Vehicle Maintenance - Make it Run Forever

[Clonedogg]

I've been a bit obsessed lately about getting my vehicles back on schedule, how about you, what do you have and what are you working on, or planning?

In the Garage:
2010 Toyota Prius - 277k miles (125k mine)
2015 Mazda CX-5 - 107k miles (50k mine)

I recently had a temp light that would come on in the Prius for 10-15 seconds, then be gone for months, very annoying. I decided to replace the water pump and thermostat, which requires replacing the coolant. So far I have not seen the temp light again, yay!

Then I realized I was a little lax on some of my maintenance, besides oil changes and air filters...and rotation, replacing the tires and breaks when needed. That's when I started obsessing and planing my next moves.

I'd never done the transmission fluid or spark plugs in either vehicle, since I've owned them. The Mazda is AWD so that also needs transfer case and rear differential maintenance. I have completed the spark plugs and transmission fluid, the Prius is a total drain and fill, the Mazda was only a partial drain and fill. I also replaced the transfer case fluid in the Mazda while I was under there. Oh, ya I also disassembled and cleaned out the Prius' EGR system, which I've heard can cause catastrophic issues on this model.

The Prius is pretty much caught up. I still have the rear differential fluid on the Mazda, and planning on doing a coolant drain and fill.

 

[dmclone]

2 vehicles

2021 Kia Telluride 50k miles
2023 Tesla Model Y 20k miles

Kia Telluride-10year/100k mile warranty on powertrain

• I've had 3 recalls in 5 years of ownership. None were impacting me, but I had them done.
• At 45k miles, Kia discovered a leak in the transfer case. They replaced the transfer case under warranty
• I use synthetic oil, the dealership recommends 5k oil changes. Kia recommends 7,500-10,000. I usually do it at around 7k. I get the tires rotated at the same time.
• I just had my tires replaced with Michelin Cross Climate 2's. People seem to love these tires. Costco would have been $50 cheaper, but I've had good experiences with Discount Tire.
• Every other tank, I fill up at Costco. Kia recommends using Top Tier fuel to prevent carbon buildup. I remember having a BMW that mentioned that same issue. Something about GDI. I only plan on keeping this vehicle another 3-4 years, so I don't have any big concerns.

Tesla Model Y-8 year/120k mile warranty on powertrain

• Basically rotate the tires and fill up the wiper fluid. The first rotation, I had Discount Tire do it, which they do for free. The second time, I had Tesla do it, and they did it right inside my garage.
• Tesla has 2 filters that need to be changed, and it sounds like it's kind of a PIA. One is a cabin filter and one is a HEPA filter. I should probably research on how to do this myself.
• The Tesla had some recalls, but they were all done via software while I was sleeping, so not sure how many.

 

[madguy30]

Got a new Honda CRV over the last year (base model) and their oil change recommendation is when it's at 15% so I go with that. It's a new car but so far that's been about 10,000 miles.

I know they'll try to upsell me but I've decided to go to the local Honda maintenance shop for anything. Easier to schedule and they have their systems down in case there's recall, etc.

I used to go to a Tires Plus but their service and run around only got worse every time I went.

 

[Die4Cy]

Got a new Honda CRV over the last year (base model) and their oil change recommendation is when it's at 15% so I go with that. It's a new car but so far that's been about 10,000 miles.

I know they'll try to upsell me but I've decided to go to the local Honda maintenance shop for anything. Easier to schedule and they have their systems down in case there's recall, etc.

I used to go to a Tires Plus but their service and run around only got worse every time I went.

How do "oil life" trackers work? They aren't actually testing your engine oil, just recording how the vehicle has been driven since the last oil change. Maybe that's good enough, but I went back to a standard oil change interval on my wife's car when she had gone 7700 miles and was still at 35% oil life. I just wasn't comfortable with that. Every 5000 miles keeps everything nice and simple, on the evens we rotate tires. Makes it easy on everyone. Maintaining 5 vehicles here for my family.

