Jeff DeWitt

Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.

I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than
an engine.

Jeff DeWitt

Michael Pardee wrote:
> "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
> news:elmop-614AD4.21500422062007@nntp1.usenetserver.com...
>> In article <-5GdnQjf-ZqK1eHbnZ2dnUVZ_oernZ2d@sedona.net>,
>> "Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote:
>>
>>> My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it
>>> isn't
>>> a rugged car, but as long as she treats it gently it is reliable enough.
>>> It's those 3K mile oil change requirements to maintain the warranty that
>>> bug
>>> her. She has to have 33 done by the time the warranty expires.
>> Cheap insurance, on any car.
>>
>>
>
> I think 3K is awfully short. I do 5K on my cars and that's a short interval.
> 10K is stretching it just a little bit IMO. The manual on my Toyota calls
> for 7500 mile changes (5K severe duty) but the European manual calls for 10K
> mile or 15 K km changes. My daughter's '93 Honda calls for 7500 mile changes
> in either regular or severe duty and it's still going strong at 235K miles.
>
> The price difference between 5K and 3K changes (if not DIY) can be
> substantial. Even at $20 the additional 13 changes is $260, and a $20 oil
> change has to be one with oil and filter I would never put in a car I wanted
> to keep. Again, my opinion. I realize this is one of those "religious"
> topics, so everybody is welcome to follow their own star.
>
> Mike
>
>
>

Elmo P. Shagnasty

In article <89CdnSy-V9LrFOHbnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@sedona.net>,
"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote:

> > Cheap insurance, on any car.
> >
> >
>
> I think 3K is awfully short.

Doesn't change the fact that it's cheap insurance on any car.

Michael Pardee

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
news:elmop-34F146.06443923062007@nntp1.usenetserver.com...
> In article <89CdnSy-V9LrFOHbnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@sedona.net>,
> "Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> I think 3K is awfully short.
>
> Doesn't change the fact that it's cheap insurance on any car.
>
>
Cheap insurance against what, exactly? This thread is heavily cross-posted,
so it offers us the voice of a lot of experience. Everybody, everywhere,
when was the last time you saw an engine that actually suffered from 5K mile
oil changes? Even 10K mile? (Note the specific exception below.) And how
many have you seen fail because of timing belt neglect or head gasket
failure?

Have you ever heard (in recent times) of an oil analysis at 5K miles saying
the oil was no longer usable? Or even at 10K miles? Have you heard of any
engine (again, in the last 30 years or so) that suffered damage or sludge
from 5K change intervals? My view is well summarized in
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Oi...ge%20Intervals - 3K oil changes are
from days long gone except as recommended by those entities that wish the
instructions could say "drain, fill, repeat." The previously mentioned site
noted that engines with hydraulic timing chain snubbers are an exception,
and I agree with that. I would also expand it to any engine with internal
hydraulics, like variable valve timing engines. However, I think higher
detergency oils are a more important factor in those engines than
excessively frequent oil changes.

Mike

mack

"Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:467c94cb$0$24778$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.
>
> I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an
> engine.
>
> Jeff DeWitt

Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have
either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I
(and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes.

Ken Weitzel

mack wrote:
> "Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:467c94cb$0$24778$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.
>>
>> I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an
>> engine.
>>
>> Jeff DeWitt
>
> Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have
> either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I
> (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes.

Yikes, take me ten minutes to get the durned jack out of the trunk and
remember how the new fangled things work

Course I'm old and long retired anyways, so who cares?

Reminds me - how many old retired guys does it take to change a light
bulb?

Just one. But it takes him all day.

Take care.

Ken

mookie

"Ken Weitzel" <kweitzel@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:fDefi.56956$xq1.45003@pd7urf1no...
> mack wrote:
>> "Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
>> news:467c94cb$0$24778$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.
>>>
>>> I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than
>>> an engine.
>>>
>>> Jeff DeWitt
>>
>> Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have
>> either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage.
>> I (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten
>> minutes.
>
> Yikes, take me ten minutes to get the durned jack out of the trunk and
> remember how the new fangled things work
>
> Course I'm old and long retired anyways, so who cares?
>
> Reminds me - how many old retired guys does it take to change a light
> bulb?
>
> Just one. But it takes him all day.
>
> Take care.
>
> Ken

In the case of this retired guy, it takes me three days - one to decide if
the bulb is, in fact, burned out. One to actually decide to change it, and
one to actually get it done.

