No question, just a comment. I just changed my oil on my '89 Accord . . . at 500,000 miles! Rocketman
This must have really been long-life oil if you ran it 500,000 miles. Was this MacMillan Ring Free Motor Oil? I was under the impression that Honda recommends an oil change at 250,000 miles.
Seriously, you must take good care of your car and it has paid off. The bodies on my cars rust out long before I have engine problems.
CONGRATULATIONS! A few questions if you don’t mind.
1)Did you buy the car new?
2)Have you had to replace either the transmission or the engine or do major overhaul of either?
3)How does the body look? Major rust?
4)What was your maintenance routine?
5)How often do you wash and wax your car?
6)Can you reach your back? Reason is because you should be patting yourself on the back several times a day.
The accountant in me that recognizes that automobiles suck money like a black hole thinks you have done an absolutely phenomenal job!
Have a Great Day,
Jim
I’ve never owned a car where the odometer still functioned at 500K miles…I took one to 250K once, a '78 Malibu… It smelled so bad, I had six of those pine tree air fresheners hanging off every knob on the dash…
Hey Rocket, be sure to inform Honda of your achievement!! They may give you a grill badge like Benz does…
Thanks! 1.) Yes, I bought it new.
2.) No major overhauls, never replaced either engine or transmission. The “deepest” I’ve ever gone into the engine was valve stem seals and valve cover gasket.
3.) Body is good . . . I fix rust as it happens, try to keep up with it.
4.) Routine maintenance is that I follow the owners manual religiously, change stuff on time, shorter times if I had some sever driving. Oil, filters, fluids, wires, caps, just normal stuff . . . then I fix other stuff as it is required (like brakes).
5.) I wash it when it’s dirty . . . more in the Winter due to the salt used here in Pennsylvania. Wax it twice a year.
6.) Thanks!
I think that the key is regular maintenance, driving reasonably, and paying attention to things as they come up. RocketmanStick shift, right?
Congrats! You must be in a place where they do not salt roads?
Yep, original clutch. Rocketman
Congratulations to you! Maybe you could give a quick recap of what things you did and do for others who might wish to achieve a similar mileage.
That gives me something to look forward to with my 2005 Accord.
Good work!
Benz used to give you an expenses paid (European residents only) factory tour at 500,000 miles…ah those were the days…
At 1,000,000 miles you could take your family along.
OK . . maybe some things sound a bit quirky, though. I usually start all of my cars and let them warm up easy as I drive the first 5-6 miles, not just the engine, but I generally take it easy with the whole car. And just before I shut it down, I usually let it cool down (turn on the A/C so the fan will kick on), if it is a warm day. I drive carefully (not like an old lady), but just pay attention to the car itself, shift properly, don’t jam the brakes, stuff like that. My maintenance is discussed above, but I do make certain that I do everything the owners manual calls for . . . like for example, brake fluid . . . change it and bleed the old crap out of the wheels. Or the tranny fluid . . . a dirty job, but should be done, IMO. I follow the book pretty close, even cut it short (shorten the interval) if I did some severe driving. I wash the body and undercarriage at a car wash, when dirty, which means it gets washed more in the snowy months than Summer, but not to the point of being nuts about it. The rust is something you can handle if you inspect it . . . . like I’ll go over the whole car when I’m allowing the oil to drain . . . and then address rust as it comes up. I let my oil or any fluid drain until it stops. . . . 15 minutes is enough time to drain the oil and allow me to check out the rust. Having said all of that . . . I have changed parts . . . a new carb at about 250k . . . a new distributor at about 300k . . . several sets of brakes . . . a few exhaust systems (pacesetter makes a good CAT-back that lasts YEARS longer than honda parts) . . . valve stem seals . . . thermostats with every coolant flush and change (every 2 years) . . . fuel filters . . . air filters . . . when called for in the book, and so on. I went to 20W50 about 250k in the warm weather, 10W40 Winter. I really believe that routine maintenance called for in the owners manual, gets easier every time you do it, and pays off. I also believe that sensible driving and attention to “feel” and noises, and generally paying attention to your ride, make a big difference. I’ll post more as they come to me. And one last thing . . . still starts every time . . . uses (mostly drips) a very little oil every oil change . . . maybe 1/4-1/2 quart per oil change . . and still gets 30 mpg combined, 35 mpg on the highway, still drives nice. Rocketman
How often do you change the oil? Is this an I4 or a V6?
Congrats, job well done. If the normal person keeps their car to 100KM, then you have saved ~ 4 X ~$20K with being diligent. Now is your commute mostly hwy? The reason I ask is as you know those miles are easier on the car.
Hats off on the mileage total and also on the way you maintain and drive your car!
In my opinion, those parts you changed are actually irrelevant and nothing more than normal wear and tear/maintenance items.
For the heck of it, see if it will make a million. 
It’s true highway miles are supposed to be easier then city miles. But still 500,000 miles. That is unfathomable to me. GREAT JOB IT WAS AND STILL IS!!!
Wow, and it’s carbed too? I’d have bet on it being FI-ed.
More importantly though, do the flip-up headlights still work?
There’s a real sense of pride in reaching that milestone. Congratulations.
Congratulations, rocketman! I’m really delighted to hear your Accord has lasted so long.
This means maybe I can expect another 410,000 from mine. Your description of how you drive and maintain your car sounds pretty close to the way I do it.
That is EXCELLENT. Far more then I’ve ever done. Anyone can keep a car running for 500k miles if money is no object (replace engine…replace tranny). You did it with just normal maintenance and keeping the original engine, tranny. Just normal wear and tear parts.