 

[cyfanbr]

How do "oil life" trackers work? They aren't actually testing your engine oil, just recording how the vehicle has been driven since the last oil change. Maybe that's good enough, but I went back to a standard oil change interval on my wife's car when she had gone 7700 miles and was still at 35% oil life. I just wasn't comfortable with that. Every 5000 miles keeps everything nice and simple, on the evens we rotate tires. Makes it easy on everyone. Maintaining 5 vehicles here for my family.

Science. You analyze data and figure out a multi factor correlation of the variables versus the oil condition.

From google,

Honda calculates oil life using its smart Maintenance Minder system, an onboard computer that tracks engine operating conditions like speed, temperature (engine & ambient), time, and vehicle use (RPMs, load, idling) to determine the oil's actual degradation, not just mileage, alerting you with a percentage display and a wrench icon when it hits 15% to signal service is due.


I get the simplicity of just doing everything at the same time interval though.

 

[JEFF420]

2012 ML 350 with the blutec diesel.... 141k....

SUV for the wife. AWD and gets 32 MPG... have had it for 4 years and 40k miles...

injectors are just starting to leak (very common issue)...

luckily, i believe the failure is the copper washers that are used as the seal..

My plan is to pull the injectors, clean everything, reseat injectors, replace injector bolts (they can only be torqued once)...

if this doesn't work. the injectors are $3.7k for all 6........


its the only issues so far and a small price to pay on a car thats paid off.

 

[madguy30]

How do "oil life" trackers work? They aren't actually testing your engine oil, just recording how the vehicle has been driven since the last oil change. Maybe that's good enough, but I went back to a standard oil change interval on my wife's car when she had gone 7700 miles and was still at 35% oil life. I just wasn't comfortable with that. Every 5000 miles keeps everything nice and simple, on the evens we rotate tires. Makes it easy on everyone. Maintaining 5 vehicles here for my family.

Yeah I get a little jumpy with letting it get down to that vs. miles but I also figure they'd tell me do it earlier since it's more business.

I drive a lot out of state so the miles rack up and it will still come down to at least one oil change a year if not two.

 

[Kinch]

Had an impala that i sold after 280k miles. Original tranny motor barely touched. Now my next impala has 120k. Impalas have been my favorite and best car.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I have vehicles that I put gas in and drive.

 

[Cy4All]

How do "oil life" trackers work? They aren't actually testing your engine oil, just recording how the vehicle has been driven since the last oil change. Maybe that's good enough, but I went back to a standard oil change interval on my wife's car when she had gone 7700 miles and was still at 35% oil life. I just wasn't comfortable with that. Every 5000 miles keeps everything nice and simple, on the evens we rotate tires. Makes it easy on everyone. Maintaining 5 vehicles here for my family.

For the longest time these reminders were just calculated from miles driven. For the most part they still are. These days there are some manufacturers and/or models that will calculate oil life based on the driving conditions. Ex. A car driven 75 miles a day on the highway as standard cruising speeds will get considerably more miles out of their oil life than a car driven 15 miles a day through stop and go traffic in town at 2-5 mile trips.

For the most part they are just calculated by miles driven on most cars. The biggest issue with oil is running the oil level low. Every engine burns oil. It is an impossibility for them not too. For things to move there needs to be some clearance. These clearances are where oil will get into the combustion chamber and burn. Every manufacturer I've seen have a published standard for excessive oil consumption. The standard is that is is not considered excessive if it is not more than 1 quart every 1000 miles. Most engines hold somewhere between 4 and 6 quarts of oil. If you go 7000 miles between oil changes and your car holds 4 quarts you are in trouble.

TLDR. Check your oil level regularly.

 

[Cy4All]

Yeah I get a little jumpy with letting it get down to that vs. miles but I also figure they'd tell me do it earlier since it's more business.

I drive a lot out of state so the miles rack up and it will still come down to at least one oil change a year if not two.

When a new car is sold one of the sales points they use to differentiate one brand from the next is maintenance costs over 100k miles. The manufacturer maintenance schedule is designed around this. If you have to do a $50 oil change every 7000 miles that is $700 in oil changes, if it is every 3000 miles, like the old days, that is $1650. You'll notice most manufacturers have spark plug maintenance at 102k or 105k, something just over 100k so it doesn't get included in the maintenance cost over 100k miles.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Das Audi, the A5, will turn 11 come 2026. Been thinking lately about what I should keep an eye on for a 10 year old car. It only has 45K on it so it's obviously more of an age thing than mileage. The miles don't pile up with no work commute for the last ten years (retired).

