Higher miles vehicle question

[jorton]

Just asking a general question I have recently thought about regarding a higher mileage vehicle. Wear has theoretically grown some clearances a little, and I would like to slow this process by using the right oil and following proper maintenance schedule. Valve train health i.e. lifter clearances will be in play as wear in this area degrades performance and fuel economy.

I see a few used oil analysis on higher mileage vehicles that look very good, just like a used oil analysis report for a low mileage vehicle.

I understand the best plan when one intends to keep a vehicle "forever" is to use the recommended oil and follow the manufacturers maintenance schedule. Should type/grade of oil or the maintenance schedule be changed for an older vehicle to preserve new car performance and fuel economy after it has reached higher miles?

 

[Nick1994]

Keep on keeping on.

My used oil analysis look fantastic, I did one with a 7,500 mile OCI with Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage 5w30.

 

[BrocLuno]

You're opening a big can of worms...

First define "forever" ... 250,000 miles enough, or are you striving for 400,000?

What motor and what vehicle? Some will, some won't. Timing chains? Cam driven water pumps?

Need more info. But, in general, if it's a pre-2005 or so vehicle, you need to chase the bearing clearances with viscosity as the miles pile up. Later builds are not quite a susceptible. If it's a carbureted vehicle, you need to to that and make sure you are on top of fuel dilution and cold start contamination.

So lets say a 1978 Ford 4-banger. xW-30 to 100,000. Somewhere around there, the motor will get more noisy on cold start so you move in the direction of 15w40 HDEO and run out to 200,000.

Now it gets tricky. The motor is getting worn and it's making more contaminates. But the car/truck is old. You should be putting better oil in to try to get the last 100,000 - but most folks opt for cheap as they are getting tired of it ... So it dies from neglect and they get a new something...

 

[mclasser]

That's a good question. I still use the spec'd 5W20 in my Accord and the engine runs great. I'm probably going to switch over to 5W30 since that's what my Infiniti takes, and I'm tired of buying 3 different oil weights for 3 cars. Maybe the extra weight will help with the microscopic increase in bearing clearances after 200K miles? Can't tell without doing an engine teardown unfortunately. I've run a 30wt many times in the past without issue. Accords up to 2001 with this exact same engine spec'd 5W30 anyway.

If your engine runs fine on the factory spec'd oil, doesn't leak or burn, then no need to rock the boat, IMO.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
...

If your engine runs fine on the factory spec'd oil, doesn't leak or burn, then no need to rock the boat, IMO.


There you go...if it's doing well, no changes needed.

 

[crazyoildude]

What Vehicle and engine..?

 

[UltrafanUK]

Yes, change the oil twice as often as the OEM max recommended OCI, then change the oil & filter (Or filters if it's a diesel) at the MRI.

Make 100% sure an old vehicle is not sludged after you buy it by either dropping the sump (If that is easy) and cleaning it AND the all important oil pump intake screen. If droping the sump would be a nightmare, dump the oil & filter and wash it through with diesel (You can use the oily diesel in a normal non non TDI diesel), then use a good major brand cleaner oil like Mobil 10w40, BUT keep the first OCI real short (3000 miles max) AND dump the oil & filter again it it turns black before the scheduled half OEM MRI.

 

[OneEyeJack]

There's a lot more to maintaining a high mileage vehicle than oil changes. First and most important is that you have to live somewhere that does not eat cars in the winter in the north or maybe even the humidity in the south. Then there are other considerations like a garage, driving habits, type of driving or commute and maintenance on the rest of the vehicle like the cooling system, transmission, brakes and other stuff. Being able to do basic maintenance is a big, big plus in my opinion and knowing what's going on with the rest of the work to be done is really useful.

I drive a 32 year old Civic wagon purchased new but I live in S. California and have always had a garage and stored the car carefully when gone for longer than a few months. If I lived in the rust belt the car would have been a shell with an engine a long time ago. My wagon has never seen snow or icy roads with or without salt on them. I do plan on driving my wagon to my own funeral and maybe if I'm lucky getting buried or cremated while inside.

I have owned lots of other cars trucks, vans and motorcycles in my life but this car is the only one that's still here.

By the way, I'm now using 0w30 Red Line oil left over from other vehicles. I change it every 10K and the NAPA Gold filter every other oil change with excellent result, UOA coming.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno


Now it gets tricky. The motor is getting worn and it's making more contaminates. But the car/truck is old. You should be putting better oil in to try to get the last 100,000 - but most folks opt for cheap as they are getting tired of it ...


Not sure this is a real problem. If we substitute:-

"You should be putting thicker oil in to try to get the last 100,000" for

"You should be putting better oil in to try to get the last 100,000" we rather neatly side-step any notional dilemma.

Thicker oil tends (here at least) to mean mineral oil, which tends to be cheaper (here at least) but it needn't mean low quality.

