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Hey, just picked up an 86 lxi automatic with 48k miles. Body is in ok shape, was in minor accident on passenger side. Anyway, just wonder any good 50k maintenance things to do. I know serp belts were done within 10k miles. It has a an erratic idle in park that surges 1k to 1.5k rpm. Has warm heat and coolant topped off. Was told could be the cooling system. Vac lines are good. Thanks for any tips.
Timing belt. If it has only been driven 50k in 35 years then it likely hasn't been done, and it won't last
Welcome! The "bouncing idle" is almost always a vacuum leak or low coolant level. If the coolant is (or was) low, you must bleed the system properly to resolve the issue. Search the board for "bouncing idle" if you want to learn lots more.
The high mile services for most automakers now involve some minor tune-up items (maybe spark plugs, wires if the car has them, some filters, etc.) followed by a lot of inspection and finishing up with a road test. That's a good way to go on these cars too. Check the Maintenance Schedule in your Owner's Manual to see what maintenance items need to be performed at your current mileage. If you don't have the Owner's Manual, download the Service Manual from my signature and check out the Maintenance Schedule on p. 4-4.
After that, do a lot of looking. Look for oil leaks, cracked rubber and anything else that might indicate trouble. A good suspension check is always wise. Look for cracked bushings and boots, and make sure the ball joints in your upper control arms are not sloppy. If they are, replace them immediately. They can let go without warning and cause tremendous damage when they do. Finish up with a road test while you listen for untoward noises, unusual vibrations and other signs that things might not be right.
Other than that, enjoy your car! That low mileage is very rare.
Thanks for the warm welcome. So far the car is feeling great down the road. The idle bouncing seems to go away when car is warm but I still have to bleed system. It did have a flush at about 42k miles in 2014.
Welcome to the forum.
