How long can one keep a 98 Avalon?

Elliot Udell

right now i am having problems with an oil leak. In the process of trying to fix it, they replaced the cam shaft, did sealings, replaced the water pump all all belts. it still leaks oil on the driveway. The car has 140,000 miles on it and is 16.8 years old. How long does a 98 Avalon last or should I listen to the mechanic and start lookng for a new car?

isellhondas

You need to find a shop with the skills to track down the source of your oil leak and get it taken care of!

Mr_Shiftright

No reason to dispose of an otherwise good running, good looking car merely for an oil leak. I agree, you need to ramp up your standards for a mechanic.

Sometimes the advice "buy a new car" is good advice, but sometimes it's a code word for "I give up. I can't fix this thing".

No reason why this car cannot run reliably up to 225,000 miles. You've got another 7-8 years here.

Oil leaks can be a matter of doggedly tracking down the leak, and replacing gaskets or correcting excessive crankcase pressure.

Elliot Udell

thanks for your help. He replaced the gasket covers, two ceals and the crankshaft. It still leaks but leaks less. He put die in the oil and still could not find where the leak or leaks are coming from. I am holding on to the car. It would not pass inspection - the cat was bad and it had to be welded in because thats the way it was done a number of years ago. I would love to keep the car but there is a lot of underbody rust from the snow and salt on the roads. Anway I fixed the cat (600+ expense) He said the roters will need to be replaced a couple of months. Look, its still cheaper than leasing a new car.

djohnson1

My wife's 2003 Ford Taurus with 140,ooo miles, was leaking oil on the garage floor. Never take a car out of warranty to the dealer unless it's absolutely required, IMHO. My local mechanic, who builds dragsters as a hobby, checked it out and said it was leaking from the rear main seal. He added four ounces of brake fluid to the motor oil, and that fixed it. It was free with the oil change I was getting at the time. He said the seal was hard from age and the brake fluid has conditioners that would expand it and fix it. It's not 100% going to work on all cars, but it worked on mine. If you don't like the idea of adding brake fluid to your motor oil you can use high mileage oil, which also has the seal conditioners in it. The car hasn't leaked since. I mentioned this because I think it would work on your Avalon too if it was leaking from the main bearing seal like mine was or might help somebody else. I have a 2006 and love mine. Good luck.

Elliot Udell

djohnson1, thanks for your help. Since I posted the comment two more things started going south with my 98 Avalon. One is the rubber ceal around the moonroof is coming loose and secondly one of the sensors needs to be replaced. I an drive with both but I need to be on the lookout for a newer car. I heard the 2015 Avalons have a stiff ride and gas mileage is not great. I am leaning toward an accord .. What do you think?