Urgent Advise Needed

OK, I know I have posted about this before, but I'm doing it again because I'm getting down to crunch time and I am getting nervous about time and money.

The VX is going in for a check up and some maintenance tomorrow morning.
I am going on a 2000 mile drive in 1 WEEK!

I am concerned about 2 factors regarding the maintenance. And I would like some honest, concise advice here:

Remember, I just rolled over 30K

1) Front wheel bearing repack, should I do it NOW, or will things most likely be ok for another month or two, even with the 2000 mile drive. I ask because time and money are VERY tight right now. But, if NOT doing it will run me a serious risk on this long drive, please let me know.

2) Engine coolant flush and refill. I have heard from some people that the engine coolant should be good for much, much longer than 30k and that I shouldn't have it flushed because sometimes this can mess up the cooling system.

I am slightly concerned, given the time frame here that it would be more of a risk to have mechanic do serious work on my VX (yes, I am paranoid that they might F' something up and then I will be SCREWED) right before I NEED my VX in a BIG WAY. And on the flip side, I do need my VX to be in 100% tip top shape for this drive.

So I am debating on having them just do an overall checkup, leaving the wheel bearing repack for AFTER I get to Reno.

What do you all think about the above. Please don't be afraid to tell me I am just being stupid and/or overly paranoid.

Thanks - Bart

At 30K miles you should be fine. For peace of mind, just jack up each front corner and grip the tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. Using a push-pull motion opposite of each hand see if you can rock the wheel back and forth. It shouldn't move much at all if the wheel bearing is in good shape. Otherwise save the re-pack for when you adjust the wheel bearings.

If your coolant looks clean and clear then you should be fine in that department. At 30K miles you won't see any buildup in the system that would require a flush. If you're coolant isn't clear an clean then drain and refill with the type of coolant specified in the owner's manual, and drive it for a few days and check again.

It's good to be diligent and prepared before a long trip. You're driving an Isuzu though, and it should take good care of you. When I bought my second VX (the IronMan) it was in Houston with almost 100K miles on it. I gave it a good overall visual inspection and drove it home to central Florida. At almost 130K miles now it's been one of the best Isuzus I've ever had. ;)

Relax, take stock of what you need to, and enjoy your trip!

Hey Joe, thanks for the advise. I must say much of my paranoia stems from the still fresh memory of my Xterra breaking down in the middle of nowhere and 7 hours from home last May.

I wont go into details, but the bottom line is the Xterra broke because of my lack of regular care for the truck. That said: I LEARNED MY LESSON. Now, I am extra anal and extra concerned about my VX. I liked my Xterra. I love my VX. So, for me and car maintenance, I have turned over a new leaf and I want to make sure I am extra careful about everything.

Thanks again for the advice.

Any more words of wisdom are appreciated.

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joe_Black

At 30K miles you should be fine. For peace of mind, just jack up each front corner and grip the tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. Using a push-pull motion opposite of each hand see if you can rock the wheel back and forth. It shouldn't move much at all if the wheel bearing is in good shape. Otherwise save the re-pack for when you adjust the wheel bearings.

If your coolant looks clean and clear then you should be fine in that department. At 30K miles you won't see any buildup in the system that would require a flush. If you're coolant isn't clear an clean then drain and refill with the type of coolant specified in the owner's manual, and drive it for a few days and check again.

It's good to be diligent and prepared before a long trip. You're driving an Isuzu though, and it should take good care of you. When I bought my second VX (the IronMan) it was in Houston with almost 100K miles on it. I gave it a good overall visual inspection and drove it home to central Florida. At almost 130K miles now it's been one of the best Isuzus I've ever had. ;)

Relax, take stock of what you need to, and enjoy your trip!

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

Hey Joe, thanks for the advise. I must say much of my paranoia stems from the still fresh memory of my Xterra breaking down in the middle of nowhere and 7 hours from home last May.

I wont go into details, but the bottom line is the Xterra broke because of my lack of regular care for the truck. That said: I LEARNED MY LESSON. Now, I am extra anal and extra concerned about my VX. I liked my Xterra. I love my VX. So, for me and car maintenance, I have turned over a new leaf and I want to make sure I am extra careful about everything.

