How to Keep Your Ford Truck Running Well into Old Age

26 Jul 2018

How to Keep Your Ford Truck Running Well into Old Age

Your old Ford truck is like a faithful friend who is always by your side. But as the years roll by, you need to start taking care of your old friend. With just a few simple but routinely done maintenance steps, your truck will continue running like a new one for a long time to come.
We, parts world USA, provide some very useful tips in this article to keep your truck running like a champ even after many years.

1. Change your Oil and Oil Filter regularly
If you have an old Ford pickup like F100, F150, F200, F250, F300, F350 or other models, you should always change your oil every 5,000 to 11,200 kilometers (about 3 months on an average). This holds true for other pickups too.
Ideally it is recommended that you change the filter also, when you change your oil.


2. Rotate your Tires to Increase their Life
Tire rotation has a strong positive impact on the health of tires and even on the suspension, but it is often overlooked and ignored.
Rotating your tires will not only increase the life of the tires, it will even make your ride smoother and reduce the burden on your truck suspension that is caused by unevenly worn tires.

3. Keep your Tires balanced
When the weight of the tire is equally distributed around the axle then the tires are balanced. When you drive your truck, an unbalanced set of tires can lead to unwanted vibrations when on the road. We recommend that when you have a tire replaced or patched up, it is a good time to get the tires balanced.

4. Alignment is Key
When you drive over rough roads at high speeds, the likelihood of misalignment of wheels increases. Hitting a pothole or a heavy impact can easily cause a misalignment.
Misaligned tires are at a risk of causing the vehicle to pull to one side, especially when braking which can prove very dangerous on the road.
Keep checking your tire pressure regularly and set it to the designated pressure and keep your load evenly secured and spread across your bed to reduce the risk of misalignment.

5. Check Your Lights
Checking on some basic components only once in a month can save you a lot of trouble and any upcoming issue will be on your radar before it can become a bigger problem.
For instance, check that all of your interior and exterior lights are working properly.
A dim light can indicate an electrical problem, while a burned out light can be dangerous and lead to a hefty fine. Ensure your glove box is stocked with spare fuses—you don’t wanna call a tow-truck for a 75 cent easy peasy fix.

6. Make sure Fluid Levels are up
The most important one to check is the fluid level of engine oil. If it is dirty or smells like gasoline, you should to change it.
Truck engines make a lot of heat; this engine oil is what keeps them from overheating.
Check the levels by popping the cap, when the engine is not hot.
Finally, check your windshield washer fluid. Keep an extra bottle of washer fluid, especially in winter, when salt and sand are on the road.

7. Give your Engine a breath of fresh air
If you want your truck engine to keep performing at its best, you need to give it clean air. Over time, air filters become clogged with dust, debris, and chemical contaminants.
Swap in a fresh engine air filter every 15,000 to 30,000 miles or even more often if you are frequently driving on dirt roads. A clean air filter will not only help your engine last longer, it can optimize your engine efficiency and acceleration.

9. Stop in for an Expert Inspection
While you must take care of your vehicle by yourself, every once in a while you must get it checked by experts also. Ford multi-point inspection is basically a doctor check-up for your truck. Everything from your batteries to spark plugs to brake pads are analyzed for issues.
Technicians can spot wear outs and other problems early, which helps keep you safe and give your truck a longer life.

10. Go through the owners manual
If you ever take time to actually go through your owners manual, you will find everything you need from cleaning, to optimal fluids, to maintenance checklists — its all there.

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