Blitzkreig75 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Hello. What's the typical mileage for the '94 3.4L engine in my Cutlass Convertible? It's got 160k now, and she still fires right up and runs strong. I don't drive much at all, <10k miles every year, and her suspension has paid for all the in-city driving, and rarely drive more than 20 miles without stopping. From what I can remember, this is hard on the engine, right? Lots and lots of stop-n-go driving, about 90% of it is. I'm wondering if the money to get the suspension fixed and the top leak fixed is worth it. It's also got some strange intermittent electrical issues, (but that's for another thread some other time). I have the know-how to fix about anything myself except the top, but gonna get rid of it if the thing is near the end of it's average lifespan, ya know? EDIT: I do take care of it with routine maintenance. It does have minor leaks of tranny and oil, but nothing serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Just like any other engine, take care of it and it will last and last. If it still fires up and runs strong, and nothing major is going on with it, I don't see why with proper maintenance why you couldn't hit 200k easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitzkreig75 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Thanks. I was hoping to get that about. I've been out of working on cars so long I didn't know what abouts engines lasted these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 The timing belt is the biggest issue on these... If your capable of replacing that, your set... To check it, there is a cover with 2 8mm bolts holding it on right next to the front valve cover, take that off and check the belt out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 timing belt and oil pump drive seal. take care of those and as long as it doesn't get beat on constantly, it will likely outlast the vehicle it's in assuming no other failures on the accessory drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galaxie500XL Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Regular oil changes are critical, and don't put off maintenance, and it should last a very long time. My '95 LQ1 convertible has 210,000 miles on it so far, no issues. Uses about a pint of oil every 3,000 miles, but that's pretty much it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M U Tiger Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Our '94 3.4L has nearly 140,XXX miles and runs OK, with only a few small issues so far. We also have a few leaks. It's hard to say how long our engines will last, but I've heard of them going past 200,XXX miles. Short drives are harder than extended mile trips, but maintenance is the key. Keep an eye on the dreaded timing belt/chain, the O-ring problem and the other common problems you'll find on this forum. Our philosophy is that our Cutty has to be treated well and constantly maintained properly, but even with that, it's not a car to rely on. We always have a back-up. (BTW, top installation isn't that difficult if you take your time and have good instructions. Several after market top suppliers even have DVDs of top installations available.) Good luck, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Also, this shouldn't really be in the convertible secyoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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