oops .... forgot to change the oil

[4x4ord]

I've never been overly concerned about oil changes although I am pretty good about changing the oil in my F350 with full synthetic every 25k km. However, some of our other vehicles can get a little neglected. For instance we have an old '92 Honda Accord that we've passed on from one kid to the next that now has 375000 km on it. My daughter has been pestering me to change the oil in this car for quite some time. So, today I finally performed the task. When I removed the filter I couldn't believe what I saw. I had written the date and mileage on the filter at the time of the last change....... September 2011 and 315,000 km. Man time flies, I guess it was time.

[Grit_dog]

Better lucky than good I suppose!

[fj12ryder]

"I've had techs forget to put oil back in (18/ltrs), but the engine still ran for about 5km before conking out. Just put oil in and it ran like a top again."

Please forgive my skepticism.

[ghostrider421]

The only one who benefits from 3k oil changes is Jiffy Lube, et all.
3k miles - ridiculous - the additive package hasn't broken down. I'm doing three 15km filter changes and one 45km oil change unless the analysis comes back to change my mind.

I've had techs forget to put oil back in (18/ltrs), but the engine still ran for about 5km before conking out. Just put oil in and it ran like a top again.

[mike-s]

Some people still do 3K oil changes, and even oil analysis.

3K changes were from back in the 1950's, when oil (and additives) weren't nearly as good, metallurgy wasn't as good, machining tolerances weren't as good, carburetors washed cylinders with raw gas, etc.

I think a lot of people get anal about oil because it's one of the few things under their control. They can change oil (or have it done quickly and cheaply), so that's what they do.

I just aim for 10K changes, because that's easy looking at an odometer. If I go 12K for one change, and 8K the next, I don't worry about it.

When's the last time you had an engine die because of obvious oil failure? It's gonna happen because of all the sensors/electronic controls these days, which at some point end up costing more to troubleshoot/repair/replace than the car is worth.

[4x4ord]

ghostrider421 wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I've never been overly concerned about oil changes although I am pretty good about changing the oil in my F350 with full synthetic every 25k km.

You're wasting your money on synthetic oil changed at 25km. The oil is good for at least double that. Replace the oil filter, then get an oil sample kit done - mail the sample in.

I agree with you in that I could likely run the oil twice as long. However, changing my oil at 50k km intervals might end up costing me more on the resale value of my truck than it saves me on maintenance. I will likely sell my truck by 150k km. Saving 3 oil changes over that period of time only amounts to about $250.

[ghostrider421]

4x4ord wrote:
I've never been overly concerned about oil changes although I am pretty good about changing the oil in my F350 with full synthetic every 25k km.

You're wasting your money on synthetic oil changed at 25km. The oil is good for at least double that. Replace the oil filter, then get an oil sample kit done - mail the sample in.

[ppine]

If you take the time to get your oil analyzed and ignore the results, you are not being smart. If any consituent in the oil is over the suggested limit you have waited too long.

"That's why I don't like used vehicles."
There definitely seems to be a trend for people to be lazy and not change out their lubricants. It is not smart.

[4x4ord]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
^^^^^ Dang, do you lay awake in bed at night coming up with these mathematical equations?????

I may have a slight mental disorder.

[ppine]

My uncle Alaska Bob, RIP went to Alaska in the 1960s to work in the oil patch. His last gig was on the North Slope at Prudhoe Bay 10 days on and 10 days off.

He was a mechanical genius and pioneered the evaluation of lubricants with lab testing and under the microscope. It saved the companies he worked for millions of dollars. They had all kinds of trucks, drill rigs, snowcats, bulldozers, road graders and other equipment running in the harshest conditions possible.

He had a million stories, but one of the good ones was taking a snow cat 250 miles across the pack ice in winter. He had another Inuit guy with him in another rig. They lost an axle out there in a blizzard. They cannibalized some parts from the other rig and fixed it in -45 degree conditions. Just another day at the plant.

[Cummins12V98]

^^^^^ Dang, do you lay awake in bed at night coming up with these mathematical equations?????

