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Old car question

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April 25th, 2021 at 3:28:13 PM permalink

AZDuffman

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18802

Quote: Pacomartin
My father's car has an EJ253 engine and is a 2007 Impreza. He seems to have stopped going to the Subaru dealer for maintenance on 30. Aug. 2018 probably because he thought they were devising expensive problems. But I found a Jiffy Lube charge on an old credit card dated 14. Jun. 2017

But there have been no oil leaks or lights on the dashboard. The sticker on the car said return for service in what looked like 59,000 miles, but it was hand written and would probably say 54,000 miles (which would be consistent with 51,000 miles in June 2017). I took it in at 60,242 miles and the Jiffy Lube tech wrote "No oil on the Stick" under "oil level prior to service".

My mother is age 86 and I am assuming that self driving taxis will be available inside a decade. Until then I was hoping this 14 year car with 60,000 miles would serve her for as long as she needs a car. I don't think Pennsylvania will require electric vehicles within her lifetime.

I highly doubt it on the self-driving taxis. Just too many problems to iron out.

Oil these days lasts long. I push it to 10,000 miles in most cases now. Used to do it on the 5s and 10s. With china virus reduced driving I think I only put 6,000 or so miles the past year, least since 1993 or so. If that Subie is running fine, if you changed the oil and are not hearing any awful noises I would not be losing sleep. While not an American small-block which you can do most anything to they are known to run forever. An older woman using it sparingly should be OK.

I keep trying to explain the "oil change light" to my mother, she either does not get it or forgets it. I have to make it more a point to check her state inspection sticker as the car is in the garage so I rarely walk by it. The dealer inspects it and I guess the service writer is a kid I was in grade school with of all things. They have taken decent care of her.

The President is a fink.

April 25th, 2021 at 4:43:15 PM permalink

Pacomartin

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569

Quote: AZDuffman
If that Subie is running fine, if you changed the oil and are not hearing any awful noises I would not be losing sleep.

Thank You. I feel much better.

I just need to double check my parents more. Today I got notice that they didn't mail their income taxes last year.

Quote: AZDuffman
I highly doubt it on the self-driving taxis. Just too many problems to iron out.

Well she would have trouble interacting with an Uber driver. There is nothing within wallking distance of people in their 80s. A 20 year old might have no trouble walking 2.0 miles to the grocery store.

Japan has these "kei cars" but they are not interested in selling them here. I think our riding mowers are 140-190 cc.

April 25th, 2021 at 5:18:38 PM permalink

Evenbob

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25125

Quote: missedhervee
Money well spent: frequent change is about the best investment you can make, esp. if you DIY.

I knew a guy in the mid-1960s who changed the oil in his 1956 Mercury every Saturday morning. He bought 55 gallon drums of oil from Sears and had them delivered. They would drop off a new drum and take away an old drum of used oil. So he was changing his oil about every 200 miles. He was still driving that car in the 1970s with over a hundred thousand miles on it, you just didn't see that. When I had the cab company we had all Chevys and we changed the oil once a week, or about every 1500 miles. Those cars lasted three and four hundred thousand miles because of the frequent oil changes. It is impossible to change your oil too often.

If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.

April 25th, 2021 at 5:36:32 PM permalink
gamerfreak Member since: Feb 19, 2018 Threads: 4 Posts: 527	How you drive a vehicle also has a huge impact on how it will age. When I was a firefighter, our small fleet vehicles were usually Chevy suburbans. They were only are driven to emergencies, thus a lot of heavy acceleration and breaking. They were a horrible mess mechanically after around 20,000 miles.

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