How 'used' is your car/truck?

[addyguy]

What I mean is, how hard do you use your vehicle - how close to its limits do you operate it?

I drive a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier 4-door. It gets used for all kinds of driving - everything from multiple stop/start trips in the city; to long, uphill highway runs. These trips occur in both freezing cold, and baking heat.

A lot of the time, it is just my wife and I in the vehicle, but often it is full with 4-5 people, and their stuff. Some of these people, including myself, are on the heavy side, so it is not uncommen to have my car loaded down with nearly 1000-1200 lbs of passengers and luggage in it.

Car is used in the city, but my in-laws live in a small tomn with the requisite bad/rough roads, so it often bottoms out over irregularities. It also has to deal with snow, dirt and other stuff.

Two people have learned to drive in the car, its been in two accidents, our dogs get hauled around in the back of it, and it often gets idled for extended periods for various reasons. It also sometimes gets fired up and driven pretty hard right away in the cold.

For all this, it gets 8k OCI's on cheap dino, and AFAIK, the transmission has never been serviced. But still runs well, has abit of piston slap, but burns very little oil.

So, how about YOUR ride?

 

[Ausfahrt]

Thats about how we treat our '02 Civic. Due to its great gas mileage, in our family it is generally the first car out in the morning and the last car in at night with multiple drivers every day. Takes a lickin'.......

PS- The Civic has been 5k dino oci since new but the plan is to go with Mobil 1 High Mileage at 150k with 10k OCI's.

 

[IndyIan]

My Neon gets thrashed around the autocross course 8 times a year, the last course had it just getting into the fuel cut off twice per run but thats only 6800rpm. Other than that its gets 90 km/day commuting but its rare my cooling fan even kicks on once so its pretty easy going.

The Tracker got broken in towing a U haul trailer 5,000km to Winnipeg and back... The trailer might have weighed 2500lbs and doubled the aero drag so 4th was used on any incline and sometimes 3rd... I tow lots of stuff with it, but keep it to 1500lbs mostly, drag some logs around once in a while, use the 4wd for light offroading or on semi plowed logging roads for icefishing. Eventually we might get a snowplow for it which will make the drivetrain work but thats what low range is for. Sometimes it hauls goats in the back too which always gets lots of attention, I can see why the "stars" don't like people following them around taking pictures... Ideally I'd have a midsize 4x4 pickup but they all get [censored] mileage and cost atleast 50% more to buy so we got the Tracker.

 

[sciphi]

My '99 Buick LeSabre with 66k miles is used for everything. It's seen many moving trips, hauled people and gear on vacations, and I use it daily for short trips.

I'm fairly gentle on the gas since it doesn't need much to get moving. Every once in a while it gets a few WOT blasts up too-short onramps.

Servicing is a bit anal since it's my only car, it's used daily, and I need it to work right all the time. 6-7k mile OCI's on full syn, 5k on dino. Transmission has been drained/filled 4-5x in the past 2 years, new plugs a few months ago, new wires, PCV, O2 sensor, coolant flushed last year, newer tires, front brakes, headlights cleaned/harnessed/new bulbs, new struts, and keeping the rocker panels from rusting away.

It looks like 10 cents from a crumpled fender my grandfather never fixed, but drives like a million bucks now.

Knock on wood the intake manifold gaskets don't let go anytime soon!

 

[GMGuy]

Drive 'em like I stole 'em.

Alex.

 

[Paul56]

My 2001 Neon gets babied...

-Light on the brake, light on the gas.
-No gravel or dirt roads if I can avoid it.
-Regular highway trips that bring it up to op temp for a while.
-No trailer towing.
-No load hauling except me, sometimes one other person.
-Oil changed every 5000km.
-I give it the once over almost daily always looking for anything not quite right.
-Maintenance is kept up to date.

 

[Benzadmiral]

My '03 Buick gets coddled a bit, I guess, with relatively short OCIs of 5K on dino. I'm usually the only person in it. My round trip to work is 18 miles, most of that at below-highway speeds, in heat 8-9 months of the year that would make tropical tree frogs run for the A/C controls.

Once a week I run 24 miles round trip at interstate speeds to the suburbs, and once or twice a a month the same to get my hair cut. Occasionally -- say once a year -- I have a road trip of 500 miles or more, either for hurricane evacuation or for fun. Like Paul56, I keep up to date on things.

