Is my car safe for 2000 miles trip (5 days, Texas to Seattle)?
Posted by Aggressive_Yogurt393@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 12 comments
My car is Mazda 3 2014, currently 120k miles. I bought when it was 100k miles and I change the oil every 4k miles.
Is my car okay to drive 2000 miles in 5 days? I am thinking about break 15 minutes every 2 hours, is it okay or what should I do during the road trip?
djsimp123@reddit
15min every 2h?? I do 15min every 5 when I drive across America
Rail1971@reddit
Well, it kind of depends on the service it got in that first 100K miles. You changing the oil regularly for the last 20K is a good thing, but much depends on what went before.
How worn are the brake pads? How are the belts and hoses? Does it have a timing belt or a chain and if it's a belt has it been replaced? Most cars with belts require a new timing belt every roughly 100K miles or 5 to 7 years, whichever comes first. A timing belt failure is quite likely to kill an engine.
Giving the car a "rest" every couple hours isn't going to matter. If your car is in good shape it can go continuously as long as it's got gas. If something is going to fail it's as likely to fail 5 minutes after starting it as 5 hours after starting it. If something is gonna go, it's gonna go.
Hungry-Job-3198@reddit
How can anyone say if your vehicle is in good enough condition to make a trip when none of us have ever seen it? I mean we can all just guess. But that’s all it will be is a guess. Have someone do a quick pre trip inspection, at least if there’s anything obvious they can let you know.
ChasDIY@reddit
I agree. CTC here in Canada is a good place.
Like any place they may say the tires and/or the brakes and/or the battery won't last.
Tell them the length of the trip and ask them to confirm they will not last the length of the trip.
If they say it's a good idea to change, ignore it.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Check the fluids before the trip and air up the tires to spec, and have a nice trip!
Due_North3106@reddit
Well, is it in good shape?
WorkerEquivalent4278@reddit
Check brakes, tires, belts, and hoses, including your spare tire. Carry water with you (at least 1 case of 1/2 liter bottles). Take breaks when needed, and ideally travel only in the daytime. I travel 2250 miles from AZ-FL in 4 days. Your route is more traffic so might take longer. I also have a cooler with food in case of long stretches like West TX that it's hard to find much.
Bulocoo@reddit
Should be fine. Change the oil and filters.
Check your insurance. If you have comprehensive insurance you may have roadside assistance and towing.
Ogre6956@reddit
I would hop in my 170K Soul or my 220K Suburban and go right now. Mileage alone is not an indicator for reliability. Check your hoses and belt for any visible wear. Check your oil and transmission fluid for color and level. Anything can happen, but your car sounds well maintained.
Brand new cars are breaking down for complete transmission failures and ecu problems. Your car has proven itself for 20 years and 120K miles. Enjoy your trip, but have a back up plan.
BoisterousBanquet@reddit
This isn't enough information. For all I know the tires are bald, the brake pads are at 1mm, and there's a hint of white smoke starting to come from the exhaust. Oil changes every 4k is great, but is the entire picture tip top? You don't need to stop every 2 hours for 15 minutes, btw. Not for the car's sake. I drove a Protege 15 hours straight and a Camry 12 hours straight, only stopping for gas. Wouldn't recommend that, but the car didn't care.
Jire@reddit
Get a $20 tire inflater, $60 battery starter, and a good battery pack to charge phone / starter just in case.
Also check your serp belt and tires of course.
MasterKaleidoscope97@reddit
Yes, 15 mins every 2 hours is alot of extra time added btw.