Regular maintnance

[Delhux]

I change my oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles with synthetic Mobil-1, check my tires for air, wash it, wax it, but aside from that I don't do too much.  

I am at about 57K miles on the odometer and want to change the coolant, get an alignment done on the wheels (after a flat tire and two trips to NTB and the bastards stole one of my valve caps>).  I wanted to know just how difficult it is to change the coolant, I used to regularly check the coolant levels on my old 'stang, but that thing had problems up the wazoo.  The guys at Bonnell Ford in Winchester want $90 for a coolant change and $70 for an alignment.  I'll assume I will have to have a pro do the alignment, but the coolant is just a flush and fill with 50/50 water-to-coolant  mix, isn't it?

I was just curious if it is really worth my 90 bucks to have these guys do it for me.  I'm sure I need other services like lube hinges and latches and chasis, check my other fluids (which haven't been checked in over a year), and probably check the brakes.  I'd just like to be able to do as much of this crap on my own, as I can.  Guess I'd just like to know how much more difficult a coolant change is than an oil change.

Thanks.

[slyex]

It's pretty easy to do. When it's cold pop the cap off, get a bucket underneath, and open the valve on the bottom of the radiator. When you fill it(50/50) you'll have to run it with the cap off and heat on until the t-stat opens and bleads out the air. I believe your 3.8 also has a bleader bolt at the top front of the engine to take out when you are filling it. At that mileage you should also do plugs, air ,fuel, and pcv filters if they have not been done.

[Delhux]

Cool, thanks.  

I've got a K&N air filter, but What's a PCV filter?

[slyex]

PCV valve actually. It costs about 5 bucks. It's a positive crankcase ventilation valve. If they clog up it can pressurize the motor and cause some unwanted seal leaks. It should be in one of the valve covers. Best to buy it then know what you're looking for