Ok guys, teach your kids to check and change their oil.

[model1994]

just wanted to come here & promote a Hoosier company in case y’all weren’t aware of em: Blackstone Labs - they do oil analysis

 

[rosejm]

It was running fine when she brought it in!
What did you do to it?!?

 

[foszoe]

One thing I tell my wife and anyone else who will listen.

Get in the habit of driving the first 5 min or so with the radio OFF! When its nice out. Turn off the fan/heat/ac and just LISTEN to the vehicle. Get to know what it sounds like so that when it sounds different, you will KNOW it.

 

[Leo]

I remember there used to be a motor flush in a yellow can. The quart ones, like when oil came in cans.

I will tell her Dad, but he is not very mechanical. I will just tell him to keep an eye on her to check the oil and having it changed on time.

Rislone ?

 

[indyblue]

Most engine flush products are mostly just kerosene. It sounds like in the OP’s situation there’s not much to lose by performing a flush and risking a chunk of something in the oil pick up vs having a critical oil galley plugged up with sludge.

I usually recommend folks to check their oil and tire pressures with every fill up.

The Corvette factory manual specifies mobil 1 oil change every 7500 miles, I usually do it at 5K unless it’s fall then I change it before the car goes into winter hibernation so it sits with fresh oil in it. Same thing with the old Firebird and the Yamaha but only every other year or so since I drive them so little.

Changing oil at 3000 miles with modern oil formulations is wasting oil and money. I personally think 7500 miles is stretching it so a happy medium is 5000.

New Beemers And Mercedes have now sealed their engines and oil changes can no longer be performed by the consumer or warranty will be voided. I will never buy or own one of these.

Doing my own service has probably saved me over $10,000 over the years.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I've all but given up. Both of my knucklehead daughters have bombed engines because of oil. I've enacted a policy of no more free cars to fxck up from Dad. I find that most people take better care of things that they have to work for.

 

[JoeSig]

A word on quick lubes - I went to one once. Was moving and was too lazy to unpack my tools so I brought my vehicle in. They forgot to put the oil neck fill cap back on.... oil splashed everywhere. Never again...

It's not hard to do yourself or to teach someone how. If not, be a useful friend or family member and have them bring it to you. They pay for the oil and filter, and lunch/beer for you. It's always good to be useful I do my parent's vehicle maintenance and get rewarded with food. Also a good excuse to visit to check up on them.

 

[red_zr24x4]

A word on quick lubes - I went to one once. Was moving and was too lazy to unpack my tools so I brought my vehicle in. They forgot to put the oil neck fill cap back on.... oil splashed everywhere. Never again...

It's not hard to do yourself or to teach someone how. If not, be a useful friend or family member and have them bring it to you. They pay for the oil and filter, and lunch/beer for you. It's always good to be useful I do my parent's vehicle maintenance and get rewarded with food. Also a good excuse to visit to check up on them.

Not just the quick lube places.
1st oil change on a brand new truck and the dealership did the same thing. When I got home and found it I went straight back to bitch.
They acted like it wasn't a big deal.

 

[gassprint1]

I think it was called rislone. I was a mechanic in the 80’s and 90’s and that is what I used to flush out a engine. I have also used a quart of transmission fluid in with the oil to flush an engine before changing the oil.

Best to use diesel fuel. When i worked for A&R motors in Plymouth years ago, we used to get alot of Toyota and hondas with lifter noise. Poor oil changes lead to clogged lifters and the diesel mixed oil for 10minutes was the only thing that clean 99% out. Once new oil was put in, the lifters pumped back up.
FYI, to anyone that runs into abused engines, use heavier oil because those tight tolerances to run 0W5 or such will just make the bearings worse

 

[Brian Ski]

just wanted to come here & promote a Hoosier company in case y’all weren’t aware of em: Blackstone Labs - they do oil analysis

Cat did it for me and it was about $30. I was just curious.

 

[Brian Ski]

I've all but given up. Both of my knucklehead daughters have bombed engines because of oil.

My buddy got a call from his girlfriends daughter. She said her car died. Newer Toyota. She said the magic genie light has been on for a couple weeks. It must have been the toll road to Chicago that messed up the engine.

 

[Brian Ski]

I personally think 7500 miles is stretching it so a happy medium is 5000.

I agree, but looking at how it is driven. Highway you can get more miles out of the oil. Once a year is good if you don't put on excessive miles.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I change mine at 5000. Get the tires rotated at the same time. Its a time saver to sync those two needs up.

 

[Wj24]

Great way to save money, get some rhino ramps, wheel chocks, oil drain pan and an oil filter wrench, one youtube video and you can do it yourself in under 10 minutes

 

[Brian Ski]

Great way to save money, get some rhino ramps, wheel chocks, oil drain pan and an oil filter wrench, one youtube video and you can do it yourself in under 10 minutes

You don't seem to save much money. I stopped at Meijer. Filter and a 5qts of synthetic was about $40. I normally don't change oil for people, but since the car was so low on oil... Oil change at dealership here was cheaper than that. (Not sure why??)

I do my own, because I do my own. I change my own tires too.

