Routine Oil Changes

[wizard of ahs]

Is it anything like ADD.....Now where is that rabbit......

Is that you Smartdigger ?

 

[wheaters]

I used to be a worrier about oil changes. But now I'm more worried abut failure of the hugely expensive electrical components fitted to most modern vehicles, and the life of plastic components used in critical areas, such as the thermostat housing and engine coolant tank of my last car that both went brittle after ten years. Having changed the former due to a coolant leak noticed during a routine service the plastic header tank exploded two days later during the car's annual safety check. My expensive new coolant dropped down into the inspection pit; it was lucky the mechanic working under the car didn't get scalded.

I reckon the life of a car is now decided by how long the more expensive electrics such as the ECU, the body computer, and the many sensors last. Once electrical problems begin it can quickly become too expensive to fix the car. For example, my wife had a Citroen MPV where the rear screen wiper failed. I was away at the time but suspected the fuse or the motor. It was neither. The body computer had begun to fail. This controls many of the functions of the car, such as lights, direction indicators, front and rear wipers, door locks, rear screen heater, speedometer, odometer etc. When you switch something on or off, you actually signal the computer to do something.

That rear screen wiper fault cost us over $1000 to fix. Much of the labour cost was diagnostics. The entire dash, the steering wheel, the carpets, the front seats all had to come out to trace the fault, which initially seemed like a wiring issue.

That car went to a new home not long afterwards.

 

[NSTG8R]

I used to be a worrier about oil changes. But now I'm more worried abut failure of the hugely expensive electrical components fitted to most modern vehicles, and the life of plastic components used in critical areas, such as the thermostat housing and engine coolant tank of my last car that both went brittle after ten years. Having changed the former due to a coolant leak noticed during a routine service the plastic header tank exploded two days later during the car's annual safety check. My expensive new coolant dropped down into the inspection pit; it was lucky the mechanic working under the car didn't get scalded.

I reckon the life of a car is now decided by how long the more expensive electrics such as the ECU, the body computer, and the many sensors last. Once electrical problems begin it can quickly become too expensive to fix the car. For example, my wife had a Citroen MPV where the rear screen wiper failed. I was away at the time but suspected the fuse or the motor. It was neither. The body computer had begun to fail. This controls many of the functions of the car, such as lights, direction indicators, front and rear wipers, door locks, rear screen heater, speedometer, odometer etc. When you switch something on or off, you actually signal the computer to do something.

That rear screen wiper fault cost us over $1000 to fix. Much of the labour cost was diagnostics. The entire dash, the steering wheel, the carpets, the front seats all had to come out to trace the fault, which initially seemed like a wiring issue.

That car went to a new home not long afterwards.

That's why I love my '70's era 914s. K.I.S.S.! (okay, they're fuel injected, but with a $3 meter from Harbor Freight and a schematic, you can figure it out....Porsche forums (not unlike this one) don't hurt either!

 

[zelio]

Like most of you I have seen the arguments over the proper oil to use, the best filter, and oil change intervals. Internet "experts" are all over the map on this subject. I recommend that you not worry about it and use the oil and change intervals recommended by Elio, when they are published.

If you don't like old Volvos you may never have heard of Irv Gordon. I like old Volvos (I have three of them.) I got to meet Irv in 2010 at a Volvo meet in Kansas. His car has a CB radio, driving lights and a row of mileage badges from Volvo. Other than that it is just as it was the day he bought it. Except it has A LOT of miles on it.

At around 600,000 miles he let his mechanic take the head off to inspect the engine. This was more to appease the mechanic's curiosity than anything else; he had never seen an engine with over 600,000 miles on it. He could not find even a ridge in the top of the cylinders!

There have been repairs, of course. Some body work. Some interior work. Normal wear items have been replaced on schedule. But the car has the original engine, transmission, and rear end.

Irv is now well past 3 million miles on his 1966 Volvo P1800. Every mile he puts on the car is a new record for a privately owned, non-commercial vehicle. He has been asked time and again, "What is the secret to making a car last for three million miles?" Irv's response:

"Just follow the owner's manual. It's a piece of machinery and can't take care of itself. Have its scheduled maintenance completed. … Do what the manual calls for, not what the dealer calls for. People who built the car wrote the manual.

"Use gasoline from a high-volume station to keep crud out of your engine. It's also good to wash your car regularly and wax at least twice a year.

"When your car makes a funny noise, listen to it. Use only genuine Volvo parts for repairs."

Irv is 75 now. He was asked, after the 3 million mile day, if he thought 4 million miles is possible. "There is no doubt the car can do it. I don't know about me though."

Hi and welcome from Oregon, sdewolfe. That is a very interesting post. Thank you for sharing. :-) Z

 

[goofyone]

I used to be a worrier about oil changes. But now I'm more worried abut failure of the hugely expensive electrical components fitted to most modern vehicles, and the life of plastic components used in critical areas, such as the thermostat housing and engine coolant tank of my last car that both went brittle after ten years. Having changed the former due to a coolant leak noticed during a routine service the plastic header tank exploded two days later during the car's annual safety check. My expensive new coolant dropped down into the inspection pit; it was lucky the mechanic working under the car didn't get scalded.

I reckon the life of a car is now decided by how long the more expensive electrics such as the ECU, the body computer, and the many sensors last. Once electrical problems begin it can quickly become too expensive to fix the car. For example, my wife had a Citroen MPV where the rear screen wiper failed. I was away at the time but suspected the fuse or the motor. It was neither. The body computer had begun to fail. This controls many of the functions of the car, such as lights, direction indicators, front and rear wipers, door locks, rear screen heater, speedometer, odometer etc. When you switch something on or off, you actually signal the computer to do something.

That rear screen wiper fault cost us over $1000 to fix. Much of the labour cost was diagnostics. The entire dash, the steering wheel, the carpets, the front seats all had to come out to trace the fault, which initially seemed like a wiring issue.

That car went to a new home not long afterwards.

Electrical/Electronic component failures can not only be very difficult to trace but failure of these components can also easily lead to electrical fires.

About a decade ago my company owned Chevrolet Astro van had been having issues with the left taillight burning itself out repeatedly for several weeks and had actually been to the dealership twice in two weeks before a component overheated one evening and caused a fire. The van caught fire as I was driving it and after I pulled over and jumped out it burned down to the bare metal chassis on the side of the busiest interstate interchange in metro Atlanta during the Friday evening rush. This is not a great way to make the evening news!

I also know of someone who was lucky enough to leave his Ford F-150 in the driveway instead of in the garage when the cruise control switch overheated and burned his truck down. If he had not decided to leave it outside when he did it would have likely burned his house along with the vehicle.

 

[wheaters]

I also know of someone who was lucky enough to leave his Ford F-150 in the driveway instead of in the garage when the cruise control switch overheated and burned his truck down. If he had not decided to leave it outside when he did it would have likely burned his house along with the vehicle.

An ex-colleague of mine bought a brand new Vauxhall Corsa. Their house has a very steep but short driveway leading up to the integral garage at the side of the house. They left the car in first gear when parked on the driveway as "belt and braces" against it rolling backwards into the road.

When the car was only a few months old, they were awakened by their frantic son in the middle of the night, who was alerted by strange noises and light outside his bedroom window. The locked car had apparently suffered an electrical short to the starter motor, which began spinning and cranked the car forwards into the garage doors, then overheated and set fire to the car. The garage caught fire and the house was beginning to burn, too. Thankfully, they all got out safely. The manufacturer wouldn't accept that it had happened.

 

[Kuda]

Snipped: Thankfully, they all got out safely. The manufacturer wouldn't accept that it had happened.

Where's a good Barrister when you need him/her?

 

[BilgeRat]

Wheaters, that's the most incredible "burned car" tale that I've ever heard. Unbelievable!

 

[wheaters]

Wheaters, that's the most incredible "burned car" tale that I've ever heard. Unbelievable!

Me too, but I' was told it first hand and I can't think of any reason for the owner to lie about it.

Apparently the car was still locked....

 

[archer5013]

I searched before I started this thread but could not find any discussion on how to perform routine oil changes.

An Internet search could be helpful.