# Recommended preventative repairs for a long drive?



## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

I plan on going on a road trip sometime within the next year, but my car has 140,000 miles on it, so I am seeking advice on what I preventative repairs I should make before then. Due to financial restraints, I will be forced to abandon my car if it dies on the road, so I want to replace the parts that are the most prone to failure to prevent that scenario.

I plan on replacing the following parts, which I believe are prone to failure:
Fuel injectors
Distributor cap & rotor
Radiator hoses

Already replaced:
1 fuel injector (remaining 3 are original, 1 of which is close to failure)
Spark plug wires
Radiator
Alternator
Fuel filter & hoses

Are there any parts that I haven't mentioned that commonly fail on this particular vehicle? I considered replacing the ignition coil and fuel pump, but those parts are kind of expensive and seem unnecessary considering the car runs perfectly fine as-is.

Minor concerns:

The distributor has oil leaking into it. I've been driving it like that for over a year and it hasn't caused any problems (I clean it out every so often), but I was wondering how difficult it would be to fix. I heard that I'd have to remove the distributor in order to replace the gasket/bushing/whatever, which is fine but I'd like to hear from somebody who's done it before so I know what precautions to take (such as how to not mess up the timing). I also heard that I could get away with loosening (but not removing) the distributor and squirting some liquid gasket crap around the seal to fix it, which would be fine too if someone could point me to the correct product and how much of it I should use, and how and where to apply it.

Also, the front seal leaks a little, but I've been driving it that way since I got the car so I assume it won't suddenly worse on a trip.

And what else... It sometimes stumbles when it first starts, usually on hot days. Occasionally it'll take a couple tries to get it going. It seems like a sensor problem to me, but that's just my guess.

The EGR valve is broke, so I disconnected it. I don't know if that will cause problems eventually. My car runs much better with it disconnected.


So, in short, I'm looking for advice on what parts I should replace prior to a 3000 mile road trip. Everything currently works fine, but with 140,000 miles of wear I want to replace whatever seems likely to fail (particularly parts that will prevent the engine from running). Solutions to the problems listed under "Minor concerns" would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

typically, youre looking at things that are going to go out while on the road like belts and tires. if youre looking for _maintenance_ type things to do, then yes, air filter, spark plugs, fuel filter, wires, cap and rotor, pcv valve, gummy or squishy vacuum lines, cracked hoses. shit like that. as for the leaky distributor - replace it now before it becomes a problem. injectors are not typically wear out items, as such. sure, they go bad, but its not something you replace on a regular basis. dont forget about all the rubber items in your suspension too.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

What about blowing a radiator hose? I'm still using the original hoses and they're slightly swelled near the hose clamps. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't think anything of it, but will they hold up for 12 hours of driving?

EDIT:
Also, you said "replace" the distributor? There isn't some sort of gasket or bushing I could replace instead of the whole thing?


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

the time and effort of rebuilding the distributor is just not worth it. you can get an autozone dis with a lifetime warranty for less than 200 bucks and not have to worry about it again.
as for the hoses, theyre so cheap id replace them just because.


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## tlhingan (Jun 8, 2009)

Test your battery.
Change your engine oil.
Check the level and color of your tranny fluid, engine coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid.
Replace your wiper blades.
Check your tire pressures, tread depth and wheel alignment.
Check your spare tire for age and pressure.
Check all your light bulbs.
Empty your ashtray.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks for the advice. I suppose all I can do is perform standard maintenance before leaving.


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## tlhingan (Jun 8, 2009)

TheBrownRobert said:


> Thanks for the advice. I suppose all I can do is perform standard maintenance before leaving.


If you do all your maintenance regularly, you wont have to worry about anything at all on your long drive. Just run through the list I gave you the day before you leave and you'll be fine.
Mine has 230,000 km on it (144,000 miles), I do a bunch of maintenance on it. Whenever something looks, sounds or feels like its on its way out, I replace it with brand new parts. Every summer, wife and I go on a 3000 km (1900 miles) roadtrip in the middle of absolutely nowhere, my cell doesn't even get a signal, and I'm absolutely not worried.
=)


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

That's comforting. I'm just paranoid because, even though I've owned it for two years, the person I originally bought it from didn't know anything about its history. I'm not particularly mechanically inclined, but I change the oil and air filter regularly.


