Still Wheezing

Musashi's still wheezing. Don't know why. Don't really care as long it gets me to work.

air filter

Changed the air filter at 191,600 miles. The old one was nasty and clogged up pretty bad. I think this should take care of my surging idle by letting more air into the engine. I think Musashi was having trouble breathing.

Oil Change

Changed the oil at 190,000 miles. Good until 195,000. Car making weird surging when I take it out of gear after driving somewhere. Rev, idle, rev, idle, rev, idle. Bought air filter and will be replacing soon.

Wow!

The car just rolled over 190k miles. I've gone 5,200 miles on my first oil change. With a 7,000 mile filter and 5,000 mile synthetic oil.

For the Record

For the record, the tires that have been replaced are the back driver's side and the front passenger side. The driver's side tire was replaced at 186,900 miles. The passenger side tire was replaced at 188,476 miles. The driver's side tire is a Goodyear; the passenger side tire is a Firestone. I want to see which lasts longer. I think the Firestone will go first because it is a drive tire.

New and Improved

Had another flat tire and had it replaced. My car is still sitting at the coal mine until I can change the tire tomorrow. Why didn't I change it yesterday and drive it home you ask? I changed it but was unable to drive it home because my donut spare was flat too. Also, I replaced the wire that was holding up my exhaust pipe with metal hose clamps. They should last the life of the car.

Almost Time

It's almost time for that rubber exhaust hanger. The noise is getting worse. The car buzzes and rattles every time I let off the gas. It sounds kind of like a jake-brake on a semi.

The Awful Noise

So my car was making an awful noise when I shifted it into reverse. Kind of a grinding, buzzing, rattle. It was the cause of much concern. I considered taking the car to the shop because I thought that there must be something wrong with the transmission. Last second I brought the car over to my parents' house and my dad and brother and I looked it over. Turns out the exhaust is missing a rubber mount and somebody wired it up. Of course the exhaust rattles. Anyway, look forward to me replacing the rubber mount somewhere down the line. I can only put up with this noise for so long.

New Tire

The bald tire went flat, finally. I got a new tire! This one should be good for another 40,000 miles. Which is a drop in the bucket if you think about it. I'll go through 32 more tires if I drive them all to their max life without any problems. Also, the radio is on the fritz again.

My brother the genius

Joey fixed my radio. I think I've said enough. The man's a genius.

Fire-breathing dragon of awesomeness

That's right, Musashi is a fire-breathing dragon of awesomeness. I spent 8 bucks on a pair of heater control knobs and now I can actually control what temperature the air in my car is. It's amazing. I also got the plate put on this bad boy and sent a request for title to Indianapolis. I've been busy. The radio and replacing the bald tire are next on the list.

The Bet

So I made a bet with Joey today. He bet me a steak dinner that this car won't last 500,000 miles. He's pretty confident. So am I. I took the bet because if I'm right and the car goes 500,000 miles I'll have my steak dinner..........15 or 20 years from now. In 20 years steak is going to be super expensive. Also, I am trying to find time to have the bald tire on the back driver's side of the car replaced. Can't seem to get to Walmart these days.

This Car is the Bomb

I checked my miles per gallon for the first time today. I didn't really need to fill up but I was curious to see how I was doing. I averaged 28.5 miles per gallon! That includes going 90mph on the interstate just to see how fast I could get there. It also includes letting it run for 30 minutes while I hooked up an air compressor, checked the air pressure in all 4 tires, and aired them all up. This car is the bomb! I got 20mpg in my Ranger and I thought that was good. Oh, and by the way, 2/3 of you think that it is EXTREMELY LIKELY that I'll wreck this car within the first 100,000 miles. Thanks for your confidence.

My Car "Musashi"

Hello. This is my first post. As you know I recently bought a 1994 Honda Accord with 184,600 miles on the odometer. My goal is to reach 500,000 miles. I am going to blog every repair, all maintenance, and anything else worth mentioning on the long road ahead. I've dubbed my new ride "Musashi" in honor of one of my personal heroes Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi is one of Japan's most famous Samurai warriors. He fought in over 60 known duels and lived to a ripe old age of 60 something. Hell of a guy, Hell of a car, surely you see the connection.
Today I changed the Honda's oil for the first time since I bought it. I did so with 184,700 miles on the odometer. For a car that is destined for 500K mile glory like Musashi, regular oil changes are absolutely CRUCIAL. Today's change was difficult. I soon realized that I had to jack the car up to get underneath it. The jack had never been used and was stuck in its designated spot in the trunk. After I had the car jacked up I realized that the oil drain plug was on too tight. Somebody probably used a pnuematic impact to tighten it at the last oil change. I fought the urge to use my own impact to loosen it and resorted instead to a 17mm wrench (very snuggly fitting) and a hammer to break the plug loose. Never again will an impact be used to change my oil. Once I got the plug out the rest of the oil change went very smoothly. I used Mobil 5000 CLEAN 5w30 which is an oil that is good for 5,000 miles, and I used an extended life filter that is good for 7,000 miles. From this day on, Musashi will have an oil change every 5,000 miles religiously.