An oil filter is less than $10 for a decent one such as the FRAM Ultra, and if you really don't care about the oil changes I would at least dump an extended performance oil in, if cheap is the way you prefer then go for QuakerState it is $21 for the new "Ultimate Protection" which is rated up to 20,000 miles.
Maintaining a beater?
- Thread starter Ponchinizo
- Start date
You're missing the point of this thread, LOL.
My truck got a $1.37 rockauto no-name filter and a 5 quart jug of Traveller 10w30 that was $5 and missing its bottle seal. The oil looked new though. This is the treatment OPs heap deserves.
If the point is to just let the vehicle go and blow the engine up from lack of a simple $30 oil change then this thread is pointless.
'cept it'll happily run on a $10 oil change, and might not run long enough to actually need another oil change.
I would do a oil change once a year come spring since the thermostat is stuck open lots of water in there since engine doesn't get to hot to burn off condensation
Good point. I was happy when it warmed up and I got it up to temp for the first time in a while, gotta burn off that water and fuel dilution sometime or other. If I parked it shielded from the wind I could idle it up to warm over the winter but doubt the oil got that hot, figured it helped some though. Was more to heat the cabin a bit to defrost my hands.
I had a Geo prism beater same issue as yours. No defrost for the windshield was a headache in the winter. I would dump the oil in the spring it was one milkshake
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It sounds like this thing is quite reliable, so I would vote to fix the main things - the T-stat, change the oil and filter - maybe use a high build quality filter like a denso so you wont' have to do it again - maybe brake fluid flush if the bleader screws will come out, turkey baster out the PS fluid and top up so you don't wear the PS pump out for no good reason.
I can't stand to beat something into the ground. It just seems wrong.
I can't stand to beat something into the ground. It just seems wrong.
There are plenty of threads on this forum and on others about vehicles running around with a lot more mileage than this. IMO if this one has made it to 400k then there's probably a lot of miles still in it. I would drive it, literally, till the wheels fell off and repairing it became impossible.
IMO the decision to repair or to scrape a vehicle, or whether to invest the money to keep an old vehicle running, should never be about what the vehicle is "worth" in terms of resale value but what it would cost to replace it. Including purchase price of another vehicle, necessary repairs, state sales tax, and registration fees, impact fees and all of the rest.
A semi-reliable beater gives you the benefit of knowing what to expect. The next one you might not be so lucky. A farmer takes care of his tools. we don’t have to worship or pamper it, but if the bones of it are good, then I would do the basics and fix the general repairs. If anything more than, oh idk, $1000 repair hits then we start thinking of junking it.
I rely on my “beater” to get me to work, different places around the farm and multiple errands within 20 or so miles each week. I maintain it like I would anything, for the most part if it needs it, it gets it. I want to continue to rely on it for years to come and that’s how you achieve that.
A working thermostat will pay for itself in fuel savings, not to mention comfort.
My 185k miles rusty Accent finally had the OE clutch go out. Estimate was $4000 for replacement and a lot of places don't do clutches anymore. I ended up paying $500 towing total and $250 in parts including a new radiator and motor mounts to fix it myself. Took a week out in the driveway last fall. Two years ago had to rebuild the rear hubs with new backing plates, bearings and ebrake cables all due to the bearing being bad and it was all rusted into one mass.
Dried up lube on the throw out bearing was the problem. Clutch only half worn out.
Dried up lube on the throw out bearing was the problem. Clutch only half worn out.
Now thats a great argument for fixing it I hadn't considered. The trip is so short I don't think about the fuel economy but it adds up for sure.
Buy $3 SuperTech oil filters and pour in the cheapest Dino you can buy (but I would go thick and high detergent... maybe SuperTech 15w40) ... and drive it and drive it and drive it and drive it... until it dies. Likely, the engine will out-last the door hinges.
Yup, I have a Scangauge - fuel consumption is crazy high while the engine is in open loop.
I would replace the thermostat, replace the sway bar links if it can be done for less than $150 and do an oil change with an inexpensive synthetic blend and value filter. You're way ahead of the game already.
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