“Don’t be slamming on your brakes…”
Many modern vehicles easily make it to 200,000 miles, particularly with regular maintenance. Getting past 300,000 miles is far less common, however—particularly for some makes and models.
One man’s Hyundai hybrid has an impressive 317,935 miles on the odometer. It’s even more impressive that he says the engine, the transmission, and even the hybrid battery are the same ones it left the factory with. He says his aim is to take it to half a million miles.
Now he’s put his maintenance routine on the internet for anyone who wants to try the same.
Taylor (@taylorphase), a YouTuber and TikToker whose content mostly covers travel and food, recently posted a TikTok that has so far drawn more than 43,800 views.
“Preventative maintenance can help your car get to half a MILLION MILES on original transmission and engine,” reads the text on-screen. “I’m not lying. We got that many miles. It’s a Hyundai, everything’s original,” he says. In a comment pinned under the video, he fills in the rest: “Hyundai hybrid with original engine and transmission and even the original hybrid battery.”
The car is a black Ioniq Hybrid liftback, and at nearly 318,000 miles it has covered more than three times the mileage of Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
What Is Taylor’s Hyundai Maintenance Routine?
According to Taylor, oil comes first, and his approach to it is to instruct a shop to use his preferred oil. He buys AMSOIL and takes it to a quick-lube chain: “Pay them for maintenance and they’ll do it for, like, $35 to $50, and then you can choose your oil.”
He also doesn’t run the grade printed on the filler cap all year. “The cap says 0W-20, but my owner’s manual says in warm weather I can do 5W-30 or even 10W-30,” he says. “When it’s really hot, your oil thins out and that means more metal-on-metal contact. So in the summer, I just run 5W-30.”
He says he keeps the coolant topped off and checks it with pH test strips, though he admits that there is an emerging issue with that system: “Mine has a very slow leak or I’m burning it. I can’t tell, so I’m always topping it off.”
He runs iridium spark plugs and says he changes them “every hundred thousand miles.” For the brake fluid and “the clutch that’s way down in there,” he uses a kitchen tool: “I actually take a turkey baster and I just suck out the fluid and pour in new fluid, and that’s been working.”
The belts are original.
The last item is the one he calls the most important, and it costs nothing. “Don’t be slamming on your brakes and don’t be flooring it at every light,” he says.
What Does Hyundai’s Manual Say?
Taylor’s approach to oil changes and grades comports with manufacturer guidance. Hyundai’s owner’s manual for the 2019 Ioniq Hybrid recommends 0W-20 “for better fuel economy,” but its viscosity chart also lists 5W-30 and 10W-30, and it states that “higher viscosity engine oils are required for satisfactory lubrication in hot weather.” His spark plug interval is close to Hyundai’s too: the same manual says to replace them every 97,500 miles.
The Ioniq Hybrid has an engine clutch in its hybrid drivetrain, separate from the transmission, and the manual lists the fluid it uses as DOT 3 brake fluid, which is why Taylor treats the clutch and the brake fluid change as one chore. Hyundai’s schedule calls for that fluid to be inspected every 7,500 miles and replaced every 22,500.
Two parts of his routine do not conform with Hyundai’s recommended schedule. He says he has the original factory HSG belt, for the hybrid starter and generator, which Hyundai says to “replace every 67,500 miles or 48 months.” Coolant is due “at first” at 120,000 miles or 10 years, and “after that, replace every 30,000 miles or 24 months.” Topping off a slow leak isn’t a substitute for that maintenance, although obviously it does mean some fresh coolant goes in regularly.
“If You Haven’t Done A Flush, Definitely Don’t Start Now”
The most-liked comment in the thread under the video was ambivalent. “Basic maintenance can really extend the life of a vehicle. I also think some intervals are way too long,” wrote tom.tom.tom35. He said his Range Rover purportedly needs oil every 16,000 miles or once a year. “Too long for me.”
A user going by the turkey baster was more directly critical. “Changing the brake fluid reservoir does nothing! Brake fluid doesn’t circulate. You’re running on the original brake fluid until you bleed it,” wrote kittykittycatonalake. Palacehoe counseled against that with some automotive folk wisdom: “If you haven’t done a flush, definitely don’t start now.” Karle1983 was awestruck by the belt: “Bro, that belt has never been changed and looks like that.”
Others gave more credit to the drivetrain than the owner. “You’re forgetting to mention that this is a hybrid,” wrote ctflyer. Langleyyasuka argued that mileage like this usually comes from long trips: “Cold starts are where the overwhelming majority of wear comes from, so if you’re driving only 20 miles per cold start you’re probably gonna get less mileage out of your car.”
Taylor’s closing advice is to do everything “ahead of time” rather than waiting for the reminder. “Definitely try to do it earlier than later,” he says. “So don’t be doing 10,000-mile oil changes.”
Motor1 reached out to Taylor via TikTok direct message for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.
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