100k Theory - CEG Archives

depends on what you mean by going to shat...I have 180k and yea, the little things give me a constant headache, but I change the oil every 3k miles and the motor's still healthy. granted, I've had to replace many other major components (clutch, AC system, alternator, etc.) but what can you expect from an 11 year old car

Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

Yes, because pieces just keep falling off my car as I drive. Today during lunch, my door fell off

every "little" part needs replacing at one point or another, guaranteed....sway bar links, bushings, tie rods, etc... those parts are going to break at one point or another...thats why the prices arent so expensive to get new ones!!

It all depends on how you drove those 100k! If you treated your car like $%&* then it will be $%&*. But if you treated it right you shouldnt have a problem other than REGULAR maintenance.

my muffler fell off two weeks ago and a train ran it over

Where's parkedcar when you need him?

At 80K I replaced my water pump (no surprise.) At 100K I replaced my rear brakes. Can't remember if I've replaced the front ones but I know the rotors are warped. At ~150K I replaced my fuel pump, and just now at ~155K I replaced my alternator.

Other than that I've still got the original suspension, clutch, and most everything else.

I thought this post was going to say something like if a car makes to it 100,000 miles ok it will probably be a long-lasting car.

my car (99 ATX Zetec) lasted reliably until 130K. I did 5K oil changes (sometime 7K), and one transmission service at 60K.

At 130K, i needed a brake job, my air conditioner condensor replaced, and then my timing belt snapped.

Had I performed timing belt maintenance on her, I could have gotten a lot of mileage out of her. But I wanted a new car anyway, so I didn't care much.

Thank you, O great fence post man!

In all seriousness, I think I should just buy a 3L, replace all suspension and call it a day

I'm at 104K and the only things that have died on me are:

-A/C
-the heater hose going from the thermostat to the core
-The motor mounts
-my fans don't work quite right
-Squeaks and rattles everywhere are made worse by shaking from bad motor mounts
-slats on my A/C vents are busted up due to me and my sister hitting them as children

That's about it.
Not bad eh?

Originally posted by â�??â�??�??â�??�?â�??�??â�??�?�â�??�?�:
my car (99 ATX Zetec) lasted reliably until 130K. I did 5K oil changes (sometime 7K), and one transmission service at 60K.

At 130K, i needed a brake job, my air conditioner condensor replaced, and then my timing belt snapped.

Had I performed timing belt maintenance on her, I could have gotten a lot of mileage out of her. But I wanted a new car anyway, so I didn't care much.

Wow imagine if you did care. So what did you buy?

It's easy to put off PREVENTATIVE maintenance and then worry when something quits.

I'm not picking on you RawBurt, but I'm always amazed at how people can be so amazed that things like suspension and O2's need replacing, especially on older/higher mileage vehicles! A vehicle that sees lots of miles and lots of different seasons is going to wear a bit. All parts will have a 'lifetime' be it age or miles which can be used to guestimate. As a car creeps closer to the 10 year and/or 100k mile mark it's time to get more aggressive with maintenance. Bushings are my favourite place to start, religiously replacing any of them if I get a chance. Also O2's ... if a Duratec has 4 of them ... and one goes, expect the other three to quit sometime soon too. From experience when I had an O2 quit on me, I made sure I had enough cash to replace the rest if I needed to. I'll be buying a couple of control arms soon too ... once the vehicle age hits 8 years we all know that parts can become harder to find, consider that for a limited run vehicle like the Contour.

If it helps ... which it probably doesn't ... I find the 100k mark reflects on the maintenance already done. I'm quite a way of 100k at the moment on this Contour, but I won't be expecting her to fall apart on me.

Originally posted by jtour:

Originally posted by â�??â�??�??â�??�?â�??�??â�??�?�â�??�?�:
my car (99 ATX Zetec) lasted reliably until 130K. I did 5K oil changes (sometime 7K), and one transmission service at 60K.

At 130K, i needed a brake job, my air conditioner condensor replaced, and then my timing belt snapped.

Had I performed timing belt maintenance on her, I could have gotten a lot of mileage out of her. But I wanted a new car anyway, so I didn't care much.

Wow imagine if you did care. So what did you buy?

I bought a 2005 Subaru Legacy

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

Well, thats true of all car companies to an extent. They do engineer in a "lifespan" to some parts so that replacements will be necessary.

Or I could be remembering some conspericy theory. In any case, parts could be made to last longer, but the cost would be much much higher.

