Cyndico

Hey guys! Just picked up an '02 TL Type S earlier today. It's pretty beat (looks like it was an auction car previously) with like 253,000 miles on. Bought it for the sole use of a commuter car for class, as I'm looking to sell my '12 Mazdaspeed 3 to lose the car payment.

There's already a few components I know I'll need to replace right off the bat, and I had a run in with the hood not latching earlier today that I'm still dealing with (common problem with these cars?), but I was curious if there is anything specifically I should be taking care of right now to increase the longevity of the car. Any preventative care tips y'all can pass my way?

Thanks!

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

Yes read the forum. Its all there already.

frankjnjr

IMO: Like GhostTL09 suggested, It's all here on the Forum, You just need to look. An 02 2G TLS, (" (looks like it was an auction car previously) with like 253,000 miles on") requires PREMIUM FUEL, may NOT have been the ideal choice, for a student commuter car!! If it were me, I would try to sell it, if I had a chance to get my money back out of it, and look for something like a 4 Cylinder Honda Civic or Accord, or a 4 Cylinder Toyota Corolla, or Camry. A poorly maintained 2G TLS could prove to be a MONEY PIT, even if the TRANSMISSION doesn't FAIL soon!

Cyndico

Ah man, that's the last thing I want to hear haha. I may look into that, though; I appreciate the advice. I've already identified several bits of maintenance that will need to be seen too, and I'm sure the transmission is going to grenade itself before too long. Here's to hoping it doesn't.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

What makes you sure the tranny will fail soon? Yes, they are not the most reliable automatic transmissions in the world, but with the kind of miles on your car, there is a fair bet it has been rebuilt/replaced at least once in the car's life. That said, this car has a very high probability of costing you several times what you paid for it to keep it running.

FWIW, back in 2012 I bought a 2001 V6 Accord (basically the same thing as a 2G TL but with an equally inadequate 4-Speed automatic transmission, and lesser appointments); I paid something like $5,500 for it when it had about 114,000 miles on the clock, and over the last six years and 80,000 miles, have put well over $6,000 (counting both scheduled maintenance like tires, oil changes, ATF changes, and a timing belt/water pump service as well as numerous unscheduled repairs due to component failures) into keeping it running. I expect you should budget about the same over the next year or two.