Re: Oil Changes

Subject: Re: Oil Changes
From: Anthony Le <anthony.le@domain.elided>
Date: Thu, 01 Aug 1996 10:27:51 -0500
>>>>>
From: klopp@domain.elided (John A Klopp)
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 13:45:09 -0700
Subject: Oil Changes

I have been reading a lot of conflicting information on
oil changes  lately.  Does anyone have a credible, non
testimonial opinion on the  matter?  Specifically, how
many miles between oil changes, and under  what
driving conditions does this differ?  Does synthetic oil
offer a  benefit under normal driving conditions or is it
a waste of money and  milage?  etc.  Confused,
Jamie '88 M3
<<<<<

I think the "synthetic vs dino oild" & "oil change
interval" arguments are as deep & strong as the
argument about the birth & death of the universe. 
Different car designs & different driving conditions
won't allow you to make a general conclusion about
what specific oil to use & when to change it.

I think the most important thing you can do for your
car is getting to know your car better.  By that, I mean
monitor all your fluid levels, visually inspect all your
car's systems (ie. belts, hoses, engine, brakes,
suspension, etc), perform all the scheduled
maintenances on time, smell the engine for unusual
smells, listen to the engine as you rev it for unusual
noises, check exhaust for unsual gases, give it good
gas (premium only when premium is required),
change the oil at according to the manual or 3K miles.
Overall, pay attention to it.  Any car will last quite a
while if you take care of it--just like your body.  Feed it
a lot of junk food and don't exercise, and see what
happens.

Personally, I change my oil at 3K. Once a month or
every other week and before every autocross, I check
out my car. Oil, fluids, belt, hoses, brakes. Crawl
under it, and do a visual checkout & check for
tightness. Only take a couple of minutes to do so. 
Don't forget to read your manual.

And above all, drive the car the way it was designed
for!  An engine designed to run at 7.5K rmp shouldn't
be lugged around at 2.5K rmp.  My MR2 & ///M3
absolutely hates it if I don't drive them hard once in a
while.  The engine will feel sluggish & doesn't
accelerate well.

- -----
anthony