Green Auto Maintenance

My daily drive is a 2003 Expedition  with a 5.4 liter V8 that I bought from my son in 2006. It was the family school bus until I got it and then it became a true SUV with the emphasis on utility. I have no problem in loading the back with potted plants or bags of pine mulch. It stays dirty most of the time. It is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned and now has 150,000 miles, most of it with only basic maintenance. Repairs have been few and the cost of them is much lower than a monthly car note. While it has a few quirks (the door switch is out giving me a door ajar warning, the rear air con control door flops around, and the disk changer is tango uniform) I plan to keep it as long as I can. The air con is weak so every spring I give it a can of freon. This year I got a can, hooked up the hose and......nothing. I went back to the auto parts store and they told me that new freon cans were self sealing and the old hoses would not work as they could not pierce the seal. There was an adapter, but they were all sold out. One of the counter guys offered to let me use his if I charged the system in the store parking lot. Deal done and a good example of customer service. I'm not sure what drove the change unless it was environmental concerns, or a desire to force every mechanic to buy a new gadget.