Makes me think of a recent article in my local newspaper. THey have this "Amazing" mechanical 'guru' in it. A woman wrote in to ask about when to trade up ... the guy then wrote in his column that he was privvy to the manufacturers (all of them I think, in general) design process and that cars where designed to last only 3 years/100,000km (62k miles), and he recommended NEVER keeping a vehicle longer than that ... inferring that if you did you'd be casting $10,000's out the window each year!

I feel sorry for the poor chumps who swallow that story whole!

Originally posted by KingpinSVT:

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

Well, thats true of all car companies to an extent. They do engineer in a "lifespan" to some parts so that replacements will be necessary.

Or I could be remembering some conspericy theory. In any case, parts could be made to last longer, but the cost would be much much higher.

Yes, that's why there is a thing call 'maintenance' which most people tend to forget....

See, that's where the Slant Six comes in. you can forget to change your oil and air filters for ages and it won't die on you. Try saying that of a Honda!

in the five years i've had my car,and its close to 100k,i've HAD to replace the brakes once,and the rear springs and altenator..thats it,other than the obvious,plugs,wires,filters

I'm not even going to read this [censored]. Rob just do it all at once. Order all the parts you need and just do it. That is what I have done and the car is in superb condition.

Originally posted by Christian:
Makes me think of a recent article in my local newspaper. THey have this "Amazing" mechanical 'guru' in it. A woman wrote in to ask about when to trade up ... the guy then wrote in his column that he was privvy to the manufacturers (all of them I think, in general) design process and that cars where designed to last only 3 years/100,000km (62k miles), and he recommended NEVER keeping a vehicle longer than that ... inferring that if you did you'd be casting $10,000's out the window each year!

I feel sorry for the poor chumps who swallow that story whole!

so far just $4000

Originally posted by â�?�â�?�£â�?�£â�?�£â�?�£â�?��??:

Originally posted by jtour:

Originally posted by â�??â�??�??â�??�?â�??�??â�??�?�â�??�?�:
my car (99 ATX Zetec) lasted reliably until 130K. I did 5K oil changes (sometime 7K), and one transmission service at 60K.

At 130K, i needed a brake job, my air conditioner condensor replaced, and then my timing belt snapped.

Had I performed timing belt maintenance on her, I could have gotten a lot of mileage out of her. But I wanted a new car anyway, so I didn't care much.

Wow imagine if you did care. So what did you buy?

I bought a 2005 Subaru Legacy

WOW

okay I see why you did what you did. But please dont do that to your new car!!!

Talking about miles. My winter ride has 184,128 miles. And it was treated like junk by the previous owner. Ever since I have owned it, I have taken great care of it. I do regular maintenance on time. The one thing I do have to talk it to change the oil pan seal. Its starting to leak.

Oh its a 1990 jeep cherokee inline 6!

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

ah BULL! mine just hit 126k today and still running strong. suspension still good to riding smooth. it all depends on how you drive it.

Originally posted by contourfreak22:

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

ah BULL! mine just hit 126k today and still running strong. suspension still good to riding smooth. it all depends on how you drive it.

Your sarcasm meter needs to be checked out.

Originally posted by contourfreak22:
it all depends on how you drive it.

Not necessarily ... I've done more than my fair share of replacing parts in the Contour, and I drive it fairly lightly (ask any NECEGer!). Whoever gets it next, most everything is new or newish.

Originally posted by contourfreak22:

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

ah BULL! mine just hit 126k today and still running strong. suspension still good to riding smooth. it all depends on how you drive it.

yeah right, I'm sorry but unless your struts have been replaced once they are shot at 126k, I didn't know how bad mine were until I drove my contour the first time after last winter, needless to say the mystique got new struts as soon as it was warm enough. oh yeah I did the rears one weekend and I felt like a boble head in my car until I changed the front struts

the engine runs strong also

my car being built in 96 and all..after hitting 100k..the only major things done to my car were waterpump, suspension and clutch..I believe those are standard problems..other then that the car starts up promptly in freezing temps..she's still strong and her greatest task will be SZ06..

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
See, that's where the Slant Six comes in. you can forget to change your oil and air filters for ages and it won't die on you. Try saying that of a Honda!

AND it runs underwater! And makes like.... 105 hp, or something.......

But yeah! Slant six and 4 wheel drum brakes forever!

Originally posted by Matty K:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
See, that's where the Slant Six comes in. you can forget to change your oil and air filters for ages and it won't die on you. Try saying that of a Honda!

AND it runs underwater! And makes like.... 105 hp, or something.......

But yeah! Slant six and 4 wheel drum brakes forever!

It makes 175 with the 2bbl, with around 250 Lb/ft of torque. The Hyper Pak, which we had on one of our Plymouths, made considerably more power.

