Automakers Lengthen Oil Change Intervals
in [Cars]
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From: SMS on 28 Mar 2007 16:48 Roger Blake wrote: > What the "automotive technician" did was to drain his transmission and > dump an extra 4 quarts of oil into the engine. (Needless to say after > much thumping of lawyers, they had to pay for a new engine and tranny > for my friend's car.) What's amusing is that Jiffy Lube isn't even cheap. It's usually more than taking it to the local service station where the likelihood of a trained mechanic performing the service is much higher. It's about the same as the cost at the dealer when the dealer has a coupon special (which is pretty often, especially because most dealers will honor a competing dealer's coupons, including on-line coupons). My garbage company picks up used oil, so I tend to do my own oil changes more than I used to when it was a hassle to dispose of the oil. Also, my mechanic is a long drive away, so I don't want to waste the gas driving there.
From: SMS on 28 Mar 2007 16:59 Steve Barker wrote: > I'm a regular guy (retired) with 4 vehicles that always have, and always > will, get 3k oil changes on straight 30 weight oil. This will increase the engine wear at start-up, though if you're in a hot climate it won't be too bad. Just make sure that it's a detergent SAE 30, not non-detergent, as both are available. > and new serpentine belt every 3,000 miles either. As an ASE certified > master mechanic since '77 , I do my own maintenance. And I burn the used > oil on the brush pile. So there. I used to give my old oil to a guy that was involved with some sort of train preservation group, and they burned the old oil in the locomotive. Until the BAAQMD told them they couldn't burn it anymore.
From: Brent P on 28 Mar 2007 17:05 In article <460ad725$0$27206$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net>, SMS wrote: > Steve Barker wrote: >> I'm a regular guy (retired) with 4 vehicles that always have, and always >> will, get 3k oil changes on straight 30 weight oil. > This will increase the engine wear at start-up, though if you're in a > hot climate it won't be too bad. Just make sure that it's a detergent > SAE 30, not non-detergent, as both are available. There are some engines with small oil passages where it's probably not a good idea at all.
From: SMS on 28 Mar 2007 17:05 C. E. White wrote: > You need to read what is truly severe service. Jiffy Lube et al would > like to convince you that starting the car up and moving it out of the > driveway is severe service. Ford (and other manufacturers) have tried > to be more exact in order to dispell this misinformation spewed out by > the oil change industry. For a 2007 Ford Fusion, Ford has the > following say about "Special Operating Conditions;" This is one of the key problems. True severe service would be exclusively very short trips where the engine and oil never reach operating temperature. Apparently some people believe that if you _ever_ make a short trip then you're in the severe service category. It takes about ten minutes for oil to reach full operating temperature, and few minutes more for any moisture in the oil to be burned off. But a once a week longer drive, after five or six days of short drives, is sufficient to counteract the effects of the short trips. The vehicle manufacturers don't want to discourage proper maintenance, nor do they want to lump everyone into severe service for no real reason.
From: Ed White on 28 Mar 2007 17:50
On Mar 28, 11:12 am, "Steve Barker" <ichasetra...(a)some.yahoo.com> wrote: > I'm a regular guy (retired) with 4 vehicles that always have, and always > will, get 3k oil changes on straight 30 weight oil. I don't believe in > extended oil changes, $ynthetic lube, or multiviscosity oil. Several of the > vehicles I have owned have reached 300,000 miles without ever having a valve > cover removed. It's all just common sense driving. Oh, and I not only > DON'T own a jiffy lube, I don't use them either. I don't need an air filter > and new serpentine belt every 3,000 miles either. As an ASE certified > master mechanic since '77 , I do my own maintenance. And I burn the used > oil on the brush pile. So there. Engines reaching 300,000 miles is nothing so special. Show me interiors that still look good after 9 or 10 years and 300,000 miles, or paint that still looks good. Over the years I've been a lot more money on shocks, tires, paint, and air conditiong system than on engines. The two people close to me that keep cars forever have yet to wear out an engine, despite spotty maintenace practices. Wrecks or transmissions faiures seem to be the usual exit strategy. Clearly you are a card carrying member of the car maintenance industry. 3000 mile oil changes put (or did put) money in your pocket. Given your past occupation I can understand why you might promote them so heavily. But you are not the average person. For the average person, 3000 mile oil changes are a waste of money. It is taking money out of thier pocket for no measurable benefit. You should be recycling that oil and composting your brush. Ed |