So this is my first turbo car and I understand that sometimes they require more maintenance than others. Does anyone have some sort of checklist they go over every month to make sure the car is running good and doesn't blow and what to look for etc? Also maybe a list as well of things that are notorius to go bad on the evo x would be great. For an example check certain vacuum line every month so you don't blow your engine.

 

First, welcome to the club.

Secondly, you picked a hell of a (expensive) car to learn the ins-and-outs of turbo ownership with...

I would say be sure to check all your fluids, ESPECIALLY oil and coolant, and don't ignore the ATF reservoir in the trunk, either.

You want to check those at least once a week if you drive regularly-- maybe even every day. The last thing you want to do is spring an oil or coolant leak (particularly during the hot months) and only find out about it when you take your car for a spin the next day and you're critically low.

Make sure you do all your scheduled maintenance and most importantly MAKE SURE THE TECHNICIANS ACTUALLY DO IT! I decided to do the diff fluid and torque mechanism fluid change myself and discovered that, despite the fact the paperwork for my vehicle claimed routine maintenance was completed at all intervals, neither the center nor rear diff had EVER been opened/changed.

Lastly, make sure you don't cheap out when it comes to actual maintenance. This is an expensive car and while you can definitely save some money by getting your hands dirty, you don't want to pench pennies when it comes to the materials you use. Put only the best in your car and it will love you for it; if you cut corners using cheap engine oil (or worse... crappy pump gas from places like Wawa) you have no one else to blame but yourself if something goes wrong.

Cheers