I'm using Mobile Delvac MX 15w40 which is among the cheapest oils readily available, but its supposed to be reasonable quality. I'm considering going to a straight 40 weight, which would be slightly cheaper, though getting hard to find.

Thicker oil will reduce wear and oil consumption. Cheaper oil can be changed more often as it gets loaded with contaminants. There will be slightly higher fuel consumption, but total mileage is generally lower on older vehicles so this may not be critical.

 

[doublebase]

I have an Accord with 290,000 miles...I did oil changes every 3,000 miles...it really didn't matter, once it got to that "higher mileage" mark it began using oil.

There's really not a whole lot you can do, but I'd probably suggest a heavier weight as it ages.

 

[HerrStig]

I put a new oil pump in one of our I4 Camrys at 215,000K, the pump was fine but the pump to block seal wasn't and the Asin pump was a good buy, came with all the gaskets. Since then, about 2000 miles, the engine has used no Supertech synthetic 5w30 and I watched the dipstick very carefully after the pump replacement. Now I the question is if I should continue with the Supertech or switch to Valvoline HM, which has a
good reputation. Perhaps I'll switch when (if ever) it warms up again here.

 

[CT8]

The maintenance from new has most to do with the engines performance when old.

 

[emmett442]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
There's a lot more to maintaining a high mileage vehicle than oil changes. First and most important is that you have to live somewhere that does not eat cars in the winter in the north or maybe even the humidity in the south. Then there are other considerations like a garage, driving habits, type of driving or commute and maintenance on the rest of the vehicle like the cooling system, transmission, brakes and other stuff. Being able to do basic maintenance is a big, big plus in my opinion and knowing what's going on with the rest of the work to be done is really useful.

I drive a 32 year old Civic wagon purchased new but I live in S. California and have always had a garage and stored the car carefully when gone for longer than a few months. If I lived in the rust belt the car would have been a shell with an engine a long time ago. My wagon has never seen snow or icy roads with or without salt on them. I do plan on driving my wagon to my own funeral and maybe if I'm lucky getting buried or cremated while inside.

I have owned lots of other cars trucks, vans and motorcycles in my life but this car is the only one that's still here.

By the way, I'm now using 0w30 Red Line oil left over from other vehicles. I change it every 10K and the NAPA Gold filter every other oil change with excellent result, UOA coming.





This. Seems to me, the driveline will almost always outlast the chassis. Go to your local junkyard - it will be clear that most of the cars ran fine until they were either wrecked or rusted out. <---- and they were all driven by average joes who don't get excited about vehicle maintenance.

 

[Rolla07]

Are you having to add oil between changes? That should answer your queston. Again, my bet is you could do regular oil changes and likely neglect an engine for quite some time, and even then, more likely something else will fail first resulting in you ditching the car.

 

[tig1]

I use Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w20 in both of my Fords at 10K OCI(have for years). Recently I changed the valve cover gaskets on both engines(see pics in photo section on page 1 and 2) and checked the valve clearance . Both engines are still in factory spec. Also there is no noise from timing chain, and neither engine uses oil in my normal 10K OCI..

 

[CR94]

I've run one car beyond 600K, and my brother has run two well beyond 300K. None of them got any special or thicker oil with increasing miles, and none of them showed any obvious signs of increasing internal clearances. Two of those three ran well to the end, and the other one is still going. With the head off (for unrelated reasons) at around 475K, mine still had original honing marks visible on cylinder walls, and no ridge at the top of cylinder walls.

Some people worry too much about non-issues, like engine wear in reasonably maintained vehicles!

 

[veryHeavy]

I run an xW-40 oil even though the original spec was 0W-20 (both Mobil 1). I prefer how the engine sounds quieter, and also used analysis shows the engine is barely wearing even at 200,000 miles.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: CR94
I've run one car beyond 600K, and my brother has run two well beyond 300K. None of them got any special or thicker oil with increasing miles, and none of them showed any obvious signs of increasing internal clearances. Two of those three ran well to the end, and the other one is still going. With the head off (for unrelated reasons) at around 475K, mine still had original honing marks visible on cylinder walls, and no ridge at the top of cylinder walls.

Some people worry too much about non-issues, like engine wear in reasonably maintained vehicles!


I'm curious,what was the main oil used on the 600K one?

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
What Vehicle and engine..?


2005 Ford Focus 2.0. It has always burned 1/2 qt or less in 5000-6000 miles. No rust. Needs new rear shocks. Gets 30mpg or 25mpg with a/c on which is 6 months per year.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: CR94
I've run one car beyond 600K,...


I'm curious,what was the main oil used on the 600K one?
Mainly 10W-40 conventional of many brands, whatever was on sale and met current specs (and hadn't produced sludge in previous experience!). 10w30 a few times in winter. Changed oil about every 6000 miles (vs. 7500 suggested by manufacturer), with filter changes usually every 3rd oil change. It consumed about a quart per 3000 miles in its youth, roughly twice as much in old age, due in considerable part to various leaks.