Mixing oils?

Interesting.

I read that the most wear an engine gets is the first 15 seconds after start, when the oil is coming up. So that may be the big advantage of synthetic?

I change my own oil in my '03 Corolla. I popped for a set of ramps that makes getting under it very easy. I don't trust any of the oil change shops. I took my Dakota to one when I was too lazy to change the oil myself. I told them I wanted Valvoline oil. When I picked it up I asked if they had used the specified Valvoline. They said no, they used something better. I asked what it was. They said it was the same oil as used on NASCAR race cars. I said what brand is that? They didn't know any more than it was supposed to be very good. I told them I had no interest in their reconditioned no-name oil and would never return there again. I don't trust any of those shysters any further than I can throw them.

That's fine, but Costco has dino oil for $1.25 a bottle.

If you are changing oil at the oil joint on the corner, you're not getting synthetic, and adding quarts of synthetic as needed throughout an oil change interval is wasting money.

If you are using synthetic oil, then Costco is a good buy because I've seen synthetic for well in excess of $5.00 per bottle.

Oh ok.

Someone just mentioned ramps. I had a pair of steel ramps years ago but could never get the car up on them, they slid out. How do you do that?

And do you use 2 or 4?

Ane then what do you do with the old oil? Gotta pay someone to take it?

For a front wheel drive car I always put the ramps up against the tires and sighted down them and the car to make sure they were straight, then backed the car up a foot or 2. Now here is where it gets fun and entertaining, leave the door open and lean out so that you can see the front tire, power brake (hold brake firmly and partially press the accelerator) then release the brake. When the car is half way up the ramps hit the brakes again and you should be stopped near the top. While still holding the accelerator partially down slowly let up on and feather the brake until the car creeps forward into the pocket on top of the ramps then press the brake harder, release the accelerator, put it in park or neutral, and set the parking brake.

NEVER attempt to go up the ramps with 1 foot and try to quickly switch from gas to brakes at the top, you will drive over the ramps. Ask me how I know :-)

Oh and only 2.

Poorly made ramps will have a tendency to slide away when the tires come in contact.

I do not recommend the running start method that someone described unless your have lightning reflexes, have a way to lift the vehicle off of the ramps if you drive off of the end, have a good set of ramps that don't scoot away when the tires come in contact, are willing to put up with damaged pinch welds behind the front wheel openings, and are knowledgeable enough about cars that you can figure out how to jack up the vehicle safely with the vehicle's jack if the jack support location is damaged.

A safer method is to place the ramps immediately in front of the front tires, roll down the driver's window, and have someone guide you up the ramp from the side of the vehicle. Do not let anyone stand in front of the vehicle for obvious reasons. If the ramps slide away, throw them away because they are unsafe.

Also, if you are going to change your own oil, you should know that there are several drain plugs under the front of the vehicle, and removing the incorrect one will damage the component that the incorrect plug was removed from as well as the engine.

Most cities and towns have a designated hazardous material drop off location that will take used motor oil, and most stores that sell it will accept used motor oil, especially auto parts stores.

That's right. When your motor turns over the first few times it tries to circulate cold oil settled in the crank case. When regular motor oil is thick from cold temperature it won't flow freely until it gets warmed up a bit. Synthetic oil remains fluid at low temperatures minimizing friction during startup.

Only a statist socialist would pay such high prices for synthetic. The last time I bought some, it was $1 a quart, after rebate, for Pennzoil in the 5 qt. container. Earlier I paid 38 cents and 6 cents a quart, for 6-packs, and last week, Kmart or Walmart had some on close-out for $1.50/qt., or only 10 cents more than the conventional oil Sears was selling a few days earlier.

What political clap-trap garbage!