Owner's Maintenance Tips

Owner's Maintenance Tips

One of the nice things about the Lebarons is that they are largely owner maintainable. The J-body LeBarons have a spacious engine compartment that's easy to work in. With the transverse mounted 4-cylinder engines (Turbo or TBI) you get a single row of easily accessible spark plugs, as well as front and center mounted oil filter and distributor cap. With the V6's the rear three spark plugs are located under the airbox, which can be removed fairly easily.

Any reasonably handy do-it-yourself type with a good set of tools and the right attitude should be able to perform most routine maintenance tasks on any Lebaron themselves. Doing the job yourself, to your own high standards, and saving money at the same time adds a unique dimension to the positive ownership experience one can expect from a LeBaron. The following sections describe the regular maintenance routines I perform personally on my own LeBaron.

Please note: "I am not a mechanic, nor have I ever taken any special courses. The information that follows is to be used at your own risk. If you don't feel that you can perform these tasks safely on your own car, then consider this page for information purposes only."

The Turbo

If you've got one of the Turbo engines then you've got either a Garrett-AiResearch or Mitsubishi built Turbocharger. You can read your owner's manual from cover to cover and you will not find any information specific to maintaining the Turbo. While this is technically correct, it is also somewhat misleading. True there is no actual Turbo maintenance requirements, but there are two maintenance issues which can directly impact the longevity of your Turbo.

Two other engine systems, besides intake and exhaust, are involved in Turbo operation. The cooling and oil systems both have passages in the Turbocharger housing for the purpose of cooling and lubricating the Turbo's shaft bearings. When you consider the extreme temperatures that are part of normal Turbo operation, the importance of your cooling and oil systems is not hard to imagine. For this reason I religiously stick to 100% Synthetic Oil changes at three month intervals, and a complete drain, flush and refill on the cooling system every two years, regardless of mileage in both cases.

Neglecting either of these two vital engine fluids can result in serious premature wear or damage, and costly repairs to your Turbocharger.

Oil Changes

If you've got a little patience and you don't mind getting your hands dirty, then changing your oil is one of the eaisier maintenance tasks you can perform on your LeBaron. The only specialized tool you'll need is a band wrench to remove the old oil filter. Here's a step-by-step look at how I perform my own oil changes:

1. Park on a flat level surface and raise the hood.
2. Remove the oil filler cap. This allows air to enter the oil system so your old oil drains out more completely.
3. Position a drain pan below the car and remove the oil drain plug.
4. While the old oil drains prime your new oil filter with fresh oil and rub a little oil on the filter gasket. Priming the filter will prevent the Turbo from running dry when you perform your start check.
5. Replace the oil drain plug. Do not over tighten the plug.
6. Move the drain pan to below the oil filter and remove the old filter.
7. Spin on the new oil filter and hand tighten to 3/4 turn past initial gasket contact.
8. Pour the remaining required quantity of oil, less that used to prime the filter, through the engine oil fill opening.
9. Start your engine and check the drain plug and oil filter for leaks.
10. Shut off your engine and check your oil level. Top-up your oil level if neccessary.

The Tune-up

Despite the apparent complexity and sophisticated engineering that goes into these engines, a routine tune-up is not as complicated as one might expect. Sure if you want to do a thorough engine analysis you'll need some pretty expensive equipment and a polished understanding of computerized engine systems. But if your more interested in changing plugs and filters, it's really not that hard.

Here's an itemized list of what I include in my regular tune-up regiment:

Spark Plugs:
Spark plug choices are many. Most people will tell you that the OEM Champion Copper Core plugs will work just fine. NGK V-Power plugs seem to be the defacto standard for better performance at a reasonable price. BOSCH Platinums are not recommended in NOS injected and hi-boost turbo/supercharged applications. For what it's worth, I'm currently using Champion Platinum Power plugs. I replace all four plugs every two years, usually in November to prepare for the colder driving season. A spark plug socket, a rachet and a short extender is all you need. I replace each plug one at a time working from right to left, checking the gap of each new plug with a gapping tool. Insert the new gapped spark plug into the socket with the extender attached. Thread the spark plug by hand until it makes contact with the cylinder head assembly. Then tighten the spark plug the rest of the way with the rachet. A final 1/4 turn is enough to properly seat the spark plug gasket.
Ignition Rotor:
The ignition rotor is located under the distributor cap mounted on the front of the engine. Remove the splashguard by loosening the two screws with a screwdriver. Loosen the two screws holding down the distributor cap a pull the cap straight up. Note the position of the current rotor and pull it up and off the rotor shaft by hand. Place the new rotor onto the shaft in the same direction as the old rotor. The shaft is notched to ensure that you get it right. Replace the distributor cap and the splash shield tightening the screws by hand.
PCV Valve:
This is by far the easiest part of the tune-up. You don't even need any tools. The L-shaped PCV valve is located between the valve-cover and the air intake manifold next to the throttle body. It can easily be removed and replaced by hand in seconds.
Air Filter:
The air filter is located in the airbox neatly tucked below the throttle body. I find its easier to remove the airbox cover if you disconnect the oval shaped intake hose coupling first. Three spring clips hold the top of the air box cover in place. A series of tabs and slots hold the bottom half of the airbox cover in place. Once you've opened the clips and slid out the airbox cover you can remove the old combination air and PCV filter with a new clean one. Carefully replace the air box cover checking for proper tab to slot alignment, then replace the three spring clips. Re-connect the air intake hose.
Battery Fluid:
If you've replaced your original maintenance free battery with a conventional battery, now is a good time to check the battery fluid level. Gently pry open the vent covers and check the exisiting fuild level. If new fluid is required, top-up the resevoirs with clean distilled water.
Fuel Injector Cleaner:
Pour a bottle of fuel injector cleaner into your gas tank at your next fill-up to ensure a clean fuel system.
Other Fluids:
While you're under your hood inspect your coolant, power-steering, transmission and brake fluids and top-up any if necessary.

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Last update: May 21, 2004.