back in the day u had to rebuild or toss the car at 100,000 miles…should I replace water pump,hoses,etc if I plan on taking this car to 200,000 +? or just fix things as they break?
thanks…Mike in Ponchatoula.
Unless you keep up with the maintenance the car will never make it to 200K miles…Belts, hoses, fluid changes are important…The water pump you can defer until it fails…
The weak link in your vehicle is the automatic transmission. Should it fail, it’s the end of the road…So treat it kindly…
As Caddyman said…YES…
I don’t care if what manufacturer made the car…you still have to preform preventive maintenance. It’s called PREVENTIVE so you don’t have a failure later and need to get it fixed.
Belts, hoses, brakes, fluids are all maintenance items. Which means they need to be replaced or at the very least inspected periodically.
I would not replace the water pump or other mechanical stuff until it breaks, could well last 200k.
I kept wondering why a good maintenance schedule wasn’t in the book I got with the car…just noticed the last page…you have to buy a repair manual from the dealer to get the schedule…that strike anyone as a bit of BS?
That schedule used to be part of the owner’s manual or in a separate pamphlet. See if your dealer can’t print out one for you, for free.
You might also look to see if the info is out on line, for free, at toyota.com or elsewhere.
There is simply no demand for repair manuals by the public at large. If you buy an industrial machine you get all the repair manuals in the language of your choice.
Since most owners typically do not even open the owner’s user/maintenance manual, it would be a complete waste of money to include repair manuals with a car. But it’s nice of them to tell you where to purchase them.
Don’t confuse repair with maintenance manuals. The maintenance manual tells you what needs to be done, what you can do yourself, and what a repair shop should do.
If I were you I would start with the manuals available at auto stores (Chilton, Haynes) for about $20. Those have enough info to show you how to do a brake job, replace the radiator, etc.
Unless you are a trained mechanic, I would not recommend anything more complicated than that.
Repair manuals would clearly be a waste of money, however a maintenance schedule should IMHO be included in the purchaser’s documentation. Manufacturer’s make clear that scheduled maintenance must be performed to ensure warranty coverage. This requirement to me suggests that they have an obligation to provide the schedule.
PostScript: neither Haynes nor Chilton has published a manual for my particular car. Fortunately for me, I’ve been able to get everything I’ve needed so far.
I would recommend doing a lot of those things like the water pump anytime you are taking it off or have removed things that would have to be removed to replace the pump if it fails next week Don’t do or pay for the same work twice.
The most important item is to know if your motor has either a timing belt or a timing chain. You can research this at gates.com. If it has a timing belt, that belt could be overdue for a change. When you put in a new timing belt (if you have one) that is the time to replace the water pump.
Otherwise, rubber parts deteriorate with age. At 10 years you might want to replace rubber parts that are still original; such as radiator and heater hoses, drive belts, and have the rubber sections of brake lines inspected and replaced if questionable.
Proper fluid changes on schedule are important. In general new coolant every 5 years, brake fluid every 3 years, trans fluid every 30K miles, and differential and transfer case fluids every 3 to 5 years (more often if you tow or drive in sand).
Most of the remaining parts you replace as needed. Many owners reduce maintenance as the car ages and that leads to early failures and sends the cars to the crusher. Keep up with fluid changes as if it was a new car and it should last well beyond 200K.
Unless the water pump,hoses,etc show signs of immediate failure let them be.
It is a good time though to change your automatic transmission fluid at the very least.
Additionally make sure to change your coolant out at least. Fluids do not “break” they wear out and ruin break the related components. Another key one is brake fluid.
On my 2002 sienna, the recommendation is at the 90,000 mile timing belt change, INSPECT the water pump. With proper coolant maintenance, it usually does not need replacing at 90,000 miles, or maybe never. ASSUMING PROPER COOLANT MAINTENANCE.
This is a personal decision issue. There are many intelligent people who replace the water pump every time they replace the timing belt, since in many cars that is where the pump is. I trust Toyota recommendation on this.
Driving it until it breaks is a very bad idea. If it breaks, your motor may overheat and ruin the motor. Or, it may just choose to break in an inconvenient or unsafe place. Find out what is recommended for your car. If the recommendation is like on my Sienna, then have them inspect it. Trust me, a dealer will not tell you it doesn’t need replacing if it needs to be replaced.
Of course, you may have an independent Toyota mechanic, if he knows your model well he can tell you what is needed.
In the case of my Toyota Sienna, with 174,000 miles, when I have the timing belt replaced next fall, assuming I make it back to the border alive, heh, heh, I will go ahead and have the pump changed, no matter what they tell me. If it lasted 180,000 miles, and I put on a new one, I do not expect to ever have it break down. That is also a valid personal decision.
Personally, if you have properly maintained the coolant, I would expect the original pump to go the 200,000 miles with no problem, but it should be inspected.
wow…200,000 miles…also surprised that belts,hoses,etc go as far as they go…guess that’s the price of being 68…brain still stuck in the 60’s.