Only do the oil yearly, each Nov/Dec since yearly mileage is like 4K or less. Just did that last week and asked about some other items like brake and coolant flush. And records showed I had already done them so not much else on the schedule that I can think off. I asked about transmission fluid since this is the first automatic I've owned in my life and they had no recommendation for fluid change or anything. They are usually eager with upsales** on stuff so was sort of surprised at that. Got new rubber last spring. Everything is still working on the car.

And don't need to worry about rust, panels was fully galvanized.

** Each time I go in they try to tell me it would be good to get some gaskets on the engine top replaced because of an "oil leak" at a cost of thousands. It "weeps" a very tiny amount of oil, not enough to effect anything or even leave a drop on the garage floor. You'd have to look really hard to even so any residue oil (their quote "The oil is pooling here" LOL) so that's a no go and waste of money repair.

 

[Kinch]

Had a vehicle warranty scammer call me asked me what car did I have.
Me: A 1942 Hudson with 180 K miles.
Them: Is that the only vehicle you have.
Me: Yep
Them: I’m not seeing that in our computer. Click.

 

[KnappShack]

I've been a bit obsessed lately about getting my vehicles back on schedule, how about you, what do you have and what are you working on, or planning?

In the Garage:
2010 Toyota Prius - 277k miles (125k mine)
2015 Mazda CX-5 - 107k miles (50k mine)

I recently had a temp light that would come on in the Prius for 10-15 seconds, then be gone for months, very annoying. I decided to replace the water pump and thermostat, which requires replacing the coolant. So far I have not seen the temp light again, yay!

Then I realized I was a little lax on some of my maintenance, besides oil changes and air filters...and rotation, replacing the tires and breaks when needed. That's when I started obsessing and planing my next moves.

I'd never done the transmission fluid or spark plugs in either vehicle, since I've owned them. The Mazda is AWD so that also needs transfer case and rear differential maintenance. I have completed the spark plugs and transmission fluid, the Prius is a total drain and fill, the Mazda was only a partial drain and fill. I also replaced the transfer case fluid in the Mazda while I was under there. Oh, ya I also disassembled and cleaned out the Prius' EGR system, which I've heard can cause catastrophic issues on this model.

The Prius is pretty much caught up. I still have the rear differential fluid on the Mazda, and planning on doing a coolant drain and fill.

After weeks of investigation into every conceivable aspect of car quality and function during the last week

Then having dealership advertising show the certified pre-owned price but then tack on an extra fee for the CPO coverage

After test driving a ho-hum 2026 Honda that was over $50k

Keep the older stuff running. Treat them like family. The average new car payment is something like $750/mo now

Unreal

 

[isufbcurt]

My last Ford Explorer I drove until 350K.

My current Ford Explorer has 180Kish, but warranty has replaced the engine around 100K (cracked cylinder wall allowing coolant in the cylinder) and 2 new transmissions (one at 60K for a recall and one at 160K for a bad torque converter). So it's pretty much brand new.

 

[dmclone]

It's crazy to me what has happened to car prices.

10 years ago, the average price was $33,543. This year it will be $50,080. That's a 4.1% annual increase. That's not great.

From 2019 to 2024, the average price went from $36,824 to $48,644. That's a 5.7% annual increase. This is insane.

The Three Distinct "Villains" of Inflation​

1. The "Upmarket" Aggressor: Stellantis (Jeep & Ram)​

Stellantis is the clear winner (or loser, depending on your view) of the price hike wars.

• What happened: They aggressively pushed Jeep into luxury territory. The Grand Wagoneer ($90k+) and highly optioned Wranglers/Ram trucks dragged their average price up by over $15,000.
• The Result: This strategy eventually backfired. By late 2024, Stellantis had some of the highest unsold inventory in the country because they had priced out their core customers.

2. The "Budget" Abandoners: Honda, Kia, & Hyundai​

These brands show the highest percentage jumps (30%+) because they fundamentally changed what they sell.

