What is considered as good preventative maintenance and bad preventative maintenance?

[Astro14]

Not necessarily true if you can DIY. Five years ago I purchased, at a rock bottom price, the 4Runner for my wife. Rode hard and put away wet but solid body, etc. It spent two months on jack stands while I went over it bumper-to-bumper. Now it runs, drives and rides like new for a little money and my time.

Well…eh, it’s absolutely true.

He said, “ALL the old parts”. Not “some”. Not “the ones that are likely to fail at this mileage”.

ALL

Which means new car.

I DIY. A lot. Look at my cars - four of them are 20 years old or more.

I replace parts at recommended service intervals, or as they fail, or when they become likely to fail. For example: Timing belts and the like are done as recommended. I’ll do a water pump (under the belt) if it’s not been done in the previous interval, just to save the hassle of going back under the timing belt. Brake hoses are done at 10 years because they age out. I’ll rebuild a starter or alternator if it’s already out of the car. Cheaper than even a rebuilt part and a whole lot better than waiting for that part to fail and leave me (or my wife) stranded.

But most of the parts on my cars, even on the 90 year old one, are old parts. Original parts. Every single car I own has the original engine, and transmission, for example. I like older cars for a variety of reasons. I maintain them. They’re reliable.

I‘m not certain what the OP wanted for an answer, but the way he phrased the question, the answer is a new car.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I like to keep 'em alive, echoing @Astro14 . Additionally, as a greenie I would rather keep 'em alive vs all the energy (and cost) of a new vehicle.
I believe taking care of our old Tundra makes it greener than a new (butt ugly) Cybertruk or the (beautiful) F-150 Ligntning, even though I would love to have any newer F-150.
I tend to pass my older cars onto friends and family and continue to service them to the hilt.

 

[eljefino]

I like to keep 'em alive, echoing @Astro14 . Additionally, as a greenie I would rather keep 'em alive vs all the energy (and cost) of a new vehicle.

It's also fairly well established what could go wrong on a 2001 Pontiac. A brand new 2022 has a whole lot more unknowns. You can sort of predict issues at the end of a body style/ powertrain cycle for established mass market brands, especially if some see fleet use and its resultant, accellerated wear. But, otherwise, look at the software glitches on infotainment systems-- we don't know what they fiddle with, year-to-year, or if an over-the-air upgrade makes it better or worse.

There's an assumption that reliable= new, but make sure that's not an emotional choice.

 

[easym]

Well…eh, it’s absolutely true.

He said, “ALL the old parts”. Not “some”. Not “the ones that are likely to fail at this mileage”.

ALL

Which means new car.

I DIY. A lot. Look at my cars - four of them are 20 years old or more.

I replace parts at recommended service intervals, or as they fail, or when they become likely to fail. For example: Timing belts and the like are done as recommended. I’ll do a water pump (under the belt) if it’s not been done in the previous interval, just to save the hassle of going back under the timing belt. Brake hoses are done at 10 years because they age out. I’ll rebuild a starter or alternator if it’s already out of the car. Cheaper than even a rebuilt part and a whole lot better than waiting for that part to fail and leave me (or my wife) stranded.

But most of the parts on my cars, even on the 90 year old one, are old parts. Original parts. Every single car I own has the original engine, and transmission, for example. I like older cars for a variety of reasons. I maintain them. They’re reliable.

I‘m not certain what the OP wanted for an answer, but the way he phrased the question, the answer is a new car.

I meant changing the parts after 20 years that are likely to go bad and leave me stranded like fuel pump, Crank position sensor, ignition module... etc. I understand it not very effective but I cant afford new cars/ used cars in this crazy market, I will eventually may be in two years once, the market cools down.

 

[easym]

It's also fairly well established what could go wrong on a 2001 Pontiac. A brand new 2022 has a whole lot more unknowns. You can sort of predict issues at the end of a body style/ powertrain cycle for established mass market brands, especially if some see fleet use and its resultant, accellerated wear. But, otherwise, look at the software glitches on infotainment systems-- we don't know what they fiddle with, year-to-year, or if an over-the-air upgrade makes it better or worse.

There's an assumption that reliable= new, but make sure that's not an emotional choice.

Also in this crazy market, it is better to take care of a old car and ride it until the market cools down than getting a new car.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Just keep all the fluids changed and fresh. Oil, tranny, coolant, atf, ps, washer, brakes, etc.

 

[Astro14]

Also in this crazy market, it is better to take care of a old car and ride it until the market cools down than getting a new car.

Completely agree.

The proof is in my signature block…

 

[skyactiv]

Radiator and heater hoses are overlooked a lot more today than in years past. When the average know nothing driver blows a hose on the interstate, they ignore the idiot light and keep on driving until they ruin the engine, which sends an older vehicle to the junk yard.

 

[JTK]

Just keep all the fluids changed and fresh. Oil, tranny, coolant, atf, ps, washer, brakes, etc.

This and not living or using the vehicle in the rust belt is the best preventative maintenance you can do for it.

