Car life expectancy

[banesanura 1]

My car is pushing 92k I change the oil regularly, but I'm starting to get nervous as its goign to hit 100k and it seems that most cars cause problems when you enter the 100k mark.

What preventative measures would you take?

I'm having my car checked out tomorrow.

I do alot of traveling alone, so I'm hoping to not break down midst travelling.

Best Girl Scout Ever.

[iluvtofly 0]

My car is almost to 150K. Still running alright. Needs some work done but that's a whole other story. As long as you keep up with the simple things like oil changes and general upkeep it should last a good while longer.

[guppie01 0]

Almost at 200 k on the Rav4.

Regular maintenance, and good driving habits.

I am counting on this year to spend more on my worn out baby, she's getting tired.

g

"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?"
Raddest Ho this side of Jersey #1 - MISS YOU
OMG, is she okay?

[BillyVance 34]

It all depends on how well it was maintained over its life. What kind of car is it?

We take care of our vehicles and the mileage shows:

1996 Mazda Protege: 202,000+
2000 Toyota Tundra: 151,000+
2005 Pontiac Vibe: 56,000+

And they are all running smoothly. But for some reason, I keep expecting to have problems with the Vibe before it reaches 100K.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Thanatos340 1]

American Car?? Most likely will start having problems.

Honda or Toyota?? Most likely will be fine.

Many exceptions to both these.

What kinda car is it?

[prepheckt 0]

My car is at 128K miles, and it's still running great, I do change the oil on a semi-consistent basis, and it needs a tune up, but no major work needed as of yet. The only problem seems to be that the car batteries end up getting fried in the AZ summer, you literally can cook an egg on the sidewalk, so not totally surprising.

"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet."
-9 toes

[millertime24 8]

Depends on brand really. my 2000 Camry has 111k on it and it runs like a champ. Only things Ive had to replace were the battery, battery terminals and an engine coolant temp sensor (super easy fix btw. $22 I think I paid for the sensor).

Muff #5048

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

What preventative measures would you take?

What's your owner's manual recommend for scheduled maintenance?

Tune-up: plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, rotor...

I also like the "BG" services for fluids: radiator flush, transmission fluid flush, fuel injector flush.

How much money you got?

[drdive 0]

I sold my last Jeep with 184K, and it looked and ran beautifully. I am anal about oil changes, and every 2 years flushing cooling system and transmission. I have a friend with a Subaru approaching 300K - still runs great.

Doc

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[TomAiello 26]

What kind of car?

I've run three cars past 200k miles, a Mazda (built by Ford in the USA), and two BMW's.

I don't think 100k miles is really much to worry about in most newish cars.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[banesanura 1]

I have an 01 ford focus.


I'm thinking of buying a book to repair the car myself, with all the time I have available. My biggest fear is if I broke down at dark in the middle of no where.

Best Girl Scout Ever.

[millertime24 8]

Quote

I'm thinking of buying a book to repair the car myself

Most reasonable post Ive seen in the BF in a long while. In doing this think of the $$ you will save in the long run on repair bills. Parts generally aren't that expensive its the damn labor they charge you out the ass for.

Muff #5048

[wmw999 2,452]

I used to do that. It's a great idea to both make it cheaper to own a car, and make it last longer. Once you understand the pieces, then you know inherently how to treat them so they'll work better.

Works for skydiving equipment, too.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[billvon 2,998]

>I'm thinking of buying a book to repair the car myself, with all the time I
>have available.

That's a good idea. There are a lot of things you won't be able to fix without some very specialized tools (CV joints, head gaskets etc) but such a manual will help immensely with simpler tasks (headlight changes, oil/filter changes, dead batteries etc)

>My biggest fear is if I broke down at dark in the middle of no where.

While you can't prevent that 100%, knowing what's about to go wrong (by better understanding the car) and good maintenance can greatly reduce the chances of that. By far the biggest cause of that will be a dead battery, so battery replacement and/or a solar battery maintainer or jumpstarter will go a long way.

