Vehicle Maintenance Fluid Service And Recycling: Fill & Download for Free

Check and inflate tires. Although this service is free at many tire shops, I bought a small compressor with a tank and find it more convenient to do at home. Plus I am more likely to tend to them if I can do it at my leisure at home. Also, the recommended tire pressure (usually listed on the door jamb) is meant to be set when the tires are cold, which is difficult to adhere to if you first have to drive somewhere for air.Oil & filter change. On some cars this is much easier to do than others. On my Honda I can get it done in less time than it takes me to drive back and forth to my preferred shop. I save a lot of money doing it myself, plus I know I’m getting good quality oil and filters. The only part I don’t like is having to take the used oil to the auto parts store for disposal/recycling,Air filter replacement. On every car I’ve owned this is a 5–10 minute job. Much cheaper than having it done at a repair shop. Being able to do it yourself also means it will probably be done as often as needed.Replace dead battery. Very easy to do and saves a bit of money. If you suspect a dead or dying battery, many auto parts stores will do a check of your battery and charging system to pinpoint the problem.Check and replenishment of other fluids. Easy enough to check and top off coolant, and brake, transmission and power steering fluid. Do it yourself and you can keep tabs on these systems’ health. If any require frequent attention, it’s time to take it to a reputable repair station.*Change a tire. *Not really maintenance, but good to know how to do. AAA is great for this, but there are times where you are so far away from a town, if you get a flat it is so much quicker to just do it yourself.*Tire rotation. *Probably not for everyone, but I like to do tire rotations myself mainly so I can have a good look at the brake pads and calipers. I also replace my pads on my own, but again, probably not a skill I’d say everyone should have.

Firstly, I’m going to assume you are talking about the big battery under the floor of the vehicle that propels the vehicle forward. There is a 12V battery, the same ones you find on ICE cars which should last longer, but most people question the main battery.That image above is showing the “skateboard” design, basically a big battery between the 2 axles that gives the car a very low centre of gravity. This big battery is made up of cells, lots and lots of cells. The number is in the thousands. The more capacity the battery has, generally the more cells that pack is made of. To give a sedan like the model 3 enough range to go 560km (350 miles) on a charge, the pack needs just over 4000 cells.This is an up close version of the cells in the pack. Each cell is about the size of your phone battery, I’m talking about capacity here not the physical size as these are more energy dense than your phone.Why am I saying this?Well since the battery is made of so many smaller batteries, if one battery goes out, you only lose 1/4000th of your range. I think that equates to somewhere around 150m or so of traveling so you won’t notice that at all. Batteries are getting super reliable to produce so the likelihood of anything going wrong with the battery itself is very low.Now you ask the life expectancy of the battery. Well, the battery cells you see above, they should last you probably 80–100 years. But that’s when battery capacity drops to a point where you would just rather recycle the cell instead of using it. The battery should still be working, just at a much reduced capacity.That’s a chart showing battery degradation for the model S/X and as you can see, the highest amount of degradation happens when the battery is new, after that it levels off and it degrades very very slowly.You likely won’t even drive the car when its at or above 300k km, but suppose you hand it down and someone takes really good care of the car. The battery will still have over 90% of its original capacity left. That means a 560km range model 3, would still be able to drive about 500km when the car has done about 300,000–500,000 km on the odometer.So what does that tell you?Well, you’ll end up scrapping the car before you even need to worry about the battery itself. After 20–30 years the drivetrain will function just fine, but the car would be falling to pieces. In fact Tesla had an 8 year unlimited mile warranty on the drivetrain on their model S and X vehicles.What about maintenance?On an EV there really isn’t much to do. You might need to flush the coolant in 10–15 years or so for the battery and drivetrain, but that’s about all I can think of. There are other parts like suspension, interior, bearings, and half shafts that will age with the car, but if you can replace them 15–20 years down the line, you’d basically have a brand new vehicle since the drivetrain would be in perfect working order.There isn’t a schedule of service for an EV, just check your windshield washer fluid, tire pressure, and tire wear and you shouldn’t have to worry about anything. Definitely a step above the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)!

