My car is sitting in my garage with 59,995 miles on it. My day of reckoning has come.

Anyways, I already searched and I'm looking at the owner's manual next to me so plz don't suggest either of those, because they're being done.

So the things I'll be doing myself to save costs is...
-replace air filter
-replace spark plugs (n sea foam it just before since im changing plugs anyway)
-replace tranny fluid
-clean antenna mast

Now here's the stuff I'm not sure on:
-"inspect valve clearance" (do i needa take it to a shop for this?)
-"inspect and adjust drive belts"
-check parking brake adjustment
-lubricate locks and hinges

already did oil change n coolant flush awhile ago so those're covered. I might also replace the distributor cap and rotor, but is that necessary?

Can anyone explain to me the stuff I'm not sure on? And is there anything I missed? Does "lubricate locks and hinges" just mean blast everything with wd40? lol. And can I check parking brake adjustment myself, n same with drive belts?

sorry i kinda asked all the q's rapid-fire, but it seems somewhat likely that I'll be able to do everything but the valve clearance. help?

 

Adjusting the valves isn't too hard, if you're not afraid to open the valve cover. The simple explanation is you measure the clearance between the cam & the follower with the thin blades of a feeler gauge. If it's wrong, you adjust it. There's some good descriptions around here, somewhere. If you're thinking about this, you'll want to buy a shop manual (www.helminc.com).

Drive belts are easy, I sorta inspect them whenever I have an excuse to open the hood. They can get old, brittle, & slippery, so have a good look on their inner surfaces. Look for fraying, too. Or just get new ones, 60k is a pretty good excuse to replace em. Push with your thumb on the longest span of each belt. You should be able to push 1/4" without trying too hard. If they're too tight your alternator/AC/PS bearings will crap out faster. If they're too loose they simply make squealing noises. So I usually don't tighten them until I hear them complaining.

Parking brake handle should come up no more than 8 or so clicks. (I'm not absolutely sure that's the correct #...) Jack up the back of the car, reach in thru the window, lift the lever one click at a time. The rear brakes should start dragging & then lock up pretty much together. There's some posts about adjusting, so if it's not OK you can look them up. Or at least post back & ask questions.

I wouldn't use WD-40, it's so thin & it'll evaporate too quick. Engine oil works pretty good, graphite for the lock cylinders, grease for the hood latch above the radiator. Don't forget the hood & trunk hinges. Smear some grease on the battery terminals too, for corrosion. Grease on the sunroof sliders. What else is there? Seat tracks, etc...