I have a Honda 2000 accord auto non v6 model family sedan car that has been driven 140k with no problems, fully severced a few months ago, all wheels had to be changed, all breaks replaced, gear replaced and oil, it has never been broken down.When being served i asked the machanic of it could be used for long road trips, he replied yes, I trust him but wanted a 2nd opinion if it would be ok? Because in going to the snow end of the month, cheers.
13 year old car ok?
DEvok on 18/08/2013 - 15:12
Comments
Im impressed you either found it financially better off to keep a car on the roads in Japan for 13 years or that you were able to buy one.
Strangely enough, that was my first thought also! Classic maybe?
Yeah, it'll be okay
I used a 18 year old car for a 2000km round trip, no problems whatsoever.
Just made sure my tyres and fluids were topped up.
Shit man, I forgot to top up my tyres!
My car is 16 years old (Holden Commodore) with almost 300k and still running. As long as you keep servicing the car/replacing parts, they should run forever.
As what others have said, provided you keep the car in a good condition with regular servicing/maintanence there shouldn't be any problems. Of course, it is a good idea to do one last quick check (tyre pressure, oil and coolant levels, etc) before you head off on the long road trip.
Cheers, I'm asking this cause my girlfriends friend drove her at which was 20 years old and never head a problem, it was serviced but out of a sudden during a long road trip there Toyota cammery engine exploded, that gave me many concerns.
Well there was something wrong with the car. That wouldn't happen for no reason.
No, it will think "hang on a minute, this guy is driving further than normal, lets wait another 100km and I will self destruct just to cause inconvenience."
I really wish people would understand this about cars, they know what you're doing and will SCREW YOU UP!
I've done Melbourne Sydney in a very bad car, so I think you should be okay.
Note that long road trips aren't actually that bad for the car. If you're worried, I just suggest taking short breaks every now and then, which isn't too bad, because it gives you a chance to check out the local towns and grab a bite + refuel.
Even if you're travelling 1,000km, that's like not even 1% of what the car has travelled in its lifetime, so it should be okay.
If the car is going to places where there is snow, there needs to be some anti-freeze in the radiator.
and change the oil grade. Your typical 20/50 grade oil isnt ideal for for cooler temperatures
Shouldn't be a problem… my folks VT Commodore has almost 500,000 km's on the clock and they haven't had any problems… (mind you, that has been an incredible car for them… they only thing they've had to replace has been the ignition barrel, because is the contactors had worn away)… If your mechanic thinks it's safe enough, go for it… Check your tyres and drive safe :D
I drive a 24 year old Volvo with 380,000km.
I could drive it from syd to perth tomorrow without checking anything.
It's pretty much done central coast to syd it's whole life and never given me any trouble, I try to maintain it as best I can though, however it will never see a mechanic workshop :) A $1000 car is deserving of my bunnings socket set and SCA jack stands only.
I have driven from Perth to Sydney (aprox 3500km) in a 1992 sasuki swift over 4 days. It was the most reliable and cheapest car I have ever owned followed by Holden, Honda then Magna. That's my experience, it is not something you can really qauntify.
A couple of years ago I bought a 1991 Toyota corolla for $1800. Changed the oil, gave it a once over and drove it 900km about a week later. It had about 140,000km on it at the time. Owned it for 2 years and only needed a battery during that time. A 2000 model car is not old, provided it has been looked after.
For going to the snow get you battery checked first. Cold temps might finish it off, if the battery is on the way out.
Once upon a time when Australia was not in an era of unprecedented economic good times (22+ years without a recession?), people drive 13 year old cars all the time and they were fine. Especially a Toyota.
Older cars are always going to be worse for long distance driving, simply because almost always there are parts that have never been replaced or maintained, or maybe they have but it wasn't done right, changing the engine is not part of your 200k service :)
Either way you wouldn't buy a new car to drive long distances, they can still go wrong, its just much less likely, you still need to factor in that something will happen and you will need to fix it.
If you think the car is still in good nick and not structurally rusty or compromised in any major way then keep it running. Just make sure battery is OK, tyres and tread OK and fluids all OK and won't freeze. Be sensible about where you will be driving - a Honda accord is not a snow-mobile ;-)
FYI I am still driving my 1997 Civic. 250,000+ km's. A few major services at each 100K mark with regular oil changes per year, still going strong!
There's always a chance something will go wrong.
Unfortunately cars don't come with a plan of when things are going to stop working.
A twelve year old car is nothing.
I had a road trip to Port Douglas from Melbourne and back in a 1999 VT a few months ago and nothing went wrong. This car also had 350k kms on the odometer at the time.
I drove 2500 miles across the UK in a 1997 Toyota corolla with no hiccups. You'll be fine!
I regularly use a 23 year olf commodore for my regional trips for work including 1600km trips. At the end of the day every car is different and shit happens (A bit bleak: but tou could hit a roo etc.) Honestly mate I'd listen to your mechanic. Good luck :)
"When being served i asked the machanic of it could be used for long road trips, he replied yes, I trust him but wanted a 2nd opinion if it would be ok?"
So you ask anonymous posters on a forum Vs the paid professional you already employed, who you claim that you trust.
Makes sense (;Age doesn't matter, kilometres and servicing does. Girlfriend has a 30 year old van that runs fine, and it is ONLY ever used for long road trips specifically camping.
servicing and how the car has been treated is what matters..
a p plater is most likely going to service their car themselves more often but drive it like they stole it all the time.
Modding a car is not 'servicing a car'
where did I say "modding"..???
The idiot P plater who lives in my street services his car probably twice a month and does burn outs up and down the street all the time.
I drove a 1975 toyota corona until 2001. (not all that time, I did sleep in a bed and sit at a table to eat and attend university lectures and work in an office)
To summarise / in addition:
- Anti-freeze in radiator.
- Use an anti-fogging product on the inside of your glass.
- A sqeegee and scraper for clearing exterior glass.
- Wheel chocks and a sturdy jacking board.
- Buy snow chains (or whatever they use now) and learn how to fit them before you need them in poor conditions.
There's other measures like a shovel and traction boards in case you're stuck and there's nobody around to pull you out.
Also mentioned by another member, you should switch to a lower viscosity oil for better cold start protection.
Might seem a waste as you serviced the car recently, but an oil change is much cheaper than an engine rebuild. Check the owners manual for recommended oil viscosities in different temperature ranges.
While there, have the workshop give it a visual once-over while it's hoisted. Just to be extra-sure nothing was overlooked.You could probably continue to drive with 5/40 or 10/40 even as the weather gets warmer during spring, depends on the quality of the oil and what the manual says.
" I trust him but wanted a 2nd opinion if it would be ok?"
I don't think anyone here would be able to add anything more than your mechanic.
Having said that, I drove over 900km from Tokyo to Osaka and back in a 12 year old car so…