Re: End of season oil change
[Re: Dr Dave]
#2411846
12/01/17 04:28 PM
12/01/17 04:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,638 PA
70Duster
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,638
PA
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Before putting away in the fall, run the vehicle so that the engine oil, transmission fluid and differential oil are up to normal operating temperature (normally 20 minutes at highway speed). Put the car in the garage, pull a battery cable, put the sun visors in the down position (so that mice don't have a platform to stand on while they eat your headliner), make sure manually operated outside vents are closed (to keep mice out), lock the car, close the garage door. Done. Been doing it this way for 30 years with no problems. No fuel additives required, no last minute oil changes, no jack stands to keep the tires off the ground, the list can go on and on..........
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Re: End of season oil change
[Re: Dr Dave]
#2411869
12/01/17 05:43 PM
12/01/17 05:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,376
dogdays
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,376
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Here come the big spenders! I can hear their footsteps.
So let's get some questions answered. What is this vehicle? How much is it worth? How is it used for the few hundred miles driven per year? Is it a Diesel? Do you run an air filter?
IF: It's a Hemi Cuda It's a particular collectible The 500 miles per year are spent competing in the Daytona, Indy or Baja 500 The 500 miles are put on 1/8 or 1/4 mile at a time You drive on country roads without an air filter It's a Diesel. THEN: You may want to worry about engine oil
If none of the above statements apply to you, my advice would be to use the oil year after year until you've hit 3,000 miles and then change it, or 5,000 miles for a synthetic. ExxonMobil says Mobil 1 has a shelf life of 5 years. I look at that number as being very conservative.
If you are really curious about the condition of your engine oil on October 1, buy an oil analysis kit and get a sample tested. It used to cost me $18.00. Blackstone Labs will send you a free sample kit and charge you $28.00 for the analysis. What you'll get back is a report that gives the specific of your particular sample, how it fits in the manufacturer's acceptable range, and how much/what kind of particles you have in your oil. You will most likely see that everything about the oil is suitable for continued use. The reports do all the interpreting for you, telling you if the value is good, so-so, or bad. Maybe you remember my '93Suburban story. It was used more than half time as a delivery vehicle, delivering kids to practice. Occasionally we'd take a long trip. I was using conventional oil and forgot to change the oil after 5,000 miles. I changed it at 12,000 miles and sent in a sample. The analysis report showed that the oil still met specifications after 12,000 miles.
It is a FACT that there are over a million particles larger than 4 microns in every liter of new motor oil. So changing the oil doesn't necessarily mean you are reducing the number of particulates. The largest source of particulates in the oil is road dust. There are also wear particles present. There may be particles from a chemical reaction causing their formation. Acids in motor oils are produced by moisture in the oil. Doing lots of low speed driving or stop and go driving increases the chances of moisture to accumulate in the oil. Not driving does less.
For most automobiles, oil is much less important than we'd think, as long as it is present and meets minimum specs. How can I say that? Think about the causes of engine failure. I don't believe lubricating oil is in the top five of the list. Overheating, head gaskets, detonation, are a few of the causes.
Several years ago Quaker State ran a program where if you used only Quaker State oil and possibly filters in your car, they'd warranty the engine against oil related failure for a lot longer than factory. The reason they could dare to do this is because oil related failures in engines are relatively rare. This excludes running out of oil, of course.s
I know oil is like religion to most of us, but we really should start taking the longer view. That money I saved on an unnecessary oil change will buy dinner and a movie for two. Keep the marriage strong, it can cause you to lose your special car much more certainly than an oil related engine failure!
R.
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Re: End of season oil change
[Re: Dr Dave]
#2412696
12/03/17 04:20 PM
12/03/17 04:20 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,446 Morristown Tn.
71birdJ68
master
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master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,446
Morristown Tn.
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It has a lot to do with what kind of building the car is stored in. If a metal building, then there can be a wide range of temp changes over night and almost everyday. This will cause moisture to form inside the engine, and contaminate the oil, and start corrosion to form. In this case why put new oil in to get contaminated and have to be changed in the spring. But like in my case, my car is in a basement, which the temps hardly vary, and from summer to winter it takes weeks for them to change, so I don't worry about it. I have seen airplane cylinders go bad with corrosion from sitting in a metal hanger, and remember that when you restart up something that has surface rust, then all of the power gets spread through the engine like sand. If you really would like to store it right, they make these heating pads for airplane engines that stick to the oil pan and block, then you can keep the engine at the same warm temp all winter. They also make blowers that blow hot air through hoses that can be directed into the engine bay, and not only the engine, but everything can be kept warm.
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