3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

[Need4Camaro]

I already am running new 10W40 Castrol GTX oil (it was on sale and my car wasn't running at the time I put it in). I am switching back to Mobil 1 before I leave. Everything that says New was replaced at the same time and has the same mileage

So far...

Motor - 149k miles
Plugs - 40k miles old
Wires - New (less than 2k miles)
All Ignition Coils - New (less than 2k miles)
ICM - New
MAF - New
EGR - 149k Miles
Coolant - New - but was only used for test purposes and isnt fully 50/50'd nor does it use distilled water.
Radiator Hoses - 149k miles
Heater Core - 149k miles
A/C Compressor & Refrigerant - 149k miles
Front O2 Sensors - New
Rear O2 Sensors - 149k miles (unless replaced before I purchased the car)
Catalytic Converter - 149k miles - Needs replacing (P0420)

Transmission - 149k miles
Fluid & Filter - 149k miles but still appears clean, although I have a sticking 1st / 2nd gear shift very very occasionally - almost never happens.

Rear Axel / Limited Slip (Y87)- 149k miles
Fluid - 149k miles
------------------------------------

I was thinking

Change Oil and Filter to Mobil 1 Synthetic High Milage with a Mobil 1 Filter
Replace Catalytic Converter
Coolant Flush and Refill
Transmission Fluid Flush and replace filter
Replace Differential Fluid with Mobil 1 Synthetic + Add LSD Additive
POSSIBLY replace radiator hoses...

Leaving Georgia I will be crossing some mountains, but much later in the trip I'm going to have to cross the Rockies on I-90 ... POSSIBLY I-40 - depending on which way I go...

[Docta]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

I'm on the last 200 miles of mine, Colorado to Cali via I-40 and my cars got 120k almost. Did nothing but rotate tires, oil change and power steering pump, since it was the last to be replaced of the accessories. Camaro did amazing... cruising 75-90 depending on where I averaged 31-33 MPG, and no issues at all. If nothing is acting up, I say leave it.

[landj]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

If you havn't changed the tranny filter and fluid in 150,000 miles, I wouldn't start now. I'd replace the coolant, if the hoses are old and cracking buldging or sticky then, yes definitly change them, along with your belt if needed. I would not change to a different type of oil than what you've been running, just check it more often, synthetic may cause it to leak more and high milage oil just has chemicals that soften and expand gaskets (not exactly good for the gaskets IMHO). Highway cruising should be much easier on the car than stop and go city driving. Just drive a reasonable speed and don't beat the poor thing.

The cat is an environmental good thing to do. Al Gore would burn thousands of barrels of oil to travel to exotic lands singing praises about the virtues changing the catalitic converter, but blame his staff for it not being changed on his own vehicle. So, given that example, I'd say you should get online on various car forums and tell everyone else that they should change thier catilitic converters else the world will come to an end in 2012, but don't bother doing it yourself and cite that you were too busy saving the environment to notice such a minor oversite.

I don't like Al Gore, so I personally would just change the cat since it seems like you've got your emmission system otherwise up to spec.

[venom3300]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

check your belt...

[Need4Camaro]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

If you havn't changed the tranny filter and fluid in 150,000 miles, I wouldn't start now. I'd replace the coolant, if the hoses are old and cracking buldging or sticky then, yes definitly change them, along with your belt if needed. I would not change to a different type of oil than what you've been running, just check it more often, synthetic may cause it to leak more and high milage oil just has chemicals that soften and expand gaskets (not exactly good for the gaskets IMHO). Highway cruising should be much easier on the car than stop and go city driving. Just drive a reasonable speed and don't beat the poor thing.

The cat is an environmental good thing to do. Al Gore would burn thousands of barrels of oil to travel to exotic lands singing praises about the virtues changing the catalitic converter, but blame his staff for it not being changed on his own vehicle. So, given that example, I'd say you should get online on various car forums and tell everyone else that they should change thier catilitic converters else the world will come to an end in 2012, but don't bother doing it yourself and cite that you were too busy saving the environment to notice such a minor oversite.

I don't like Al Gore, so I personally would just change the cat since it seems like you've got your emmission system otherwise up to spec.

Thanks for the advice.

As far as the oil goes. I have been running Mobil 1 Synthetic High Milage since 80K miles (149k miles now) and have had no leaks or problems. I switched to Castrol only for ONE oil change (this current oil change) just to test the car out after it broke down as I didnt want to spend $40 on oil that had a chance of never being used...so I spent $15 instead.

[ScottS4050]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

Check the bearings in the front hub assemblies. I recently discovered mine were bad and it only has 104k on it.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

Check the bearings in the front hub assemblies. I recently discovered mine were bad and it only has 104k on it.

same here, except mine had 173k...

[96RS Alex]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

You might laugh but I'd give your front end a heavy application of PAM Cooking Spray for the 1 trillion bugs that's gonna meet their fate when you arrive to your destination and back.
PAM makes everything slide off with ease, especially when you know the disgusting bug splatter gets embedded in your paint and starts to harden.

3000 miles? Yes, dump that heavyweight 10W-40 and try 5W30 Mobil 1 Synthetic or Extended Mileage Synthetic, that motor is gonna work happy!

Bring along your flashlight, duct tape, fuse kit & tire gauge.

Prep your windshield with Rain-X and buy new wipers.

3000 miles and various fuel islands you're gonna visit, I don't see a fuel filter replacement in your list yet.

Get a K&N Air Filter for improved mileage.

You're gonna burn out that alternator if that has not been replaced yet.

New battery for peace of mind.

New headlamps for clarity. Align them a tiny bit higher for extended night vision.

New tires for touring.

I'd carry a spare serpentine belt as mentioned before.

Check your waterpump shaft. A hard tug and wiggle at the pulley will clue you on its condition before the long run.

Are you a AAA member? Very beneficial roadside assistance just in case.

Biggest maintenance suggestion is that you get plenty of rest before heading out. Also, bring a cooler you can pack ice & water. Easy to prepare foods like cold cuts, multigrain bread, fruit, trailmix bars, gum, nuts & veggies. Treat your body like a mean machine. Avoid that awful truck stop food, that will slow you down too.

Gettin back to your post, a good pre-trip on your vehicle between high mileage fueling breaks will ensure a successful road trip. Good Luck ;)

[Docta]

Re: 3,000 mile road trip pending for July 1st - maintanence suggestions?

Alex brought up a good point. Energy is going to killer, I always drink Monsters so I don't think about it, but keep something along those lines on hand for the "just in case" category. All I brought was luggage, tools, fluids, a spare belt, snacks, and a generous lump of music. Also, the "peace of mind" plays a huge factor.. I was driving through Needles, CA at 2:30 PM and the whole time I was freaking out waiting for the temp to start spiking. Came back through at 2 AM so that was more comfortable. And my best help for mileage, if there just happens to be a Bentley Continental GTC on the road, doing ehh... 110-115, don't try to keep up with him for 30 miles. It kills your economy... but it's tons of fun. And most likely the driver is a conceited douche.