Analysis of my used ATF (T-IV) after 25,000 miles in '06 Camry with U250E transmission

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Don't be so boorish, Hls. If you want to learn what this analysis tells you, find a copy of this thread on BobIsTheOilGuy.com .

I'm not boorish, Built_Well. I discovered Bobs site, actually years ago.

Seriously, this has told you that your wear is normal. Woooo.

I don't know a single person that would overhaul their engine or transmission based on the results of an oil analysis.

Having owned 16 cars, I've concluded that oil analysis is nice, but pretty much pointless. Sure, it allows you to track the wear in your motor, but in the real world, in street cars, when was the last time you knew someone who blew the motor or transmission on a car newer than 10 years? That's right, no one. Even the krappiest kia can make 10 years if you do regular maintenance. After that... well, unless it's a really cool car, you have an effectively worthless 10 year old car. And, if you're lucky, you'll be like me, with TWO worthless 19 year old cars that just won't die.

Ray

Hey!

I just threw down a grand on a 16 year old blower-buick sedan. Yep. It's gettin rusty underneath... (Michigan). Not real bad yet but I can identify which brake lines are gonna go first.

Runs strong... great oil pressure. Gonna be the salt that kills it...

Cash for clunkers my ass!

Salt can be like cancer. I guess you can run it until it dies.

And I will run it until it becomes structurally unsound.

I give it another two Michigan winters before it becomes a total loss due to losses in structural integrity. The cradle is sound and the rear end bushing were replaced in 2005. I will find out . I make a commute from Grand Rapids MI to Garrett IN weekly (300 mi round trip) plus about 75 miles commute between the weekly commute to the "away from home terminal" (Railroad Speak).

Good thing I have noon on Sat to noon on Sun

I'm not saying all old cars are bad. I've got THREE GM F-Bodies - one nice, one race car, one project car. I love cars. If I had room for a

You proved my point tho - engines just don't die in cars - usually it's still rust and/or compounding mechanical failures that doom cars to the shredder.

Ray

Yep, exactly the point I was trying to make. I have always put the wife in something "late model" and myself in junk. It's the corrosion and constant, nagging, little things that make 'em scrap.

My last ride (for almost a decade) was a 1991 Chevy W-Body Lumina with the 3.1 and three speed auto. 492k and it finally spit a spark plug out of the aluminum head. I figured any engine with half a million miles on it was junk. The car was junk. Rusty too. Really rusty, like I worried if the front subframe was gonna fall apart on the road.

I spent way too much time fixing brake lines, gas tanks and fuel lines on that $500 car but... Paid for is paid for...

Al

Now that I have kids, the game has changed a bit - who wants to have kids in the car, -40 and dead on the side of the road? Yeah... not me.

I still like cheap tho. It was nice owning a $60 car. So what if the tires were bald and the quarter panels were paper thin? I didn't have to make car payments.

We're currently discussing the replacement plan for the Beretta and the pickup.... it would be nice to combine the two 19 year olds into one newer truck - the wife likes Avalanches, but the idea of loading gravel into a $20,000 truck makes me cringe - my current truck was $1200... and is a work truck. It's awesome... when it's running. My friends are coming over on Wed to help me try and reassemble the f(@*#(ing steering column - the ball bearings keep falling out on me and I'm >thisclose< to punching out the windshield.... no need to mess around with that on a newer truck.... but gotta make payments....

Ray