How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
#1
11-14-2007, 05:55 AM
How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
[align=center]
How to keep your car running forever ?[:-][/align][align=center]
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Improvements in technology, build quality and metallurgy mean that cars are living longer and longer, even in the Rust Belt. And it's not just Japanese cars, either -- domestics and Europeans are giving reliable service up to, and well past, 150,000 miles. [/align][align=center]With proper care and feeding, virtually any car can be kept running as long as the owner wants to keep it. Here are twelve guidelines to keeping your car alive well into six-figure territory. [/align][ul][*][align=center]Buy a good car like a Chevrolet Monte Carloto begin with. Though Japanese cars are generally the most reliable, don't dismiss American cars like the Monte Carlo : )-- their quality is improving and they are often less expensive to repair. European cars are generally the most expensive to fix. If you're shopping, talk to owners of similar cars about their experiences. [/align][*][align=center]Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. If your car has a "maintenance minder", use that as a guideline for service, but be sure to double-check your owner's manual as some items need to be replaced based on time rather than mileage.
[/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Don't forget the timing belt! Most cars need to have the timing belt replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. It's not cheap, but it’s far less expensive than the damage it causes if it breaks. [/align][*][align=center]Keep a repair fund. Cars do break, and there's nothing like a $1,500 repair bill to scare an old-car owner into the new-car showroom. Remember, your car would have to generate repair bills of around $5,000 per year for at least four years in a row to even approach the cost of a new car. In place of your payment, try putting $100 or $200 per month into an interest-bearing car-repair account. That way an unexpected repair or major maintenance won't disrupt your normal cash flow. [/align][*][align=center]Do your homework. Many cars have known problems that tend to pop up under certain circumstances or after enough mileage/time. Most makes and models have Web sites and forums devoted to them; they can be a gold mine of information. Knowing your car is prone to a given problem isn't necessarily cause to get rid of it; it just allows you to be prepared. [/align][*][align=center]Be aware. Be on the lookout for new noises, strange smells or anything that just doesn’t feel right. If something seems amiss, talk to your mechanic or dealership. Don't let them tell you "that's normal" -- if you've been driving your car long enough, you know best what normal is. [/align][*][align=center]Ask a friend to drive. (When U R Drunk: )Every two or three months, ask a friend to take you for a drive in your own car. Some problems appear or increase so gradually that you may not even notice them, but they'll stick out like a sore thumb to someone less familiar. And by riding along in the passenger's seat, you may spot something you missed while preoccupied with driving. [/align][*][align=center]Fix everything as soon as it breaks. If you're going to keep your car as long as possible, you have to want to keep it as long as possible. Don't ignore seemingly unimportant problems like broken trim bits, torn upholstery, or electrical glitches. Little annoyances tend to add up and can begin to erode your love affair with your old car. [/align][*][align=cente
How to keep your car running forever ?[:-][/align][align=center]
[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Improvements in technology, build quality and metallurgy mean that cars are living longer and longer, even in the Rust Belt. And it's not just Japanese cars, either -- domestics and Europeans are giving reliable service up to, and well past, 150,000 miles. [/align][align=center]With proper care and feeding, virtually any car can be kept running as long as the owner wants to keep it. Here are twelve guidelines to keeping your car alive well into six-figure territory. [/align][ul][*][align=center]Buy a good car like a Chevrolet Monte Carloto begin with. Though Japanese cars are generally the most reliable, don't dismiss American cars like the Monte Carlo : )-- their quality is improving and they are often less expensive to repair. European cars are generally the most expensive to fix. If you're shopping, talk to owners of similar cars about their experiences. [/align][*][align=center]Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. If your car has a "maintenance minder", use that as a guideline for service, but be sure to double-check your owner's manual as some items need to be replaced based on time rather than mileage.