My Mercedes C230 got the same. My big 420SEL got the same while here, but when I lived in Colorado I drove moderate distances in the countryside and up into the mountains nearly every week. Both of them got some harder driving, with downshifting manually to a lower gear to blast up hills or onramps.

My first Benz, the W123 coupe, actually had a chance to do some autocrossing, and it also had mountain tours. So of the recent cars, I guess it got driven the hardest.

 

[97f150]

2000 Nissan Sentra 1.8 liter, auto, is used for mileage. It commutes 71 miles one way to work and sits for 12 hours, than 71 miles back home. 60-70 mph for 90% of the trip and than 30-45 mph the rest of the way. This car also sits one week a month without being driven at all. It gets 5,000 mile O.C.I.s with cheap dino.

My wifes 2005 F-150 Super Crew with 4.6 liter, auto, is driven a total of 8 miles a day 3 days a week, and 40 mile round trip once a week. I take it to work a day or two a month. It gets 5,000 O.C.I.s with dino and Motorcraft filter.

 

[The_Jeff]

There have been times when my truck stayed parked while I hauled multiple sacks of sakrete in my saturn wagon. Been flashed thinking my low beams were highs. Also dragged home some 10 foot 4x4s, pressure treated, one end on the passenger dashboard, the other out the open liftgate.

 

[Dualie]

my 2000 f-350 7.3L gets driven like its stolen, tows way more than it should, one day it will go on a 1000 mile road trip then spend the next two weeks doing 6 runs a day of less than 5 miles.

343,000 miles still runs great and body is still strait.

 

[Chris142]

My 02 Wrangler gets beaten. 6 mile drive to work and 2 miles of that is on a dirt road. Often I stop because I can't see for the dust from other cars.

1 mile or shorter drive to go get lunch.

Drive back home on the dirt road.

Often goes on trips in the desert where temps are 100+. Engine temps 230 at times.

It gets whatever conventional oil was on sale. Usually a Purolater or Wix oil filter.

It's got Peak SAE30 in it right now.

 

[daves87rs]

Mine get rough michigan weather and roads year round. That alone could be abuse. All three get Full Synthetic changes at 3-5k. (Will be running them longer though) We both live close to work, so there are times I have to change the oil based on age! (Usually the cav coupe)

Everything is kept up to date....

 

[01rangerxl]

As far as my driving style goes, I'm pretty hard on my truck. It sees 5000-5500 RPM on a regular basis (it is limited to 6250 RPM). I take turns pretty fast too and don't slow down much for speed bumps, pot holes, etc. I give my truck [censored] all the time.

As far as hauling, that's more of an occasional thing now. The truck has had a little over 1000 lbs. in the bed before, but most of the time it is empty or close to it.

The terrain where I normally live is pretty flat and traffic generally moves between about 40-55 MPH, which is about as easy as it gets on a vehicle. I have been working in Birmingham, AL for the summer though, and it has been harder on my truck than Charlotte. There are lots of hills and traffic speeds vary between 30 MPH on side streets to 80+ on the interstate. The neighborhood I am in now has some of the steepest hills in the city and in the afternoons when I drive home the trans temp has gotten as hot as 190* F.

I make up for the way I drive my truck by being on top of maintenance. I change the oil every 3-4K miles with Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic, the transmission fluid gets changed every 30K or so and I am using full synthetic now. The differential fluid is changed every 50K or so. The radiator gets a drain and fill regularly too. So far so good. The truck runs and drives basically like new except for warped brake rotors.

 

[M1Accord]

I baby all vehicles, even the rental cars, which are treated the same as if it is mine. Sometime I treat rental vehicles better than my 18 years old Corolla simply because they are brand new. I don't abuse vehicles and am always easy on the gas and brake. In my opinion, having a reliable vehicle is something of a treasure and can only achieved through personal experiences after a reasonable ownership time. Since even a new vehicle can break down due to poor build quality, I tend to take care of my vehicles since they are already well build.

My only concern is with my Corolla battery terminal. It corrodes even with the anti-corrosion pads. It failed to start 4 times the past 3 years because the corossion prevent enough current to flow through. It usually fix itself after a few hours of sitting or a jump. Both battery and alternator as well as chargin system were tested at Advance Auto Part and passed. I am looking into some aftermarket anti-corrosion treatment or housing for this battery. My Accord never has this problem for an 8 years old battery.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I change the oil every 3-4K miles with Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic

Meant to say synthetic blend.