• Honda: In 2019, they sold thousands of Civics and Fits for under $22k. By 2024, the Fit was dead, and the average CR-V or Pilot buyer was spending $40k+.
• Kia/Hyundai: They pulled off a massive rebrand. They stopped being the "cheap alternative" and started selling high-end SUVs like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, which often sell for $50k+.

3. The Truck Giants: Ford & GM​

Their percentage increase is lower (~23-24%), but that's misleading because they were already expensive in 2019.

• What happened: They didn't need to change their strategy; they just doubled down on it. They largely killed off their sedan lines (Ford Fusion, Chevy Impala/Malibu) to focus almost exclusively on F-Series and Silverado trucks, which naturally transact at higher prices.

 

[cyfan92]

We drive paid for Honda's. all at least 5 years old. I don't plan on buying another vehicle for another decade!

I like to buy new and keep them FOREVER. I want a truck, but a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 (SLT trim, so not even that loaded) is $1,000mo for 72 months! That is INASNE!

 

[Clonedogg]

2 vehicles

2021 Kia Telluride 50k miles
2023 Tesla Model Y 20k miles

Kia Telluride-10year/100k mile warranty on powertrain

• I've had 3 recalls in 5 years of ownership. None were impacting me, but I had them done.
• At 45k miles, Kia discovered a leak in the transfer case. They replaced the transfer case under warranty
• I use synthetic oil, the dealership recommends 5k oil changes. Kia recommends 7,500-10,000. I usually do it at around 7k. I get the tires rotated at the same time.
• I just had my tires replaced with Michelin Cross Climate 2's. People seem to love these tires. Costco would have been $50 cheaper, but I've had good experiences with Discount Tire.
• Every other tank, I fill up at Costco. Kia recommends using Top Tier fuel to prevent carbon buildup. I remember having a BMW that mentioned that same issue. Something about GDI. I only plan on keeping this vehicle another 3-4 years, so I don't have any big concerns.

Tesla Model Y-8 year/120k mile warranty on powertrain

• Basically rotate the tires and fill up the wiper fluid. The first rotation, I had Discount Tire do it, which they do for free. The second time, I had Tesla do it, and they did it right inside my garage.
• Tesla has 2 filters that need to be changed, and it sounds like it's kind of a PIA. One is a cabin filter and one is a HEPA filter. I should probably research on how to do this myself.
• The Tesla had some recalls, but they were all done via software while I was sleeping, so not sure how many.

Ya the GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection). It allows for the most efficient use of gas MPGs, but it allows carbon build up on the valves. GDI injectors shoot gas directly into the cylinder, after the intake valves. Port Injection has the injectors in the intake right before the intake valves and the gas would clean the top of the valves. Since this doesn't happen with GDI, the valves can get very gunked up with oil from the evap system (sends some oil through the intake to be burn in the combustion cylinder).



So long story short top tier gasoline is supposed to help with this.

 

[Clonedogg]

Das Audi, the A5, will turn 11 come 2026. Been thinking lately about what I should keep an eye on for a 10 year old car. It only has 45K on it so it's obviously more of an age thing than mileage. The miles don't pile up with no work commute for the last ten years (retired).

Only do the oil yearly, each Nov/Dec since yearly mileage is like 4K or less. Just did that last week and asked about some other items like brake and coolant flush. And records showed I had already done them so not much else on the schedule that I can think off. I asked about transmission fluid since this is the first automatic I've owned in my life and they had no recommendation for fluid change or anything. They are usually eager with upsales** on stuff so was sort of surprised at that. Got new rubber last spring. Everything is still working on the car.

And don't need to worry about rust, panels was fully galvanized.

** Each time I go in they try to tell me it would be good to get some gaskets on the engine top replaced because of an "oil leak" at a cost of thousands. It "weeps" a very tiny amount of oil, not enough to effect anything or even leave a drop on the garage floor. You'd have to look really hard to even so any residue oil (their quote "The oil is pooling here" LOL) so that's a no go and waste of money repair.

I guess you could use a one cent paper towel to dab it up every oil change.

 

[JM4CY]

Finding a local Gearhead outfit or buddy, worth literally thousands and thousands of dollars.