hill in South Dakota are beautiful, and I'm sure some of the leaves will be changing by the time you head through.

I'm sure the VX family will be there for you, so keep us updated on your progress across the country.

Mark

[nfpgasmask]

Biju, I am email you right now.

Bart


MSH:

Sounds like Bart might be staying at my place for a night if he ends up driving through. I have to wait and see from him if his plans bring him to our neck of the woods...

If so, think we could all get together for a mini meet at the same time? (Moncha, pbkid, MSH, Bim, vxDAKINECHICK, driver3, fuzzy, etc., etc., etc.) Hmmm... Just a thought...

-biju.

[MSHardeman]

Bart/biju,

That would be a blast! If Bart makes it down to Denver, definitely give me a call/shoot me an e-mail. It's always fun to get together with the fam.

Mark

[nfpgasmask]

I am ready.

See you westerners soon.

Bart :thumbup:

[kpaske]

Bart,

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this one, as it's probably the number one cause of major problems in VX'es... OIL! Bring a few quarts of your favorite oil, preferably a good synthetic of the proper specs. I've noticed the oil consumption problem, if you have it, to get especially bad on long road trips. Check your oil every time you stop and keep it topped off. Letting it get low is very, very bad!

Good luck in Reno. I've only been there once, and it seemed kind of sleepy for my taste, but I'm a big city guy at heart. Would have been a great place to retire were it not for all the development...

[Anita]

Bon Voyage Bart!

[biju]

Bart,

See you tomorrow in Wyoming. Have safe travels.

-biju.

[etlsport]

im with kpaske! driving around town i dont have much trouble with oil consumption, but i took a 7 hour drive a couple weeks ago and burned 1/2 quart

[rowhard]

Good Luck on your new adventure. Be nice to see some VX's at Hot August Nights now that we will have a guide.

[biju]

Bart,

Good to meet you in Cheyenne yesterday. You have a great lookin' VX!

Just wanted to publicly thank you for haulin' an OEM VX windshield all the way from Chicago for me. You are a saint amongst VX'ers! :yeso:

Best of luck in Reno - and your new gig. Hope to see you again out at Zu in 07.

-biju.

[Mark B]

I love Reno/Lake Tahoe. I go skiing there every year in February.
I will be looking for your VX.

[nfpgasmask]

Likewise dude!

And thanks again for hooking up the hotel. That made the trip a lot easier! I'm glad I could help. Its funny how things work out, isn't it?

Did you unwrap the windshield? Everything look ok? Hopefully you can get that grease pencil off with no problem.

Anyway, I'm in Reno now. The VX made it, I burned through a total of 2 quarts of oil, and spent exactly $381.78 on gas!!!! Cripes. That is $81.78 more than I anticipated.

The drive through Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska was just horrendous. I started questioning just what the hell I am doing after a while. But on day 2, once I got into Utah, I was quickly reminded of why I am moving out west.

I can't wait to meet up again in Moab.

Bart





Bart,

Good to meet you in Cheyenne yesterday. You have a great lookin' VX!

Just wanted to publicly thank you for haulin' an OEM VX windshield all the way from Chicago for me. You are a saint amongst VX'ers! :yeso:

Best of luck in Reno - and your new gig. Hope to see you again out at Zu in 07.

-biju.

[nfpgasmask]

For sure, I bet I am one of very few in the Reno area...

Bart



I love Reno/Lake Tahoe. I go skiing there every year in February.
I will be looking for your VX.

[jimbo]

Reno is nice, we went to Pyramid Lake early on a Sunday morning, it's north of Reno on an indian reservation - very beautiful and isolated. It was the quietest place I had ever been in my life. The hills are covered with sagebrush for miles and miles and being down in the valley (all alone) is like being in a sound-proof room.

Good luck and take care.

[nfpgasmask]

Yes, Pyramid Lake rules. I have been there several times, and I totally agree, it is the quietest place on earth I have ever been. It is my "thoughtful spot". I can just sit out there for hours and let my mind rest.

I will have some VX pics from there soon hopefully. I haven't been there since I made it out here just yet, and I'm itching to go slide around in the gravel a bit ;)

Bart



Reno is nice, we went to Pyramid Lake early on a Sunday morning, it's north of Reno on an indian reservation - very beautiful and isolated. It was the quietest place I had ever been in my life. The hills are covered with sagebrush for miles and miles and being down in the valley (all alone) is like being in a sound-proof room.

Good luck and take care.