How long should I expect my engine to last using Mobil1 SuperSyn 5W30??

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First off, I realize this is a broad question that depends on many variables. It's kind of like forecasting the weather, which I do for a living.

I have 1994 Honda Accord EX with aprox. 92K on it. Mobil 1 has been the only oil used since the birth of the car. I change the oil according to the severe service schedule, or once every 3,750 miles. I follow the manufac. suggested maintenance schedule religiously.

I baby the vehicle. I never run the engine over 4,000 RPM. I should be more aggressive becasue I've heard Honda engines can take a lot of abuse.

Can anyone give me a very rough estimate of how long my engine should last?
 
quote:

Can anyone give me a very rough estimate of how long my engine should last?

264,542.1 miles


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Well, depending on the winds aloft at 500 mb, and the slow moving low pressure area down in the southeast corner being moved by a trough in the jet stream, and assuming the supercell doesn't spawn a tornado and lift the "H" off the ground, I'd say 225,000 miles minimum.
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[ June 25, 2003, 02:26 PM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]
 
all you guys are totally offbase. he asked for a rough estimate. take off those decimals, please.

seriously, it could last longer than you might want it to given its treatment. you're probably looking for a reason for a new car but can't find one, huh? that thing is just hanging in there. my mother has the same sentiment with her 94 camry v6. i just keep it going perfectly like new with good maintenance.

just keep that timing belt changed, and change the tranny fluid annually (if auto), watch out for the main relay nuisance though. you'll be fine.
 
100,000-500,000 miles. Depends on how much you want to spend on on it fixing other issues, the alignment of the moon/stars. No one really can predict. I have a 95 Civic EX with 192k dino oil only changed every 3750 - 8000 miles and it shows no eminent signs of failing.

good luck
 
Figure any car with reasonable maintenance is good for at least 150k without any serious failures. With good maintenance 200k should be cake. Probably a lot more than that is possible. I've seen Hondas for sale in good running order with over 250k on them.

Cheers, 3MP
 
It's pretty unlikely that engine wear will kill that car. There are a number of more feasible causes of death (or divorce: you may not want the relationship to be till death do you part).

Being pecked to death by ducks: Lots of small to medium size things wearing out and needing replacing. Eventually this either pisses you off enough that you sell the car, or the upkeep gets to cost more than the car is worth. FWIW, this is where other maintenance of other systems comes into play. Have you changed your break fluid lately? Coolant? Transmission Fluid? I bet more cars are scrapped because of transmission failure than engine failure.

SUV poisoning: Honda interacts with Chevy Suburban. Honda loses.

Just get sick of looking at the **** thing: I know there are some people out there who can happily drive the same car for twenty five years. Thankfully for the auto industry, those people are a distinct minority (although I bet they are well represented on this board). Somewhere down the road there's probably a nice shiny new Honda out there with your name on it, and a dealer who's more than happy to relieve you of your current model.
 
If he used Syntec, I wonder what drain intervals he went and how much money he wasted. I got 300k out of an 87 corolla on the cheapest oil available. But I changed it every 3k. This guy would have been a good canidate for a good syn. lube., although some think the cost evens out.
 
Well..with my "limited" experiance with Japanese motors I'll give you my .02 cents..and after this post if anybody rings my front doorbell with a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers...I'm not home
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...the bottom end of Japanese motors are almost bullet-proof...it's the top end that is high-strung and prone to problems...head gaskets,valve issues etc...they get their power from small litre engines with lots of valve train and rpm's...good oil and be diligent with coolant issues (rad,coolant changes,water pump etc.) is CRITICAL...there is NO room for a overheating problems...the chain reaction to this situation is big bucks...remember now...I'm not home
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At least 250K, based on my ancedotal experience with a Honda one generation earlier than yours:

My '90 Accord LX has over 252K miles. With the exception of leaving in the factory oil for the first 3750 miles, the rest of the miles has been on 10w-30 dino oil. Brands? I've used PZ, QS, Castrol GTX, and Mobil over the years (whatever is on sale is what I used).