[/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Don't forget the timing belt! Most cars need to have the timing belt replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. It's not cheap, but it’s far less expensive than the damage it causes if it breaks. [/align][*][align=center]Keep a repair fund. Cars do break, and there's nothing like a $1,500 repair bill to scare an old-car owner into the new-car showroom. Remember, your car would have to generate repair bills of around $5,000 per year for at least four years in a row to even approach the cost of a new car. In place of your payment, try putting $100 or $200 per month into an interest-bearing car-repair account. That way an unexpected repair or major maintenance won't disrupt your normal cash flow. [/align][*][align=center]Do your homework. Many cars have known problems that tend to pop up under certain circumstances or after enough mileage/time. Most makes and models have Web sites and forums devoted to them; they can be a gold mine of information. Knowing your car is prone to a given problem isn't necessarily cause to get rid of it; it just allows you to be prepared. [/align][*][align=center]Be aware. Be on the lookout for new noises, strange smells or anything that just doesn’t feel right. If something seems amiss, talk to your mechanic or dealership. Don't let them tell you "that's normal" -- if you've been driving your car long enough, you know best what normal is. [/align][*][align=center]Ask a friend to drive. (When U R Drunk: )Every two or three months, ask a friend to take you for a drive in your own car. Some problems appear or increase so gradually that you may not even notice them, but they'll stick out like a sore thumb to someone less familiar. And by riding along in the passenger's seat, you may spot something you missed while preoccupied with driving. [/align][*][align=center]Fix everything as soon as it breaks. If you're going to keep your car as long as possible, you have to want to keep it as long as possible. Don't ignore seemingly unimportant problems like broken trim bits, torn upholstery, or electrical glitches. Little annoyances tend to add up and can begin to erode your love affair with your old car. [/align][*][align=cente
#2
11-14-2007, 02:08 PM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
[:-]Below information found on a Space `Tripon the Web [:-]
How to Make Your Car Last Twice as LongWhat Car Makers Don't Want You to Know
David Solomon, Nutz & Boltz®
One of the best ways to save money is to avoid buying or leasing a new car. Motorists can easily double or even triple the life spans of their present cars simply by performing proper maintenance, practicing good driving habits and avoiding the kinds of mistakes that send most cars to the junkyard.
Most Common MistakesMistake: Failing to observe the "break-in" period. Drive gently during a new car's first 50 miles, and vary your speed for the first 500 miles of the car's life. Failing to do so results in improper seating of the piston rings, which leads to increased oil consumption throughout the life of the car. Also, change the oil promptly after the first 1,500 miles to eliminate bits of metal and grit found in a new engine.
Mistake: Making sudden starts and stops. Accelerating aggressively only to slam on the brakes at the next traffic light doesn't save time, but it does cause needless wear on your engine, transmission, suspension and brakes, and it wastes gas.
[blockquote]Better: Anticipate traffic patterns to keep your speed as constant as possible.
[/blockquote]Mistake: Downshifting needlessly. In the early days of automobiles, brakes were so unreliable that prudent drivers always shifted into a lower gear when descending hills or approaching busy intersections. Today, brakes are very reliable and far less costly to repair than engine and transmission components.
[blockquote]Rule: Use engine braking only when descending a long, steep grade. At all other times, use your brakes.
[/blockquote]Mistake: Driving hard with a cold engine. Engine wear occurs most swiftly not during high-speed driving but in the first moments after a car has been started, when the cylinders are starved for oil.
[blockquote]To avoid trouble: Before driving off, let your engine idle with your foot off the accelerator pedal for about one minute. Once you're under way, drive slowly and avoid using your heater and other accessories until the engine reaches its normal temperature, usually after about three minutes.
Special dangers: Accelerating briskly with a cold engine can cause the engine's head gaskets to fail. Premature use of accessories expedites wear of engine bearings.
[/blockquote]Mistake: Shifting gears haphazardly. Manual transmissions cost less and are cheaper to maintain than automatics, if you learn proper shifting techniques. Picking too high a gear for a given speed "lugs" your engine. Picking an excessively low gear causes it to "overrev." Both waste fuel and damage your engine bearings.
[blockquote]Better: Shift so your speed remains between 2,000 and 3,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). Use overdrive settings only for speeds greater than 45 miles per hour.
Common problem: With many manual transmissions, shifting from neutral to first gear causes an audible grinding of the transmission's synchronizer rings.
Remedy: Avoid shifting directly from neutral to first gear. Instead, move the shift lever briefly into second, then shift into first gear. And never rest your hand on the shift lever or your foot on the clutch pedal. Use your right foot for both the accelerator and the brake. Use your left foot for the clutch.
[/blockquote][center][b]Mistake: Driving with dirty and/or worn-out o
#3
11-14-2007, 02:12 PM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
Make Your Car Last 200,000 miles
Jennifer and Fritz Kysar
Kearneysville, W.Va.
1994 Ford Ranger pickup
488,000 miles
Advice: "If you're going to drive a vehicle for a long time, buy replacement parts with a lifetime warranty. I haven't paid for a set of brakes in eight or nine years," Fritz Kysar says.
