I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??
300,000 Myth???
- Thread starter qwerty1234
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Heavy use? Don't know. Sounds like you're on the right track with your maintenance. Most slip ups or lack of care will kill a car before 200K.
My 84 Honda is going great at 430K miles. Everything works and I do all the maintenance except for stuff like alignments and mounting tires.
I'm the original owner and have no plans to ever sell it. I hope it lasts long enough so that I can drive it to my funeral.
In your case the rust might be the factor that ends your car's useful life. I live in S. Cal. No rust and the car has never seen snow. Sometimes the temperature plunges into the 40's and goes as high as 118 but that's about it.
My 84 Honda is going great at 430K miles. Everything works and I do all the maintenance except for stuff like alignments and mounting tires.
I'm the original owner and have no plans to ever sell it. I hope it lasts long enough so that I can drive it to my funeral.
In your case the rust might be the factor that ends your car's useful life. I live in S. Cal. No rust and the car has never seen snow. Sometimes the temperature plunges into the 40's and goes as high as 118 but that's about it.
Vehicles can hit 300k miles as long as your a responsible adult and keep up on maintenance. However rust is something you can't really stop just slow down.
I junked my old Volvo 8-9 months ago had 289k miles and ran very well but no heat, no ac, no defrost, pretty much everything that could leak did. Mechanically it ran well just a lot of nickel and dime problems. Bought it for $2800 many years ago with 120k miles.
Between 120k-289k it got 7.5k OCI's all I ever had to replace was starter and the MAF sensor. I have a '02 Silverado with 340k runs well.
Buddy has the same exact truck except his is extended cab. It has 500k+ miles last time I seen it. Its on its last leg tho.
Basically keep up maintenance and you should be good for 300k.
I junked my old Volvo 8-9 months ago had 289k miles and ran very well but no heat, no ac, no defrost, pretty much everything that could leak did. Mechanically it ran well just a lot of nickel and dime problems. Bought it for $2800 many years ago with 120k miles.
Between 120k-289k it got 7.5k OCI's all I ever had to replace was starter and the MAF sensor. I have a '02 Silverado with 340k runs well.
Buddy has the same exact truck except his is extended cab. It has 500k+ miles last time I seen it. Its on its last leg tho.
Basically keep up maintenance and you should be good for 300k.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
300k isn't super high these days. I hope to get that out of my car, if the electrical gremlins don't eat it alive
Originally Posted By: qwerty1234
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??
I put on 340,000 miles on our 1988 Honda Accord LX in 18 years from new. Rust took it's toll. If you lived in a climate where salt wasn't an issue, you could drive the car waaaaaaaay longer!
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??
I put on 340,000 miles on our 1988 Honda Accord LX in 18 years from new. Rust took it's toll. If you lived in a climate where salt wasn't an issue, you could drive the car waaaaaaaay longer!
Go for it! You are an inspiration to all of us.When you get over 300k send me a photo of the odometer and i will send you a crisp $50 bill or donate the same to the charity of your choice. Happy Motoring!
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It's not a myth at all. We will hit 300,000 miles easily on our Crown Victoria this Spring/Summer and I'll post pics of the car,etc. It was bought with 60,000 @ an auction and has never had the valve covers off.
The bottom line:You take care of a vehicle,you'll be easily seeing 300,ooo plus miles.You people on this forum worry waaaayyyy too much about the lil stuff concerning oil.Most of the time,the engine will outlast the body/frame of an vehicle regardless of which oil you choose to run.
The bottom line:You take care of a vehicle,you'll be easily seeing 300,ooo plus miles.You people on this forum worry waaaayyyy too much about the lil stuff concerning oil.Most of the time,the engine will outlast the body/frame of an vehicle regardless of which oil you choose to run.
Originally Posted By: qwerty1234
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??
a modern day engine can last a million miles if taken care of...
I know of one honda accord that lasted that long, then I think there was a chevy truck, and also a volvo that lasted a millions miles each.
I've been told that a modern day engine can go 300,000+ miles??? Thats my question. I have a 2000 Honda Civic that I change at 4,000 miles with Penszoil 5 30. However, I tend to believe that the rest of the car will go out before the engine?? The car has 225,000 miles and friends are joking with me. I've changed the coolant, transmisson, and brake fluid. There is rust that is starting. I live near downtown Chicago so I can assume it's "heavy use"??
a modern day engine can last a million miles if taken care of...
I know of one honda accord that lasted that long, then I think there was a chevy truck, and also a volvo that lasted a millions miles each.
An engine lasts as long as the owner intends to keep it running. Of course, this requires proper maintenance and yes, there are some exceptions like those 1.2 and 1.4 VW engines, but generally speaking, if you maintain your vehicle properly and repair minor problems before they can turn into big ones, the vehicle will last as long as you wish.
Please ignore the boost gauge, I was accelerating. Cruising at 180km/h (112mph) the boost gauge usually stays between white and yellow, that is roughly at ambient pressure.
500,000km is 310,000 miles. Today, car has nearly 535,000km/332,433 miles on the odometer.
Gently warm the engine up before you demand power, let her cool down before you shut her off, and never skip on maintenance.
That's all it takes.
Please ignore the boost gauge, I was accelerating. Cruising at 180km/h (112mph) the boost gauge usually stays between white and yellow, that is roughly at ambient pressure.