As for the ten minutes, I make the oil change a complete check over. The
Optima is the car wife drives, so I want no surprises for her. I check the
tires, lube the door hinges, check the bulbs, etc., etc., etc. Whole
process, including getting the ramps out/put away takes ½ hour. I know
3,000 may be a little soon in today's oil world, but it forces me under the
car to check it out.

Rich

Jeff DeWitt

mack wrote:
> "Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:467c94cb$0$24778$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.
>>
>> I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an
>> engine.
>>
>> Jeff DeWitt
>
> Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have
> either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I
> (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes.
>
>
Nope, neither one, I've got a Cherokee and don't have to lift it up to
change the oil, same is true of my Studebaker Champ.

Jeff DeWitt

Edwin Pawlowski

"mookie" <z@tink.net> wrote in message
> As for the ten minutes, I make the oil change a complete check over. The
> Optima is the car wife drives, so I want no surprises for her. I check
> the tires, lube the door hinges, check the bulbs, etc., etc., etc. Whole
> process, including getting the ramps out/put away takes ½ hour.

Yep, I used to do it like that too. Last time though, was my '91 Regal.
What PITA to get to the filter without a lift (I have ramps). After that I
found it much easier to pay $24.95, especially in the winter. When it is
on the lift at Bill's, it take a look underneath while he is changing the
filter and checking the tires.

mookie

> my Studebaker Champ.

Now THAT brings back some memories....

Ken Weitzel

mookie wrote:
>> my Studebaker Champ.
>
> Now THAT brings back some memories....

Both coming and going

Jeff DeWitt

Ken Weitzel wrote:
> mookie wrote:
>>> my Studebaker Champ.
>>
>> Now THAT brings back some memories....
>
> Both coming and going
>
Yep <G>

But my Champ is the one from 1960, the pickup truck not the Champion
sedan from earlier years.

Jeff DeWitt

Partner

why use jacks or ramps, for the last 30 years I have been doing my oil
changes by running one tire up on the curb. I use the driveway edge as a
ramp on to the curb. May work only for us skinny guys(LOL).

--


"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:137qs1vpjl07t9c@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Jeff DeWitt" <JeffDeWitt@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:467c94cb$0$24778$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min.
>>
>> I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an
>> engine.
>>
>> Jeff DeWitt
>
> Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have
> either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage.
> I (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten
> minutes.
>

southluke

> GUEST wrote:
> I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise
available.
> Thank you for indulging me.
>
> On April 30, 2007, I purchased a 2004 KIA Optima that had been
used by the
> dealer as a loaner. The car had about 19,000 miles on it when
purchased by
> me. The car had been placed in Service by the dealer on June 30,
2005.
> When purchased by me, there was a little over 3 years and 40, 000
miles left
> on the warranty. I have noticed on several occassions the car
appeared to
> be leaning to the left (when viewed from the rear) while parked in
my
> driveway. Yesterday, I took a few measurements in the driveway and
the car
> leans about 1/2" to the left. Measurements were taken at a
point near the
> left front, left rear, right front and right rear. I moved the car
into my
> garage, on a level floor, re-measured, and confirmed my original
> measurements. I will be taking this up with the dealer but would
like any
> ideas as to what may have caused this problem and how to resolve
it.
>
> Thanks for any information.

Time is a better measurement
than milage for oil change intervals. The reasoning goes like this:
If you are driving a lot of miles, then the oil does not get as dirty
since the car is driven long enough to warm it up each time it is
driven. If the milage is low, the driving is probably short trips
and does not have time to warm up completely and the oil will get
much dirtier, faster. I learned this when I drove my car 1.5 miles
per trip four times a day and found 1,000 miles was too long between
changes. If a car is warmed up completely each time it is driven,
5,000 miles is a reasonable interval.