Ok, I've got this car, a Chevy Cavalier.. can't remeber what year... '97 maybe? It has 91,000+ miles now... we bought it in March when my lovely (PRISTINE) Hyundai Accent was totalled by the insurance company (WITH NO BODY DAMAGE.. the SEAT BELTS locked and the AIR BAGS deployed! )!!

What can I do to keep this hunk of tin from breaking down? We cahnge the oil every 3000 miles... is there are particular sort of oil that works better? Is there an engine cleaner that would be a good idea to use?

It has no body rust, the inside is in decent shape.. I simply do not want it to die! I drive ALOT with work.. up to 250 mile a night in mountainous regions.. ASK SHELSTER!

A 97? Shesh - got the computer diagnostic tools?

Most cars of these latter years have on board computers which do nothing except make it impossible for the average joe to be able to do anything with it besides check the oil, water and other fluids.

But a 97 is not old. Try a 65 Ford Mustang or a 77 GMC Suburban - Ye-gads - those are fun to keep running - LOL

With the 97 the best you can do is check the fluids, make certain to get the oil and oil filter changed every 6 months or 3,000 miles - Make certain your battery fluid is topped off, get a yearly tune up which includes:

Change the fan belts - all of them, I don't care if they look good, change them.

Spark Plugs - Get them cleaned, spaced and if needed replaced.

Get all the fluids purged and refilled, that would include Brake, Power Steering, Radiator, Oil (Transmission fluid don't need to be purged if it remains sealed).

Every 6 months check the fluids - all of them, including the transmission fluid - there should be a dip stick for everything under the hood.

Rotate the tires as per instruction of the tire manufacturer, check for tire wear and tear, if one side of the tire starts going bald faster than the other it's time to get the wheels aligned.

Gasoline: Burn regular mostly, unless you are planning to go up to the mountains or do a road trip.

Additives: I actually have had a small (very small) increase in fuel mileage using the additives once in a while. There is a carburetor cleaner on the market which does appear to work. May not on a later model car.

This should be enough to keep your car going for a long time.

Cheers

David

AIn addition to everything David said, start putting money aside now for the rather costly changing of the timing belt...it will be pricey, probably 4-6 hundred, but nothing compared to the cost of repairs if your timing belt breaks....I don't know at what mileage that bit of maintenence should be done, but if it were my car, I'd plan to do it at 125,000.
Do not use cheap oil, if you have no oil leaks, you might consider a synthetic like Mobil 1... and with all the mountainous driving you do, a K&N air filter might be a good investment....they are initially pretty expensive (about 30 bucks) but they are very effective and do not need replacing, just cleaning every few thousand miles...We run K&N in every vehicle we own.

About that timing belt... I had one break at 153,000 miles. New engine time. $2,000. The manufacturers suggest changing them at 60,000. I make sure they are replaced at 80,000 without fail.

And sorry S, but I can't recommend using Mobil 1 if you're going to change your oil every 3,000 miles. The advantage that Mobil 1 has is that it doesn't break down as quickly as conventional oils. It isn't slicker, nor does it offer any greater protection than fresh conventional oil. So, if you're changing at 3,000 miles (which I, and my mechanic, believe is too often) conventional oils will work just fine and cost one-quarter the price of Mobile 1.

And just to illustrate the oil change interval thing... I once put 139,000 miles on a 1980 Olds Cutlass without EVER changing the oil. I just added when it needed it. I sold the car to a mechanic who removed the valve covers and declared it the cleanest engine he had ever seen. Go figure.

Yep, the 3000 mile bit is a myth. Really depends on your driving conditions and habits. Synthetic is great if you have a brand new car and keep using it but really won't do much for wear later on once the wear has already started. Best thing to do is get a good filter like a Fram Tough Guard or Double Guard, both of which will last longer and clean your oil better.

Add a drop of Redex into your fuel this will help the engine burn fuel more efficiently
and repeat every few tankfuls
It will disperse a lot of the soot on the valves also reduces "Coking" on the Piston crowns and lengthen times between major services,Works best on a well run in motor
Cost to buy is very cheap and is only a small can but it'll last you for several months.
Overdosing (tipping the whole can into the tank) Can lead to your engine throwing a Huge white smokescreen until the fuel has been diluted. Only need a capful or so.
If the garage does not sell Redex then ask about Upper cylinder Lubricants. They come in both spray into the carb and the "Add to the Tank" cans like Redex,The better option is to go for the tank additive which lasts for a long time.
The other option produces a huge instant smokescreen and a lot of soot ejected from the exhaust tailpipe...Good for annoying the Neighbors!! Also in some cases you have to keep the engine running at a high speed to prevent spark plugs fouling:

Not to be the bearer of bad news on this day, but a Chevy Calvalier is not know for it longevity, no matter how well its maintained..

Keep it looking pretty and try to get rid of it asap.....

well, Donrent, we didn't have a choice... I had an accident at work one night, we had ONE car and I was working nights and Sagus was going to school days.. it was a matter of get a car NOW!! AND our credit rating sucked.. the only way we got the car is that we paid half of our income tax return toward the down-payment.

We want a different car, but we have to be careful and make do with what we have now until we can afford better.