500,000km is 310,000 miles. Today, car has nearly 535,000km/332,433 miles on the odometer.
Gently warm the engine up before you demand power, let her cool down before you shut her off, and never skip on maintenance.
That's all it takes.
I wonder how many hyper mile big trucks are still rolling down the highways?.
I used to look after a fleet of mostly Peugeot diesel taxi's that were used and abused by drivers that rented them. Even so they mostly saw half a million miles before they were through. The ones that didn't were the those that we weren't told they had oil/water leaks until it was too late........
Claud.
I used to look after a fleet of mostly Peugeot diesel taxi's that were used and abused by drivers that rented them. Even so they mostly saw half a million miles before they were through. The ones that didn't were the those that we weren't told they had oil/water leaks until it was too late........
Claud.
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
300k isn't super high these days. I hope to get that out of my car, if the electrical gremlins don't eat it alive
My experience with VW as similar. Very little mechanical failed just oddball electrical parts.
300k isn't super high these days. I hope to get that out of my car, if the electrical gremlins don't eat it alive
My experience with VW as similar. Very little mechanical failed just oddball electrical parts.
While I've seen 300k mile (and more) cars when I used to go to auto auctions, I personally don't know of anyone who ever achieved that mark. High 200,000s is the best I've encountered. 300k takes dedication and patience - most people just get bored and want a new ride - you only live once.
Originally Posted By: turboseize
An engine lasts as long as the owner intends to keep it running. Of course, this requires proper maintenance and yes, there are some exceptions like those 1.2 and 1.4 VW engines, but generally speaking, if you maintain your vehicle properly and repair minor problems before they can turn into big ones, the vehicle will last as long as you wish.
Please ignore the boost gauge, I was accelerating. Cruising at 180km/h (112mph) the boost gauge usually stays between white and yellow, that is roughly at ambient pressure.
500,000km is 310,000 miles. Today, car has nearly 535,000km/332,433 miles on the odometer.
Gently warm the engine up before you demand power, let her cool down before you shut her off, and never skip on maintenance.
That's all it takes.
What year and model VW is this? I wish they would put those cool MAP gauges in the dash over here :-(
And the clock in the dash...something I loved about my 85 Golf but they no longer do that either.
An engine lasts as long as the owner intends to keep it running. Of course, this requires proper maintenance and yes, there are some exceptions like those 1.2 and 1.4 VW engines, but generally speaking, if you maintain your vehicle properly and repair minor problems before they can turn into big ones, the vehicle will last as long as you wish.
Please ignore the boost gauge, I was accelerating. Cruising at 180km/h (112mph) the boost gauge usually stays between white and yellow, that is roughly at ambient pressure.
500,000km is 310,000 miles. Today, car has nearly 535,000km/332,433 miles on the odometer.
Gently warm the engine up before you demand power, let her cool down before you shut her off, and never skip on maintenance.
That's all it takes.
What year and model VW is this? I wish they would put those cool MAP gauges in the dash over here :-(
And the clock in the dash...something I loved about my 85 Golf but they no longer do that either.
Originally Posted By: bigt61
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.
This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.
I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.
I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.
...most people just get bored and want a new ride.
This. Most Americans don't have an attention span long enough to keep a car that long.
I drive a lot - nearly 25,000 miles a year most years - but that's down from what I used to do. But even at that rate that's twelve years to reach 300,000 miles. Most people are bored and are looking for a change long before than.
I've kept one car to over 300K, purchased brand new, and will soon have a second. But I don't personally know any people who have done so.
I keep my cars until they head off to the scrap yard. Everyone of them ran fine on the way there. They just had a few extra ventilation holes in them due to rust.
You have to really like a car to keep it that long.
By this point you're your own mechanic doing front end work, wheel bearings, wiper motors, window regulators, all the cheezy stuff that hasn't been improved in thirty years, and may actually have had the last nickel of quality stolen from their designs.
You'll have the skills to fix your car, and can buy another one of yours, ten years newer with 100k less miles for $1500. And it'll be less rusty. And any reasonable person would do it. You'd have to be unreasonably attached to your current heap to stay in it.
By this point you're your own mechanic doing front end work, wheel bearings, wiper motors, window regulators, all the cheezy stuff that hasn't been improved in thirty years, and may actually have had the last nickel of quality stolen from their designs.
You'll have the skills to fix your car, and can buy another one of yours, ten years newer with 100k less miles for $1500. And it'll be less rusty. And any reasonable person would do it. You'd have to be unreasonably attached to your current heap to stay in it.
I have no doubt that most engines could go 300,000 without too many problems, its the rest of the car that's going to have tons of issues. I had to sell my Integra because I simply couldn't keep up with age and rust related repairs late in its life. I'm sure the engine would've kept going for a lot longer than the 217,000 miles I sold it with, had the rest of the car not been falling apart.
Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Vehicles can hit 300k miles as long as your a responsible adult and keep up on maintenance. However rust is something you can't really stop just slow down.
You can virtually eliminate rust by a yearly oil spraying of the vehicle. Why some people haven't figured this out is beyond be. My 15 year old Explorer has no rust.
Vehicles can hit 300k miles as long as your a responsible adult and keep up on maintenance. However rust is something you can't really stop just slow down.
You can virtually eliminate rust by a yearly oil spraying of the vehicle. Why some people haven't figured this out is beyond be. My 15 year old Explorer has no rust.
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