Have you ever wondered or tried asking the question: How long is a car engine supposed to last?

NaijaCarNews.com has decided to help find answers to some of these insightful auto-related questions by sourcing the information for the “facts” and “myths” from automobile experts.

To start with, the question “How long should a car engine last?” actually requires quite a lengthy list of variables that one needs to put into consideration before giving a mileage range or time frame as an answer.

Over the years, many auto experts claim to have seen some engines not lasting beyond 40,000 miles while some others could stand over 300,000 miles before giving up. When it really comes down to the time frame which a car engine should last, you need to study its mileage yearly or how the car itself is usually stored especially if it has low mileage on its engine.

Just imagine a 1919 model's engine that was just driven for only 100 times in a century and mostly is stored in a perfect shelter will even survive longer. It's obvious that this type of engine will only have 10,000 miles reading on it after 100 years of usage. And as a matter of fact, such a car will still last for a few hundred more years before it could ever need a replacement or rebuilding. This is the main reason why most auto experts prefer using mileage for rating “how long an engine will last”.

Most of the old days’ cars were hardly ridden that much and would mostly get stored well making their engine last longer

It should be noted though that, most of our vehicles today will typically last over 100,000 miles going by their design. If a car engine is not in any way abused, with all of the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance being done to it, it will always last longer.

All the necessary repairs should be done immediately when the problem surfaces rather than waiting or “managing” the engine under duress till other damages begin to creep in and cause problems like engine overheating from a bad/faulty water pump in the car.

For most engines regardless of the manufacturer, taking great care of them usually guarantees a long lasting lifespan of the engine before needing replacement or rebuilding.

It should be noted, however, that some engine manufacturers use very low-quality materials or parts for making engines which eventually doesn’t make this type of the engine last long at all no matter how much a driver or car owner cares for them and maintains them.

Some car engines are made mainly from cheap/low-quality materials which make them not last long even with proper maintenance

Refusal to change the essential engine fluids as at intervals recommended by the manufacturers usually leads to excessive wear of the components and parts of an engine like the gears, timing chains, valves, pistons, and bearings. Whenever an engine gets overheated and its yet driven till it finally stops by itself because a driver had ignored the warning lights or temperature gauge warning him/her initially, a possible irreversible internal engine damage or wear could be caused.

Conclusion

We cannot categorically just dictate or recommend a general mileage range for any car owner and driver as the fixed time frame or mileage that an engine should last, No!!!

Rather, all we could just add to the in-depth information we have already provided above is:

• Any vehicle’s engine will surely last longer generally if a car owner or driver does not overload the car at all time and also keeps a proper maintenance schedule. And also, if he/she always gets repairs done on time to the vehicle parts or engine parts.
• And lastly, driving a car the proper way/manner with no abuse involved will always extend the engine’s life span.

Meanwhile, if you want more tips and advice like this which will help you keep your car in good shape for a long time then, navigate here: -> Car Care