Car with high mileage?

Question

I have a 1991 Chevy Blazer and it has about 269,000 mileage on it, and im in California. I was wondering if anyone would know if i can drive my car from Cali to Philadelphia with no problem? I mean Im gonna get a tune up and everything like but i was just wondering with a high mileage like that would i be able to make it from point A to point B!..Thanks!

Answer 1

holy c**p, that's alot. you'd probably make it but you'll probably run into some minor repairs along the way

Answer 2

The truth of the matter is only you will know if it'll make it and of course you can consult your mechanic who does the tune up and such. However, long trips have less wear and tear...basically, it's not stop and go. That is the difference from highway and city driving.

Freeway driving...it's constant, similar speed, no brakes, changing lanes, etc. City driving you have to do the opposite, hence the wear an tear.

Hope this gives a little more confidence.

Lawrence

www.carmatchpro.com

Answer 3

It depends on the overall condition of the vehicle.  If it has been well taken care of, I wouldn't hesitate.

Answer 4

Thats a lot of miles!  This really depends on a few variables.  How well has the truck been maintained during it's life?  

Besides the engine,  you need to have the brakes and tires inspected.  

Have you had any electrical problems, ever, or in the last 6 months or so?

Do you have a sizable piece of real estate on hand to use a collateral for the loan you'll need for gas money?

The mileage is an indicator of the cars usage, it says nothing of the ability of the machine.  Properly maintained, that truck will make that trip several times over.

Answer 5

we had a high milage Blazer not so long ago,- should be no problem, these 6cyl engines do long service easy. if it sounds right and oil press is fine and it does not blow blue fumes and is not overheating, then things should be just fine!

no worries; just check that there is enough water in the radiator as well- and lubricate the front hubs as they are manual and have the nipples lubricatet, this model has not got seled joints and needs manual lubrication, particularly at the drive shafts!

Answer 6

Sounds like yr good to go, just have it checked out and make sure yr mechanic knows how far youre driving...are you prepared for winter driving? Good luck, I drove to Missouri from LA, but it was Oct and it only rained a litlle in TX. If yr truck has been reliable up til now I'd say go for it!

Answer 7

I had a '99 1500 with the Vortec V6.  I sold it in 2005 with over 100,000 miles.  Literally, the only work I ever did on the engine was to replace the water pump around a 95,000 miles.  I sold it with spark plugs I hadn't changed since buying it new, the same rotor and cap it came with.  

I changed my filters and oil on schedule, and that's about all the truck seemed to require.

If your mechanic, or you, check off OK on transmission, engine performance, hoses and, (this is the fun one, or maybe not so fun one,) the universal joints, it sounds like you're good to go.

A few tools won't hurt anything.  Jumper cables, a metric ratchet and boxed end wrench set.  Make sure your jack works, spare tire is good. Maybe dump a few bucks on a cheap booster pack.  

Have a good trip.

JT

Answer 8

Thats a great questions that no one can answer with any real accuracy. The fact of the matter is if you have done regular scheduled maintanence on the vehicle and it has been a dependable vehicle then I wouldn't worry about it. But considering the mile that are on it, the mountian terrain on both ends, the higher speed limits in the middle I might suggest that you have another backup plan in line should something go wrong. A Bus ticket of map locations of bus stations. A credit card to rent a car or plane ticket.

I too have a car with about the same mile and have taken it on many journey's that I have asked the same question.

I always do two things, Make sure I have the title to the vehicle in the car, and another means of transportation lined up in the event of a major mechanical failure. IF something catastrophic happens I always figured I would leave the vehicle where it sat with the title on the front seat and a note, "This car has been really good to me and has finally failed me so here is the title, if you are the person that finds this you are welcome to take it and fix it or donate it to a charity" Then with the signed titile on the front seat I leave the car and continue on my trip.

