What all you people boasting about getting high mileage and doing proper
maintenance are missing is that the modern automobile has a design life.
Currently the benchmark is 150,000 with normal maintenance and normal use.
That means all the parts are engineered to wear out at the same time. It
doesn't matter how many oil changes you do, nothing is going to, for
example, keep the seat belt webbing from deteriorating, the wiring harness
from getting brittle, the welds from getting brittle. I'm wondering how
effective the crumple zones are on your van that is quietly rusting away?
It is a unit body construction, and even the adhesive that holds the windows
in is calculated into the strength of the body.
Buy a new car already! Chevrolet has 0% for 72 months on all new 2006
except Corvette from now until July 5. I've already put a value on your
trade in.... ;-)
David Riker
davriker@digitalpath.net
http://community.webshots.com/user/fool4mg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deikis, John G" <John.Deikis@va.gov>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Cc: <grunthaner@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 7:29 AM
Subject: WAS: FI Cleaner NOW: High Mileage
> I have routinely gotten 200,000-plus miles out of my cars (as an adult,
> of course) with the original engine and trans over the past 35 years.
> My '96 Dodge Caravan tow vehicle may be the only Mopar minivan in the
> country that is approaching 250,000 miles without having had to replace
> what seems to have been a very poor and short-lived auto trans (fingers
> crossed! :-)
>
>
>
> Besides the oil changes you mention, the biggest factor is to have a
> commute that puts a lot of miles per start-up on the car. Cold starts,
> short drives, stop and go kill a motor. My commute is 160 miles per
> day, I live in Michigan and visit family regularly on the east coast.
> That's my secret. For reliability, change all hoses and belts at least
> every 3 years or when due, if sooner. Fix things as they start to
> break. And just wait until the car rusts away around you.
> Unfortunately, in the rust belt, sometimes the car dissolves before it
> ever starts using oil between changes. It's depressing to have to drive
> a great car that is full of holes. And, if you have teenaged kids, they
> seem to get rid of old cars from time to time by hitting things.
>
>
>
> JohnD
>
> '96 Dodge Caravan 249,000 miles and counting (burns a quart every 2500
> miles)
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