YONKERS, NY — With proper care, many of today’s cars can last 200,000 miles or more, and owners seeking to limit repair costs by trading in their vehicle every three to five years may lose out on thousands of savings, says Consumer Reports October issue.
Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Auto Online Survey identified 6,769 readers with 200,000 miles or more on their vehicles’ odometers. The report featured accounts that ran the gamut of make and model, including a ‘95 Honda Civic with 227,000 miles, a ‘90 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a West Virginia family’s 1994 Ford Ranger pickup with an impressive 488,000 miles.
When comparing the costs of buying and keeping a car for 225,000 miles over 15 years to buying and financing an identical model every five years, CR found the savings could be more than the original purchase price of the vehicle—and even greater if the savings were invested.
For example, Consumer Reports estimated the popular Honda Civic EX, with an automatic transmission, could potentially save its owner as much as $20,500 if properly maintained over 15 years— $1,500 more than its purchase price.
In its analysis, CR calculated the costs of purchase price including destination fees, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, finance and interest, fees and taxes, and insurance for 15 years against the same factors for purchasing a new model every five years.
Factoring in three percent inflation and an annual five percent interest rate, Consumer Reports estimated an additional $10,300 in investment savings. As a result, maintaining the Civic EX over 15 years would be approximately $30,800 less than the cost of buying a new Civic EX every five years. Consumer Reports found similar savings with other models.
Consumer Reports Names Good and Bad Bets:
Buying a car with a good track record is important in reaching the 200K Club. Consumer Reports identifies Good and Bad Bets for those shooting for 200,000 miles.
Good Bets have performed well in Consumer Reports tests and have better-than-average reliability scores for several model years. Bad Bets have multiple years of much worse than average reliability and more problems than other models overall. Reliability is based on the results of Consumer Reports Reliability Survey, and all have three or more model years of data.
Good Bets: Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4
[font="times new roman"]Bad Bets: BMW 7-Series, Infiniti QX56, Jaguar S-Type, Jaguar
CONSUMER REPORTS FINDS MAINTAINING CARS FOR 200,000 MILES CAN SAVE OWNERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
Jennifer and Fritz KysarKearneysville, W.Va.
1994 Ford Ranger pickup
488,000 miles
Advice: "If you're going to drive a vehicle for a long time, buy replacement parts with a lifetime warranty. I haven't paid for a set of brakes in eight or nine years," Fritz Kysar says.
YONKERS, NY — With proper care, many of today’s cars can last 200,000 miles or more, and owners seeking to limit repair costs by trading in their vehicle every three to five years may lose out on thousands of savings, says Consumer Reports October issue.
Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Auto Online Survey identified 6,769 readers with 200,000 miles or more on their vehicles’ odometers. The report featured accounts that ran the gamut of make and model, including a ‘95 Honda Civic with 227,000 miles, a ‘90 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a West Virginia family’s 1994 Ford Ranger pickup with an impressive 488,000 miles.
When comparing the costs of buying and keeping a car for 225,000 miles over 15 years to buying and financing an identical model every five years, CR found the savings could be more than the original purchase price of the vehicle—and even greater if the savings were invested.
For example, Consumer Reports estimated the popular Honda Civic EX, with an automatic transmission, could potentially save its owner as much as $20,500 if properly maintained over 15 years— $1,500 more than its purchase price.
In its analysis, CR calculated the costs of purchase price including destination fees, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, finance and interest, fees and taxes, and insurance for 15 years against the same factors for purchasing a new model every five years.
Factoring in three percent inflation and an annual five percent interest rate, Consumer Reports estimated an additional $10,300 in investment savings. As a result, maintaining the Civic EX over 15 years would be approximately $30,800 less than the cost of buying a new Civic EX every five years. Consumer Reports found similar savings with other models.
Consumer Reports Names Good and Bad Bets:
Buying a car with a good track record is important in reaching the 200K Club. Consumer Reports identifies Good and Bad Bets for those shooting for 200,000 miles.
Good Bets have performed well in Consumer Reports tests and have better-than-average reliability scores for several model years. Bad Bets have multiple years of much worse than average reliability and more problems than other models overall. Reliability is based on the results of Consumer Reports Reliability Survey, and all have three or more model years of data.
Good Bets: Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4
[font="times new roman"]Bad Bets: BMW 7-Series, Infiniti QX56, Jaguar S-Type, Jaguar
#5
11-14-2007, 06:39 PM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
I had 235,000 miles on my 1991 Honda Accord, and sold it running like a top. Drove it hard, banged the gears (5-spd manual) everyday I owned it. Abused the hell out of that car! Off roading, drag racing, etc. Oh it wasbad asrecutting through a field!Putting some 4x4 to shame!
