Auto question (94 Prelude Si)

Newbie4Life

Junior Member
Jan 23, 2001
6
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Hi there everyone. I was pondering purchasing a used 1994 Honda Prelude Si for a darn good price. The thing is..the car has 156,000 miles on it. It is in good condition otherwise besides some minor body problems that can be fixed for under $500.
I will have a mechanic inspect it before I make my final descsion of course, but the 156,000 miles does worry me. The owner took it in for regularly scheduled maintenances, and besides the minor body problems it seems in very good condition. I'm not a car expert though, and I don't want to get hit with expensive repairs down the road.
Will I have to replace anything or make major, expensive repairs down the road? Should I go ahead and buy it, or wait for something better with less mileage?

Any possible help is greatly appreciated, Thanks everyone!
 

Soybomb

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2000
9,505
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Definatley worry about the transmission, and the engines shape, although the mechanic should be able to give you a decent idea about that. The fuel pump and water pump should be ending their life if they havent been replaced yet. They are harder to "test". Thats a whole lot of miles for how old it is i think.....
 

Thegonagle

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2000
9,773
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If the price is right for you, and the mechanic says go, go for it. The owner took it in for maintenance religiously and that?s so very important. (Did he bring it to the dealership? If so, that?s 10x better than the ol? Jiffy Lube and Precision Tune regiment. The experience of the tech matters.) Honda?s engines and transmissions are very durable. I had an ?87 Accord automatic with 247,000 miles on the original engine and transmission and it showed no signs of slowing down when I wrecked it. :(

If it?s a manual, clutch life may be a concern, but it really depends how it?s driven. I?ve seen em last between 40,000 to 170,000 miles and probably longer.

With 156,000 miles, you must find out when the last time the timing belt was replaced. If you let this break on a Honda, you?ll probably bend valves and that costs big bucks to fix. They usually replace the water pump and the rest of the belts at the same time "while they?re in there."

Honda OE alternators tend to last between 130,000 to 190,000 miles in my experience, so that might come up.

Like any other car, the AC might need to be repaired or recharged soon.

Brake rotor warpage is unfortunately all too common on most Hondas but I?ve never had a Prelude before, so they might have tougher brakes than the rest.

Good Luck!