From Reader GT3Ted:
- How many miles do you drive a year? — less than 100 miles per week, about 4,000 per annum. Some weeks I don’t go out at all, other than a quick trip to the grocery store (about half a mile from the house).
- Primary trip type ? I’m assuming you don’t have a daily 30 mile comment to the city in stop & go heavy traffic 5 days a week — my only “regular” commute is to the range (4 miles), and that only once or twice / week.
- Short forays into the Texas Heat? Or more weekly 100 mile adventures? — the furthest I ever drive, and that maybe once a month, is to visit the Son&Heir or the Sooper-Seekrit Mailbox place, a 40-mile round trip. Longer trips, maybe once a year.
- How religious are you about fluid changes? Not just occasional trips to Jiffy-lubes. When if ever did you have the transmission oil flushed and renewed. Engine coolant flushed and renewed? — I do a major fluid change every 25,000 miles, oil changed and fluids checked every 3,500 miles. My transmission belt(s) will be due a change at the next major service (150,000 miles), which is going to cost me quite a bit.
I take car maintenance seriously, ever since my dad (an engineer) once said, “Look after a car engine properly, and it will last just about indefinitely.”
And I drive a car gently (nowadays; not as a youngin of course, because hormones/testosterone): no heavy acceleration, no speeding, none of that stuff.