for the guys that are into recreational oil changing...

On 4/2/2010 2:06 AM Tony Harding spake these words of knowledge:

The fresh oil.

RFT!!! Dave Kelsen

In short-> It is sacrilegious to even speculate about hidden motives of the Saints.

You can't seriously believe I'm going to read this and not think "You are taking the comments as a personal attack on your belief system."

So let's say I change my oil at 8000 miles where does that put me. I mean Heaven is obviously reserved for those that change their oil at

10000 miles and Hell is for those who change oil at 3000 miles. So where do I end up? Purgatory?

I would think that anyone living in a major city with a 45+ minute style commute qualifies...and yes, that is a significant number of drivers. Of course, 'lots of stop and go' is open to interpretation and maybe the manufacturers intends for it to mean only cars that are driven for 8+ hours per day under those conditions...but should the end user assume that is what they meant or err on the side of caution if they have a daily rush-hour commute?

Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles...millions of drivers deal with that 90+ temperature for months at a time. Entire states like Wyoming and Wisconsin deal with temperatures 'consistently' below freezing for months at a time.

I used to have a 65-70 min commute. However, it didn't affect my mileage. I took the train. ;-)

You can have 70 min commute, if you live far away, with mainly fast moving highways, even into NYC (I knew one teacher with about a 75-min commute from PA right into Harlem).

Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio & Austin. Many millions of Texans driving in the heat.

It wasn't long ago that we went over 30 days in a row without getting below 100 during the day and never getting below 80 at night. The car I was driving at the time has no A/C. That was tough.

I will never state how often I change my oil, that is now strictly classified information. ;-)

Pat

And the more important it is to check behind whoever you pay to do them to make sure they actually do them. I've personally seen too many examples of where that was the case. Imagine being on a 5000 mile change interval and two changes are faked.

I ignore the "premium" category as mostly fluff that probably serves the purpose you suggest (dealer profit), but they have changed the names of the other two in the "Service and Maintenance Guide" for '08 & '09. Now there is "Premium Schedule", Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. It still says you don't have to follow the Premium schedule to maintain the warranty, but Schedule 2 (what used to be called "Normal") has this disclaimer: "Generally, Schedule

2 applies only to highway driving in temperate conditions."

Here in Texas, the temp goes above 90 sometime in May and stays there until October. That pretty much kills normal schedule here, at least in the summer.

I think its interesting that Honda puts in the 90 degree clause, where Nissan focuses on dust and freezing temps, and only talks about hot in terms of stop-and-go driving in hot weather.

You have joggle my old farts memory.... we get a lot of 6.0 and 6.4 diesel engines through our shop (no surprise since we ARE a Ford dealer) that have had aftermarket oil filters installed. Jiffy Lube will happily dispose of your old filter cap since the aftermarket filter comes with it's own (ill fitting, leaking) cap.

Here in Canada, that new oil filter cap (the one that will cure your oil leak) is about $90 CAD (not including the price of the new oil filter).

Choosing a mechanic is like choosing a doctor... find one that you can easily get along with... find one that is brutally honest... Be aware that he may make the odd mistake and he will fix that mistake without hesitation. Many of my customers have been coming to me for 30 years or more....

Quicky oil changes by inexperienced minimum wage earners shouldn't be a viable option in anyones playbook... FWIW - I am paranoid to the point that I'm reluctant to eat in a fast food joint where I can't watch my meal from beginning to end... (Did anyone see that Gordon Ramsay show where the fast food guy picked a piece of food up off the floor and tossed it back in the deep frier? Yummmmm!!!)

And /or the "bulk" oil used is inferior. Or the oil is changed and the filter is just given a "rag job"

And you ignore that advice at your peril on an Altima or Maxima.

Quite a few in the scrap-yard around here with mint bodies because the cost of needed engine repairs equals or excedes the resale value of the car in running condition.

The article linked above is also a helpful read. I noticed the part that says "Depending on driving conditions, we expect oil change intervals could be approximately:

Up to 10,000 miles Normal commuting with highway driving

5000 to 7500 miles Trailer tow/high load driving 3000 to 5000 miles Short trip usage, extreme cold or hot temperature"

The fact that two very different different car manufacturers (Honda and Ford) are saying a 10k mile interval is fine for many speaks volumes, IMO.

On 4/2/2010 7:40 AM jim spake these words of knowledge:

Your reading comprehension is even lower than "Vic's", apparently.

I don't have a belief system with respect to my cars. I use the actual knowledge of the people who build and understand them, and the people who have bothered to examine their oil to obtain real-world information on how often they should change it. You should try it. That said, I don't particularly care what you do. Further, if you look back up the chain of posts, you will notice that I did not participate. "Vic" was not responded to, nor addressing, me.

I can seriously believe that it doesn't matter what anyone says to you; your opinion is apparently based on some sort of religion or, as you put it, 'belief system'. Facts apparently don't enter into the matter. Enjoy!

Lady, it leaves you as someone who changes their oil every 8000 miles. Ask your high priest, or whatever freaky equivalent you use, about where it leaves you spiritually. I was obviously right about you being a troll, and wrong to respond to you as if you might not be. My fault, I suppose. I fight cynicism every day, although your kind makes it more difficult all the time.

This is usenet, so I understand you can do and say whatever you want. That stated, I suggest that you go troll somewhere else, and shut the hell up about your religion.

RFT!!! Dave Kelsen

On 4/2/2010 6:54 AM Observer spake these words of knowledge:

>>>

Exactly right. Does it matter to you, OP, that you could save time and money by doing it less often, without affecting how well it 'works for you'? If not, go for it.

It's all in what matters to you.

RFT!!! Dave Kelsen

Yeah verily. One of the sludge issues was caused by dealers setting up a stall aimed at just oil changes, sucking oil out with a small tube inserted through the dip-stick sheath. That last pint never was drained.

Another issue not addressed in this thread is driving patterns. For a few years I was overseas and my wife was driving my Pontiac with a 454. All one or two mile trips. Engine never reached a proper operating temperature. Car suffered with constant crankcase dilution (with the oil level crawling UP the dipstick between changes. 3K wasn't often enough.

For cars with large engines and short trips, synthetic oil may be a mistake since synthetics tend to be hygroscopic. A better choice is a good petroleum based oil.

You state you have zero personal first hand knowledge and no belief system. So what's left? you are omniscient?

yeah but if you're omniscient you already knew he was attacking you - even before he wrote it.

And pray tell what facts have you presented?

From the (G37) maintenance schedule: "Infiniti developed Premium Maintenance for owners who want the ultimate in preventative maintenance." What they call Schedule ! Is the "severe" schedule with 3750 miles oil changes and checks. There is no peril in not following the "premium" schedule on an Altima or Maxima (unless having that extra cash in your wallet constitutes peril).

I'm sure that is true, but I was talking about an even worse scenario in which the "what the customer doesn't know won't hurt them" (at least until it's too late for it to be tracked back to us) philosophy of business is in play and the customer is billed for the oil change that is not performed. I caught the local Chrysler dealer at that when she took he brand new Concorde in for its first oil and filter change. She was charged for it, yet the original factory filter was on it (painted flat black with "ORIGINAL FACTORY FILTER" paint stamped on it) and the oil was exactly the same level and color as when she took it in.

There was another episode on a Jeep my daughter bought that was supposed to have been "religiously" serviced (oil and filter changed every 3000 miles) for the previous owner at their local Amerilube (their next door neighbor was the manager). Funny thing was that when I went to do the first oil change on it, the filter on it was Mopar brand, and had heavy rust all around the un-painted seam at its base.

Sarcasm,right? :)