3100 tune-up

[cold_pyro]

Our 99 Monte Carlo has crossed over 55,000 miles and the engine is starting to show signs of needing a tune up.  It is a 3100
Here's what I have planned..
1.  New Belt - Is the Goodyear Gatorback sufficient?
2.  New Plugs - AC Delcos
3.  New Wires - I'm not sure what kind are best..
4.  New Radiator Hoses and a Flush - It has a leak somewhere and it's not a gasket..
5.  Decarbonize
6.  Change the oil..
Anything else I should check into?

[Guest]

air filter...fuel filter...check the brakes...clean the throttlebody...plus what you have and that's all i can think of for now...

[Canada]

Transmission flush and filter change. GM claims 100,000 miles in the 4T60-E with there ATF. But its a good idea to do it sooner.

[cold_pyro]

Quote (Canada @ Feb. 01 2003,15:25)Transmission flush and filter change. GM claims 100,000 miles in the 4T60-E with there ATF. But its a good idea to do it sooner.
I've heard miscellaneous bad stuff about flushes..  What about just dropping the pan and replacing the filter and putting in new fluid?

[88GTRacer]

Quote (Canada @ Feb. 01 2003,15:25)Transmission flush and filter change. GM claims 100,000 miles in the 4T60-E with there ATF. But its a good idea to do it sooner.
GM claimed the same thing for the 3T40 transmission.  88GTRacer

[Canada]

Quote (cold_pyro @ Feb. 01 2003,15:43)I've heard miscellaneous bad stuff about flushes..  What about just dropping the pan and replacing the filter and putting in new fluid?
Do you know what a flush is?

[Guest]

Unless your engine has heavy mods on it, just get the stock AC Delco wires.  They have the boots on them already and are the correct length.  Maybe also both O2 sensors if you got the cash.  I think pre-cat is around 50$ and post-cat is like 110$.  Maybe also run some fuel injector cleaner through it.  Tranny flush is a good idea but to actually get all of it out, just a drop of the pan and replacing the filter and topping off is not going to give you a flush.  You will still have more than 50% of the old fluid still stuck in your converter.  Your best bet would be to take it somewhere and have the fluid sucked out by a machine and then new added.

[Guest]

God forbid, get and use some cooling system cleaner. Get rid of that crap they call DEXACOOL. Replace it with the green antifreeze. The Dexacool stuff gets all gummy, and cloggs the cooling system. I have pix of a car the other day with 9k miles and is 2 years old. What a mess.

[cold_pyro]

Yeah, I've had problems with my truck corroding the hose fitting on the top of the manifold like disentegrating..  '96 Chevy 5.7 Vortec.  I may clean its coolant system out too and put in some green stuff..  Can anyone tell me why GM is requiring DEX-COOL in their newer cars?

[Guest]

If your car is running crappy at 55,000 miles. Couldn't it be something else.
I mean the wires should last well over 100K. The plugs are platinum in all newer cars arent they? They should last nearly 100K Belts hoses.. all that #### should last well over 55,000....
And as far as dexcool being junk, anythings junk if it gets contaminated. DEX Cool is only good for 100K if it doesn't get contaminated by something. It must not suck too bad if most ALL new cars have it.

A car with 2years and 9,000 miles is hardly driven. Probably a lot of short trips eh? Short trips will screw anything up.

[cold_pyro]

Yeah..  Less than 8 miles a day..  Mom doesn't work far from home..  We try to take it on long trips at least once a week though..

[cold_pyro]

Oh yeah my truck has about 85,000...

[Eway89GT]

my father had a van e drove about 7 miles a day, the motor went @ 65,000, he was told it was because it never got hot enough to burn out the deposit that build up in a motor

[Guest]

I dont know the details, but I used some of that "engine restore", its blue in color, and I noticed a smoother idle and all around better feel in the car. Couldnt hurt.

[ErichZ26]

DexCool is designed to run longer especially in new cooling systems.  It allows less waste, cooland is one of the only fluids hard to dispose.  I recycle everything.  As for Dexcool causing dammage, I don't buy this.  I am running it in 3 cars now.   At this cars mileage, i would probably just do plugs  6 R44LTSM's( I am starting to rethink the new Rapidfires), check for any gumming in throttle body, and investigate this coolant leak.   There are 2 heated O2 sensors...@ about $75 each.  This is a pretty maintenance free..but not always trouble free.