
High-Mileage Heroes: Keeping an Older Vehicle Running Strong
A well-cared-for vehicle can easily pass two hundred thousand miles. The key is maintenance tailored to what an older car actually needs.

A well-cared-for vehicle can easily pass two hundred thousand miles. The key is maintenance tailored to what an older car actually needs.

A timing belt usually gives little to no warning before it fails, and in many engines a failure means severe internal damage.

Spark plugs wear so gradually that you get used to the decline, until a fresh set reminds you how your engine is supposed to run.

Carbon and varnish build up on injectors and intake valves so gradually that most drivers never notice what they have lost.

Conventional, blend, or full synthetic? The most important rule is using the type and viscosity your manufacturer specifies.

Heat is your transmission’s biggest enemy, and it quietly breaks down the fluid that keeps everything shifting smoothly.

Glass expands and contracts with temperature, and summer creates dramatic swings. That stress concentrates right around an existing chip.

Towing puts a very different demand on your engine, transmission, brakes, and cooling system. A little prep beats a breakdown with a boat behind you.

A kit in the trunk will not prevent every problem, but it turns a stressful roadside situation into a manageable one.

A seller will not always volunteer what is wrong, and some problems are invisible without a lift and trained eyes. Spend a little now, avoid a costly mistake later.