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## astroboy (Aug 29, 2009)

I would definitely think long and hard about the water pump...it may have never been changed. Maybe also give some thought for your thermostat. All above things are good to check/do. Make sure your spare is good/have a can of fix a flat. Your initial start up stumble/stammer may be from the lack of egr. Aside from catastrophic failure you should be fine...maybe get a junkyard car and pull off the alt and coil if you are worried about them failing. I did that with my mazda, and kept a tool bag to fix whatever. Didn't need anything but I was ready for everything except blowing the engine.


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## pulsar86 (Aug 13, 2009)

If an auto get the box serviced before your trip, if a manual make sure clutch isn't too old. my Pulsar has 248000km {154000km} on it and I would go around Australia in it with no worries because I always just fix things as needed and don't leave things that need replacing stay on the car for too long. I agree with checking the cooling system out [if the hoses are old replace them] and carrying spare hoses etc as well as some water just incase because a bad cooling system can ruin a trip, most other things can be fixed easily. Other than that just make sure the general maintenance is up to date and you should be free to enjoy your trip.. Have a good trip.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

The water pump has never been changed. It makes a groaning sound when the engine is cold.

When cold, the engine makes a pinging/knocking sound when accelerating. It doesn't do it while idling (not from what I am able to hear, anyways). It gets quieter as it warms up and goes away when at operating temperature. I always wrote it off as valve tapping but on second thought it sounds too low-pitched to be that. I've driven it for two years like this and it hasn't gotten any worse... Perhaps it has something to do with the timing?


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## pulsar86 (Aug 13, 2009)

If the water pump is making noises replace it, it probably has a bad bearing. also check the belts and carry old belt as spare. The pinging is probably timing too far advanced if only making the noise under load. Get timing checked when you are sorting the distributor out.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

I'd do the timing at home but I have a few things keeping me from doing so. First, I read in the write-up about timing adjustment that the idle must be correct before messing with the timing. I don't have a tachometer, so I have no way of knowing if it's correct other than listening to it or looking for a physical cue while adjusting the idle screw.

Secondly, I heard somewhere that I'd have to put it in some sort of "timing mode" by doing a specific set of actions (I believe unplugging the TPS and revving the engine three times or something). When revving the engine, it needs to be revved past 3000 RPM, which again, I cannot tell since I don't have a tachometer.


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## astroboy (Aug 29, 2009)

I don't know about all that, sounds like a code to do a special move in a video game. What does it say in the service manual? I am pretty sure it is posted somewhere...I also am not sure how long the water pump is supposed to go for but I would replace it if I were in your shoes.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

I asked my mechanically-inclined father about timing and he said that timing lights aren't necessary for modern cars. On his car, the distributor and valve cover have marks on them that are supposed to line up; timing is as easy as lining up the marks. He said that under normal circumstances, the timing doesn't just mess up by itself, it has to be tampered with. I don't see any marks on my distributor, so I don't know how to apply this knowledge... Perhaps the previous owner was trying to get some extra power and messed with the timing.


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

thats not entirely true. on a car like ours with a distributor, you still have to set base timing. the computer will take it from there. the computer needs to have the correct base in order to correctly change timing as needed.


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## TheBrownRobert (Aug 28, 2007)

How else do you time a car besides rotating the distributor?


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## jeff618 (Dec 9, 2009)

Two easy ones...one has been mentioned and one hasn't. New wiper blades. You don't want to be in the wrong neighborhood and have a wiper shred, plus - although tools are not always required - you should swap them at home so you have access to your tools. Secondly, I was never a fan of glass treatment but I finally tried it AND IT ROCKS!! I didn't do rainx because I'm too lazy to re-apply every few weeks but I did go aquapel which lasts months. I seriously don't really need my wipers at 65mph. 7 months later, I need to reapply...too bad we just got a foot of snow and its colder than heck here. For what its worth, I upgraded to trico neoforms (those new, frameless, euro, flat blades) from the OE blades and they ROCK too. Easy install, no noise and wipe clean. Makes for a more enjoyable road trip.


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