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So besides basic oil change/tire change and brakes changes. What do you do to keep your car running for long period of time. I heard stories where people kept there cars for 500K miles. What is the secret?
I usually keep my oil changes updated. even though I go for the cheapest oil. Didnt purchase the full $$$ package when my car hits 50K mileage checkup. Am I doing something wrong?
No secret, follow the routine maintenance recommendations. That means all fluid changes when scheduled, if you;re supposed to have the timing belt changed, change it. Goes for all schedules.
You do not need, special oils, special liquids or special filters.
Biggest thing is changing the oil but waiting until some component or part fails just costs extra money because often, that causes something else to break too.
Doesn't mean throwing away money when services aren't needed though.
Lots of people spend thousands on special liquids and fancy filters, then skimp on changing transmission fluid or something like that.
#1 secret isn't maintenance..... it's choosing the right brand/model!
I've been known to be lazy with my Hondas when it comes to maintenance.... such as oil interval of 20,000 miles and skimping on other service items. But they have gone 200,000 miles without a single problem.
OTOH..... meticulous maintenance on Ford/Chevy/Dodge and they all broke down with major problems.
there is no secret, just good solid maintenance. try to replace parts before they break if you can. when you do replace parts use top quality parts, and even upgrade if you can. for instance when you replace a timing chain, upgrade to a full roller chain if your car didnt have one to begin with. dont buy parts from midnight auto supply or fly by night industries. use the best oil and filters you can afford to buy, but you dont need to go overboard. for instance there is no need to buy royal purple oils when pennzoil, quaker state and valvoline will do the job nicely. also no need to run a full synthetic when a semi synthetic will do fine. there is no harm in going with the absolute best, but if oyu dont need it, then its a false economy.
I've had two cars permanently taken off the road by teenagers driving into it. Honda had 140k with no major issues, VW had 130k and they did me a favor by totaling it.
So besides basic oil change/tire change and brakes changes. What do you do to keep your car running for long period of time. I heard stories where people kept there cars for 500K miles. What is the secret?
I usually keep my oil changes updated. even though I go for the cheapest oil. Didnt purchase the full $$$ package when my car hits 50K mileage checkup. Am I doing something wrong?
When your car starts having an issue, fix it promptly. Don't let a minor thing get worse and turn into a major repair. So many people don't bother fixing things on their car until it gets to be a huge problem, and sometimes when that happens the damage that may be done is irreversible. Keep up with the recommended maintenance.
Know your car. If you're really in tune with it, and have kept up with the maintenance schedule, and keep track of all the parts you have replaced and when and how many miles are on certain components... It can actually make troubleshooting quite easy.
Be easy on your car. Don't park it outside in freezing temps or extreme heat either. If your car was a person, it would have either frozen to death or had a heat stroke and died living like that. Garage it. Extreme temps are horrible for cars. Rubber cracks and gets brittle, electrical wiring can stretch and break, timing belts can snap, electrical components like ECU's, ABS modules, stereos... can have their capacitors leak from being too hot.
Turning on the A/C full blast when the car has been parked in the heat all day is a good way to crack your plastic vents and other components. Same thing with cold weather. Turn on and blast the heat as soon as you can and the same thing can occur.
In short, treat your car like it's a human being and recognize what is good and bad for it.
I've had two cars permanently taken off the road by teenagers driving into it. Honda had 140k with no major issues, VW had 130k and they did me a favor by totaling it.
Oil changes and good quality gas. I never buy that cheap gas that makes your car ping when accelerating!
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