For the first 45K, the oil was changed 3750 mi intervals since I spent those miles in city driving. After 45K (about 1994), I extended the interval to 5000, sometimes 6000 miles since the miles is nearly all highway but I barely baby it--- I routine fly at 80-85 MPH on the open road and when I'm civilization, I drive it pretty hard to get in and around traffic. Filter? Honda OEM. Other routine maintenance followed Honda's recommendation for normal conditions. No 'mods' or other 'kewl' stuff like that on the car.

Never done UOA. Not even curious for this daily driver. I haven't looked under the valve cover in a while but the last time I looked, it looked clean to me (but then again, what do I know?). Some varnish but I'm not worried. If I'm burning oil, I'm not noticing it or it's in drops. Never had to top off the oil after dipsticking it for 13 years. Averging 28 MPG.

But I'm thinking about parting ways with this Accord. MikeW's comments are on the mark for me... at least two of the three color me perfectly: the repairs and looking at it. I'm facing new struts and rear brakes today with timing belt and water pump replacement in another 2 years given the current driving habits. AC isn't quite up the snuff these days. Door actuators are failing.

The paint around the rear bumper is peeling away, lots of stone chips and some door dings. The interior is fading and some of the knobs and handles are brittle.

No air bags and no ABS. Seat belts are of the "automatic" variety which doesn't do me good if my door flies open if I'm in a rollover.

So... I've been driving my 1999 Honda Accord (46K on the clock, has only seen Castrol GTX) lately :) And I fully expect to see 250+K on this Accord.

[ June 26, 2003, 01:39 AM: Message edited by: MailPurgatory ]
 
Engine life will most likely depend on a few parameters:

1. luck
2. engine quality
3. maintenance
4. amount of abuse
5. climate - cold climate is a motor killer

I'm a cynic, hence "luck" gets the top spot.
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When considering whether to replace a car because of repair costs, one shouln't focus on repair costs vs. the car's value but rather repair costs vs. the value of the car you'd replace it with.
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So if your car is worth $2000, does it make sense to spend $1000 per year on service? After all, you've spent the car's value every 24 months. So, using this yardstick, you trade it in and buy a new car with $500/mo. payments, and you're "saving" money! Er... no.

Once a car has thudded on the floor of the depreciation curve at commodity-level (the point where any operational vehicle is worth X dollars with little regard to actual condition), and I might argue even from the moment you are done paying the bank, it is more helpful to think of maintenance dollars as paying for services rendered (by your car) rather than asset equity. New struts on a 1989 Honda will not affect the value of the car in the slightest but will provide another 50,000 miles of strut service life. Therefore the real question is not whether the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the car but whether the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the services rendered *by* the car. Most people will sell their car out of boredom or frustration long before the actual cost of the services rendered by the old car ever manage to exceed the replacement cost of the car. Some cars are so cheap to maintain that I doubt it would be *possible* for repair costs to exceed the replacement cost.

Cheers, 3MP
 
quote:

Originally posted by MinnesotaNole:
I never run the engine over 4,000 RPM.

I firmly believe it will last longer and work better if you DO rev it past 4000 rpm. Give it a sound thrashing once a month after you're up to temp to blow out all manner of carbon/other types of gunk.

FWIW, I new a guy in school that commuted from CA to MI several times a year; he finally got sick of his accord at around 325k.
 
Good points, 3MP. I just bought a minivan for around 30K. If I drove it for 10 years, the purchase alone costs me $3K per year. If I drove it for 15 years, the purchase costs me $2K per year.

So, holding "routine" maintenance, gas, and insurance costs constant('cause you'd need to do those on a new vehicle too), you could do an average of $1K of unscheduled repairs on a vehicle per year over the 15 year period and match the "cost of ownership" of getting rid of the car at 10 years!

Obviously, there are some costly "routine" maint items (timing belts etc.) that only apply to the car when it gets older, but I think that is balanced out by decreased insurance costs so I ignored it in my analysis. Plus, I didn't take into account the cost of financing the purchase, so it's even smarter to own a car longer!

Matt

PS- Unfortunately, all that being said, I've never been disciplined enough to keep a car that long
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Properly maintained, the engine will keep running until the frame around the motor mounts completely rusts out. With Honda body steel versus Minnesota road salt, that could be in a year or two. You rarely hear of Hondas dying from engine failures. Something else does them in.
 
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