High Mileage 1994 XLE Camry

[survivor40]

I have a 94 xle, I bought it with 180,000 miles on it, just prior to purchase it had a new timing belt, head and head gasket, new radiator, new master cylinder, new alternator and new exaust system from the manifold back. I've done routine fluid changes lubes, I just took in on a round trip to see my parents california to michigan and back. It now has 237,000 miles on it and it is so smooth and quiet it's still like a new car . On the way back I stopped in vegas and from there I noticed the front wheels wobbled braking down hill. I had new rotors and pads installed and now is fine. this car runs as good as the day I bought it, it is still like a new car. I will soon be doing the timing belt and was wondering if I should do anything else or is there anything that I should have inspected. I was going to sell it because of the mileage but this thing runs and drives as good or better than the low mileage newer cars I have been looking at. It has a V6, how many miles can these things go before engine failure. Also is there anything that will let me know in advance tell tale signs that the engine is going or do they just run good till the day they die. I love this car and wanna keep it as everything works my dad thought I was a nut driving a car with over 200,225 miles on it to michigan but when I got there and took him for a drive he swore the thing had to have a brand new engine it but it dont.

[DFBonnett]

Sounds like you bought a winner. Seems like you're doing things right by staying on top of maintenance. A car with that much mileage will have things go wrong, but, if you stay as attentive as you have been, you'll notice them before they completely fail and take care of them.

[RIP]

2 of my 4 cars have 200K+ miles on them. Both of them are Camrys, an 87 and a 94.. The key to keeping them healthy are regular maintenance and fixing problems before they creat bigger problems.

Clues for an engine going: One thing I do regularly is calculate my miles per gallon at least every other time I fill up. If I see a slow decline it could mean I'm loosing compression on one or more cylinders. Another is to watch for metal flakes in the oil at every oil change. It indicates something in the engine has excessive wear. Watch for fluid leakes and fix them before they cause other problems. Odd noises, the bain of every mechanic, is another indication of something going wrong.

When they change the timing belt consider having the waterpump, idler pullies and crankshaft seals changed. Inspect your constant volocity joint and steering gear boots for cracks. If you catch them early you'll save many headaches. Many forget about changing the differential fluid along with the transmission fluid. Watch tire wear patterns. Could indicate suspention part wear. Good luck.