Just two years ago the median car age in Eugene was just over 9 years old, and two thirds had a little over 75,000 miles on them.

The ages and miles have been rising since as more people opt to keep their old car running well rather than buy a new one.

Here are some helpful tips for making that choice even less painful in your pocket.

Engines
Because time and miles take there toll in the form of wear and increased sludge, we recommend using high mileage formulations for oil changes. This service should be done every 3 months or 3,000 miles.

Transmissions
High mileage transmissions should have normal filter and fluid changes every 25-30,000 miles with a quality additive to revitalize seals and O-ring and extend transmission life. We do not recommend transmission flushes on aged high mile transmissions, often this can lead to immediate problems due to wear of the internal components.

Scheduled Maintenance
Often the perception is that by doing normal oil changes, my car will be fine. This unfortunately couldn’t be farther from the truth, and even more so with high mile vehicles. Your vehicle manufacturer recommends scheduled maintenance intervals that address all components, resulting drivability and ultimately the longevity of your vehicle life. We have packages prepared to specifically address these issues at reasonable cost.

Brake, Steering and Cooling Systems
With age, all these systems become contaminated, resulting in component damage and break downs. We have all the latest equipment to flush and maintain these systems, saving you expensive repair costs. See our specials page.

Fuel Systems
With the introduction of ethanol into our fuels, an alarming trend of issues has surfaced. Not only does this reduce fuel economy but as ethanol is a solvent, fuel tanks, supply lines, injectors and other components may become gummed up. We recommend a professional fuel injection system clean every 30,000 miles. Fuel filters, if equipped, should be changed every 15-20,000 miles. The other unfortunate issue is that ethanol is very hard on rubber and plastic components, resulting in fuel pump and other failures, but rest assured we are here to help.

As always, if you have any questions on your car’s condition, or want to know about any potential issues before they become major, just call or come by. We’re happy to look it over and help you keep your car on the road – and your wallet happy.

And speaking of ‘happy’ – I almost forgot:

Happy 2011!

Jud Garlock
and the Absolute Automotive Crew

Tags: auto repair eugene, car care tips, high mileage maintenance

This entry was posted on January 29, 2011 at 7:55 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Auto Repair Eugene Car Care Tips by Jud Garlock & crew Comments Off