What's on your high-mileage used car to-do list?

I just bought a 2004 Toyota Sequoia with 178k on the clock. What is on your to-do list when you get a high-mileage older used car that's not going to see track time?

It the past I've kept is pretty simple. Change the oil, do the coolant if it looks sketchy, do the gear oil for the trans and differential(s). There are probably some problems I could have headed-off by being more proactive in the past...

With this truck, it needs a timing belt anyway, so I'll definitely be changing the coolant then. Do you guys do an ATF change on a car like this? What about stuff like power steering fluid and brake fluid? On a slight tangent, bobistheoilguy.com has me utterly confused about magical elixirs, do you guys buy into the Kreen/AutoRX/etc. hype? When maintenance is a relatively unknown?

TIA, Joe

Other than obvious needed repairs, I mix and match from the list below depending on cost and how well the car was taken care of in its past life.

Fluids - Engine oil, transmission, differentials, but usually not coolant, PS, or old ATF

Filters - Air intake, cabin, fuel, oil

Tune up - Plugs, wires, pcv

Run a can of sea foam with the old parts installed if you think the engine is gunked up inside. Split it between gas tank and through the intake manifold.

Timing belt and water pump

Light bulbs, wiper blades

I change the oil and check the rest of the fluids. If they look questionable, I change them as well. Brake fluid will be changed if I have to do brakes. I use no magic elixirs unless it's leaking oil, then I use high mileage oil for a change or two and see if that solves the problem. As a general rule, I don't change ATF oils unless the transmission is acting up. Toyota transmissions might not like that treatment, Fords and GMs don't seem to mind.

I don't usually buy cars with timing belts, but I would put that near the top of the list of things to do if it is a interference engine. I would probably change it even if the PO said it had been done.

pretty sure 2UZ FEs are an interference engine so by mileage it should be about due for it's 2nd timing belt change. Unless you see a receipt for a recent one assume it hasn't happened. Do the water pump when you do the timing belt. It's probably due for fluid/filter for the trans. While in there, the bearings on the serpentine belt tensioner are known to wear, go noisy and fail. Oh, make sure to engage the transfer case in all modes at least a couple times a year - a lot of times 4l never gets used, doesn't get rotated and gets sticky.

Suspension bushings are probably beat. Those can kill ball joints, shocks, and struts quick.

Nitroracer wrote: Light bulbs, wiper blades

Depending on condition, I'd either polish or replace headlight housings if they're fogged/scratched.

Fluids, filters, and a tune up if needed. Also normally pull/rotate tires to see what the brakes look like.

if you are changing the trans oil, get it right from the dealer. Too many 'one size fits most' on the self at the parts store. its worth it.

What everybody else said but at ten years old I look at the brake hoses. And fluid flush.

Lots of good stuff here I wasn't thinking of guys, thank you! I totally spaced on the various filters, for example.

In reply to oldtin:
The truck was traded in to a local Toyota store on a new 4Runner with 178k on the clock. I strongly suspect that the previous owner came in for his 180k service (the truck had been serviced at the same dealer before), saw the price of the t-belt job at the dealer, and decided to just swap it for a new model.
So, the t-belt job is on the top of my list. I've got the Aisin kit (w/water pump and tensioner) in my shopping cart at rockauto.

All fluids and filters aside from maybe the air filter if it looks good, inspect suspension and braking system (check every inch of the brake lines), grease anything greaseable (including slider pins), replace any iffy looking belts and hoses. Timing belt if there's no hard evidence of it being within it's interval. If it has valve lash adjusters probably check and set those.

No mechanic in a can stuff, completely unnecessary unless you bought something stupid gunked up on a gamble.

SEARCH, and I mean SEARCH the car for anything the previous owners might have forgotten to remove. You know, like french fries, loose change, tobacco alternatives, very personal protective equipment (used or otherwise). Wear gloves and use a flashlight.

Some things are specific to the make of car. Some things are obvious and should be addressed. But with those aside I always clean everything!! Get underneath to look for leaks, torn up stuff, rattling and rusted things too. We call it a spa day! Gets new fluids and filters, Spark plugs checked and often replaced just because.

By clean I mean use that new car enthusiasm to clean everything! Pull the seats and carpet for a power washing, scrub door jambs and rear area, engine and undercarriage too.

Spend a little time with a can of spray lube and get those moving parts.

I get a pad and write the problems down for a few weeks after I start driving. I did this with my sister in laws car and many things not apparent at first popped up! a dash light out, hit a bump and the left speaker stutters, the glovebox latch is loose, missing piece of trim, slight wandering in the steering, fog light doesn't work, inside passenger door latch is black and the rest are chrome...just the little things make a huge difference.

Bruce

I usually do an angine and or transmission swap and make sure it doesnt run for at least a couple months, then re-engineer the whole g-d car after that. It's a nightmare.

I think just about all points have been hit. FWIW, if you have Amazon Prime they have the t-belt kit a little cheaper than Rock Auto. I'm currently debating whether I want to do it myself or pay a shop $375 to do it for me (with warranty).

At that mileage I'd also like to do the fuel filter after running a fuel system cleaner through the tank.