What exactly does high Ks mean in terms of an engine

Hi guys,

Big hiatus from my end; lots going on in the real world!

Have still been tossing up the idea of a z20 or just getting a turbo and was just wondering what exactly high (around 210k) KMs do to an engine.

What I mean by that is, if you were going to actually take it out and strip it down and clean and recondition etc. do high Ks really matter? Do they affect things you can't 'reverse' per se? This isn't specifically for Astras I suppose, been seeing a lot of WRXs with 225+ on them.

Cheers

M

Guy would be able to answer that perfectly... ;)

I would say kms are just are number as long as its up to date with services

At the end of the day, a car can have 200k, or 600k on it. Doesnt matter how much, as long as it was looked after. Obviously turbo cars have a shorter lifespan than NA cars, which is why you tend to look after them more as they get older. If you are looking at one with 210k on the clock, I would want to hope that the service intervals were closer together from about 150k onwards (10k servicing instead of 15k servicing).

The most common thing to go at that mileage is the turbo, which is easy enough to replace considering the VXR turbo can be sourced from Autovaux easily enough. There is a member on here who has a silver turbo with about 205km on the clock and its still running very well because its been looked after its whole life (current and previous owner are members here).

I'll let Guy take over for the more nitty gritty when hes got a chance to reply

All depends how the car has been used and how its been serviced.

If its been very well looked after then there is nothing other than standard servicing to worry about. There will be wear and tear items but that is normal.
I've seen engines well over 500k km that are like new inside. These are usually the cars that are just used to get around in and no concern about getting things fixed as soon as an issue comes up.

If its been driven hard/irregular servicing/bad oil used/combination of any of these. You'll need to start looking at things like bottom end bearings and piston rings.

End of the day. When buying a car. Get it properly inspected by someone you trust. Sure they may not be able to get inside and inspect bearings but they will be able to pick up on other major and minor issues which can save you a headache down the track.

Yeah, as the other guys have said, a car can easily reach high mileage if it has been looked after and maintained well. I have never seen my grandfather retire a car with anything less than 500,000km in my life and he just maintains them accordingly.

I helped my mate rebuild a GA16DE with 280k on the clock from the ground up and at the end of the day basically everything in the engine is new. bearings, seals pistons, rings, valve guides etc.

only core engine components remained such as crank valves cams, block and head. all were inspected for fractures and stress but all were fine and basically new condition. engine is ready to drop in just waiting for him to finish the rest of the car, already put it on BC gold coilovers, replaced all bushes in the front end. just have to do rear end, rad and then reco the gearbox and drop the engine in.

In my opinion if you rebuild everything on an engine its new.


One thing to note with a car that has high kms on it, its not only the engine that has done those kms but also the rest of the car too. Other things that need to be looked after or might have been neglected are things like gearbox, shafts, cv joints, bushes cooling components such as hoses and rad. engine is always a good place to start for a rebuild as its probably the most stressed component.

ive gone on a tangent again sorry.

As all replies explain, engine condition depends on how it has been driven and maintained. Any engine can be destroyed in short time by abuse and lack of maintenance. A turbo car with over 200tkm can still have 100tkm before it needs major repairs, all components and seals are slightly worn out and can leak slightly. It also depends the kind of driving the car has had. mostly short distances and in the city or suburbs will definitely wear out the engine faster than driving long distances in the country. Cold starts wear out the engine 20 times faster than hot start.
An engine oil expert once told me that when he is looking for a good quality used car, he will always buy one that has lived in regional areas rather than city and driven long distances. Also a city car with full synthetic engine oil that never really reaches its proper oil operating temperature is not on his shopping list. (This will cause comments but that is what he said and he is an expert, something about cylinder glazing)

I bought my daughter's turbo astra when she needed a bigger car. for years, that car was only driven between Camden and Wollongong or Camden and Goulburn. Mainly highway driving for 120 tkm. Before that the car lived in Maitland, again long country driving and I have to say the engine is in brilliant condition, it will last another 150tkm before the engine needs new parts, except the turbo maybe.

If the engine has been serviced regularly and not abused, the engine may be in great condition at 215k.

My issue with high KMs engines, isn't with the engine itself, it's just everything else around the engine.. turbo, sensors, alternator, coil packs, radiator, hoses, wiring, cooling, air cond, etc. Things are aren't replaced during regular servicing. This may not be an issue for you if you are handy with a spanner.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnBu

If the engine has been serviced regularly and not abused, the engine may be in great condition at 215k.

My issue with high KMs engines, isn't with the engine itself, it's just everything else around the engine.. turbo, sensors, alternator, coil packs, radiator, hoses, wiring, cooling, air cond, etc. Things are aren't replaced during regular servicing. This may not be an issue for you if you are handy with a spanner.

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You are absolutely correct JohnBu, most sensors that cost a lot have a life span of 150tkm. The Lambda sensors (or Oxy) made by Bosch have a replacement interval of 150tkm, i have done all 4 in my Vectra at considerable cost but it did make a big difference in power and fuel consumption. then comes the knock sensors etc that can cause some headaches, replaced few of those in my Vectra. It would be pity to put a lot of effort and money into reconditioning the mechanical parts of the engine and then screw in old and perhaps faulty sensors that spoil the whole job.
The life of a turbo varies again depending on other circumstances, oil, coolant, condition of hoses, and arguably pod filters. I believe turbos last about 150tkm as an average.

To comment more about this subject a friend of mine bought some time ago an old Mercedes Benz that had about 600tkm in the odo. apart from few small oil leaks the engine is in a remarkable condition but most other parts in the car are in poor condition; shocks, all hose, air pipes, master cylinder and booster, wheel bearings, drive shaft bearings, fuel pump, aircon, fan clutch and so on. but, it is almost 40 years old so you would expect it. After he has replaced most parts that are worn out or just perished due to age it will go for another 40 years.