Basic EngineeringFundamentally, mechanical engineers are involved with the mechanics of motion and the transfer of energy from one form to another or one place to another. ME's design and build machines for industrial and consumer use -- virtually any machine you find, had a mechanical engineer involved with its development and production. They design heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to control the climate in homes, offices, and industrial plants, and develop refrigeration systems for the food industry. ME's also design heat exchangers, key components in high-tech mechanical and electronic computer equipment.Applied Mechanics: Mechanics can be applied to almost anything -- metal bars, rocks, water, the human skeleton, or complex systems such as buildings, automobiles, and machines. The basic question is how things work and whether they work well. To find the answers, a mechanical engineer uses a knowledge of shock and vibration, dynamics and motion, fracture and failure in components, and the behavior of high-tech materials. New computer applications make it possible to model and visualize all of these processes.Fluids Engineering: There's a mechanical process involved in anything that flows -- air, water, heat and cold, even the sand along our shores. Whatever the substance may be, M.E.'s know how to describe and control its movement. M.E.'s design fluid machines and systems -- pumps, turbines, compressors, valves, pipelines, biological devices, hydraulic systems, and the fluid systems in car engines. The fluids engineer can be found in industries ranging from aerospace to food, manufacturing, medicine, power, and transportation.Heat Transfer: Heat is generated and moved by any use of energy, in everything from computers to automobiles and ventilating systems in buildings. This is an issue in all modern technology, given today's emphasis on conservation and wise use of resources. This field touches on combustion, power generation and transmission systems, process equipment, electronic devices, thermal controls in manufacturing, environmental controls, biotechnology, aerospace applications, transportation equipment, and even cryogenics (for those who like to freeze things).Bioengineering: Mechanical engineering principles are used to design and perfect biomechanical devices or systems. Almost any part of the human organism can be described mechanically, whether it's a knee joint or the circulatory system. This field involves artificial organs, biomechanics, biomaterials, bio-instrumentation, biotransport processes, human factors, medical devices, biomedical modeling, and biological systems. Bioprocess Engineering focuses on the processes, systems, and equipment used in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries -- everything from cell cultures, to bioprocessing, to unit operations. M.E.'s in this field work closely with biologists, chemists, and chemical engineers.Tribology: Tribology may not be a familiar term, but if you are designing an artificial hip socket, a laser printer, or a locomotive, you will have to think about friction, heat, wear, bearings, and lubrication. Otherwise your product probably won't run well or for very long. By reducing wear, the tribologist prevents the failure of everything from computer disk drives to the seals used in space vehicles.Energy ConversionWe live in a world of dependent on the production and conversion of energy into useful forms. Mechanical engineers are involved in all aspects of the production and conversion of energy from one form to another. We design and operate fossil fuel, hydroelectric, conventional, nuclear and cogeneration power plants. We design and develop internal combustion engines for automobiles, trucks and marine use and also for electrical power generation.Internal Combustion Engines: Mechanical engineers design and manufacture IC engines for mobile, marine, rail, and stationary applications. Engine design requires a broad knowledge base, including mechanics, electronics, materials, and thermal sciences. Problems must be solved in fuels and combustion, intake systems, ignition, instrumentation and controls, lubrication, materials, and maintenance.Fuels & Combustion Technologies: Mechanical Engineers may specialize in the understanding of fuels and combustion systems in modern utility and industrial power plants or in internal combustion, gas turbine or other engines. These ME's work with combustion systems, fuel properties and characteristics, fuel processing and alternative fuels, and fuel handling transportation and storage.Nuclear Engineering: M.E.'s in Nuclear Engineering use their knowledge of mechanics, heat, fluids, machinery and controls. They develop advanced reactors and components, heat exchangers, pressure vessels and piping, radwaste systems, and new fuel technologies.Power Engineering: Power Engineering focuses on electricity, produced by steam and water-driven turbines. Power M.E.'s design and develop these systems, as well as industrial and marine power plants, combustion equipment, and the equipment that goes into power plants -- condensers, cooling