Thanks again for the advice.

Any more words of wisdom are appreciated.

Bart

---

I'd suggest to change oil (and have a quarter or two of the same for the trip if your engine consumes it like mine).

Advise is spelled advice, some food for thought.

npf -

Do what Joe said. If there isn't a lot of play in your wheels you'll be fine, just be sure to tend to it as soon as you can. Learning to maintain your vehicle properly is an ongoing effort for those of us who were never taught anything about cars, but keep asking questions and reading the forums. Listen to the veterans here. I've learned half of what I know about automobiles in the past few years thanks to this forum. Good luck! ;Db;

KP

Even if you can't feel play in the bearing, you could be low on grease and or have contaminated grease at that mileage. If it were mine, I'd redo it since it only takes about an hour. Remove the wheel, 6 hex cap bolts, and 3 phillips head screws and you're there. And if you don't know the real history of the service....

Most oil change places can do it in about 30 minutes. Pay a little now or a lot later - do you feel lucky...do ya? :p

Thanks man,

Yup, my VX is with Espo's Auto Service right now. So far so good. The mechanic told me there was no play and that I can hold off on the front bearings until my next check up. I am happy that he was honest with me. He is giving my VX a total check up, changing the Diff fluids and my power steering fluid also. So, once I find a decent mech in the Reno area, or work up the guts to do the front bearing myself, I will change out the lube then.

Thanks to NocturnalVX for helping me find a good, honest mechanic who isn't a strager to the VehiCROSS.

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kpaske

npf -

Do what Joe said. If there isn't a lot of play in your wheels you'll be fine, just be sure to tend to it as soon as you can. Learning to maintain your vehicle properly is an ongoing effort for those of us who were never taught anything about cars, but keep asking questions and reading the forums. Listen to the veterans here. I've learned half of what I know about automobiles in the past few years thanks to this forum. Good luck! ;Db;

KP

---

I hear ya Tone, and this is a concern for sure. Hopefully I will be lucky, and I will service this asap once I am on my feet in Reno.

Thanks for the input...

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tone

Even if you can't feel play in the bearing, you could be low on grease and or have contaminated grease. If it were mine, I'd redo it since it only takes about an hour. Remove the wheel, 6 hex cap bolts, and 3 phillips head screws and you're there. And if you don't know the real history of the service....

Most oil change places can do it in about 30 minutes. Pay a little now or a lot later - do you feel lucky...do ya? :p

---

bearings Skip till later

30k ok but be sure to drive it hard before you leave, things can happen, people do forget things... i would crawl under to make sure that your drain plugs are tight and your coolent level is good sometimes it takes a day or 2 of long driving to get all the air bubbles out.


enjoy..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tone

Even if you can't feel play in the bearing, you could be low on grease and or have contaminated grease at that mileage. If it were mine, I'd redo it since it only takes about an hour. Remove the wheel, 6 hex cap bolts, and 3 phillips head screws and you're there. And if you don't know the real history of the service....

Most oil change places can do it in about 30 minutes. Pay a little now or a lot later - do you feel lucky...do ya? :p

---

Hey, Tone...only ONE thing ya left out,(& yes, you KNOW I'm being a smart A$k here) remove the brake caliper...you HAVE to remove the brake caliper !!! :p
Hugz-n-Kizzs

actually advise is spelled "advise". advice is spelled "advice".

don't be a jerk. you knew what he meant. it's an internet forum. spelling and grammar aren't exactly being graded here. I can't stand it when people feel the need to take a detour just to belittle someone.

just some food for thought, try and contribute meaningful posts on topic with what the original poster presented.

as for the wheel bearings, i'm with tone in that it can't hurt if you have the cash, but i also can't see it being an issue at 30,000 in MOST situations.

you never know with a vehicle, but I wouldn't STRESS over it for this trip, though.

Yup, I got my VX back from the mech yesterday. He was really cool and I feel that he was very honest and did the work exactly as I advised. Thanks everyone for your excellent advice. :eek:

He said my front wheel bearings had pretty much no play in them and that I could get this done with my brake service in about 5000-7000 miles. He said the previous owner probably hardly drove it, as everything underneath looked really clean.