 

[Leo]

*****Rant warning*****

Most of the hours on my engine are spent in town. I change at 3000. In the spring I wanted an oil change, at about 2800 miles. The guy said Sir, we do not change oil at that low of mileage. I said; I do, and am getting it changed today, If you don't want to do it, I will go elsewhere. Why would they turn down a paying customer?

One thing that has happened in the last few years is that the shops want to use the same oil in everything. My engine was originally designed and spec'ed for 10W30 conventional. Then the next one spec'ed 5W30 synthetic. This once came spec'ed for 5W20. A couple of the places put in 0W20 saying it is acceptable, without even asking me. That is not what my owners manual recommends, nor the under hood sticker, or the label on the oil cap. They tell me all the rice burners spec 0W20 or 0w16. If I wanted to experiment, I would have asked for that. Maybe the water thin oils is why timing chains, gears and phasers fail so early in the engines life. The water thin oil is an attempt to up the CAFE fuel economy ratings.

I don't want to hear the lie about tighter tolerances. Talk to any of the precision engine builders, Men that can actually grind crankshafts and mill every part on the engine. Engines are the same clearance specs from pretty much any US Brand for at least 30 years. EVEN if the new foreign engines were marginally tighter spec's, the 80,000 mile engine in my 12 year old domestic car is not.

There is an old saying " ain't much trouble a many can't fix, with $900 dollars and a 30-06" I have both, and even getting an oil change is iffy.

*****rant over*****

 

[foszoe]

*****Rant warning*****

Most of the hours on my engine are spent in town. I change at 3000. In the spring I wanted an oil change, at about 2800 miles. The guy said Sir, we do not change oil at that low of mileage. I said; I do, and am getting it changed today, If you don't want to do it, I will go elsewhere. Why would they turn down a paying customer?

One thing that has happened in the last few years is that the shops want to use the same oil in everything. My engine was originally designed and spec'ed for 10W30 conventional. Then the next one spec'ed 5W30 synthetic. This once came spec'ed for 5W20. A couple of the places put in 0W20 saying it is acceptable, without even asking me. That is not what my owners manual recommends, nor the under hood sticker, or the label on the oil cap. They tell me all the rice burners spec 0W20 or 0w16. If I wanted to experiment, I would have asked for that. Maybe the water thin oils is why timing chains, gears and phasers fail so early in the engines life. The water thin oil is an attempt to up the CAFE fuel economy ratings.

I don't want to hear the lie about tighter tolerances. Talk to any of the precision engine builders, Men that can actually grind crankshafts and mill every part on the engine. Engines are the same clearance specs from pretty much any US Brand for at least 30 years. EVEN if the new foreign engines were marginally tighter spec's, the 80,000 mile engine in my 12 year old domestic car is not.

There is an old saying " ain't much trouble a many can't fix, with $900 dollars and a 30-06" I have both, and even getting an oil change is iffy.

*****rant over*****

You need to work on your ranting skills. Your over promised and underdelivered.

 

[Brian Ski]

Reminds me of a story from a friend. A buddy of his took his Harley to a shop for a noise in the engine. The old mechanic looked at the wear and said, what kind of oil do you use?? He stood up proud and said Dryden Aircraft oil. The mechanic looked at him and said does this look like an aircraft??

 

[Creedmoor]

*****Rant warning*****

Most of the hours on my engine are spent in town. I change at 3000. In the spring I wanted an oil change, at about 2800 miles. The guy said Sir, we do not change oil at that low of mileage. I said; I do, and am getting it changed today, If you don't want to do it, I will go elsewhere. Why would they turn down a paying customer?

One thing that has happened in the last few years is that the shops want to use the same oil in everything. My engine was originally designed and spec'ed for 10W30 conventional. Then the next one spec'ed 5W30 synthetic. This once came spec'ed for 5W20. A couple of the places put in 0W20 saying it is acceptable, without even asking me. That is not what my owners manual recommends, nor the under hood sticker, or the label on the oil cap. They tell me all the rice burners spec 0W20 or 0w16. If I wanted to experiment, I would have asked for that. Maybe the water thin oils is why timing chains, gears and phasers fail so early in the engines life. The water thin oil is an attempt to up the CAFE fuel economy ratings.

I don't want to hear the lie about tighter tolerances. Talk to any of the precision engine builders, Men that can actually grind crankshafts and mill every part on the engine. Engines are the same clearance specs from pretty much any US Brand for at least 30 years. EVEN if the new foreign engines were marginally tighter spec's, the 80,000 mile engine in my 12 year old domestic car is not.

There is an old saying " ain't much trouble a many can't fix, with $900 dollars and a 30-06" I have both, and even getting an oil change is iffy.

*****rant over*****

I learned here its a waste of money to change oil at 3,000 miles instead of 5,000 miles. But its OK to change oil at 5,000 miles when the recommended change is 7,500 miles. I'm at a loss for works...

 

[Cameramonkey]

You don't seem to save much money. I stopped at Meijer. Filter and a 5qts of synthetic was about $40. I normally don't change oil for people, but since the car was so low on oil... Oil change at dealership here was cheaper than that. (Not sure why??)

I do my own, because I do my own. I change my own tires too.

Bulk oil is cheaper than retail bottles.