towers, pumps, piping, heat exchangers, and the controls to make it all work.Energy ResourcesMechanical engineers are experts on the conversion and use of existing energy sources and in developing the equipment needed to process and transport fuels. At the same time, mechanical engineers are active in finding and developing new forms of energy. In that effort, ME's deal with the production of energy from alternate sources, such as solar, geothermal, and wind.Advanced Energy Systems: Most energy has come from the conversion of chemical or thermal energy into electrical and mechanical energy. M.E.'s are developing alternatives to thermal energy, power cycle devices, fuel cells, gas turbines, and innovative uses of coal, wind, and tidal flows.Solar Engineering: M.E.'s in Solar Energy are finding new ways to produce mechanical and electrical power for heating, refrigeration, and water purification. They design devices and structures to collect solar energy, and they work with architects to design buildings that use solar energy for heating, cooling, and lighting.Petroleum: Mechanical engineers play important roles in the petroleum industry, working in oil and gas drilling and production, offshore and arctic operations, hydrocarbon processing, synfuels and coal technology, materials, equipment design and manufacture, fuel transport, new fuel technologies, and pollution control.Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering: Much of our energy already comes from offshore sources. M.E.'s design and build ocean structures, systems, and equipment -- hyperbaric chambers, life support equipment, marine vehicles, submersibles and ROV's, propulsion systems, remote sensing systems, moorings and buoys, ship structures, and ocean mining equipment. Any given project may call for expertise in acoustics, construction and salvage technologies, corrosion, and high-tech materials. Offshore Mechanics differs from Ocean Engineering in that it focuses more on the science of mechanics. An M.E. specialist in this field deals with hydrodynamics, structural mechanics, computational methods, offshore materials science, materials fatigue and fracture, hydrodynamic forces and motion, fluidsolid-soil interactions, deepwater platforms, cable and pipeline dynamics, sensors and measurements, robots and remote control, and the mechanics of offshore drilling operations. The arctic engineer deals with a unique set of problems, such as ice mechanics, pipeline operations, and the behavior of materials in cold climates.Environment & TransportationTransportation is a large and growing field for mechanical engineers. Existing modes of air and surface transport require continuous improvement or replacement. ME's work at the cutting edge of these efforts. Wherever machines are made or used, you will find mechanical engineers. They are instrumental in the design, development and manufacturing of machines that transmit power. They are also critically involved with the environmental impact and fuel efficiency of the machines they develop and with any by-products of the fuels used to power those machines.Aerospace & Automotive: They used to be called "flying machines." Very true. Aircraft are, in fact, flying "machines." One of the major activities of mechanical engineers is in the design, development and manufacture of things that move on land, sea, air and in space. M.E.'s design propulsion engines and structural component systems, crew and passenger accommodations and life support systems. M.E.'s also develop the equipment used to build automotive, aircraft, marine and space vehicles.Environmental Engineering: Most environmental conditions involve a mechanical process -- the movement of heat, noise, or pollutants in air, soil, or water. M.E.'s deal with questions about environmental impact and recyclability in the design of products and systems. They use modeling techniques to understand air, ground, and water pollution and to develop effective controls. For example, M.E.'s analyzed and modeled the mechanical relationship between power plant emissions and acid rain in the northeastern states.Noise Control & Acoustics: Sound is a mechanical phenomenon -- the movement of waves or vibrations through solids, liquids, or space. Acoustics is the art and science of producing, analyzing, and controlling sound. A mechanical engineering background can help to solve problems in noise control, flow-related noise and vibration, industrial acoustics, instrumentation, acoustical materials, and structures.Rail Transportation: All aspects of mechanical engineering can be applied to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of rail and mass-transit systems. Technologies developed in aerospace and energy conversion are being applied to a new generation of locomotives and cars for freight, passenger, and transit services.Solid Waste Processing: Solid waste processing is a key aspect of environmental protection and energy conservation. M.E.'s are involved in the design and construction of solid waste processing facilities, and in work related to recycling, resource recovery, and the new technologies for waste-to-energy and