New Mileage

kluivert

Has anyone got a high mileage car that is going well for them.

I think my 99 Astra has high mileage at 72K but it feels as if it could go another 70k no problem.

By the way, 0-60 (Part 3) in 13.5 secs, got the timing belt changed and serviced and its flying again, Happy days!! the Astra rules.....Am not a speed freak, i normal drive on average around 50 mph.

I read somwhere here of cars (Taxi's) with 200+k miles on the clock. Now thats good going.

BrianD3

72k is nothing for a modern car that is well looked after. 72k is about average miles for a 99.

I've got 83k on my 03 car. Original brake pads still have a fair bit of life left in 'em and I'm hoping to get to 100k out of them!

Silvera

My father has a 1991 Golf with c.140k on it (original engine).

I've had cars in the past with similar mileage's and they just kept going and going!

The big secret to long engine life is regular (3 or 5k!) oil and filter changes.
(An oil filter only costs €5 for a genuine Opel version).

I too am now an Astra owner ('03 1.4XE) and am very happy with it.
(Brother-in-law has a '02 with 58k on it with no probs).

BTW, did you get the tensioner and waterpump changed when the T-Belt was done ? ............very important to do so (see Astra review on www.honestjohn.co.uk).


BrianD3,
82k on original pads ???
...........thats some goin ! .........You must be a very precise driver ?!

mondeoman

just past 100'000 miles last week in my 1998 2.0lt mondeo ghia x,i've changed the oil every 5000miles or 6 months which ever comes first,
have the car nearly 4 years & HAV'NT had any problems so far(touch plastic wood)

kluivert

Yeah i got the guys to change the tensioners pulleys and water pump. I get the oil changed regular like yourselves every 5k it seems to do the trick

BrianD3

Silvera wrote:

My father has a 1991 Golf with c.140k on it (original engine).

It's only just run in It's quite common to see mid-eighties Golfs and Jettas about the place so your dads should be good for another while yet.

My 96 megane has 130k on it now, engine and gearbox seem perfect, uses no oil, still on original battery and clutch etc. Oil changes every 10k. Has had a new CAT, exhaust, a couple of water pumps and a few wheel bearings though.

The big secret to long engine life is regular (3 or 5k!) oil and filter changes.
(An oil filter only costs €5 for a genuine Opel version).

I'm actually hoping that you're wrong with this one. Because I only get the Laguna's oil changed around every 15-18k :eek: This is the change interval recommeded by renault. They don't even specify synthetic oil. I think I may be alright though because a) I do mainly long journeys so 95% of the miles the car does are with the engine fully warmed up b) I don't go over 3000 rpm except on motorways and when overtaking and never until fully warmed up.

I'll be annoyed and disappointed if the engine goes bang due to the infrequent oil changes. Lets see what happens!

Wasn't there an article in one of the UK mags a few years ago about a fleet Vectra that was run for over 100k from new without ever getting an oil change (just top ups when necessary) They stripped the engine down and compared it with another Vectra from the same fleet that had had the oil changed regulalry. There was little or no difference in the engine in both vehicles. OK, there may have been other variables involved like how hard the cars were driven but still.

BrianD3

PS on the subject of 83k brake pads. My tips are:
1) Give yourself loads of time and space to anticipate the actions of other drivers. Look well ahead, concentrate, leave a big gap between you and the car in front.
2) Similarly with the road itself - look well ahead and evaluate what's coming up (bends, hills etc.) so you can react in good time
3) Knowing the road is a big help for #2
4) Avoid cities and try to drive on wide, flat, straight roads if possible

All of the above seems obvious but many driver don't do it. If you do all of teh above you will eliminate an awful lot of braking from your driving.

The other things is - all drivers should learn how to check brake pads themselves. I'm convinced that garages use brake pads as an easy way of ripping people off by saying they need replacing when they don't. Most people aren't going to argue with a mechanic who says "your brake pads are worn out, the car is dangerous to drive, that'll be 150 quid to change them please".

Silvera

BrianD3 wrote:

I only get the Laguna's oil changed around every 15-18k :eek: This is the change interval recommeded by renault.

No, no ,no :eek:

6k oil changes are the minimum required for long engine life.
(I recall reading about one UK engineer who carried out 1000mile oil and filter changes on his car!)

Manufacturers recommended intervals are 'bs' IMHO.
(Don't forget, they don't care if an engine wears out sooner!).

Indeed, some Astra's have developed 'slow to extinguish oil light' problems due to gummed up oil pressure relief valves, which are in turn due to entended oil change intervals.

My recently purchased '03 Astra has been serviced every c.10k til now (currently has 29k).
In future it will be getting 5k oil (Duckhams Q) and filter (genuine filter) changes !!