Anyway, I am feeling better about the trip. Now all I have to do is finish packing and get that windshield picked up for Biju (and shake this wonderful cold I just came down with. How convenient!)

NocturnalVX: Thanks again for the excellent mechanic recommendation.

Bart

Which means he grabbed the wheel, felt no play and did NOT check the grease. Should be ok....

You are welcome Bart. I've found that Espo's is the place to go, and am glad he took care of your VX. I had him go over my VX before a few major trips for peace of mind too. However, as Tone said... he most likely checked for a problem, found no need at present for service, and only did what needed to be done right now. I'd agree that spending a little extra sooner on P.M. rather than more $$$ later on repairs is a good plan, so take care of it when you get to your new digs.

~ Gill

Hey Gill! Glad to see you online. I'm sorry we never got to meet up while I was here, maybe in Moab soon tho ;) I know we would have much to talk about music wise. But now that I will be so close to San Fran I can finally see some of those bands that always seem to skip over Chicago. WTF is with that??? Sam seemed really cool and down to earth. He knew exactly who I was talking about when I told him Gill sent me. Thanks.

I will do the bearings really soon. I promise. I want my VX to last a long time. SO STOP MAKING ME PARANOID TONE! ;) I know you are just being on the safe side, and I appreciate it.

Thanks again,

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nocturnalVX

You are welcome Bart. I've found that Espo's is the place to go, and am glad he took care of your VX. I had him go over my VX before a few major trips for peace of mind too. However, as Tone said... he most likely checked for a problem, found no need at present for service, and only did what needed to be done right now. I'd agree that spending a little extra sooner on P.M. rather than more $$$ later on repairs is a good plan, so take care of it when you get to your new digs.

~ Gill

---

hello, all.

don't mean to hijack the thread, but... ;)

due to low funds at the time, i did not do the 30k maintainance (oil changes, fluid checks etc. all done religiously, though) on the VX. i had it done at the initial requirement, though. i'm at 38K and have thought of biting the bullet and getting it done, now, before the winter sets in.

having read this post and finding that nocturnalvx had recommended a VX savvy (sp?) tech and finding that both he and nfpgasmask are happy with him, i thought i'd ask either of 'em -
where's espo located and were the charges competitive?

i ask as i've taken the VX to the dealer for all maintainence, previously. wouldn't hurt to save a few bucks as long as i am confident i am not skimping on the quality of work done to my baby.

thanks, all.

-jose

Hey, here is Espo's info:

Espo's Auto Service
(773) 745-0600
2345 N Neva Ave
Chicago, IL 60707

As Gill told me, talk to Sam (the owner) and tell him Gill & Bart sent you :)

Now, I brought my own ATF and Diff fluid to Sam when I had my maintenance done (about $70 worth of Mobile-1 synthetics), and he checked all fluid levels, changed out the brake fluid and power steering fluid, checked tires, brakes, front bearings, transfer case and tranny fluid levels, changed out the diff fluid and added the LSD additive in the rear. He did all this for $212. I thought this was very fair, considering how quickly he got it done and everything. He did a nice, clean and (from what I could tell) honest job.

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2K1 1K2

hello, all.

don't mean to hijack the thread, but... ;)

due to low funds at the time, i did not do the 30k maintainance (oil changes, fluid checks etc. all done religiously, though) on the VX. i had it done at the initial requirement, though. i'm at 38K and have thought of biting the bullet and getting it done, now, before the winter sets in.

having read this post and finding that nocturnalvx had recommended a VX savvy (sp?) tech and finding that both he and nfpgasmask are happy with him, i thought i'd ask either of 'em -
where's espo located and were the charges competitive?

i ask as i've taken the VX to the dealer for all maintainence, previously. wouldn't hurt to save a few bucks as long as i am confident i am not skimping on the quality of work done to my baby.

thanks, all.

-jose

---

Nfp, dont know what your travel schedule or route is, either way I am sure its not via the Ms Gulf Coast but it sounds like the perfect opportunity to meet fellow vxers along the path, also would be good to know a few faces along the way if any issues with the vx arise.

gracias!

-jose