 

[eljefino]

Radiator and heater hoses are overlooked a lot more today than in years past. When the average know nothing driver blows a hose on the interstate, they ignore the idiot light and keep on driving until they ruin the engine, which sends an older vehicle to the junk yard.

They're also made of a modern rubber that will last 20+ years as long as you don't get oil on it.

Which brings us back to maintenance-- fixing something like a damp valve cover gasket will help other stuff in ways not immediately obvious.

Also makes me miss "real" temperature gauges that move with the seasons and engine load, so I can spot irregularities before they're 'idiot light" worthy.

 

[Donald]

I agree with other replies. But have a hard look at things like hoses, belts, suspension parts, bushings.

You can get high quality parts that are aftermarket. But can also get junky aftermarket parts.

Keep in mind your car is 21 years old and is not a Porsche or Ferrari.

What about rust? Frame, body?

Something like a transmission failure could cost more than the car is worth. So make sure you do proper maintenance on the transmission.

 

[partspro]

Keep an eye on the intake gaskets on those 3.8 engines. Change the fluids as recommended and keep it clean. Repair items when they wear out. No sense in being proactive when original parts are sometimes better than after market parts.

Second keeping engine bay clean, if its dirty you will not spot leaks. Iintake gaskets sold hundreds Felpro were the go to, some reports said DEXCOOL caused damage to these original gaskets

 

[ecotourist]

This is a "what's the right balance?" question.

Everyone has their own idea. We would all agree on regular fluid and filter changes, replacing tires when old or worn, and brake pads and discs before failure. And generally keeping a close eye out for trouble.

Most of us would replace belts periodically, especially any that would cause damage if they fail. So I replace timing belts regularly. Serpentine belts can go longer because unless you're an idiot you don't damage anything if they break (recently replaced the serpentine belt for the first time on my V6 Accord - at 14 years and 100,000 miles).

I'll replace the water pump on my Accord the next time the timing belt gets changed because replacing it otherwise would be an involved and expensive job.

My BMW lasted 22 years with only one hose radiator replaced. Never replaced the hoses on my 18 1/2 year old Volvo.

When you drive a vehicle of any age there is always a chance that something will fail and you'll need a tow. Lowest risk is probably 2nd year to 10th year. New stuff fails and old stuff fails. Replacing stuff doesn't guarantee there will be no failures because new stuff fails. And OEM stuff is often the best.

 

[Sam_Julier]

Also in this crazy market, it is better to take care of a old car and ride it until the market cools down than getting a new car.

Not that I’m going to sell the 240; meticulous maintenance has given us a significant return on the investment.

 

[Accent Abuser]

I have a 2001 Pontiac grand prix 3800 V6 with 117000 miles. I want be proactive and keeit for a while at least the used car market comes back to normal, say two or three years. Is replacing all the old parts with new parts considered a good preventative maintenance? given my car is 21 years old.

A full front end rebuild and rear shocks will probably do you good, virtually every vehicle with 150k or older than 10 years would benefit from that. Every fluid should be flushed and replaced, all rubber hoses inspected and replaced if necessary. Other than that just change your oil frequently and keep it full and you should be golden.

 

[bbhero]

Radiator and heater hoses are overlooked a lot more today than in years past. When the average know nothing driver blows a hose on the interstate, they ignore the idiot light and keep on driving until they ruin the engine, which sends an older vehicle to the junk yard.

This is the real deal truth here ^^^^^^^

In the summer of 2017 while driving south on interstate 95 to Isle of Palm SC I saw a number of vehicles that we're blown up from what you've said here.

 

[Kira]

Guys in Volvo dealerships (yes, I asked at several) claim they've never changed a hose. I found that mind boggling.

I did a complete hose job on Sis' Jeep @ 150K and the hoses' interiors were crumbling, albeit slimy with coolant goodness.
After the job the old hoses' exteriors appeared chalky compared to the new but not cracked one bit.

That was one maintenance task which made me feel real good.

 

[brages]

Guys in Volvo dealerships (yes, I asked at several) claim they've never changed a hose. I found that mind boggling.

I did a complete hose job on Sis' Jeep @ 150K and the hoses' interiors were crumbling, albeit slimy with coolant goodness.
After the job the old hoses' exteriors appeared chalky compared to the new but not cracked one bit.

That was one maintenance task which made me feel real good.

That's strange... the P1 Volvos have a known bad design where a plastic tee on the upper radiator hose cracks with age, resulting in a quick loss of coolant and engine damaging overheating. Mine was cracked, but hadn't leaked significantly when I replaced it.

I have several other high-miles cars and haven't had a problem with radiator hoses on anything made since the 80s.

 

[Donald]

A good start would be to review the scheduled maint recommendations in the owners manual. Then factor in whether you live in the rust belt or desert or somewhere in between.

Additionally factor in the idea that the information in the owners manual is not really geared towards having the vehicle last hundreds of thousands of miles.

Treat vehicle with something like CarWell or NH Coatings or FF or Krown if you live in an area where rusting may take place.

 

[GMFan]

Would you replace parts with OEM or stuff from the local parts store? if the latter, you might be replacing good with low quality.

this x1000