Will my car make it?

[Thatman]

Well I plan on going on a 4,000(apx.) mile trip in my 1994 Talon DL. The odometer is at 193xxx and should be around 194500 by the time I go in august.
Currently, the transmission is slightly loud because there is possibly a few bearing out on it. There is a small whine(kinda like a jet engine starting up) at 40+ and when its a cold engine there seems to be the sound of a bad piston rod below 3,000rpm. I think thats all thats wrong with it currently.
The trip would consist of going to Canada and then trying to make it to California. So now I want a few opinions, where do you think I should schedule my flight back home !

 

[LoudMusic]

My wife and I took my 93 Accord on a 6500 mile trek when it had 180,000 miles on it. But that's a Honda and you're talking about an Eagle ... good luck with that

 

[Diego440]

My honest suggestionis that before going on a long car trip you make sure eveything is running perfectly, or as close to perfect as possible.

You know your mechanic where you live (I guess) and I'm assuming you can fix up your car a bit, but it really sucks when you have to pull over in butkus, whateversplace and have to find a garage that can repair your car.

Road trips are always fun... I did a few when I lived in the US, and all of the times we rented a car. Drove from Buffalo, NY to Minneapolis, MN,... another time from Buffalo to Chicago and once from Buffalo to Miami... all on rental cars except for the BUF-MNN trip, which was done on a car of a friend of mine, and we took it to a complete checkup prior. It was a Honda.

That would be my advice.

 

[Robin]

Hmm, I think it might, it is after all a Honda so its ridiculously reliable but you may want to keep things easy on it between now and then, maybe also give it some servicing.....

Robin

 

[JCE]

Well I plan on going on a 4,000(apx.) mile trip in my 1994 Talon DL. The odometer is at 193xxx and should be around 194500 by the time I go in august.
Currently, the transmission is slightly loud because there is possibly a few bearing out on it. There is a small whine(kinda like a jet engine starting up) at 40+ and when its a cold engine there seems to be the sound of a bad piston rod below 3,000rpm. I think thats all thats wrong with it currently.
The trip would consist of going to Canada and then trying to make it to California. So now I want a few opinions, where do you think I should schedule my flight back home !

I wouldn't do it. If that is an internal engine component making noises then you don't want to put added strain on it by driving it hundreds of miles a day for weeks on end. Would probably be safer to use a relative's car or a rental car...or just fly there and fly back. I've been stranded in the middle of no-where with a dead car and it is not fun.

 

[Wolfe]

Actually, my recent thread on the BABE Rally should offer you some food for thought...

I wouldn't worry about the mileage or the "jet engine noise." My drivetrain has been making that same noise since I bought my BMW. It's just what ~200,000-mile cars do. Until the whirr starts turning into a deafening shriek (a friend of mine's Mk.II Supra does just that, due to a failed center driveshaft bearing), you should be fine.

However, that suspected bad piston rod sounds like bigger trouble. I'd have that looked at.

 

[Thatman]

I wouldn't do it. If that is an internal engine component making noises then you don't want to put added strain on it by driving it hundreds of miles a day for weeks on end. Would probably be safer to use a relative's car or a rental car...or just fly there and fly back. I've been stranded in the middle of no-where with a dead car and it is not fun.

I see, yeah, I know I have already tried to make it run as close to perfect as possible. I would give it one more oil change before the trip and perhaps even during. But yeah if my car died in the middle of nowhere I would want to have enough cash for a plane ride home!

 

[JCE]

I wouldn't worry about the mileage or the "jet engine noise." My drivetrain has been making that same noise since I bought my BMW. It's just what ~200,000-mile cars do.

My 239,000mi Camaro makes no such noise. 👍

 

[Gil]

In a car of that age and with the problems, etc, that you have described, I would fly from my home town, or as close to it as possible.
No offense to your car, but I take a lot of trips of 1000+ miles.
I usually take the car with the least amount of miles, that will hold the people and their stuff.
My Camry has just over 100,000 on it. It is a Toyota, but I know nothing of the life it led prior to 50,000 miles.
I might drive it, from KS to Colorado.
I do know that driving to North Carolina, over the mountains, would give me cause to consider whether or not I would take it.
But, I have been stuck out on the road with two babies.
It sucked.

 

[opelgt1969]

You didn't say if the transmission is auto or manual. As far as it making it I would think you should not have any problems. If you have any mountains in your area I'd see how the trans does on them first.

 

[Thatman]

Well, the piston being like that is a little weird, like I said or if I didn't as i'm going to say it only has that noise when its cold and below 3,000 rpm but we had a van that did that and the noise got way louder as you revved it up.

Oh sorry for not saying, tis a manual.

and then the "other" option for a car is a 1996 Accord with alignment and ball joint issues as well as both tie rods going out with 156xxx odo.

But I'm glad to hear someone else has the same noise at least.

And as for mountains, There arnt too many being in minnesota But the ones that are around here I simply put it in 4th if the engine starts having trouble maintaining 60.

 

[Philly]

Going from Minnesota, you will have to deal with the Rockies and the Cascades. If you plan on taking I-5, there are some mountains in the south of Oregon too.

 

[Thatman]

Going from Minnesota, you will have to deal with the Rockies and the Cascades. If you plan on taking I-5, there are some mountains in the south of Oregon too.

I have no idea, one of the best things of this trip will be having no set of roads to use, just "head west" until that is I get to cali, then I have relatives there.

 

[Slicks]

You sure it's a bad piston, or the lifters and/or valves? The galleries in the lifters were undersized in those motors, which leads to a ticking/tapping sound at times (for example, mine often does it when it's cold outside and the car's not up to operating temperature). Could be a sticky valve or injector causing a tapping noise as well.

Or the piston. Do a compression check, it may tell you whether it's really, really dead or not.

That said, if Wolfe can make a 30-year old Renault go a few thousand miles, I'm sure you could nurse your car as well. Just make sure you can afford a plane (or bus?) ticket home, if neccesary.

 

[Thatman]

Yeah, It does have a lifter knock at times, so maybe when its cold thats just louder idk, and yeah to do the rod check I can just start pulling plugs when its cold to verify that it may be the piston.

I wonder if bus would be cheaper....

 

[Jim Prower]

I wonder if bus would be cheaper....

dont' leave out AMTRAK as a consideration, either.

 

[Thatman]

I suppose, I've always wanted to go on a train ride , But then again I'd rather drive first and foremost.

 

[Thatman]

LOL, well those of you who said it wouldn't even make it to august WIN! I just lost 1st,2nd, and 4th gear. So now i'm contemplating on whether to put $250 on a new tranny or go an buy another car.

 

[Casio]

LOL, well those of you who said it wouldn't even make it to august WIN! I just lost 1st,2nd, and 4th gear. So now i'm contemplating on whether to put $250 on a new tranny or go an buy another car.

Just glue it in 3rd, then drive it or sell it as an automatic.

 

[Thatman]

Just glue it in 3rd, then drive it or sell it as an automatic.

yeah too bad i couldn't just hack off that 3rd pedal. Thats awsome. You made my night, thanks.