I was wondering if my car could make the drive from Albuquerque New Mexico to Los Angeles California which is roughly 800 miles, it’s a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with around 128k miles on it. I have relatively new tires, a very minor oil leak, new oil, use to have a cheap engine light for the leak but is now gone, filled up antifreeze about a month ago, enough brake fluid, and my rpms won’t go above 3k when I’m doing 50
You should be fine. Eight hundred there and eight hundred back for 1600 total. Would you feel safe driving 1600 locally? If so, then there’s no sense in worrying.
Main thing is to keep an eye on fluid levels. Especially so since you mention a minor oil leak. Those “minor” oil leaks can really get away from you and you do not want to wipe the engine due to lack of oil.
Since I do have a minor oil leak would it be suggested I bring extra oil just in cause it’s gets low
Yes, it would be a good idea to carry a couple of quarts. This way you will have the same brand and viscosity oil that is in your engine.
Just check your oil each time you stop for either food or gas. Carry a roll of paper towels with you.
You could carry a couple quarts or just buy it locally if you need it. I’m sure you can find just about any brand and weight oil during your travels.
Did you mean Check Engine Light?
How much antifreeze did you have to add?
Your engine won’t go above 3,000 RPM?
Did the brake fluid go low and you refilled it?
I’d suggest you have a trusted shop give the vehicle a thorough going-over before heading out. While 1600 miles isn’t much on a healthy car, I’m seeing a few “red flags” in your post.
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I have enough anti freeze if I need to add any I got some extra
Yea it won’t go above 3k rpm but it does feel smooth and my brake fluid is a little over half way
Is there a reason you think you might need it?
I am needing clarification, the car is loosing oil and coolant and won’t go over 50 mph? Please clarify.
the car is loosing oil and coolant and won’t go over 50 mph?
Sounds like the OP needs to rent a vehicle for this trip.
Because last time I added some was about a month ago and did use the whole bottle
A properly functioning cooling system shouldn’t need to have more than a cup of coolant added in 10,000 miles, if that, to keep it topped off. If you need to add more frequently than that, you probably have a small cooling system leak. It might not result in a puddle under the car, could just be evaporating when it hits something hot. The problem with a leaky cooling system is it won’t hold pressure properly. You might not notice any overheating symptoms from that in about-town driving, but on long trips at freeway speed you might notice some overheating, especially when exiting the freeway after many miles at 65 mph. Suggest you follow the advice above to get a pre-trip general inspection, making sure to ask for a cooling system pressure test as part of that.
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In that case, rent a car for the trip. You either have a leak somewhere that may turn catastrophic or you have a headgasket breech… which explains why the engine won’t go above 3,000 rpm above 50mph. It’s running with one, maybe two, cylinders barely alive.
Tell us more about the Check Engine Light.
So could I go to a jiffy lube or fire stone and just ask for a pre trip inspection and they’ll just tell me what’s wrong and what to fix before the long trip
Suggest to ask your friends, coworkers, relatives etc, people you know in other words, who they use to repair their cars. And from that list choose a local independent repair shop that works on Asian cars. Usually you’ll get better results that way, rather than using a national chain store. Then just tell them your plans and that you want a pre-trip inspection to discover any problem that requires repair before leaving. Be sure to tell them the info above. This type of inspection usually takes about an hour and the fee is around $100. There may be add’l cost however if some work is needed of course.
If you have to ask than what else are you worried about?
These chain stores often don’t employ skilled mechanics and often work on a business model where they try to push services that you don’t need. As George_San_Jose1 says, it’s better to find and use a good independent mechanic for this inspection.
You really do want to find out why the car won’t go over 3,000 RPM and why it’s using so much coolant, regardless of this trip. These could be serious issues.
Does the leak prevention fluid you put in your motor oil actually stop leaks?
Before you worry about that, have you identified where the oil leak is coming from? That’s where you need to start. How much oil are you using per month or per thousand miles?
It’s an oil leak I don’t know the exact location of the leak but I did have a check engine light on then I added some of that leak prevention fluid and 3 days later it was off and every 100 I’d say I use a quart or 2