Date: 12 Dec 1998 20:48:18 PST From: "Matt O'Toole" <mattnopsamanet.com> Subject: Re: Any 300K miles engine around? Need real data...
RAY BUCKLES wrote in message <01be2640$9de5d440$f5b2dcd0nopsamKLES>... > > >I can only hope that the new 4-runner I'm getting this month has as few >problems as the 86 Honda CRX that I've been driving for the last 13 years. >I have accumulated over 354,000 miles on this car since new. There has >been no engine work or transmission work done on the car, other than a >water pump, three timing belts, a few valve adjustments, and a seal under >the carb. Clutch replaced at 177,000 miles. Still gets over 45mpg. It is >getting tired, but still dependable, and has never failed to start. That's a pretty good number of miles. Still, there's no reason not to get this kind of mileage if you don't have some kind of catastrophic failure, most of which are preventable. I notice you took care of your water pumps and timing belts. On that CRX, a water pump failure means a timing belt failure, takng the whole engine with it. If you take care of this stuff before the car self destructs, it will run and run. I think this is the same for most cars. In most cases, excessive engine wear is the result of lack of oil changes, running in an out-of-tune state, or with a compromised cooling system; perhaps for tens of thousands of miles. Most engines will outlast the rest of the car if routine maintainence is performed. However, maintainence aside, many drivers are not mechanically sensitive enough to realize when something has gone awry, so they drive on and on, 'til something really bad happens. My 325e has almost 300K. The motor runs perfectly, burning just a quart between oil changes. The car looks great because it was well cared for, but "needs" new wheel bearings, shocks, ball joints, bushings, some driveshaft work, a shifter rebuild, a clutch cylinder, etc. I take care of this stuff myself a little at a time, but to pay someone to fix all of it would cost more than the car is worth. Notice, none of it has anything to do with the motor. At this point, most people would sell the car, or drive it into the ground. That's how cars die. Anything will last forever if you fix it when it breaks. Matt O.
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