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Re: Engine Oil Choice

Ed wrote, "Other factors come into play, aside from the $75+ or so for a tranny change. Engine oil is contaminated by condensation, blow-by, and is subjected to very high temperatures. Transmissions are somewhat closed. There is less chance of contamination getting in. Under certain circumstances, like heavy towing, it can be overheated and burned, but it can usually go very long times with little degradation." ********************************************* Good point, Ed, and well taken. But it still doesn.t speak to my assertion that so many people do not service their automatic transmission anywhere near as often as often as they should (and as per recommendations) while they change their engine oil _arguably_ more often then they need to. The $75 fee for the transmission service, which is advisable, is forsaken in favour of the 2500 mile engine oil change, which is not.

Reply to
Dale R
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I agree Dale that more people ignore tranny service than ignore oil changes, but I suspect that breaks down into a couple of different categories. The first would be those who simply change oil more frequently than necessary (as you point out) than necessary. This group likely does not ignore their tranny service and probably services their tranny somewhat more frequently than is necessary - on the low side of recommended mileage intervals.

The second would be those who don't service their vehicles at all unless they break down or otherwise show signs of needing attention. This group doesn't really pay much more attention to their oil, unless a light comes on, than they do their tranny. They generally don't pay any attention to their tranny at all, unless the car does not move.

So - I'm not sure the $75 tranny service is really foresaken in favor of

2500 mile oil changes. I believe when tranny service is forsaken, it's simply forsaken in favor of no tranny service. Likewise, 2500 mile oil changes don't favor any other form of maintenance (I believe), rather they simply waste oil.
Reply to
Mike Marlow

I'm not one of those people. I service my transmissions myself, for the most part ( if I'm down in my back, or don't have time, I may take one of the cars to my friendly and competent local independent shop).

You can run your oil 10-15,000 miles, if you want, and never service your tranny, because the car is yours and that might be your philosophy, but it isnt mine.

Reply to
hls

In 47 years of driving, I've only ever had one transmission go bad on me. Coincidently, it is the only one I ever had serviced.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I have also had one go out on me....the infamous Metric 440T4. That particular series of transmission tended to fail at roughly 100K, or even less, regardless of what you did.

Reply to
hls

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