Re: Old car reliability

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alex@matrix.pl>]

At 22:50 19.08.98 -0700, Richard Funnell wrote:

>What do listers do to keep old cars reliable?  This question comes from
>losing a brake flex hose on my urQ driving in the mountains of Lake Tahoe.
[...]
>The only solution I can think of is to identify those components capable of
>calamitous failure, and replace them on a conservative schedule before they
>fail.  If that's the answer, what are those components?  Brake flex hoses
>and all hydraulics come to mind.  So do headlight harnesses and switches,
>which I'd hate to lose on a fast corner at night.  Other candidates?  Any
>pilots want to add an opinion here?  TIA

The key here is to check your car often. Once in a week I open the hood and
inspect fluid levels, condition of vacuum and coolant hoses, electrical
connections and check for leaks. At least once in a month I put the car on
jack stands and check everything from underside - leaks, oil lines,
suspension and steering joints and bushes, CV joints, exhaust, virtually
everything. Also I notice all strange symptoms that occur while driving are
check later for probable cause.
Another thing is to replace components that are known to have limited
lifespan. Of course, money is a limiting factor here. Brake lines are a
good example of the item which should be replaced as a rule on any old car.
Coolant hoses and thermostat fall into this category as well. If your Ur-q
has the plastic heater valve like 5Ks do, it better be replaced as well. If
fuel pump has many miles on it, it may eventually fail in the middle of
nowhere. It is not cheap, but if you make some long trips it is a good idea
to replace it or at least have a used spare handy.

Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
mailto:alex@matrix.com.pl
87 Audi 5000CS turbo (mine)
88 Renault Medallion wagon (mom's)
91 mountain bike (just in case both cars broke at the same time :-)