How long do you maintain your car and how long do you drive it? Lesseees usually say that three years and from 20.000 to 25.000 kilometers driven. For others, the vehicle must last ten years or more due to the cost alone. Then there are the real "kilometer eaters" with a million or more kilometers driven.
These are usually taxis, mostly brands Mercedes-Benz, which is an example of a report from the Canary Islands. According to Tenerife News, he has reached this milestone Mercedes 240D W123 in a rather rare extended version. This 5,36 meter long limousine has been operating as a taxi on this island since 1988. It can seat up to seven passengers and the driver. The 72-horsepower diesel engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
Someone owns a record-breaking Mercedes Sunday, which in Gran Canaria is also known as "Dominguita". According to Tenerife News, it is extended 240D in use in three shifts of eight hours each. That means approx 700 kilometers per day. The car has traveled 7 million kilometers so far.
However, some parts on it are no longer original. According to the information from the publication, the oil must be changed after 5.000 kilometers driven per week practically every week. In addition, fixed maintenance intervals are also specified. For example, the engine OM 616 is thoroughly inspected every million kilometers. The current engine is only the second unit under the hood. If needed, a replacement engine is already available.
Dominguito he handed over the taxi and the company to his son. In 2008, one of the drivers came up with the idea to thoroughly restored vehicle 240D and made him the flagship of the company. The new boss let him do it.
At that time, the car had been driven 3,8 million kilometers. Since then, the mileage has practically doubled. Although the company tried to keep as many original parts as possible, the driver's seat and steering wheel had to be replaced. In addition, the passenger seats were newly upholstered and covered.
