Well, despite the still-popular notion that a typical engine is living on borrowed time after 100K, 200 - 300K isn't unusual for many engines these days if they're taken care of. The killer is often a failed automatic tranny or some other expensive fault that exceeds the value of your average high-mieage commuter-car.
I'm still getting accustommed to my first diesel - a $200 '82 240D. It has about 170,000 miles, doesn't smoke and starts instantly in the coldest weather we've had so far, which has been in the mid 30s.
A friend had one of these with a stickshift that wasn't very well maintained and the engine was pretty shot by 250,000 miles. He began to have to pushstart it cold, then it deteriorated to where he had to pushstart it every time. By the time he gave it away, it was smoking and only idled on 3 cylinders.
We'll see if I get tired of mine before the engine does.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Good point. My father passed away about 18 months ago. His beater daily driver truck was a 91 Toyota single cab pick up with the 22RE engine. I borrowed it from my mom for a couple of months and fixed all of the things that were keeping it from being dependable for anyone to drive. Dad always just lived with the "character" of the truck. $80 to put a bumper on the back. (The old one had to be cut off years earlier when someone rear ended him.) I had a friend pull the driver's quarter panel out a bit so that it did not rub against the driver's door. I put a new belt on it. The one real problem that took me some time on the net to figure out was the idle passage that bypasses the throttle plate was gunked up and it would die at idle when the engine was warm. $2 for a gasket, $4 for a can of carb cleaner, and an hour of my time fixed that.

The point of all of this is that the truck has 230,000+ miles on it and is still running strong. Dispite my dad's attitude of change the oil every 10,000 miles wether it needs it or not.

We also have a 88 Honda CRX with 230,000+ miles on it. It is a little grumpy but still runs well.

-Jim

79 300td ,still going
 

The car wasnt pretty to look at when I first came across it.The paint was coated with tree leaves and growing seeds out of the drip edges.After knocking on the door of the owner I was able to gain access to its interior.Not to bad for a lawn parker.Swept off the seat and realized the odometer was reading 387k ,well their goes that deal,to many miles on her .I walked around it before I was about to leave and thought I should at least give her one more try.Turned the glow plugs on the fired the engine over ,not to shabby .I spun her around out of the yard to hit the road for alittle test drive and had been surprized by the little car.Still big on spirit I took her out to the freeway and it could not be better,no smoke ,just alittle vibration from the all needed front end rebuild.Got back to the sellers house and asked why it sat up for 3 years,he explained the driver,his mother in law didnt like the way it drove.Paid the guy $600 .and made the car my second of know 4 mbs.That was a year ago and Im sure its approaching 500k.iTS HONESTLY ADDICTING.

check my sig... I got three more now... MB is sweet!

Ask him which starter he is on in that 350 chevy. They generally last a couple years. Haven't changed the started in my 300cd.... well ever.

Yeah, it's kinda rude to insult the star of this website, but in my suburban, the starter is original and I have over 250000miles on her... however the motor is difficult to crank. I'ts like the timing is too far advanced, or the starter is too weak to properly crank it, but it always starts. It's been this way for 3 years now. now that you mention it, the starter in a 350 chevy has been a weak link for sure, but it is MUCH easier to change than the MB starter is. but at least you don't have to remove the fuel injection system, and pull the intake manifold to change like you do on the LT5 ZR1 motor and the cadilac, I mean really, why would you put a starter on the inside of a motor?
John

Didn't know we were talking about electrical components, I thought the discussion revolved around diesel ENGINE longevity.

Don't get me wrong, beyond the fact that there are NUMEROUS aftermarket parts and LOTS of parts interchangibility, I'm not a particular SBC fan. My point was that most any injected engine of even reasonable quality nowdays, is easily capable of 300,000 miles plus with proper maintenance. In the days of the 123 diesels, most gas engines were still carbureted and the 300,000 mile mark was rarely reached.

