Will my car make it across the country! (relocating, MPG, truck)
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I drive a 2006 Town & Country mini-van for work & I'm taking it from NY to Colorado & back this September. I've made that round trip 5 times so far in the past 20+ years with various cars. I put a lot of miles on the van - it's at 83,000 right now. I do get everything checked out before I leave, but I'm trying to read some of the threads in the auto forums just to cover my bases.
While I can't remember the last time I did 80 going up a hill, with or without AC, I still want to keep your advice in the back of my mind.
Well, it's an older car, an ordinary family sedan, and running at high load with the A/C on will put maximum stress on the cooling system. If you live in the Arizona or New Mexico mountains and do this all the time, OK, fine, you are testing your system every day and it should be fine to do this on a long trip too.
My point is to avoid over-stressing the car, I think the average Joe (or Jane) does not really know what stresses the car and so they do it without thinking about it. This can't be expressed in a book full of thumb rules, you need to know how a car works and you need a "feel" for machinery, and I don't know how to impart this to someone who does not have it. It may be something like "perfect pitch", you are either born with it, or develop it very early in life, failing that, you will never have it.
But anyway my point is to try to minimize stress on the car particularly out where reliable help may be a long way away.
The cross country drive is much easier on cars than driving round town. You basically get them up to highway speed and then you are on cruise control. Relatively little breaking, gear changes, stopping and starting.
This guy nailed it...highway miles are easiest a car will ever see. In town driving is what beats them up, even worse if you're an agressive in-town driver. Semi tractors routinely reach 7-digit milage with nothing more than tires, brakes and fluid changes involved.
I would recommend the OP to be checking the oil/water levels and tires before leaving, and daily before you set out along the way however.
I racked up 380K miles on one of my Civic hatchbacks from doing long road trips. And I bought an Acura Integra with 200K miles, let it sit all winter, then with just an oil change, took it on a month long cross country trip to CA and drove home by way of Pikes Peak in CO. You should be fine in your car.
I've been looking for work for two years. Landed a great job and so moving to Seattle for it. I need to bring a ton of books and files and basic supplies in order to survive until I start getting regular paychecks. After I arrive and start working my plan is to buy a new car after I save up some money. At first I thought I would rent a car, Avis one way, but then I won't have a car to use in Seattle until I can buy one. The rental would cost around $600 + about $350 for gas.
Because I need a car when I get there and the rental cost, a friend is encouraging me to drive my old Honda. I am now trying to decide whether I should use the car rental money to fix my 1988 Honda and drive it from Houston to Seattle, 2300 miles. Honda needs a tune up, radiator flush, axels and boots, aligned, AC fixed, lots of worn hoses replaced and I don't know what else; spare tire. It's been a great car. The question is will it make it. Timing belt was changed in 2006. It has 140,000 miles.
Any advice would be appreciated. Really nervous about trying this. I'm driving solo and a female.
Thanks!
Last edited by Honda 88; 06-16-2011 at 02:12 AM..
Reason: mistake
I've been looking for work for two years. Landed a great job and so moving to Seattle for it. I need to bring a ton of books and files and basic supplies in order to survive until I start getting regular paychecks. After I arrive and start working my plan is to buy a new car after I save up some money. At first I thought I would rent a car, Avis one way, but then I won't have a car to use in Seattle until I can buy one. The rental would cost around $600 + about $350 for gas.
Because I need a car when I get there and the rental cost, a friend is encouraging me to drive my old Honda. I am now trying to decide whether I should use the car rental money to fix my 1988 Honda and drive it from Houston to Seattle, 2300 miles. Honda needs a tune up, radiator flush, axels and boots, aligned, AC fixed, lots of worn hoses replaced and I don't know what else; spare tire. It's been a great car. The question is will it make it. Timing belt was changed in 2006. It has 140,000 miles.
Any advice would be appreciated. Really nervous about trying this. I'm driving solo and a female.
Thanks!
Having a good mechanic look it over is a great idea, and this will just having to be a decision you make. If you rent a car, you should be able to sell your existing for a least a decent amount to offset the rental charges.
Timing belt, in my mind, needs to be done every 100K OR every 5 years. I'm personally not a fan of doing radiator flushes or transmission flushes as I've seen more of them result in bigger leaks than just letting the car be, but that is just me and I am NOT a mechanic. I have retired quite a few older Toyotas and Hondas well past 200K, just speaking from my own experience.
If you do make the drive, having a roadside membership is worth its weight. The AAA Gold membership allows vehicles to be towed up to 100 miles at a time. In a previous life working for a tow company, I once knew a couple that towed their vehicle across country in 100 mile increments.
Again, this is up to what your gut tells you about your vehicle. I was driving a 92 Civic with 230K miles on weekly round trips from Lansing, MI to Cleveland, OH in 2007 for 3 months, and I didn't bat an eye with this. But, I knew the car and the route. I also wasn't going through mountains or any sort of taxing terrain that worked the engine hard.
My husband drove 1200 unpaved Alcan miles from the US thru Canada to Alaska in 1972 in a 1964 Corvair and survived to tell the tale.
I think you will be fine. I had many people tell me I should not drive 600 miles to my in-laws by myself. Heck, if my 188,000 miles Honda Civic was more comfortable for long drives I would take it anywhere.
Like others have said. Get a mechanic to look the car over and do the needed repairs. Now hoses, belts and fluids should all be done along with a basic check of the tires, brakes and suspension. If the timing belt was already done then I wouldn't worry about it. Odd are the belts and coolant flush were done at the same time.
If you have never done a trans Flush in the car then have a simple fluid change done, drive the car to WA and have the drain and refill done again. Trans fluid flushes are great If they are done regularly. If you go 60K without doing one it's best to leave that gunk right where it's at.
140K is nothing to a Honda assuming you've done normal maintenance.
LOL
My first car was a 1962 Plymouth Fury, that I bought in 1975. I'd tell you what the odometer read, but it was broken. I drove it from SC to Texas, drove it around San Antonio for 6 months, then drove it to Albuquerque, NM and around town til my ex sold it (one of the reasons he is now my "ex"!). Its only problem was the transmission seals were blown, so every time I stopped I slid a pan under it; then when I went back to it, I'd pour the transmission fluid back in and go on. Life was simpler then...
FF 30 years to 2007 - when we moved 1700 miles, DH and I opted to have a moving company move us while we drove our cars - my 2001 Toy Tundra and his 2003 Toy Highlander. Before we left, we took them both to the dealership and had new tires put on, everything greased, oil change and all fluids replaced, belts replaced, etc. Never had a bit of trouble - and Toyota vehicles have a road-assistance phone number that comes with the car, plus our insurance company (Geico) has road assistance. We didn't need either one, but they were a comfort.
I have a 1997 grand marquis and want to drive from florida to micjigan car had 98000 miles do my service no problems except ball joints went bad i work at a mercury dealership any advice whether or not to take it would be greatly apreciated
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Advice on driving 1988 Honda cross country
