High Mileage maintenance

Comments

• Mr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

  February 2016

  Sounds like you are already doing everything right! Just keep doing it.
  
  As for "how to treat a high mileage car", my opinion would be, in addition to your regular maintenance that you are already doing, that you get the car on a lift during oil changes, and carefully inspect for leaks---a bad oil or coolant leak can take your car out mighty fast. That's also a good time to check for structural issues on an old car. Have a good look at all suspension parts.
  
  At 3K miles a month, your Old Faithful is definitely in the home stretch, so you might want to think about putting something aside for a down payment on a newer car.
  
  

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• carboy21 Member Posts: 760

  February 2016

  A 20 year old car at 171 k and you are putting 3k miles every month ?
  
  Talk about flogging a dying horse

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• foreman3 Member Posts: 3

  February 2016

  I'm asking for advice not sarcasm. You're welcome to get me another car. I have to make due with what I have.

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• foreman3 Member Posts: 3

  February 2016

  Mr_Shiftright said:

  Sounds like you are already doing everything right! Just keep doing it.
  
  As for "how to treat a high mileage car", my opinion would be, in addition to your regular maintenance that you are already doing, that you get the car on a lift during oil changes, and carefully inspect for leaks---a bad oil or coolant leak can take your car out mighty fast. That's also a good time to check for structural issues on an old car. Have a good look at all suspension parts.
  
  At 3K miles a month, your Old Faithful is definitely in the home stretch, so you might want to think about putting something aside for a down payment on a newer car.
  
  

  Thanks. I've heard of certain tests like running dye through that would help detect leaks. I forget which system specifically. I have an oil leak, but it's under control. Lucas stop leak did the charm.

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• Mr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

  February 2016

  Yes you can use a dye but you need a special "black light" to see the dye.
  
  Have the coolant and brake fluid been flushed in recent years?

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• texases Member Posts: 10,708

  February 2016

  Take a look at the maintenance schedule and make sure you've done everything listed there. I'd also change other fluids (brake, coolant, and transmission) if they haven't been changed lately. Carmakers sometimes don't recommend frequent enough changes (at least every 5 years) for them.

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