Nowadays, everyone in Kent, WA is paying more at the gas pump. For some families in the greater Auburn area who commute or drive a lot, that can add up to several hundred dollars every month. That’s got to come out of the budget somewhere. Throughout North America, people are putting off buying a new car and plan on keeping their old vehicle for a year or two longer than before.
Even now, 2/3 of the personal vehicles on our local roads have over 75,000 miles on them. The average age of vehicles is over nine years. Most drivers can’t afford to be stranded or inconvenienced by a breakdown, so following a regular maintenance schedule, like a personal diet and exercise plan for our body, is actually critical for preserving your investment.
Knowing what to do for a high mileage vehicle can be challenging because many owners’ manuals don’t publish service intervals after 60,000 miles. It just means that you need to be better at keeping records and planning your preventive maintenance.
You can start by figuring that services with a recommended maintenance schedule should still be performed on that schedule, even after you’re past the tables in your service manual. For example, a service might be recommended every 15,000 miles. Well, just keep doing it every 15,000 miles for as long as you have your car.
High mileage engines operate under more stress than their newer counterparts, which is important to keep in mind. Some experts suggest that a stricter service schedule is more appropriate and that routine service should be performed at shorter intervals. Check with your owners’ manual or service advisor to see if a more frequent service schedule is right for your vehicle.
Keeping up with your full-service oil change schedule is important for a couple of reasons. First, older engines have had more time to build up oil sludge. Skipping an oil change here and there can really compound the problem for your SUV, truck, or car.
The second benefit is that your other fluids are routinely checked and topped off. Power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant and transmission fluid can be kept at optimal levels even though the older seals and gaskets are leaking more than when they were new.
Speaking of older seals and gaskets, they start to dry out and become more brittle with age. You may want to consider using high mileage formulation oil and fluids. These products contain special additives to condition seals and gaskets to keep them from leaking. The high mileage formulations cost more than standard products, but they are well worth it in terms of preventing serious repair bills down the road.
Older vehicles in the Kent, WA area often require repairs and replacements that newer ones don’t. Things like timing belts, radiator hoses, suspension work, anti-lock brakes, air bags, water pumps, alternators and batteries may need to be replaced. That may seem like a lot of stuff to have done, but it works out to be cheaper than new car payments.
With a high-mileage vehicle, a couple of relationships will become pretty important. The first is with your service advisor at Central Ave Auto. You need someone you trust to take care of your car and be mindful of your needs. Ask for help to develop a plan to keep your vehicle road-worthy that works within your budget, and keeps unique local driving conditions in mind.
The next relationship is with your vehicle itself. We’re not talking about naming your car or tucking it in at night. We just mean that you should pay attention and get to know your vehicle. Notice unusual sounds, smells, vibrations, etc. Then you can describe the changes to your service advisor and help prevent big problems before they start. We can’t do anything about the price of gas, but we can properly maintain your faithful old vehicle to keep in on the roads for many more miles.
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