At what age do you stop meticulous maintenance?

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My Audi A6 has hit 215k miles and in 5k miles it's going to need some work done. At 220k miles the routine maintenance is spark plugs, coils, air filter and the 5k mile oil change. I'll also be changing the valve cover gaskets while the spark plugs are out.

Even though I'm lazy about these things, maintenance is one thing I don't skip. But I've seen people start ignoring their cars as they age. Not me... a lot of money has been spent buying the vehicle and why skimp on maintenance even if the car is older.

Anyone else with similar philosophy?
 
I stop maintaining when I feel like it. The older it gets, the less I worry, and the less time I spend.

A bit late on an oil change? no worries. Haven't washed it in 5 months? who cares. AC died? does the repair cost exceed value?

Now I do try to keep up on vacuuming & keeping glass clean. That's something I have to look at, always. Also if it's maintenance that might strand me on the side of the road, that'll get done on schedule.
 
When the cost to do the "details" starts to exceed the value of the car. For my last car it occurred around 200-220K miles when so many things started to pop up....and on a car worth no more than $500-$1,000. It would have cost thousands to keep up on all those things. The car was basically junked for $300 at 230K miles. It didn't help that the undercarriage was rusty and the paint, though intact, was very dull.
 
Exceed the value? Rot, motor or tranny replacement or rebuild, yes! ! Other than that I spend whatever to keep it going. A decent used car is 10k with low miles and insurance goes up. Ill take my chances with a civic that gets better MPG than any new models except diesels or hybrids.
 
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When I'm 90!

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When I first saw the question I was thinking the age of the owner. I am 67 and still love crawling under the car and turning wrenches. As to how the car I used to slow down on maintenance as the car aged. Now I don't. I don't look at the cost of repairs exceeding value of car. I look at cost exceeding buying a new car. Or cost being just one more in a series of ongoing fixes that never end. With my two vehicles they are pretty reliable.

My Ford truck I bought pretty cheap and did a lot of repairs to get it to where I can just jump in and go wherever I want how far away I want without worrying about it breaking down along the way. I did those repairs on my dime when it came to labor so it has not been expensive to get closer to like new than it has been in awhile. I don't see buying another truck in my life so I am going to keep this one going as long as I can. It is 21 years old now but runs like it is closer to just a few years old with the work I have done on it.

My Nissan Versa is only 4 years old now and doing very well. I maintain it pretty well. Again with the idea of I don't have to worry if I have to bug out in it at any time of night or day however far away. It is ready to go. I will be driving this vehicle for at least the next 10 years. More like 15 if it will last that long. I am going to do my part to get it that far along.

Then one day I won't drive anymore for whatever reason. Then is when I won't care anymore. Till then I am going to keep doing everything I can to keep my cars in top shape.
 
Depends on the car. My Jeep was my grandpa's, and I'll never sell it, no matter how little I drive it. It's been pricy to get back up to snuff and still needs some work, but that's ok.
 
I keep maintaining them, although I'm more likely to use less expensive aftermarket parts when I know I'm in the last 2 years of ownership. I still fix and maintain as needed. Some say if the repair is over the value of the vehicle, they won't repair it. To me, that is flawed logic. I compare the cost of the repair to the alternative, which would be replacing it. If I spend $800 on the air conditioner and get to keep the car and enjoy the air for 2 more years, that is cheaper than buying something newer with more expensive insurance, plates, and depreciation. My wagon can't really depreciate any further than it already has. Cost of repairs is still very minimal. I have pushed the life of the current spark plugs which have only been replaced once at 100k miles. Car currently has 225k miles. Runs good, getting rusty.
 
I've been asking myself that same question.
2002 Ford Ranger with 145,000 miles.
I hate to get rid of it because I can do a lot of PM & repairs myself.
But the day will come to decide if a major repair is worth it.

Repairs: Do if necessary for safety.
Creature comfort items - Don't spend the money.
Replacing parts will be looked at on an individual basis.

Preventive Maintenance: (what OP is asking) Slack off a little bit.

Should your vehicle go to the junk-yard with all clean fluids,,,, no, but mine probably will.
 
Once it hits beater status or there is reason to think it's days are numbered - like rust or another major failing component that will cause you to junk it.

OP - Coils are routine maintenance for this vehicle?
 
Depends on how much longer you want to keep it and may be you can predict how long the car will last?
 
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Depends on rust here in Connecticut. When the rust starts becoming extensive, it is simply not worth doing the more expensive maintenance items. The car will not be around much longer, and it will likely run fine as long as the vitals are good (has engine oil, etc).

My sister recently replaced her 2005 Civic which was sold with 220k. The car was burning a decent amount of oil, the suspension was worn, the evap system had a few leaks, the exhaust system had a manifold leak, and it had a growing rust problem on the rear passenger body panel. The car had sentimental value, since my family bought it new in 2005, and I learned to drive on it. Since it was handed down to my sister at 100k miles, and she lived 2.5 hours away, the maintenance and it's condition really suffered after that. It had been in a few minor accidents and it's overall condition was declining both inside and out. I toyed with fixing it up and taking it to 300k but the rust was going to be costly to fix and some of the other damage she did to it was not realistically fixable. I was kind of surprised how quickly it got beat up in 3-4 years.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
OP - Coils are routine maintenance for this vehicle?


It's not but they are known to start having issues as they age. I change every 55k miles.
 
Well, my Fusion is just about to hit 250,000 miles, and I'm still pretty careful about maintenance.. I guess that I'll say "As long as the car is providing me with reliable, efficient, and inexpensive service, I'll continue to maintain it carefully"
 
Does anything new in the market REALLY catches your eye? And you have the funds for it...
Does the driver chair is not comfortable anymore?
Does the car is rusty? Fatigued?
Are you tired of the car?

If the answer to any of the questions is YES, go replace the car.

If Maybe,.... in a year,...... open google and find a mobile auto-detailer, step back and enjoy the results, replace the parts, and wake up early in a Sunday and (cough cough) "warm it up" a bit before the going slow crowd wake up.

Congrats, you just enjoy yourself one of the rare Unicorns called "A good maintained and reliable car". "My car".
 
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