Mileage is one of the factors helpful in determining the quality of a junkyard engine for sale. The number of miles an engine has driven from the day it rolled off the assembly line to the present can give some insights into its degree of wear and tear. That’s why most people prefer low mileage engines for sale for replacement purposes.
In this write-up, we’ll discuss the role of low mileage and other factors in analyzing the quality of a cheap used engine for sale.
Ideal Range of Mileage for a Good Used Engine
Since no hard and fast rule links mileage to a used engine’s condition. An assessment is based on the general assumption that an average car owner puts about 10,000 to 12,000 miles on an engine every year. So, the average mileage of a used engine after 5 years would be 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Anything below those numbers will be considered low mileage and ideal for buying a used engine.
Following the same logic, if you find a used engine that is 7 years old and has a mileage of about 75,000 miles, it is a good engine. The low mileage of 75,000 will prove to be good for this used engine as it proves that for 7 years, the engine has been utilized consistently but not enough to cause severe wear & tear.
Other Factors Responsible for a Used Engine’s Condition
Since mileage alone isn’t enough to truly assess a used engine’s condition. There are a few other factors that may help in the process like age & the number of owners.
Age: How old an engine is quite telling of its condition. Combined with the mileage of an engine, it can give you a better insight into the engine’s condition. For example, 15,000 miles of a two-year-old engine are not the same as 15,000 miles of an eight-year-old engine.
The number of owners: Even if the mileage numbers of a used engine are looking good, it is important to know the number of owners an engine has had in its lifetime. Suppose you have a 10-year-old used engine with 90,000 miles on it. However, the engine was owned by 4 different owners. At least one of the owners was likely careless with the maintenance of the engine.
Conclusion
Low mileage is usually good for a used engine as long as the other factors are also in its favor. If the engine has low mileage and the maintenance history seems fishy, it won’t qualify as a high-quality used engine. Thus, one must consider an engine with relatively less wear and age when looking for a low-mileage used engine for sale to make the best purchase.