Yes, the GM starters have been plagued with the hot no start problem since the fifties, but actually, as starters go, the Bosch starter found on the 616/617 diesels lives a tough life, gives it's share of problems and is EXPEN$IVE to replace. I wouldn't get ready to hang a medal on this component just yet.

Think the key to car/engine longevity is care and maint.
 

Had a friend that used a 1958 Ford 2 door hardtop with T-bird Special Interceptor (police option) that ran 486,000 miles before retiring (out of the goodness of his heart--still was a runner/didn't burn oil, etc,). Used the usual gas,batteries, oil,filters,tires ,shocks,etc.. Did require a transmission oil coolant line. Think that the key tho was that this was a police build vehicle that Ford screwed up in the build...was a hardtop and refused by the highway patrol dept. and sold as a private vehicle. The engine had a high nickel content (resisted wear), transmission was high perf. with better clutches and bands--had low blocked off stock so the cops would not burn off the rear tires, an super duty rear end (differential) with positraction. He serviced that car with the best and on time or early it's entire life.

The gentleman involved had a job that kept him on call 24/7 and he might have to go alla way accross the state one night to be onna job first thing the next day. TEXAS is kinda big and takes some fast drivin ta do that.

Regards

RUN-EM
19683 300SD - aka - SPARKY THE DIESEL:silly:

I know a guy with an old Land Rover that he just junked because of rust issues. But he changed the oil ONCE a year with retail store oil, and drove as much as 20,000 miles on one batch of DINO oil. He never had to add any and the engine still ran fine and started up with barely a crank every day. Odometer read 220,000 miles! Either he fed me a tall tale or that engine defies logic.

He also said I was wasting money changing oil every 3K. :)

My mother has had nothing but Dodge Caravans for years except from 2002-2005. For those three years, she had a Chevy Venture (all it is, is a Malibue w/van body on it, Ya know, like a P.T. Cruiser is a Neon w/body on it)
About two months after she purchased the Chevy, it started clicking, and knocking, and slapping. I regularly checked the oil, and it burned a lot. The thing had that 3.3 you're all talking about. What a p.o.s. that whole van turned out to be. It never stopped tapping, and farting. Glad she traded for a Caravan again. I always spec. them out when she's in the market. Get the heavy tow package, tranny cooler, and the biggest engine available (3.8 litre) in the newest 2006 she's got.

1980 240D 4speed
 

Just to add some more facts to this debate...this car has 477,245 miles and still runs strong!!! The only thing I've done, is a clutch at 325,000 and ac compressors(2x), oil changes and thats it!! They are literally built like tanks!! And to add to the story, I hit a 150lb white tail doe with it...broke a corner lamp cover, no dents. Hit another deer with my 07 Acura TL, $4700.00 in damage!!!
Later,
MRod

In all fairness, I've hit PLENTY of deer in the boonies of North East Texas. They can sometimes do serious damage and other times not really hurt much of anythingng.

That said, the worst repair bill yet in the Bible family was about fifteen years or so ago when my wife killed a pretty good sized buck with her 83 300TD. This one cost about $2,500. She went to the Highway Patrol and the officer said she was hunting deer out of season and that she would be cited for it. He was teasing, but it didn't seem funny to her.

Not long after that I hit a coyote at a much higher speed and did that much damage to the 240D I was driving at the time. It didn't cost that much because I fixed it myself.

I would think that over $4,000 on a Honda would be because it was a high speed hit. Am I correct?

I can not say for sure. I have owned Mercedes, Ford, Honda, Toyota, & Nissan with over 200K and the Honda & Nissan close to 300K. IMO the Jap cars have a better fit and finish and interior quality. out of all of them I feel more comfortable with the Mercedes feeling it still has another 200K plus to go!
I have had Ford and Chevy over 100K but not sure I would have the same comfort feeling close to 300K. and trying to sell a american car with that mileage?? Forget about it!

My 1983 300SD has about 450,000 Miles. No rebuild. Did the fluid changes and proper maintenance.

ROFL..:D