P.S. Have a read of this very informative link re Oil : www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/engineoil_bible.html

BrianD3

Thing is Silvera, none of us here *really* know about oil change intervals. Even Chris Longhurst doesn't know and gives a "politicians answer" in that link you gave He does speculate that the number of cold starts is more important that the actual distance.

For sure, changing the oil more often is better. But when does "more often" become overkill, that is the big question.

Lets face it, red blooded males will argue about the oil in their car until....the oil runs out Eg your choice of Duckhams oil, there are people who'll say that this stuff is sh1t adn that you should be using Mobil or Valvoline or whatever...:)

ibanez

96 Ford Escort 1.4 just gone around the clock the second time.

Silvera

BrianD3 wrote:

Thing is Silvera, none of us here *really* know about oil change intervals. Even Chris Longhurst doesn't know and gives a "politicians answer" in that link you gave He does speculate that the number of cold starts is more important that the actual distance.

For sure, changing the oil more often is better. But when does "more often" become overkill, that is the big question.

Lets face it, red blooded males will argue about the oil in their car until....the oil runs out Eg your choice of Duckhams oil, there are people who'll say that this stuff is sh1t adn that you should be using Mobil or Valvoline or whatever...:)

Well, to start with the recommended oil changes used to be always 6k miles (e.g. my previous car - '97 Civic), so thats a good starting point.

Nowadays, 10k is "recommended" but I for one will be doing interval oil changes every 5k (or six months), and another at 10k ,etc. etc. (makes it simpler to keep it 5k and 10k)

Also, I personally have read and researched enough over the years (incl 6.5 working in the motor trade .....seeing worn out low mileage engines ....'tar like' oil oozing from sumps, etc. etc.) to know the difference that low mileage/time oil changes make !

And regarding oil types, yes, everyone has a 'favourite' and mine happens to be 'The Green Oil', i.e. Duckhams.......with Duckhams Q Semi-Synthetic being the best of the range for my (last and) current car.


When I buy a Porsche or Ferrari I'll start using Mobil oil !

bazz26

58k on my 03 Avensis 1.8 since new. Drives and feels the same as it did when I picked it up two years. I know 58k is not alot in the great scheme of things but most of that in two years has been city driving so wear and tear on the gearbox and clutch has been good. Serviced every 10k and no problems so far.

HashSlinging

just as a matter of interest does the STP oil additives do anything for the engine. I've used STP petrol/diesel additive on all my cars, and they seem to respond well to the treatment. Never used the oil stuff though...

ds20prefecture

197000km on my DS. In 33 years, this is hardly a lot.
Motor Oil changed by choice every 5000km.
Hydraulic oil used to be changed every month, and not by choice
All fixed now, though

mike65

Over 200,000 on my 1990 Merc 190e, its not had any major engine work with original head and timing chain. It goes great - this morning I dropped 2 cogs to pass a truck and it sounded great - as in really smooth, not noisy. I think the 102 4 cylinder block is much underated.

Mike.

JB123

mike65 wrote:

Over 200,000 on my 1990 Merc 190e, its not had any major engine work with original head and timing chain. It goes great - this morning I dropped 2 cogs to pass a truck and it sounded great - as in really smooth, not noisy. I think the 102 4 cylinder block is much underated.

Mike.

These are older Mercs are great cars it's a pity whats happened . Since they got in with a bad croud (The Yanks) their quality has gone to shi*e with countless recalls.If u want quality now u have to look to Japan....

Squirrel

110,000KM on my dad's '93 MR2, not alot, but it is a second/third car. He also has 30K (miles) on his '03 Sonata, and he usually cycles into work, around 3/4 of them miles would be dropping us to Athletics races and training

alias no.9

Nearly 140k on a 1998 primera td. The body will probably have long since rusted away before the engine gives up the ghost. I do the oil change every 5k miles using semi synthetic oil.

Increased oil change intervals are a function of the grade of oil used. For petrol engines, a general rule of thumb would be mineral oil 6000miles/10000kms semi-synthetic oil 12000miles/20000kms and synthetic oil 18000miles/30000kms. For older diesels, about half that but newer cleaner burning diesels will just about match the intervals for petrol as there's less unburnt diesel contaminating the oil.

css

Coming up to the 140k mark myself on a 99 avensis diesel, again changed the oil every 5k miles with semi-synthetic. Car's still perfect in every way, reinforces the truth about Toyota reliability for me anyhow..

CJhaughey

172,000 miles/276000km on a 1997 Toyota Landcruiser.
Genuine Oil and Filter every 5000miles/8000km filter is €13.00 and the Oil is somewhere round €17.00 for 5 litres it takes 8 litres per change :eek:
I was using the bog standard 15w-40 diesel oil but last time had to use the semi-synthetic 15w-40 and will probably stay with it.
I also change the fuel filter every 10,000 miles or every other oil change.
No mechanical faults in this time at all.