how to take care of older cars?

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Virgil Caine - 13 Apr 2006 18:19 GMT

I have three cars (1992 Oldsmobile-silhouette- 190K miles), (1994
Saab-Aero-9000- 140K) , (1996 Infinity G20-130K). What specific maintenance
repairs and checks need to be done for these 'high mileage cars'? - at what
periodicity to not have breakdowns?

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hoza.2@osu.edu - 13 Apr 2006 20:39 GMT

At that milage I would have the entire front suspension and steering
checked and rebuilt as needed. (ball joints, drag link, tie rod ends,
etc.) For me this is a high priority because failure of one of these
parts can lead to a loss of control and possible accident and it isn't
always obvious that one of these parts is about to fail. Also, the car
will often "feel like new" with a front end rebuild.

Beyond that following the manufacturers recommendations works well.
Even people who are good with changing the motor oil often neglect
transmission fluid & filters. I know that some cars have "life time"
fills in the transmision but I do not trust this and never go more than
50Kmi with transmission fluid (I use synthetic) I would also change
fluid in the rear diffeential if the car has one. I think it is a good
idea to change the brake fluid every year or perhaps every other year
and the same for the antifreeze. It is not a bad idea to replace the
fuses as these often corrode over time. If your car has a timing belt
be sure that it is not past due for renewal. Also, all A/C systems
leak to some extent and a recharge with new filter is not a bad idea.
An inspection of ignition wires and parts along with all rubber hoses
can save you trouble. Of course you want to inspect the belts but also
take a look at all the pulleys, belts, and tensioners to see that they
are running true and doing their job. It is also a good idea to be
sure that any of the small drain hoses in the body are not plugged as
this can cause a corrosion problem if a blockage is not attended to.

I hope that helps. I am sure others will have more suggestions but that
is what I try to look at.

Mike

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codifus@optonline.net - 15 Apr 2006 15:31 GMT

Very good suggestions by hoza.2 I'd like to add these particulars
about the G20:

It has a timing chain. No maintenance required.
Changing the tranny fluid is very easy, just like an oil change without
the filter. Open the tranny drain bolt, drop the old fluid. Close the
drain bolt. refill with fresh new fluid through the dipstick opening
with the same amount of fluid you just removed. Done.
Depending on what type of anti-freeze was used in the car before, you
might be coming close to the water pump failing. If so, when you
replace the water pump make sure to use low or non-silicant
anti-freeze, NOT the domestic brands like Prestone. Stick to japanese
anti-freezes, like the OEM Nissan anti-freeze.

Hope this helps

CD

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Tom The Great - 15 Apr 2006 15:59 GMT

>I have three cars (1992 Oldsmobile-silhouette- 190K miles), (1994
>Saab-Aero-9000- 140K) , (1996 Infinity G20-130K). What specific maintenance
>repairs and checks need to be done for these 'high mileage cars'? - at what
>periodicity to not have breakdowns?

I see others already posting about fluid changes, so I'll add just
what I've found with my older car. Rust. Not just regular body rust,
but on the suspension. Last year changing the oil I had noticed I
came out from under the car, extra dirty. It seems that the left side
of the car's underside, is flaking from rust. The car is usually
parked on the street, and the left side gets beaten up with salt and
snow plowing.

So I check for suspected rust spots and treat as needed.

Good luck,

tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

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