I know it might sound like a odd thing to do, but should you end up in the middle of no where it would cost you more to have it towed and fixed then to leave it for someone else to fix or give to charity.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

i've seen that question quite a few times...

let's see... what would Click and Clack say?....

probably something like this:

make sure your tires are in good condition.

have your dealer or mechanic make sure that any belts or hoses under the hood are not drying out or cracking.

make sure there are no coolant or transmission leaks.  have a reputable dealer or service person flush and refill them weeks before you leave so you can make sure that the jobs were done right.

make sure the wheel alignments are good.

make sure all under-hood fluids are up to the right levels.

you might want to borrow or buy a GPS type navigation system, just for your personal safety, convenience, etc.  I had an accident while driving from NC to CA and it turned out that our nav system found a fully-equipped dealer 0.7 [!!!!!] miles from where i hit the lamp post base.  they had us on the road in three days... overnighted the parts from a nearby city, installed them the next day and road-tested the car, and we got out of Dodge [Cheyenne, actually] the next day.  

your dealer or mechanic should know what parts are at risk in a power train that old.   if it's been well-cared-for all its life, you might have another quarter-million miles or more left in it!

all the best, good luck, and happy and safe motoring!

ps... make sure the antifreeze is a 50-50 mixture for the cold you'll be arriving to.... :)

Answer 10

No problem, despite the high mileage the car is good for at least another 40 or 50 k . Asumming you had it regularly serviced and haven't thrashed it on a regular basis it still has a long way to go. It may be worthwhile to check the transmission as they have a more limited lifespan and the cooling system should be given the once over for perished hoses or a rad that needs to be flushed out but apart from those without really looking at the car I reckon its a walk in the park, as long as its not a race.

Answer 11

not a huge chevy or any domestic car fan but get the tune up and get some set of tools and hope the best b/c high mileage cars suck i learned the hard way

Answer 12

if it has been taken care of, it should with no problem. i would do it...

Answer 13

Yep, as long as it's been reliable up until now, why not go for it!?!?  If it has had a track record of breaking down, I wouldn't do it.  You know your car better than anyone.  Just depends on how it's performed up until now.  I recently packed up the wife, kids, and the dog in the wife's 26-year-old Mercedes with 350,000 miles on it and took a 1300-mile round trip to visit the in-laws for Thanksgiving.  Didn't give the first moment's trouble coming or going.  Get that thing serviced, and pack up your tools for any simple repairs that might come up on the trip, and take off!! Good luck!!

Answer 14

i dont see why not just make sure you have cash on hand to take care of any unexpected breakdowns

Answer 15

How is anyone supposed to predict if you will have a problem.

Yes, you will hit a deer.

Answer 16

depends if that is how many miles the chevy has on it or the engine and how good of shape the chevy is in. blazers r pretty good at cross country so if u do go. bring coolant, an extra radiator hose, a extra engine belt, fix a flat canister, and extra money just in case. plus make sure ur not leaking anything

Answer 17

ya you should be able to. just change your oil and use highmilage oil. maybe if you can afford it take it in for a dignostics test.my expidition has over 200 k miles i drive it every day.

Answer 18

lost you at "i have a 1991 chevy"

Answer 19

As long as the vehicle is in good general order I would get the tune up, chane the oil, check the tires, bring some tools with me, and change the oil again when I got there.  With the higher mileage cars the thing that keeps them running is maintenance.  If you have kept up on all all the oil changes and kept the engine and chasis in good shape you should have no problems.  It also never hurts to be prepared.

Answer 20

the mileage won't matter especially being that high of mileage and the car being that old.  You need to find a good mechanic that can be proactive when inspecting your car.  He should determine if certain parts like hoses,  belts, tires, brakes, etc....  will need to be replaced based on condition and the distance you are about to travel.  It wouldn't hurt if you could find another mechanic take it to 2 different places.  That's about all you can do because there is no guarantees but your car should make it okay if they don't find any major problems that can't be fixed.