Hi,
I have a honda accord 96 with over 300,000 KM on the odometer. Recently I discovered that the engine oil is leaking from somewhere. I showed it to my mechanic and he said that the engine is drinking the oil and now its time to change the entire engine. The car still runs smooth and my question is that can I run the car as long as it runs or I should immediately change the engine? Also is it healthy for a car to be on with A/c while it is standing for say 20-30 minutes?
If you see a spot of oil on the ground wheere the car was parked, then it is a leak. If it is using it, that is a different story. How much oil is it using is what you need to know, (Qts per Miles). If it is not much, then it is normal.
In respect to idling, you should not idle an engine for that amount of time at all. It will for one affect the Catalytic Converter, mostly over heat it.
As long as you maintain the proper oil level in the engine, you can continue to drive the car. Many Accord engines last 480,000 km or more with proper care.
If the engine is leaking oil, the leak can be repaired. If the engine is burning oil, the question is, “how much is it burning?” How many miles, or kilometers, until a quart of oil burns away?
If the engine is burning a small amount of oil, it’s not a big deal. If a quart lasts only a few hundred miles, or km, that could be a problem.
As far as the AC question goes, running the car with the AC on won’t hurt anything, as long as the engine’s cooling system works correctly. This practice is a tremendous waste of gasoline, but should not hurt the car.
Some cars are fine at ile for extended periods. Other cars are not. It depends on how much excess capacity the cooling systems have.
Personally I would not bother replacing the engine unless the oil is falling out of the engine. Eg quart every 500 miles or so.
A replacement engine can buy about a few thousand quarts of oil. I simply would top the engine off as needed by checking the oil level every fuel fuel fillup.