What can I do / check.
What can I do / check.
i am going from Maryland to Tennessee this week; its about 8 hours one way.
my car is 02 lancer with 66k miles; i recently replaced 2 tires and i will be doing an oil chance this week.
i think i need new belts, but what else should i check / replace before this trip because I don't want to break down in another state.
with that said, the car has never broken down before except for my steering belt which i never replaced, just tightened. what belts should i change because I have had the car for 2 years now and what else should i replace?
thank you!
my car is 02 lancer with 66k miles; i recently replaced 2 tires and i will be doing an oil chance this week.
i think i need new belts, but what else should i check / replace before this trip because I don't want to break down in another state.
with that said, the car has never broken down before except for my steering belt which i never replaced, just tightened. what belts should i change because I have had the car for 2 years now and what else should i replace?
thank you!
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Forth Worth, Texas
are you a automatic or a standard?
i would say for
automatic: change out your transmission oil/filter
standard: change out your clutch. Check for Brake Fluid and make sure its full.
Engine: I would look for
New intake filter. Would help in gas mileage.
Like you said new belts would be needed, tires aren't associated with the engine and won't fail your engine so no need to change anymore, but check tire pressure. Also helps in gas.
Do a radiator flush, make sure all hoses are okay and haven't busted and is not leaking. Put good antifreeze in.
um..can't really think of anything else that would cause your car to break down once its already running and i'm pretty sure you will make it.
i would say for
automatic: change out your transmission oil/filter
standard: change out your clutch. Check for Brake Fluid and make sure its full.
Engine: I would look for
New intake filter. Would help in gas mileage.
Like you said new belts would be needed, tires aren't associated with the engine and won't fail your engine so no need to change anymore, but check tire pressure. Also helps in gas.
Do a radiator flush, make sure all hoses are okay and haven't busted and is not leaking. Put good antifreeze in.
um..can't really think of anything else that would cause your car to break down once its already running and i'm pretty sure you will make it.
66K miles? Has your timing belt been changed?
doctorjon covered about everything else... Just look for any leaks on the ground when your car has been sitting for a while. (water is normal, its from the A/C)
I just got back from a similar trip. I went to the beach in California its about a 6 hour drive one way, this is the longest trip I have taken my lancer on but I noticed after about 90MPH your gas millage goes down quite a bit and its a little harder on the engine.
doctorjon covered about everything else... Just look for any leaks on the ground when your car has been sitting for a while. (water is normal, its from the A/C)
I just got back from a similar trip. I went to the beach in California its about a 6 hour drive one way, this is the longest trip I have taken my lancer on but I noticed after about 90MPH your gas millage goes down quite a bit and its a little harder on the engine.
Last edited by Jellyfishian; Aug 4, 2008 at 09:41 AM.
yea...i live in VA and took my lancer to GA...bout a 9hr drive and i had about 100k at the time. checked tire pressure, fluids, and changed oil....im goin thru a major tune up and changes cause im about to make a cross country trip to cali 
The only thing I would be concerned about is your timing belt. If you can't shell out the cash for a timing belt change, I would at least have a mechanic check it to make sure it looks good (although, you then run the risk of paying for a check and a belt change depending on the mechanic).
Your timing belt will cause a catastrophic breakdown if it fails, but changing other fluids are not as important given your car's mileage. That being said, you should never ignore how long you have let those fluids sit in the car and ideally you changed them at recommended intervals. For a breakdown worry, make sure none of them are LOW. Changed your coolant in the last 30k? Changed your tranny fluid in the last 30k? Oil? This could be a good excuse to catch up on maintenance as well.
Your timing belt will cause a catastrophic breakdown if it fails, but changing other fluids are not as important given your car's mileage. That being said, you should never ignore how long you have let those fluids sit in the car and ideally you changed them at recommended intervals. For a breakdown worry, make sure none of them are LOW. Changed your coolant in the last 30k? Changed your tranny fluid in the last 30k? Oil? This could be a good excuse to catch up on maintenance as well.
when I drove my oz from Va to Fl last year, I had about 120 k on it and had my timing belt changed around 100k. I changed the oil before I left and that made sure the tire pressure was up. That's it... I've never flushed the coolant or changed the tranny fluid. These are pretty reliable cars...