Car maintenance - again

I brought our car to the shop for its regular maintenance checks and had an oil change after having the engine washed. I also had the spark plugs changed, not a simple thing to do with several parts of the vehicle's engine requiring to being detached in order for one to reach the spark plugs. Of course, I could have done this myself after watching our mechanic do this for the last few years but I'd rather a professional do it so as to make sure everything will come out right. 

Newly washed engine - the car looks quite mischievous from this angle with its headlights for eyes and a grin for its snout

The underside is clean and I like checking the suspension and muffler when the car is raised just to make sure everything's as it should be

We have four new tires as I had the old one replaced a few weeks ago. The old ones were 5 years old and had a history of punctures. Also, I wanted our tires' ridges deep enough to be able to pump out water typical in Philippine roads during the wet season

No punctures or other significant damages not associated with typical wear and tear over 5 years.

The foils and other parts are holding up and I'm glad of their condition considering what the car's been through

Black motor oil flows from the engine - definitely good timing for a change

Dirty oil is drained from the engine after a cleaner is added to the engine

We always used fully synthetic oil for the car ever since we had our car and especially after Ondoy submerged the vehicle in 2009. It's highly recommended for relatively older cars to ensure better engine maintenance.

Engine filter detached

Other part going off to reach the spark plugs

Engine and mechanic's tools

It's not so easy to get to the spark plugs as the mechanic had to remove the engine cover, filter, and other parts to access the engine. You have to make sure all the screws and clamps are back where they were removed or unsnapped.

The car had been through a lot compared with other cars its age and even older. It has miraculously survived being fully submerged by floods of a typhoon back in 2009, and is performing better than most cars its age and newer. I don't know how long we'll be keeping the car but its definitely going to be with us for a while even as we consider purchasing another one to replace another car that wasn't as lucky as our Mazda 3.

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