Changed the oil timely, added slick 50 at least one oil change per year.
Put gas in it and drove...
Fixed it when something broke. One Clutch, everything on the front suspension, two exhaust systems, and maybe 4 sets of tires. That was it!
GREAT CAR!!! Would buy another Honda Accord in a Heatbeat!
While I owned that Accord, We went through, a Ford Thunderbird (66,000 Cooked the motor),OldsmobileCutlass (Shot a Rod through the motor),a Ford LTD Crown (It sunk inour lakeafter it poped out of park), and aGMC Safari Van (165,000 - blew the motor, another Great vehicle! I abused the hell of it too towing a bass boat all over the United States!)
Changed the oil timely, added slick 50 at least one oil change per year.
Put gas in it and drove...
Fixed it when something broke. One Clutch, everything on the front suspension, two exhaust systems, and maybe 4 sets of tires. That was it!
GREAT CAR!!! Would buy another Honda Accord in a Heatbeat!
While I owned that Accord, We went through, a Ford Thunderbird (66,000 Cooked the motor),OldsmobileCutlass (Shot a Rod through the motor),a Ford LTD Crown (It sunk inour lakeafter it poped out of park), and aGMC Safari Van (165,000 - blew the motor, another Great vehicle! I abused the hell of it too towing a bass boat all over the United States!)
#6
11-15-2007, 04:55 AM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
Use a QUALITY synthetic oil, such as Mobil 1 Extended Performance, and change the filters frequently. Rotate the tires every 6,000mi, and do routine drivetrain fluids changes. That's about it for me. Basic maintance, just do it!
#7
11-15-2007, 05:38 AM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
[align=center]Wayne, Thanks for your input/post.[/align][align=center]+ I really like your new `sig [:-]by `Craig [:-][/align][align=center]
[/align][align=center]
Monte of the Month Winner [/align][align=center]`Craig [:-][/align][align=center]
[/align][align=center]Your artistic abilities have added a pro touch to the MCF.[/align][align=center]Play us a `Tune : )[/align][align=center]
[8D][&:][/align]
[/align][align=center]Monte of the Month Winner [/align][align=center]`Craig [:-][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Your artistic abilities have added a pro touch to the MCF.[/align][align=center]Play us a `Tune : )[/align][align=center][8D][&:][/align]
#8
11-15-2007, 07:57 AM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
[:-]Posted Records on the Web [:-]
You can read more about world records and record breaking in our homepage[align=center]Subject: Re: Highest Mileage Vehicle?
From: ratter1 (John Schmidt)
Date: 1998/08/24
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
[hr]
I believe that UPS ran a Mack engine for a million miles without a rebuild. I
personally drove a Freightliner for about 450,000 miles without the pan or heads
being pulled. The truck was traded at that time, so I don't know how many more
miles, if any, were put on it.
Along the same lines as that almost 1,500,000 mile VW, an axe has been handed
down in my family for over a hundred years. The handle has been replaced countless
times, and the head has been replaced at least five times, but that axe still chops
like a new one in spite of its age.
On Sun, 23 Aug 1998 22:01:45 GMT,(Joe) wrote:
> I'm gonna beat the no rebuild milage. Let's see.... 47,000
>miles in five years = 9400 miles a year. 577,363 miles divided by
>9400 miles a year = 61.42 years. 61.42 years - 5 years = 56.42 years.
>Looks like I got a lot of life left in my 94 chev pickup, 56.42 years
>to go.
> How about eighteen wheelers, do they make the record book?
>I bet a million miles is nothing for them.
> No Flames intended.
>On Sun, 23 Aug 1998 15:21:13 -0600, "Robert Hancock"
>
>>I quote, from my '94 Guinness Book of Records: "The highest recorded mileage
>>for a car was 1,442,044 authenticated miles up to 25 Jan 1993 for a 1963
>>Volkswagen Beetle owned by Albert Klein of Pasadena, CA. The highest record
>>mileage for an automobile with the original gasoline motor without an
>>overhaul is 577,363 miles to 5 Jan 1993 by Don Champion's 1979 Cadillac
>>Sedan de Ville."
