Let’s say you’ve got a nine year old vehicle with 130,000 kilometers on the odometer. What can you to do make it last another year or two?
Let’s start with the premise that there’s no reason that a modern car can’t run for 320,000 kilometers with proper care. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.
Of course, some parts will wear out along the way, but there’s no reason for a catastrophic meltdown if you stay on top of your recommended maintenance even beyond the end of the printed schedule. For example, if a service is recommended every 24,000 kilometers when the vehicle is new, you can just keep getting it done at least every 24,000 kilometers after you go forth. But, it gets more complicated because older engines lose some efficiency, are dirtier inside and are just more stressed. That means it’s very important to not miss any scheduled services. Skipping just one oil change, for example, leaves an opportunity for harmful sludge to build up.
So all the usual things like oil changes, transmission service, coolant service, brakes, power steering, fuel system cleaning, needs to be maintained. Business owners responsible for fleet vehicles are positively religious about scheduled maintenance. They know that money spent on maintenance saves them three ways: 1- it saves fuel, 2- it prevents costly repairs, and 3 – they can postpone purchasing new vehicles.
Having the oil changed may be the most important thing. A full-service oil change means that all of your other fluids get topped off so they don’t get low enough to cause damage. It also gives your technician a chance to spot problems in the early stages so that you can fix them before they get expensive. And it gives you a touch point with a professional along the way to remind you of things that aren’t scheduled as often, things like differential service and timing belt replacement.
Drivers with an older vehicle may want to follow the severe service maintenance schedule. Check your owner’s manual and talk with your service advisor. Conditions inside an older engine, transmission and cooling system can arguably be considered severe, so shorter intervals could well be called for.
We strongly encourage you to consider using synthetic blend or “high mileage” formulation fluids. They’re fluids like engine oil, transmission fluid and coolant that are formulated for older engines. They have special additives to clean deposits, and to condition and restore seals and gaskets that dry out with age. Some drivers start using these special formulations at around 80,000 kilometers as a preventive measure.
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