biomass conversion.Systems & DesignMost mechanical engineers work in the design and control of mechanical, electromechanical and fluid power systems. As a mechanical engineer functioning as a design engineer it is likely that you would be involved with one or more technical specialties, for example: Robotic System Design; Computer Coordinated Mechanisms; Expert Systems in Design; ComputerAided Engineering; Geometric Design; Design Optimization; Kinematics and Dynamics of Mechanisms; Cam Design/Gear Design; Power Transmission; or Design of Machine Elements. Design engineers take into account a truly wide number of factors in the course of their work, such as: product performance, cost, safety, manufacturability, serviceability, human factors, aesthetic appearance, durability, reliability, environmental impact and recycleability.Dynamic Systems & Control: Where there is movement there must be control. A modern production line is a dynamic system, because its movement and speed can be controlled. M.E.'s create the software, hardware, and feedback devices that form control and robotic systems. This requires a knowledge of heat and mass transfer, fluid and solid mechanics, the plants or processes to be controlled, elements of electronics and computers. Controls are needed everywhere -- in aerospace and transportation, biomedical equipment, production machinery, energy and fluid power systems, expert systems, and environmental systems. FluidPower Systems & Technology: You have been asked to design a massive vehicle to transport rocket boosters around the Kennedy Space Center. A conventional transmission won't work because of the weight and sheer inertia that the vehicle must overcome. You need to apply a lot of power very gradually, so you employ a fluid power coupling. These technologies are used in automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and power industries, in situations that call for a flexible and precise application of power in large amounts.Design Engineering: M.E.'s design components, entire machines, complex structures, systems and processes. This work requires a knowledge of the basic sciences, engineering principles, materials, computer techniques, manufacturing methods, and even economics. New and challenging problems come along with regularity. If you are working for an aircraft company, today's problem may be vibration in an engine; tomorrow it may be wind noise, stress on the landing gear, or a need to increase lift at low speeds.Computers in Engineering: Mechanical engineers have developed a wealth of computer applications software, based on their knowledge of mechanics, fluids, heat, kinetics, and manufacturing. Some of the interests in this area include computer-aided design and simulation; computer-aided manufacturing; finite element analysis; visualization techniques; robots and controls; computer vision and pattern recognition; systems (hardware, software, and networks); and management information systems.M.E.'s in the Electrical & Computer Industries: There are mechanical components in electrical, electronic, and computer equipment, all of which is manufactured through automated and mechanical processes, all components must fit precisely, and unwanted heat must be transferred elsewhere. All of these activities are in the domain of mechanical engineering. The PC is very largely a mechanical device. Consider disk drives, circuit boards, keyboards, the chasis structure, and, of course, the mouse!Electrical & Electronic Packaging: A large number of mechanical engineers work for the manufacturers of electrical, electronic, and computer equipment. The major focus for M.E.'s in this area is the physical design and manufacture of these products in such a way that unwanted heat is removed and desired heat is retained where and to the degree it is needed.Information Storage & Processing Systems: Quite a few mechanical engineers work for companies that manufacture computer peripherals. Any storage device on your computer -- the CD, DVD, diskette, or hard drives -- has electrical, electronic, and mechanical components. M.E.'s help to design and manufacture these precision devices. Their interests touch on hard disk technologies, data storage and equipment, wear and lubrication in data storage devices, micro-sensors, and controls.Microelectromechanical Systems: Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) combines computers with tiny mechanical devices such as sensors, valves, gears, and actuators embedded in semiconductor chips. A MEMS device contains micro-circuitry on a silicon chip into which a mechanical device such as a mirror or a sensor has been constructed. Among the presently available uses of MEMS or those under study are: 1) Sensors built into the fabric of an airplane wing so that it can sense and react to air flow by changing the wing surface resistance; effectively creating a myriad of tiny wing flaps, 2) Sensor-driven heating and cooling systems that dramatically improve energy savings, and 3) Building supports with imbedded sensors that can alter the flexibility properties of a material based on atmospheric stress sensing.