The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108222   Message #2251233
Posted By: Gurney
02-Feb-08 - 02:33 AM
Thread Name: BS: Buying used car-- Cost/mile
Subject: RE: BS: Buying used car-- Cost/mile
Just a comment on cars in general: If you do long journeys, you burn off the water that gets into the oil from condensation (early mornings and damp conditions) and the cars tend to last to a higher mileage.
If you do short journeys, that moisture will not be dried out, and will shorten the life of the vehicle. You can help by taking occasional longer fast runs to heat up the oil, and making sure that the thermostat is working properly, or perhaps changing it anyway when you top up the antifreeze.
Another place that water will get in is the brake/clutch fluid. All car manuals tell you to change the fluid at intervals, and no-one does. Very short-sighted. I used to test the drums of fluid in a car assemby plant, and I could measure the uptake after a wet weekend. It is expensive to change brake master and wheel cylinders.