[LongWayToFall 0]

I bought my 94 toyota pickup with 260,000 miles, and it ran like new. Basically, there is no reason your car shouldn't be able to reach 300k-400k before needing a rebuild. You will probably need a head gasket in there somewhere, and while the head is off might as well do a valve job.
Buy a manual for your car, it will say at what mileage you should be replacing what. Gaining an understanding of what is going on in your car goes a LONG ways. Identifying what fluids are leaking (color) lets you know what you should be inspecting. Being able to change belts, hoses, batteries, oil and filter, will save you a bunch of money, and its fairly simple to do.
Basically, there are only a handful of items you must be on top of or risk major engine damage. Those would include Oil change (The most important!!!) valve adjustment (many cars do not require this) and timing belt/chain. Most other things can break and then be fixed.
Best way not to break down: Check your fluid levels before a long trip, tire pressure (don't forget the spare!) pay attention to your gauges. If your battery voltage is low, and doesn't jump up with engine speed, your not going to make it much farther without a new alternator. Same with engine temperature. If it is getting way hot, make sure your coolant level is correct.
Anyways, good luck becoming best buddies with your car (or worst enemies haha)

[DavidB 0]

Quote

It all depends on how well it was maintained over its life. What kind of car is it?

We take care of our vehicles and the mileage shows:

1996 Mazda Protege: 202,000+
2000 Toyota Tundra: 151,000+
2005 Pontiac Vibe: 56,000+

And they are all running smoothly. But for some reason, I keep expecting to have problems with the Vibe before it reaches 100K.

Why? Would you feel better about it if it was a Toyota?

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[Pokerstar 0]

As long as you have done preventative maintenance, you are fine. There are parts on any car that will wear out, and will eventually need to be replaced, such as brake pds, rotors, shocks, wipers, etc. AT 94k you should be good for at least another 50k. You DO change oil regularly, don't you?

2001 Porsche Boxster - 106,000 (this car sees race tracks, too)
1993 Range Rover Classic - 164,000
2005 Land Rover LR-3 - 64,000
1987 BMW R80RT - 19,000 (yes, pretty few miles for an '87 motorcycle)

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---

[Heatmiser 0]

Regular maintenance will save your internal moving metal parts, but generally does nothing for some of the other things that fail, such as timing and serpentine belts, batteries and terminals,(although regular cleaning can lengthen the life of the the cables and terminals). The big money items are the motor, transmission, rear-end, and quite often the cooling and fuel systems. Regular maintenance will significantly lengthen the life of these components.



Says the painter.............

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[AggieDave 6]

If you're waiting until nearly 100k on the odometer to complete a serious maintenance routine, then you're so far late that your car probably doesn't have more than 20k left in its life!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[1969912 0]

Quote

Quote

It all depends on how well it was maintained over its life. What kind of car is it?

We take care of our vehicles and the mileage shows:

1996 Mazda Protege: 202,000+
2000 Toyota Tundra: 151,000+
2005 Pontiac Vibe: 56,000+

And they are all running smoothly. But for some reason, I keep expecting to have problems with the Vibe before it reaches 100K.

Why? Would you feel better about it if it was a Toyota?

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[futuredivot 0]

160K on an Explorer and still rolling, and ask Roo-they weren't easy miles

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[banesanura 1]

I've been taking care of my car. With oilchanges and what not.


But since I'm hitting the 100 mark, I feel like I'm playing russian roulette. I'm trying to see if there are additional precautions I should be taking in case something happens.


(FYI- this is my first car reaching the 100k point)

Best Girl Scout Ever.

[AggieDave 6]

The "whatnot" is very important. When is the last time you replaced your shocks or turned your rotors? How about replaced the ball joints? What about your spark plugs? I bet you've never changed your blinker fluid.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[LisaH 0]

Quote

I've been taking care of my car. With oilchanges and what not.


But since I'm hitting the 100 mark, I feel like I'm playing russian roulette. I'm trying to see if there are additional precautions I should be taking in case something happens.


(FYI- this is my first car reaching the 100k point)

Get AAA and do regular maint. on your car. No brainer.

The 100 mark is a myth unless it's not properly taken care of.

My last car (Toyota) lasted until 282 before I had to put a new engine in it.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[LisaH 0]

Blinker fluid.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo