I guilt tripped myself into an oil change.

[Winger Ed.]

I spent my young formative years turning wrenches on Fighter Jets and helicopters.
I know all about routine and preventative maintenance.

Not driving much, I've shortened the schedule for routine things like oil and trans. fluid changes.
Some of the modern oils say they're good for 10,000 miles, and maybe they are.
I think our cars say change the oil at 6,000.

I can't bring myself to that. I'm old school and always changed it at 3,000 with the old style oils of the day.
I never got out of that habit when the new synthetic stuff came along.

Another thing I do on the 1/2 schedule is trans. fluid change.
I was really dreading doing it on the 2006 F250's 6-speed manual, as it is coming up on 62,000 miles.
It holds almost 2 gallons of fluid and I have to put it in with one of those pumps you see catsup in at fast food places.
It says do it at 60,000. I got it at 30,000, and meant to do it again at 60,000 last time I changed the oil.

I finally got around to it, knowing I had another 1,000 before I was due to change the oil.
I recorded the trans. fluid change, and noticed the last time I changed the oil,,,
2,000 miles ago was March of 2021.

I know most of the problems folks have with one of these 5.4 Tritons messing up the cam phasers
can be traced back to the wrong oil or people never changing it. Even with only 2,000 miles since the last change,,,
I felt guilty for not doing it for 2 & 1/2 years.

[Recycled bullet]

Mighty vac makes a tool for adding transmission oil it's a little pumper thing it works a lot better. I use it on Ford F-150 transfer cases and BMW transmissions it works fine.

Sent from my moto g power (2022) using Tapatalk

[Winger Ed.]

Thanks.
No more than I drive the beast, I don't think I'll ever change it again.

[15meter]

Wow, 2000 miles in 2 1/2 years. I do that in a month. And I'm retired. Too much fun stuff not enough time.

When I was working, doing industrial sales and technical support on metrology equipment in SE Michigan/NW Ohio/NE Indiana I could do that in less then 2 weeks.

[Winger Ed.]

In later years I drive a small fraction of what I used to.
My last job- for 11 years, was 3 miles from home, and I'd pretty much quit traveling to go hunting.

A guy I worked with had gotten a new 1/2 ton full size truck. He lived something like 40 miles away, maybe more.
He asked one day how much I spent on gas. I told him I really didn't want to say and make him mad.

He pushed and I told him I didn't really keep track of the money, but every month or so, I'd get down to
1/3 tank or so and fill it back up. Then it was, "Wow. What kind of gas mileage does that F250 get"?

I told him about 12, maybe 10 mpg I'm not sure. Then,,, "How big is the fuel tank"? I told him, "It's a 26 gallon".
"Wow......... I'm filling up twice a week".

[Brassmonkey]

And here I’ve been fussin myself about changing mine cause I need to change the external filter as well since it’s seeping but it really isn’t due yet. Thing is I just change it when the light comes on and every other gets three fresh qts of trans fluid.

I have no idea when the light is going to come on. It could be tomorrow. It could be a month from now. I just need to suck it up and change the fluid early before I don’t have any to change.

vehicles that don’t have a minder I just tear a tab off the oil filter box and write the mileage and date stick it up in the window. I tried keeping a spreadsheet of all vehicle maintenance but it’s just too much to keep after.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm not much on spread sheets.
I have a small/thin blank book that I scrounged somewhere and log in what I do.
I keep it up on a shelf in the shop.

Today it was 62,000 --- 6 Oct 23 -- changed oil & trans fluid.

I didn't include the filter since it is pretty new and a good FoMoCo one.
I've cut them open before and never find anything in them so I didn't change this one with 2,000 miles on it.
I just empty it out and put it back on.

We had a car that would tell ya it needed an oil change, but I never trusted it.
I always change the oil at mileage reading of thousands of miles that can be divided by 3.
12,000, 15,000...etc...36,000,,,,,, 99,000, 102,000 & so on.

[fastdadio]

I'm an oil changing fool right now. I have a pick up truck, 4 cars, a garden tractor and two motorcycles. All are getting fresh oil before the hunting season and the snow starts.

[Hannibal]

I don't pay much attention to mileage. I just go by the appearance. I check the level every other time I fill up and when it gets dirty by my determination then I change it. Somewhere between 3K and 5K miles depending on appearance.

[dverna]

On vehicles I used the built-in oil change monitoring system.

On the tractor, Mule, ZT mower and wood processor use the hour meter. Even if the oil looks good I change it. Oil is cheap.

[alamogunr]

I quit changing my own oil when I turned about 75 YO. I've got a 2013 Tundra and a 2017 Avalon. I take them to the dealer once a year or so, regardless of mileage. Like the OP, I don't drive as much as I used to. Average about 5K per year on the Avalon and somewhat less on the Tundra. I figure over a years time, various things are going to build up in the oil and it needs to be replaced. The dealer always uses Toyota Genuine synthetic oil. I've been using synthetic oil for about 20 years. When I changed it myself, I regularly drove about 10K miles before changing. That worked out to about once a year at the time. I drove distances enough to burn off moisture so less contamination of the oil.

[MaryB]

My idiot car puts up a nag, oil change due, at 5,000 miles or 1 year whichever comes first. I only have 1300 miles on it since the change last fall!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP>>>

Even with only 2,000 miles since the last change,,,
I felt guilty for not doing it for 2 & 1/2 years.
I'm in a similar boat with my second vehicle. I put 500 to 1000 miles on it in a year, but it's mostly short trips.
Short trips are hard on a vehicle and it's engine oil. That is the reason, I do change it annually even with only 500+ miles. I don't always change out the oil filter, just do a quick change...sometimes, I save the oil if it looks and smells good. I let it settle in a jug for a year or so, then put it in a tiller, snow blower, or lawn mower with a old engine.

[WRideout]

A few years ago, I was driving a used Hyundai Elantra. Never had one before, but I liked it. After a few months it was time to change the oil, so I did it myself. With the front end up on blocks, I looked for the oil drain plug, and saw one right in the middle of what I assumed to be the engine oil pan. When I pulled the drain pan out from under the car, the oil didn't look right. I got under the hood and pulled the engine dipstick; full of oil. Back under the car I discovered that the Hyundai had something I had never seen before, a drain plug on the transmission pan. I did eventually find the engine drain plug.

Now on this particular day, my wife had gone somewhere and wouldn't be back for a while, so I rode my bicycle to the parts store. There I learned that the car only used synthetic transmission fluid for an outrageous cost. Upon returning home, I did get the correct oil in the correct spots, having saved exactly NO money.

Wayne

[Hannibal]

I will change my own until I am no longer able to do so. I used to drive 4K miles per month just to work and back. Did that for 16 years. I went through a bunch of used cars and had several with bad drain plugs or stretched oil pan threads because the idiots at the lube places use power tools on the plugs. Also have personally encountered situations where the filters weren't tight or the drain plugs fell out due to being left loose.

I'm not immune from making mistakes but if it's my mistake at least I've no one to blame but myself.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A few years ago, I was driving a used Hyundai Elantra. Never had one before, but I liked it. After a few months it was time to change the oil, so I did it myself. With the front end up on blocks, I looked for the oil drain plug, and saw one right in the middle of what I assumed to be the engine oil pan. When I pulled the drain pan out from under the car, the oil didn't look right. I got under the hood and pulled the engine dipstick; full of oil. Back under the car I discovered that the Hyundai had something I had never seen before, a drain plug on the transmission pan. I did eventually find the engine drain plug.

Now on this particular day, my wife had gone somewhere and wouldn't be back for a while, so I rode my bicycle to the parts store. There I learned that the car only used synthetic transmission fluid for an outrageous cost. Upon returning home, I did get the correct oil in the correct spots, having saved exactly NO money.

Wayne

My Toyotas have a drain plug on the tranny pan also. Toyota specs a special tranny fluid (type T), but after a little research I found out that Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle Full Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is possibly a better choice than factory fluid (per the rambling in the internet forums) and it's less than half price.
I see Hyundai is listed on the Valvoline jug.

[kerplode]

The car I drive frequently gets an oil change at 7500 and I use full synthetic. The rest of the fluids in that vehicle are done on schedule per the manufacturer's mileage requirements. This car is 14 years old with 200k mi

The car I don't drive frequently gets an oil change about once a year and the other fluids at 5yr or at the mileage recommendation, whichever comes first. This car is 17 years old with 90k mi

Maintenance is important, sure, but I don't see any benefit to early changes, especially with modern fluids. IMO it just wastes time, money, and resources. And I don't bother doing oil changes myself anymore...My time is too valuable to kill an entire afternoon getting greasy then driving all over town looking for a place with room in their waste oil bin when the quick lube gets the whole thing done in 20 minutes for a few bucks.

[Scrounge]

A friend in South Carolina, when I was stationed there in the late 80's and early 90's had a 1967 Dodge Coronet, with the 440 & sixpack. He'd bought it new, and changed the oil every time he filled the gas tank. Had just gone over a million miles on it when I left there in 1991. Engine was as tight as it was when he bought it, according to his report.

[Bmi48219]

The wife has a 22 CX-9. Came with 3 year factory maintenance plan. The on board computer and Mazda website say 7,500 miles between oil changes. Of course the dealer says 5,000 miles because of harsh driving conditions in Florida.
We have a basic edition 2012 Mustang convertible in the garage. Less than 18,000 miles on it. I get the oil change every 18 months on average. Dealer says it should be changed 2 x a year. Over the past six years I know the vehicle hasn’t been driven 3,000 miles total. It does get started every month and driven 30 miles. Thinking about selling it since it’s costing $1100 / year for insurance and we don’t need it. I have to research what they’re going for and decide the best way to sell it.

[Electrod47]

All my vehicles get Mobil1 and changed at 3000-3500 tops....I'll never change. I can't hardly sleep if I ignore it.
2021 Honda Passport, 99 Silverado 2500, 2008 Mustang GT, 1970 Camaro. Not to mention my Mowers, off-roaders

[Winger Ed.]

Back in the early 70s- Mobile spent a pile of money researching it before it went on the market.
They'd sponsor fleet vehicles and Police cars to run it until the engine blew up.
They'd pay 'em for a new crate motor to be swapped, and to send the blown engine back to their labs.

[Hannibal]

Most synthetic oil technologies were developed when ceramic engines were being experimented with. No cooling system. I can't remember what the operating temperatures were but it was WAY up there.

They never did find an oil that would survive.

[Winger Ed.]

I'd forgotten about that.
I remember on car company that built a few engines that didn't have any metal in them.
I guess they didn't work out.

I would have thought the oils used in high-temp. jet turbine engines would have worked, but I guess not.
I think they might have been soy bean based. I remember hearing some of the turbine engine oils
were so expensive they cost over $30. a quart back in the late 50s.

[brokeasajoke]

I use quality name brand synthetic oil and change it by the oil life monitor in the car. The old 88 Ford diesel and 87 Ford f250 460 change themselves but I still change them once a year. I try to change trans fluid or service changes anyway every other year or 30k miles. I guess anyone could send off some oil samples to be tested and then one would know for sure.

[porthos]

absolutly NO reason to change oil at 3,000miles!!

[Hannibal]

I'd forgotten about that.
I remember on car company that built a few engines that didn't have any metal in them.
I guess they didn't work out.

I would have thought the oils used in high-temp. jet turbine engines would have worked, but I guess not.
I think they might have been soy bean based. I remember hearing some of the turbine engine oils
were so expensive they cost over $30. a quart back in the late 50s.

Jet engines use roller bearings while internal combustion engines use a type of friction bearings. I knew a guy who liberated some synthetic oil for use in jet engines and tried it in his pickup. Sized after roughly 10 minutes. Completely different lubrication requirements.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Our newest diesel tractor recommends a 500 hour oil change interval, compared to a vehicle at 75 mph that would be 37,500 miles! To me that seems excessive, so we still change at around 150 hours. I try to do the vehicles at 4-5K when using synthetic oil, but I agree that oil changes are cheap maintenance if done yourself.

[Recycled bullet]

I like to wipe the dipstick on a clean white paper towel ...it'll be obvious if the oil is dirty... Look at it, smell it... change it if it stinks like gasoline or change it if it's dirty.

An old coworker used to send samples to Blackstone labs. I found it easier to get two 5 quart jugs of synthetic oil at Walmart about every 5 to 7,000 MI.

A common cause of engine mechanical failures is from lack of lubrication and metal parts like bearing and vvti bits overheating and galling- from not having enough oil in the engine causing low oil pressure.

The engine oil is pumped around and squirts from tiny ports in the head to wet the valve train parts and works it's ways down back to the oil pan and pickup....it's taking the heat away exactly the same way that when you pour lead into a bullet mold you're pouring heat into the mold.

I couldn't tell you how many kias and Hyundai's where I've pulled the valve cover off for an inspection due to loud tapping noise or a check engine light valve train codes, no oil on dipstick, and there's a solidifying black plasticized stinking goo completely covering the camshafts ...that used to be the engine oil.
The worst one I had seen had more than 50,000 miles and was on the original engine oil that it left the factory with [emoji2962]
I get the shop vac to suck the trash out, and sometimes they get lucky change the oil replace parts of their damaged reassemble it and then it doesn't make noise anymore. Although that one with 50,000 needed an engine due to zero maintenance...

[MarkP]

Older high compression ratio diesel engines need to be changed before 3,000 miles.

[Hannibal]

Older high compression ratio diesel engines need to be changed before 3,000 miles.

Curious. What was the compression ratio of older diesels compared to recent production?

A diesel is high compression by design.

[Tall]

I had the numb nutz at the local Jiffy Lube change the fuel filters on my 2017 F250 recently. They broke the filter housing under the gas tank. It cost me another $1K to have them replace it. Anyways they won't be working on that any more. Good on you for changing the oil early.

[justindad]

I had a truck that got about 2,000 miles a year. I used the expensive oil that could go 10k miles or 12 months. I changed the oil at about 9 months and the Fran oil filter was seized in place. I crushed the filter with the wrench. I had to stab a screw driver into the side of the filter and use the handle to loosen the filter.
*
The oil might last a long time, but the filter can seize in place.

[M-Tecs]

Lots of farm vehicles don't get used much. Some go years between oil changes. Never had an issue getting any of them off.

https://www.autozone.com/diy/oil-filters/how-to-remove-a-stuck-oil-filter

WHY AN OIL FILTER CAN GET STUCK
There can be several reasons that an oil filter gets stuck, even if you’re using the right-sized oil filter wrench to try loosening it. It could be because:

The oil filter was overtightened. It’s extremely common for both DIYers and repair shops to overtighten filters, creating excessive pressure on the threads and gasket surfaces.
The effects of heat and time. As you drive, the engine’s heat can cause the gasket material to harden or bond with the oil filter housing or the engine block.
Rust and corrosion. If there’s rust that forms on the oil filter’s threads or on the mounting base, the filter could seize to it.
The filter was cross–threaded. Improper alignment with the oil filter adapter can cause the filter to be nearly impossible to remove – much harder than it would’ve been to crank it on cross-threaded.
It’s deformed. If the oil filter has been damaged due to impact or your oil filter wrench has squashed the case, it can make it difficult to grip and unscrew without making it even worse.
The seal wasn’t lubricated. A dry oil filter seal can make it exponentially more difficult to remove the filter at the next oil change since it grips the metal adapter base firmly.

[Handloader109]

Yep, oil filters only need a wipe of clean oil and hand tighten. Never use a filter wrench on it to tighten. I started having the valvoline shop change my oil when. I bought my Mazda a couple of 3 years ago. I put about 12k on that car still. Usually been 4 or 5 1000 mile trips a year. I change every 7k miles never sooner. Synthetic on that one. My old f150 2005 has 226k and has never in 135k of those miles had the oil changed in less than 10k miles. Usually 15k. 3000 miles is just wasteful. Oil is NOT cheap any more. Why change in half the mileage. And transmission fluid? I have changed only one time on one vehicle 45 years ago. Never on this pickup, or my last f250 that had 200k on it when I sold it. Never a tranny problem

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

A friend in South Carolina, when I was stationed there in the late 80's and early 90's had a 1967 Dodge Coronet, with the 440 & sixpack. He'd bought it new, and changed the oil every time he filled the gas tank. Had just gone over a million miles on it when I left there in 1991. Engine was as tight as it was when he bought it, according to his report.

considering that car that probably only made a 150 miles on a tank of gas that means a 1000 oil changes to get it to a 150k in todays money thats 60k if you use synthetic. i cab buy 3 complete long blocks for my challenger for that money or a whole new car. if he did it every 2k id understand. we did that ourselves on high performance motors driven hard back in the day. if he did that every tank of gas for a million miles. factoring in inflation and cost of living he spent in todays money over 400k on oil changes. that money would buy you 3 like new 440 six pack cars today. Which by the way would not be a 67 coronet or any mopar till mid 69. only big blocks available in 67 were the 383, 440 4brl and the 426 hemi.

[Lloyd Smale]

1 have 4 vehicles 2 are just used in the summer (challenger and 06 silverado) one is just winter (my wrangler) and my ram is used year round. the three seasonal ones get an oil change before being put up for the season. the rarely see more then 3k a year. wife drives the ram and has it changed when oil life reads under 30% which usually relates to around 4k. i use only synthetic and only wix or mopar (which are wix) filters.

[Cast10]

My last truck, 2015 2500HD 6.6 DMax LML w/ Allison 6 spd. Just sold to a buddy of mine, had 116,000 miles and has NEVER been to the shop. The best truck I’ve ever had!

I changed oil when GM told me to; via the DIC. I changed the Bud Light at or around 75K. No burnt smell and always red/clean. I had an Edge monitor and I really paid attention to readings such as temps. The trans temp was the same when I sold it as when it was new. Hated to get rid of it, but as I get older, I want simpler.

[farmerjim]

My 1995 chevy 2500 has 55,000 miles on it. After the first 2 years it had
40,000 miles on it ( I was building a house by myself and had to drive 60 miles every 2 or 3 days to get supplies). So in 26 more years it averages 577 miles a year. I do change the oil every 2 years and only use synthetic.

[Rapier]

Got trapped into the must do, maintenance circle or routine. Keep a log, vehicles every 3,000 miles with synthetic. Equipment evr 100 hours and at 400 all fluids. I change filters at every change. I do not mind the tractors and carts, but take the vehicles in for a full end to end check up.
Reason is simple, if I decide to got to Seattle Washington from FL, I expect to turn the key and go, then come back, at any time I feel the need.

I bought the 2018 GMC in 19, it had 23k on it, now has 32k on it and is garage kept.

I covered three states as a special agent/investigator for the AIG insurance group. Did mostly bank, armored car, gambling establishment fraud and robberies and other such items. Put a lot of miles on a vehicle every year. Bought a new company vehicle every 35-38k miles. Could be a Chevy or Ford, neutral color, 4dr sedan, had national contracts with both. Came to prefer white Chevys, not the car, a better local dealer for future maintenance.

[jonp]

Mighty vac makes a tool for adding transmission oil it's a little pumper thing it works a lot better. I use it on Ford F-150 transfer cases and BMW transmissions it works fine.

Sent from my moto g power (2022) using Tapatalk

I use a small hand pump I got from HF on my 5.4 Triton.
I also am in the "oil is cheap compared to an engine" camp. Put 5,000 yr on mine and still change it spring and fall. Both Hondas and the Fiat get 5,000 mile changes as it's easy to remember.
On my 2023 Freightliner the oil change is 60,000.

[blackthorn]

So, I am curious about what effect (if any) the "age" of the oil has on the well being of the engine. From reading this thread it appears some folks change the oil in their machine(s), say fall and spring, regardless of how many miles/kilometers traveled. Why?? Unless the machine is driven only short distances that do not allow it to become fully up to operational temperatures, I fail to see a difference between that and driving the recommended distances between oil changes. Comments??

[Bmi48219]

…..Unless the machine is driven only short distances that do not allow it to become fully up to operational temperatures, I fail to see a difference between that and driving the recommended distances between oil changes.

Saw a clip about preserving the motor on WW2 Jeeps. The commentator was adamant that just warming’s up until the temp gauge started to rise was not sufficient to avoid damage. He recommended a minimum of 5 minutes warm up before driving.
Most of the vehicles we had (with H2O temperature gauges) over the past twenty years warm up, per the gauge, really fast.

In the 80’s I went to a quick change lube joint that left the old filter gasket stuck on the pump housing. Five minutes after driving away my idiot light came on.

[blackthorn]

I became aware of the "short run" problems years ago when the guy next door went to change the oil in his truck and it was "milky" looking. On reflection, we decided a recent job change had allowed him to drive less that 2 miles to work and the truck was not getting warm enough which caused condensation to collect in the oil. Thereafter he warmed the truck fully before driving to work and the problem was solved.

[jonp]

So, I am curious about what effect (if any) the "age" of the oil has on the well being of the engine. From reading this thread it appears some folks change the oil in their machine(s), say fall and spring, regardless of how many miles/kilometers traveled. Why?? Unless the machine is driven only short distances that do not allow it to become fully up to operational temperatures, I fail to see a difference between that and driving the recommended distances between oil changes. Comments??

Why? Because I like to get under the car and look around. On my F150 it gives me a chance to grease the tie rods, ball joints and u joints. On the others I just like to do it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

So, I am curious about what effect (if any) the "age" of the oil has on the well being of the engine. From reading this thread it appears some folks change the oil in their machine(s), say fall and spring, regardless of how many miles/kilometers traveled. Why?? Unless the machine is driven only short distances that do not allow it to become fully up to operational temperatures, I fail to see a difference between that and driving the recommended distances between oil changes. Comments??

As stated, my one vehicle that is only driven 500 to 1500 miles a year and I change oil annually as it gets lots of short trips.
Now, my ATV oil only gets changed about once in four years...that oil is more expensive, it's a 2004 Honda with 700 miles on it...no trail/mud riding, these days, it only gets used for plowing snow and pulling a firewood trailer.

[waksupi]

I became aware of the "short run" problems years ago when the guy next door went to change the oil in his truck and it was "milky" looking. On reflection, we decided a recent job change had allowed him to drive less that 2 miles to work and the truck was not getting warm enough which caused condensation to collect in the oil. Thereafter he warmed the truck fully before driving to work and the problem was solved.

If I saw milky looking oil, I would strongly suspect a blown head gasket, allowing water into the oil.

[farmbif]

I came across interesting oil check situation recently. my nephew just got a 2018 ram promaster van with 50k miles . the price was very good but after having it a week problems arose. it stalls when coming to a stop. I thought let's check under the hood for the basics, loose connections, fluid level checks, ect. well I thought maybe we check the trans fluid level. turns out its not meant to be checked. owners manual says there is no need to check or change the trans fluid. I guess it's like a maintain free battery or the new briggs and Stratton engines that never need to have to oil changed and dont even have a drain plug. this is just more planned obsolescence in the throw away society we now have, what has the world come to?

[MaryB]

If I saw milky looking oil, I would strongly suspect a blown head gasket, allowing water into the oil.

I have seen it from condensation. Friend used to start his car, take off to drive 3/4 mile to work. Same coming home... engine never got warm enough to boil it off...

[blackthorn]

If I saw milky looking oil, I would strongly suspect a blown head gasket, allowing water into the oil.

After he modified his routine, he was able to drive that truck for several years without a reoccurrence of the off-colored oil so, I think the determination that it was the short (non warmup) trips was correct.

[Winger Ed.]

I change the 'lifetime' oil in my B&S engine every year.
I suck it out with one of those little pumps like you get your catsup from at the fast food place.
My neighbor never did on his,,,,, since it was supposed to last for the life of the engine.

When it broke and threw the connecting rod outside the block, he now questions that concept.
I've seen old oil before, but the stuff that came out of that engine takes bad oil to a whole 'nother level.

[MaryB]

We pulled an intake off an engine we were hoping had good heads, previous owner said he fed it Penzoil only... key word fed it... got the intake off and waited for dad to get back from lunch. He walks in... "Dang it, I told you to strip the intake off so we could get the heads off when I got back..."

The oil had never been changed, it left an intake shaped lump of goo between the heads. Dad poked it, said scrap it and get a different one from the junkyard... this time we popped the intake off at the junkyard to make sure it wasn't a goo fest.

The one with the sludge I tore down, had it baked out and all passages rodded out, honed the cylinders, put in new oversize bearings on the crank and camshaft, put it all back together and dropped it in a junker I was driving. Got 6 years out of it before my idiot little brother ran it with no coolant despite my leaving a note on the steering wheel to NOT DRIVE IT the radiator is cracked... cost him $500 to replace it. It was the second car of mine he ruined! First I told him to not drive it, wheel bearings are bad in front. Wheel bearing seized, sucked him into the ditch where he rolled it... and he had been told to not drive it, the bearings were bad. That one I ended up eating the replacement cost, second one dad stepped in and told him to pony up. After that he was banned from driving my cars, and dad's!

[Cast10]

Having a 1951 Willys M38 jeep, warming up is paramount, for many reasons. I warm this one up during hunting season especially, for around 15 min. After about the first 5 min, I shift the transfer into neutral, drop the main transmission into 1st gear and let the gear box turn, too. Family has had this jeep since 1959.

[Jedman]

I still do all of the maintenance on my 4 vehicles. I grew up doing oil changes at 3 k and still follow that today. I know many people who have never thought of changing their trans fluid. They just drive forever on it and don’t give it a thought. My wife’s car makes it more difficult as it doesn’t even have a dip stick and to do a filter and fluid change you have to remove the pan and then there is a internal plastic plug you remove with a Allen wrench to drain the ATF and after you get it back together you have to pump the fluid into the trans thru a plug on the side. The owners manual says 10 K on oil changes and no service on the automatic trans ( VW ).
I could never follow that ! All the vehicles that I have bought new have always got their ATF changed by 40 K and there is always plenty of fine metal on the magnet in the pan and a black film from normal wear of the clutches. To me doing the maintenance is far cheaper than waiting for trouble .

Jedman

[apen]

I have a 98 Mazda b 2500 5 speed that I’ve followed a 3k interval with conventional rotella 15w40.
The transmission fluid and differential oil get changed at 30k intervals. Truck is ragged on the outside but runs great. I hate to let go of anything with a manual transmission in it.

[MaryB]

Having a 1951 Willys M38 jeep, warming up is paramount, for many reasons. I warm this one up during hunting season especially, for around 15 min. After about the first 5 min, I shift the transfer into neutral, drop the main transmission into 1st gear and let the gear box turn, too. Family has had this jeep since 1959.

Memories... I had a 59 Willy's utility wagon... 4 shift levers! The 4 speed(had a Ford 289 and matching trans), 4 wheel in/out, transfer case high low, over/under drive. 4 wheel low/underdrive top speed was 1mph. At idle it would try to climb a tree from the torque. I would put it in gear and walk behind picking up trash as it meandered down the ditch. Used it hunting, bashed it over plowed fields to pick up deer... rust bucket, bad brakes... it got there and back while hunting!

[BD]

I will change my own until I am no longer able to do so. I used to drive 4K miles per month just to work and back. Did that for 16 years. I went through a bunch of used cars and had several with bad drain plugs or stretched oil pan threads because the idiots at the lube places use power tools on the plugs. Also have personally encountered situations where the filters weren't tight or the drain plugs fell out due to being left loose.

I'm not immune from making mistakes but if it's my mistake at least I've no one to blame but myself.

I'll second this! Also I want to see the condition of the oil and any particulates in it.

[funnyjim014]

As a tech I start to think about changing the oilin my new truck at 3k. Usually I get to it just before 4k. The govt pushed manufacturers into the longer intervals . Then we started getting weird failures related to gunk and oil breakdown. Timing chains and carbon deposits come to mind . Oil cheap Engine expensive

[Winger Ed.]

Oil cheap Engine expensive

I've always felt that way.
Awhile back, I was changing the fluid in the auto. trans, on our '02 Explorer.
A neighbor ask why I bothered doing that since it was a lot of trouble, and kind of expensive.
I told him that farther down the road it'd be about $2-3,000. cheaper than having it rebuilt.

[MarkP]

Curious. What was the compression ratio of older diesels compared to recent production?

A diesel is high compression by design.

Older diesels were over 20:1 some up to 23:1. Newer diesels are in the low teens.

[MaryB]

Older diesels were over 20:1 some up to 23:1. Newer diesels are in the low teens.

Wow! My race engine was 12.5:1 compression!!!! Ran aviation gas for the extra octane... and lead... when hit with nitrous it was on the ragged edge of failure... melted a few pistons over the 7 years I drove it!

[Shopdog]

Ford/Mazda manual transmission; notorious for wearing out,shifting hard.... changing the fluid(Ford calls for ATF) @30K intervals is about right. Am on my 3rd truck with this transmission. If you aren't changing the fluid,they'll go about 100k and start getting tough to shift. At about 150,they're about done. Change fluid and they seem to go forever? Just changed the shop,hot rod truck trans fluid a month or so ago. Rear Diff @50k miles is about right... would go 30k if towing a lot.

ETA; manual trans fluid... Red Line MTL GL-4 75-80W full synthetic. Been using this for the last 3 changes. Not quite as good as what reviews claim on shift smoothness but,definitely smoother than factory Ford ATF.