i was wondering if anyone can answer this series of questions: i know hondas are very well made cars, my fam has had good luck with 3 so far ('01 3.2tl,'98 civic,'90 integra). i just passed 85,000 miles on it while driving from texas to utah. by the way, over 1800 miles and i averages 32 mpg at a cruising speed of about 80 mph. i have sunk about a grand this year on work, such as timing belt service and a new radiator(this weekend) along with a few small things. i wanted to know what the average lifespan of the b18a and automatic transmission is, i know no one has facts, but what is typical. my driving style is probably typical of a college student, i like to enjoy the car when i can but mainly use it for commuting. i don’t red-line it, maybe a few times. and i maintain is religously. i hope for it too last for the next 4 years without any major repairs. is this possible? i still want to have a little fun, but don’t want any big headaches. it has been a wonderful car so far, even for its age. and, i don’t want to be turned off by hondas. any help? thanks to all.
hondas are some of the most reliable longest lasting cars out there (even the old ones). I currently have a little over 190k miles on my car, and its still running good. It needs a valve adjustment, and a new clutch (the one in it is the original clutch!).
i can feel the engine’s condition deteriorate a little, but i would say this is mainly due to my driving style and lack of maintenance. I’ve been planning a swap for a year or so now so i haven’t had any reason to treat it especially carefully. I redline it every time i drive it (i’m feeling the need for power, and can’t find enough power in the lower rpms). I’ve put a little over 50k miles on the car, all with me driving pretty hard, a lot of around town driving but also a good deal of long road trips (up and down cali).
I wouldn’t worry at all about your car. Just keep up with all the maintenance (oil changes, tranny fluid, tune ups, valve adjustments…etc…etc) and don’t drive it too excessively hard (don’t be afraid of high rpms… our cars can handle it).
I’m not sure about the auto tranny though. I’m pretty sure honda auto trannies are pretty good quality, but in general auto trannies won’t last as long as manuals, so don’t be too surprised if it doesn’t make it pas 150-200k miles.
thanks, another question: is it normal for the b18a to use oil, between changes?? i know blow-by isnt really a bad thing, it lubricates your valves. i just am not sure if the motor is burning it, i can’t look for blue smoke out the exhaust tips when i am driving. but, when it has to downshift 2 gears (passing truck at slow speed on hill) i sometimes see a small puff out the rearview. this shouldn’t be a prob. i’d ask my pops, but i might get a lecture on driving hard…although he has no room to talk. he is constantly getting new rear tires on his '68 olds 442!!! i have to admit, american torque is very fun and so is the v8 sound. i still love the feel of my engine pulling up too 5000.