 

[NHHEMI]

2008 Dodge Ram 1500
Quad Cab SLT
4WD 5.7L HEMI

USES:
Daily Driver - severe winter weather so 4WD a must
Tow boat May - February( fishing & waterfowl hunting )
Work - haul trailer, lumber goods, cabinets I build, etc... as I do finish carpentry and have a custom cabinet( furniture type not kitchen )building business

I do very little in my life for enjoyment. Besides hunting & fishing my vehicles are it. My vehicles get cared for very meticulously and are maintained to extremely high standards. I do use my truck as a truck but it is also dressed up for appearance and is kept clean and maintained at all times.

 

[Falcon_LS]

2000 Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero
3.0L V6 with ActivTrak

Use:
Daily driver - covers approximately 150-180 km (94-113 miles) of highway driving on a daily basis

I'm crazy about maintenance. I use a maintenance dose of MMO at every fill up, when tire pressures are also checked and adjusted to 44 PSI cold. Air filter is replaced every 5,000 km (3,000 miles) due to the excessively dusty environment. Oil/filter gets changed with GP IV synthetic and ARX maintenance dose every 15,000 km at the very least (going to push Mobil 1 0W-40 to 12,500 miles with UOA next). Tires get rotated (cross or back to front depending on interval) and rebalanced every 10,000 km (6,250 miles), when the undercarriage is also lubed. OEM copper plugs are changed every 25,000 km (16,000 miles). Coolant (70/30 with distilled H2O and IAT), transfer case oil (80W-90 GL-4), differential fluid (80W-90 GL-5), brake fluid (DOT 3), power steering fluid (Mercon V) and fuel filter is changed every 40,000 km (25,000 miles). ATF (SP-III) is flushed through cooler lines at 40,000 km (25,000 miles) also, along with a new screen filter and gasket assembly.

Timing belt and tensioner gets replaced with an OEM every 90,000 km (56,250 miles) alongside seals/gaskets and OEM PCV valve. OEM radiator hoses, thermostat and radiator cap are replaced at the same interval. Water pump is replaced every second timing belt change, alongside distributor rotor/cap and plug wires.

The OEM brake pads generally last about 55-60,000 km (35-38,000 miles) on average, and the rotors are skimmed every second pad change. Suspension/steering receives a thorough inspection every 100,000 km (60,000 miles), although Shock absorbers I generally replace with OEMs every 200,000 km (125,000 miles). I also tend to replace tie rod ends at the same interval. 275,000 km (171,875 miles) and still counting on original drivetrain.

Engine is washed on a daily basis. Truck gets washed (undercarriage included) and interior detailed once a week. Paintwork is detailed once every 3 months, regardless of mileage. Once a year, a full interior detailing is done (seats, carpet, etc. washed, headliner/plastics, etc. cleaned with glass cleaner). The Galant will be treated no different once I take delivery.

I tried to avoid traffic, dirt roads, mud, etc. as much as possible.

 

[BuickGN]

The GN gets run every time it's started. But I just do a quick pass here and there, nothing to really heat things up. Thinking about it, there's no way to be legal and be on the gas full throttle for more than 4 seconds at a time so it has an easy life sort of.

The TL is babied most of the time. I go out of my way to avoid bumps and potholes. I slow down for railroad crossings. RPMS rarely get above 2,500. I tend to take corners hard once in a while but I'm realy gentle with the steering, the only thing I'm really wearing is the tires which I can't wait to get rid of. I figure all these years of babying it will hopefully make up for the abuse I'm about to give it at Willow.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
... The TL is babied most of the time. ... rarely get above 2,500. ... I figure all these years of babying it will hopefully make up for the abuse I'm about to give it at Willow.


Make sure you give it a few good runs on the street a few weeks before racing it so that it has a chance to break loose any "Grandma driving carbon" in the system...

 

[sierrascout]

09 Cobalt DD for wife and travel vehicle when our son is with us. 08 Colorado my DD and is used one a week to haul mower, weedeater, and blower for yard maintinance at work. Also used to tow my 12ft utility trailer.