DRUMS ARE KUUL!...

except the ones on my Merc...

I've got about 118K on my 99, still on the original clutch, and waterpump. I've had to replace a couple of wheel bearings, and the lca bushings, and the brakes have been done once. She has a few squeaks and rattles here and there and a CEL on (I think the precats or cat are going, or an O2) but that's about it. Still drives great and gives me fun every time i ask for it.

All depends how it's driven. Only had mine 5 months. 95K so far i've done nothing except an oil change to it. The previous owner (claims) they did nothing to it but scheduled maintence. He had it from 70-92K. So if anythings been wrong with mine its been when its was very young. And mine has been maintained religiously (at least by me

)

Originally posted by RawBurt:

Originally posted by RTStabler51:
Yes, Ford engineered the cars to fall apart right after they roll over 100k.

Yes, because pieces just keep falling off my car as I drive. Today during lunch, my door fell off

Well, just do like the British used to do a few decades ago and hang a net under the car so you can catch all the pieces that fall off!

Karl

Originally posted by MadMerc97:

Originally posted by Matty K:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
See, that's where the Slant Six comes in. you can forget to change your oil and air filters for ages and it won't die on you. Try saying that of a Honda!

AND it runs underwater! And makes like.... 105 hp, or something.......But yeah! Slant six and 4 wheel drum brakes forever!

It makes 175 with the 2bbl, with around 250 Lb/ft of torque. The Hyper Pak, which we had on one of our Plymouths, made considerably more power.

They are also known as "The Leaning Tower of Power"!

Karl

Originally posted by jtour:
It all depends on how you drove those 100k! If you treated your car like $%&* then it will be $%&*. But if you treated it right you shouldnt have a problem other than REGULAR maintenance.

I agree.

Originally posted by qokuh:

Originally posted by jtour:
It all depends on how you drove those 100k! If you treated your car like $%&* then it will be $%&*. But if you treated it right you shouldnt have a problem other than REGULAR maintenance.

I agree.

Also regular maintenance doesn't JUST mean oil changes!!

Originally posted by 88SVT:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:

Originally posted by Matty K:

Originally posted by MadMerc97:
See, that's where the Slant Six comes in. you can forget to change your oil and air filters for ages and it won't die on you. Try saying that of a Honda!

AND it runs underwater! And makes like.... 105 hp, or something.......But yeah! Slant six and 4 wheel drum brakes forever!

It makes 175 with the 2bbl, with around 250 Lb/ft of torque. The Hyper Pak, which we had on one of our Plymouths, made considerably more power.

They are also known as "The Leaning Tower of Power"!
Karl

Heck yeah! I forgot who did it, but someone strapped like 4 turbines to a stock Slant Six and it didn't have any mechanical issues. I wanna say it was Gale Banks, but I could be wrong. Anyway you look at it, that is one durable engine! ANd to top it off, it was made in Mexico!

Well... My contour before I sold her with 121k miles, she ran fine with the exception of a leaky gasket, bad brakes, bad tires....

I notice Duratecs have more problems

Zetecs maybe are the reliable ones?

But anyway, I have a Vulcan now, those I heard are very reliable Ford motors.

I was a bit disappointed to sell the Contour, considering the engine DID run strong, and Trans continued to shift smoothly, I just wanted something new

I know a coworker owns a 96 Taurus with 200k miles, the only problem it ever had was some peice of the radiator broke, he got it fixed, wants to see how far it can go

The Contour my fiance' and I just purchased for our daily commute has 115K on it. It needed every fluid flushed and filled but the damn thing corners like it's on rails (97 Zetec). Gotta love a light little four banger on 15 inch wheels. Lol. It's like a go-kart.

Anyway, from everything I've evidenced so far, our new little Ford is indestructible. I'm a Chevy guy, but wanted to try something different and anything but a foreign car or a Dodge...so the Contour won! lol

on my 98 mystique i just bought with 104k on it, the dealer had to do a oil change (i wasnt gonna drive 700+mi to get home from utica ny on oil that was in it for over 10k) and a brake job (pedal was pulsing)

halfway home the trans started slam shifting and was diagnosed when i got home (chicago burbs) as a bad tc and other misc parts in the trans being bad, the powertrain warranty is gonna cover the rebuild tho. engine runs excellent and i somehow by the grace of god got 34mpg out of it on the trip back w000 h0000 *dances around the room*

oh and it needs new tires and an alignment, but what do you expect for a $1800 car with 100+k mi on it, im just glad it looks good and moves.