I don't see any reason to think that you are being untruthful. I will believe you without the pictures.
Honda Accord 1997 (165,000 miles) bad varnish
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Explain to her how to check the level on the dipstick and how to top up without overfilling.
Originally Posted By: GMorg
I don't see any reason to think that you are being untruthful. I will believe you without the pictures.
Me too.
Good job fixing the overheating problem. Next time she's there you should drain, flush with distilled water, and refill with coolant & distilled mix.
Originally Posted By: GMorg
I don't see any reason to think that you are being untruthful. I will believe you without the pictures.
Me too.
Good job fixing the overheating problem. Next time she's there you should drain, flush with distilled water, and refill with coolant & distilled mix.
I did not have time to take off the valve cover. Then her camera died while I was taking a pic of the dipstick. However, I managed to wipe the inside of the oil fill area a bit. Then I realized the camera was in video mode...before it died Oh well....
And the view from where we went yesterday...hope it shows. Ignore the date code. The silly camera reset that when I tried to take the batteries out to get a few pics extra. Seems like it takes 5-6 pics more that way...and it did.
I will flush the coolant and change oil again next time. I'll see if I can take off the valve cover but need to read up on replacing the gasket properly. I have explained the dipstick and oil levels as well.
And the view from where we went yesterday...hope it shows. Ignore the date code. The silly camera reset that when I tried to take the batteries out to get a few pics extra. Seems like it takes 5-6 pics more that way...and it did.
I will flush the coolant and change oil again next time. I'll see if I can take off the valve cover but need to read up on replacing the gasket properly. I have explained the dipstick and oil levels as well.
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Oh, what concerned me initially was the varnish and brown muck under the cap, but I also had an Accord (1996). When I sold it, it had ~160,000 miles on it and the engine area (looking down the oil fill hole) was still shiny and nothing like this car. I changed the oil often and used Honda filters and good oil...synthetic for the last 70,000 miles. Hopefully the PYB (may see if she can switch to Ultra if you guys think it will help even more) will keep it going for a while. If she can keep it going for two more years, that would be extremely helpful.
The good news is that just by keeping the oil relatively clean and up to level, the engine will probably run fine for a long time.
I have a family member with an Accord about the same age that wasn't maintained well. It's burns a LOT of oil - quart every 300 miles, but it's done that for five years now and keeps running.
Your friend could learn some car tech by changing her own oil and pick up a part-time job at a quickie-lube, thus helping with the $$$ situation too.
I have a family member with an Accord about the same age that wasn't maintained well. It's burns a LOT of oil - quart every 300 miles, but it's done that for five years now and keeps running.
Your friend could learn some car tech by changing her own oil and pick up a part-time job at a quickie-lube, thus helping with the $$$ situation too.
Will keep an eye on the car through her. She already works two jobs now...one full-time regular and one on weekends. Her situation will slowly improve now that she has the second job. She has really bad rheumatoid arthritis so till it was under control, she could not take another job where she had to stand for long periods. She has no family so I feel it is my responsibility to help as much as I can. She would do the same for me if I needed it. When my dog was dying from cancer after the chemo did not work, she took a week of vacation and drove up to help take care of my best friend. She knew how devastated I was. Friends like this are hard to find. Thanks for the help and advice.
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