[4x4ord]

afidel wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
I,m not for anything over 10k for a oil, and filter change, I don,t like all that nasty looking oil going threw my engines,

We short changed the wife's minivan when new, next one we decided to go with the oil quality indicator, took 12k miles before it came on. When we had the oil changed I had a retain sample taken, it still had a nice ruby color, almost no black, lab said it still had a bunch of additive life left and the oil itself was in good but not great shape. Since then I have stopped worrying about it and just follow the idiot light. My car is older (04) so I follow the manufacturer's 5k mile recommendation but don't worry if I go a few hundred or even a few thousand over. The truck also gets 5k mile changes with full synthetic due to the much heavier duty cycle of 90% towing.

We own heavy equipment that works in extreme dust conditions at 75-110% engine load all day long. To put it another way a 500 HP engine in these applications goes through about 250 gallons of fuel in a 10 hour day. The manufacturers of this equioment recommend oil change intervals of 600 hours using dino oil..... to say it another way ... every 15000 gallons of fuel. These engines have a large oil capacity of 40 liters. So your Duramax with a 10 liter sump should probably be changed 4x as often ... So every 3750 gallons of fuel when it's working very hard. To work your engine hard you would have to tow your trailer at 90 mph where you might get 6 mpg. 6 mpg x 3750 gallons works out to 22500 miles with dino oil.

[shum02]

valhalla360 wrote:

shum02 wrote:

Lordy!

Not including the engine oil I've changed out all the fluids in mine several times over, both diff's, transfer case, tranny fluid and 2 filters, power steering fluid, two complete flushes of the coolant system, complete brake lines flushes......

You guys actually make me feel pretty good about how well I take care of her :B

Well or excessive?

Yes we do oil changes per schedule but unless you've done something that suggests a need (such as overheating the transmission or brakes), the other lubricants really don't need much.

Coolant is a different issue as it's not primarily a lubricant.

Good oil is the life blood of a 6.0L PSD, don't take care of it it'll bite you bad!

Same with the coolant, have over 250k miles/400k kms on her with the EGR cooler intact as we have E-tests in my neck of the woods.

I've seen old brake fluid, contaminated with water eat through brake lines from the inside out and I really hate R&R brake lines, a flush takes no time at all and brake fluid is cheap.

Actually most fluids are relatively inexpensive and you don't need a BA or any special tools to change them out, just a little time on Saturday or Sunday morning.

At $60k for a new truck I'll keep up my "severe duty" fluid changes till the money tree in the back yard blooms again then leave it in the dealers hands till the warranty runs out.

[valhalla360]

shum02 wrote:

Lordy!

Not including the engine oil I've changed out all the fluids in mine several times over, both diff's, transfer case, tranny fluid and 2 filters, power steering fluid, two complete flushes of the coolant system, complete brake lines flushes......

You guys actually make me feel pretty good about how well I take care of her :B

Well or excessive?

Yes we do oil changes per schedule but unless you've done something that suggests a need (such as overheating the transmission or brakes), the other lubricants really don't need much.

Coolant is a different issue as it's not primarily a lubricant.

[afidel]

midnightsadie wrote:
I,m not for anything over 10k for a oil, and filter change, I don,t like all that nasty looking oil going threw my engines,

We short changed the wife's minivan when new, next one we decided to go with the oil quality indicator, took 12k miles before it came on. When we had the oil changed I had a retain sample taken, it still had a nice ruby color, almost no black, lab said it still had a bunch of additive life left and the oil itself was in good but not great shape. Since then I have stopped worrying about it and just follow the idiot light. My car is older (04) so I follow the manufacturer's 5k mile recommendation but don't worry if I go a few hundred or even a few thousand over. The truck also gets 5k mile changes with full synthetic due to the much heavier duty cycle of 90% towing.

[shum02]

valhalla360 wrote:

ppine wrote:
Changing the trans fluid, diffs, and transfer case is how you make a vehicle last. Trans every 30k, the others about every 50-75k.

I think I've changed a transmission once. I've never changed a diff.

Never had a transmission or diff failure. Regularly get north of 200k miles before selling the vehicle still running fine.

This is cover around 35yrs of driving for me and the wife.

Unless you cook the transmission fluid on a hard haul, it's just not a big issue in modern vehicles.

Lordy!

Not including the engine oil I've changed out all the fluids in mine several times over, both diff's, transfer case, tranny fluid and 2 filters, power steering fluid, two complete flushes of the coolant system, complete brake lines flushes......

You guys actually make me feel pretty good about how well I take care of her :B