Keep older car and not afraid of a cooked engine?

[Kelpie]

It seems like more car owner are keeping their cars longer and car maintenance and modification businesses are in brisk.

 

What would you do to your car to extend the lifespan and reliability of your older car?

 

Over here in JB, many are driving old cars and believe in keeping their cars for good 10 years. However, many are concern about their old cars getting overheated in longer road journey.

 

In fact, they would hesitate to drive their locally assembled or manufactured cars up north at high speed and they often tell me that they are most afraid of their car engines being boiled or cooked . How could such thing happened and what should one do to overcome it ?

 

Regards,

 

 

[Kangadrool]

Longer road journey is actually kinder and better for the engine versus stop/start short slow speed journey.

[Kb27]

People don't take care of their cooling system.

They use tap water instead of deionised or distill water.

They don't change their coolant on a regular basis and let it become acidic and eat up metal parts.

 

If you have continued to upkeep the cooling system, it will probably last forever.

[Mecontle]

my family mpv now 60k only 3 yr but the way coe is so havoc i think we need to tahan till 120k liao

[SimonTan]

Just change the water hose...and maybe change the radiator.

 

Engine cannot be cooked if the cooling system is working.

The faster you drive....the easier to remove engine heat due to the higher air flow.

It's nonsense to say long drive will likely cooked a engine.

What they worry is half way thru the journey the car breakdown and nowhere to repair!!

When you are in your state, any breakdown of car can easily be repaired nearby workshop.

But long journey...getting stuck on the deserted road is dangerous.....i think this is the real concerne when people talk about cooked engine from long drive.

 

[Kelpie]

People don't take care of their cooling system.

They use tap water instead of deionised or distill water.

They don't change their coolant on a regular basis and let it become acidic and eat up metal parts.

 

If you have continued to upkeep the cooling system, it will probably last forever.

 

How often do we need to change the coolant to keep the cooling system in tip top condition ?

 

Regards,

[KaKiLang]

I do mine every 40K or 2 yrs. No water only use long life coolant.

[Picanto]

How often do we need to change the coolant to keep the cooling system in tip top condition ?

 

Regards,

 

never ever let the mech top up your coolant with water

[5936]

If they are properly, regularly maintained and driven with care, I dont see problem with driving up on NSHW.

 

I've known of a owner 18 year Proton SAGA, all along maintained by EON every 5000km, and still can travell between JB and Ipoh or Genting.

 

Drive a family car drive like family car.

 

But they will get into trouble if they drive it like a F1 car.

[5936]

I agreed to that.

High speed Cruising is better than high rev hard driving

[Mllcg]

never ever let the mech top up your coolant with water

 

what about the water reservoir? there can put water ma?

[Nzy]

what about the water reservoir? there can put water ma?

 

I guess should be fine. My previous car have been using tap water in the radiator for 250k. Still no cooling problems.

[Kb27]

How often do we need to change the coolant to keep the cooling system in tip top condition ?

 

Regards,

With normal coolant, 2 yrs is the max you should go.

I don't trust those long-life coolant...also 2 yrs for me.

 

New coolant starts off as alkaline.

As they get contaminated in the system, it slowly changes to acidic and that's where the damage starts.

[Opel17]

I believe another maintenance task to take note is the regular engine oil and oil filter change. Frequent checks of the engine oil level would be helpful.

Engine oil moving within the engine, in addition to its lubrication duty, also help to remove heat from the parts "rubbing" each others.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Opel17

[Magentis_Ray]

Just change the water hose...and maybe change the radiator.

 

Engine cannot be cooked if the cooling system is working.

The faster you drive....the easier to remove engine heat due to the higher air flow.

It's nonsense to say long drive will likely cooked a engine.

What they worry is half way thru the journey the car breakdown and nowhere to repair!!

When you are in your state, any breakdown of car can easily be repaired nearby workshop.

But long journey...getting stuck on the deserted road is dangerous.....i think this is the real concerne when people talk about cooked engine from long drive.

Must see radiator is copper or aluminium one.Aluminium one won't decay and leak.Thus no need changing unless wilfully punctured.Copper one will leak over time.

 

[Silver_blade]

As long as the car is well-maintained and use the right fluid and oil, should be ok. I know some one driving his over 25yrs old BMW 7-series to Melaka and KL a few times a year. Auto trans was original for over 20yrs (and problem free) and was only replaced recently not b'cos it was damaged, but cos he itchy backside and cos he found BMW (Germany) has one last auto-trans for his model so he got it.

[Good-Carbuyer]

It seems like more car owner are keeping their cars longer and car maintenance and modification businesses are in brisk.

 

What would you do to your car to extend the lifespan and reliability of your older car?

 

Over here in JB, many are driving old cars and believe in keeping their cars for good 10 years. However, many are concern about their old cars getting overheated in longer road journey.

 

In fact, they would hesitate to drive their locally assembled or manufactured cars up north at high speed and they often tell me that they are most afraid of their car engines being boiled or cooked . How could such thing happened and what should one do to overcome it ?

 

Regards,

I believe you refer to those production surplus that did not meet export quality control requirements. Many countries do practice that of disposing surplus within their own country, to assure other countries, only reasonably good quality cars are exported, and to recover cost. Source: other Malaysian friends.

[Sky8807]

Most of the overheating are either the electric fan for radiator/aircon not working and the owner were unaware of it or the cooling system leakage. Owner also failed to monitor the temp gauge while driving.