>[/align]
#9
11-15-2007, 08:03 AM
RE: How 2 Keep You Car Running 4-Ever : )
[align=center]From one of our MCF Sponsor's[/align][align=center]AMSOIL[/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Getting close to One Million Miles![/align][align=center]Melvin Willis bought his 1978 Chevy pickup with only 13,000 miles. He installed AMSOIL motor oil immediately. Willis and his truck have driven all over the country, totalling over 728,000 miles. Willis' oil of choice for his long-lived Chevy truck is AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil.[/align][align=center]After driving a total of 275,000 miles, Willis had an ideal opportunity to purchase a new engine at an unbeatable price. He bought the new motor and installed it in the truck. Naturally, he installed AMSOIL motor oil right from the start. Willis and his Chevy have driven more than 450,000 miles with the new engine. Willis is particularly proud that neither the valve covers nor the oil pan were ever removed from either engine. "It's a good old truck," said Willis. "She still runs like new. I've driven it so much it's on the third set of seats."[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]400,000 Miles and Counting[/align][align=center]Bill Anderson teaches automotive mechanics at Hermitage Technical Center, a vocational high school in Henrico, Virginia. When he used petroleum motor oil in his 1978 Oldsmobile, Bill faithfully changed the oil every 1,500 to 2,000 miles. After watching an AMSOIL lubrication and filtration seminar in 1985, Bill decided to switch the Olds to AMSOIL 10W-40 and install an AMSOIL Engine Oil Filter.
By following AMSOIL's recommendations, Bill currently has 396,000 miles on his Olds and plans to reach 400,000 miles very soon. Bill still drives his car to work every day and on regular business trips, and he tells his friends and colleagues about the advantages of AMSOIL over petroleum motor oil. In fact, Bill uses AMSOIL in his boat, lawnmower, chainsaw and other personal equipment. .[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]What Do You Do When Your Car Accumulates Over 300,000 Miles?[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Kenneth Lindland, a retired preacher from Grass Lake, Michigan, didn't reallly know what he was getting into when he purchased his used 1985 Pontiac Parisienne from his wife Agne's brother in 1989. At that time, the car had just over 57,000 miles on it, and Lindland said he would be happy if the car simply held together until 137,000 miles.[/align][align=center]He got all that, and a lot more.[/align][align=center]"The last thing on our minds when we obtained this car from Agne's brother was that we would drive it an unusual number of miles," Lindland said. "I figured if we drove it to 137,860 miles that we would have monies worth out of a totally depreciated car." Lindland soon had to recalculate his depreciation figures to 150,000 miles, and then to 200,000 miles. He would be recalculating those figures for quite some time, because the car was just too good to part with. "Because I had such short term milage expectations for this car, we didn't over-protect it. We used for jobs like trailering firewood and gravel at our cottage. This car vastly outperformed all our expectancies."[/align][align=center][b]Because the car kept running dependably past all of his benchmarks after becoming fully depreciated, Lindland realized that the car was actually making him money at the depreciation figure of 10 cents per mile. By the time it had accumulated over 330,000
By following AMSOIL's recommendations, Bill currently has 396,000 miles on his Olds and plans to reach 400,000 miles very soon. Bill still drives his car to work every day and on regular business trips, and he tells his friends and colleagues about the advantages of AMSOIL over petroleum motor oil. In fact, Bill uses AMSOIL in his boat, lawnmower, chainsaw and other personal equipment. .[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]What Do You Do When Your Car Accumulates Over 300,000 Miles?[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Kenneth Lindland, a retired preacher from Grass Lake, Michigan, didn't reallly know what he was getting into when he purchased his used 1985 Pontiac Parisienne from his wife Agne's brother in 1989. At that time, the car had just over 57,000 miles on it, and Lindland said he would be happy if the car simply held together until 137,000 miles.[/align][align=center]He got all that, and a lot more.[/align][align=center]"The last thing on our minds when we obtained this car from Agne's brother was that we would drive it an unusual number of miles," Lindland said. "I figured if we drove it to 137,860 miles that we would have monies worth out of a totally depreciated car." Lindland soon had to recalculate his depreciation figures to 150,000 miles, and then to 200,000 miles. He would be recalculating those figures for quite some time, because the car was just too good to part with. "Because I had such short term milage expectations for this car, we didn't over-protect it. We used for jobs like trailering firewood and gravel at our cottage. This car vastly outperformed all our expectancies."[/align][align=center][b]Because the car kept running dependably past all of his benchmarks after becoming fully depreciated, Lindland realized that the car was actually making him money at the depreciation figure of 10 cents per mile. By the time it had accumulated over 330,000
