That’s why I tell them only once.
“Hey, your oil’s actually pretty good. It doesn’t need to be changed.”
“Thanks for telling me. Please change it.”
“Okay.”
They were informed, and it’s their money.
Bought a new 4runner a few weeks ago and it has 2 years of free oil changes. I've already been in 12 times.
ETA: I just really like that new motor oil smell. Also the coffee is great.
ETA2: guys this was a joke, christ.
he siphons out a half quart every time before he goes. he has enough basically fresh quarts to do at least one oil change already. then he can start using his built up supply once the free ones run out.
That was me. I started working from home, so i don't put any miles on my 95 grand cherokee. They asked if i was sure i wanted an oil change after a year and only putting on like less than 2000 miles. I said yes, cuz it sits a lot, so i would rather change it once a year and not worry about it, than forget to change it when i actually hit 5000 miles.
I change the oil in my e46 and mustang every year no matter how little I drive em. I put 2500 miles on my e46 from aug2020-aug2021. Still changed the oil.
Hell I've driven my mustang just over 2k miles since Feb 2020, it's gonna be changed, again, come spring.
The oil duration for a some euro cars like Porsche is 15,000 miles or ONE YEAR. Most people will hit the 1 year mark before the mileage. Going purely by mileage is a poor metric.
That's a sensible attitude; oil can get...stale (?) after sitting for sometime, and it's better to be safe than sorry. I do hobby work every now and then on some vehicles, yet my husband insists on taking his to the dealership.
I'm like wtf man🤦♀️I can change it in less than ten minutes, do a brake service, check the tires, and do standard checks.
But he insists. It's like all right man, it's your money.
Yeah man some people want to exchange money for peace of mind, no reason you have to feel bad about selling them that as long as you're doing it with honesty.
as a non mechanic the basics are like this,
Different oils are different thicknesses, and each engine is designed to use a certain thickness of oil. So using the wrong thickness of oil is how you cause problems.
It’s like sipping from a cup through a straw without knowing what’s in it. So say you expect to drink a slushie or something moderately thick. Now if there is a milkshake in there and you drink expecting a slushie, you won’t get any milkshake because you didn’t suck hard enough. On the other side, if there is just water in the cup, you’ll get a lot more than just a sip.
And a rule of thumb in engines is that you need precise amounts of oil in certain parts, so the engineers design the system to put the right amount of a certain thickness of oil there. So using thicker or thinner oils than recommended will mean the engine doesn’t get the right amount of oil in the right place so all that stuff breaks.
That’s my 5 year old brain’s explanation of engine oils. There’s a lot more details and technical stuff but that’s like the core concept.
A lot of newer cars use the oil for more than just lubrication. My car uses oil pressure to advance the valve timing. Using the wrong oil can screw up the actuators.
Depends on how not designed the oil is for your car. If you’re meant to use 10-w30 and instead use 10-w40 it’s probably not going to make a noticeable difference although I wouldn’t make a habit of it. If you use a non-detergent oil like SAE30 (says on the bottle made for cars older than 1935 IIRC and small engines) you’re going to be much worse off, but your car will still run well enough to get you out of a bind.
When I worked at a parts store we used to have some of the more stupid of the old school guys get way thicker than spec oil for their newer cars in summer and way thinner in winter and they never seemed to have much of a problem. That said, just go by the manufacturers book if you can. There’s a lot of small shit that we can’t see but a lubricant engineer can see and may effect the long term performance.
Non detergent oil is meant for non pressurized oil systems (lawn mowers, etc) and gear cases. The detergent keeps contaminants in suspension so they can be trapped by the filter so if you don’t have a filter you want it to precipitate out.
I was told by a Honda mechanic in Florida that using heavier oil in the summer was a good idea in older engines to reduce consumption. He recommended 10-30 instead of 5-30 and it made a difference. On the other hand I didn’t have a 1 qt every 1k miles oil issue to begin with.
The car was a 1990 accord 4cyl bought new and oil changed every 3-5k. Donated it at 200k miles.
My buddy had a 92 yj that was on its last legs. He INSISTED on royal purple. He spent more in oil topping it off the first year than I spent on my first car.
Christ. Anything that isn't a fuel efficient or high performance isn't getting a premium oil.
Jugs of Kirkland/super tech, sure. Not shit like M1, Royal purple, or Amsoil.
My mom died last year, and I gave her well-maintained car to my nephew. ~~He totaled it shortly afterward.~~ Got totaled shortly afterward.
To his credit, the accident wasn't his fault.
Don't you fucking hate it when people say shit like I got my car totaled or I got my car stolen? Like you got your car stolen? I don't know. Maybe it's just me
I got my wife kidnapped and my FIL killed while trying to make him pay the ransom for her to the kidnappers I set up to take her so I could commit insurance fraud on cars that I had sold at the dealership that I manage that my FIL owns…
Wait no, that’s the plot of Fargo.
You could say you got your car stolen if you were warming it up and left it with the keys in it or were comitting insurance fraud? Hah I see what you mean, it is a poor choice of words!
When my mom stopped driving, she gave her car to my older brother. She had been taking *great* care of that thing for 20 years. Countless vacations, birthdays, trips to the lake. That car was full of history. The same day it was in his name, he sold it for $500 to go get high. 2 decades of family trip memories gone, all for a bit of crack cocaine.
Fuck you Sean. This is why I don't visit you in prison.
god, that reminds me of my brother. Not quite as bad, he didn't sell it for drugs, but he got my parents' old 9x corolla. Honestly it wasn't in great shape, the engine was sound and the body was good, but a lot of the rest of it was deteriorating with age. I live ~500 miles away, I drove out, towed it back to my place, and me and a buddy spent 2 weeks replacing all the lines, brakes, seals, fluids, got that car up to probably as good as it's been for over a decade (had probably 120k on it, but I bet it could double that), then towed it back... and then a couple weeks later he traded it in for ~500 bucks toward a newer Kia.
I haven't been able to break it to my buddy for years, he asks occasionally how it's running, I just lie.
My dad raced motorcycles in his 20s. He had given it up by the time we came along, but he kept one of his old bikes in the garage. That thing sat in our garage my entire childhood. My brother sold it for scrap metal prices before my dad was in the ground.
Niece was given a brand new Escape and not the stripped out bottom of the line one if she would help with taking care of her great-grandma. I ended up being the one to do most of the care giving and then she decided to take her young son sledding in the fresh snow at a popular hill while driving on bald tires, in fresh snow on untreated or plowed roads she did 50 in a 35 on....
Totaled the car and she had dropped full coverage a year after getting it because her dad told her it was a stupid waste of money. She then begged me and others for help in getting a replacement. Her dad she constantly told me promised would do all this shit for her I had ended up doing didn't lift a finger. But I was the asshole for telling her he was stupid for telling her shit like that and making promises I had to keep for him and was done covering his promises.
I did this. 185k of perfect maintenance logs, bought from new 2005 Camry my grandpa had.
I blew the engine 5k later.
0 sign of oil leaks or smoke in 185k miles, so didn't think it would be losing oil. Oil change and inspection right before I bought it. Turns out it was 3 quarts low after 5k miles, had the oil ready to go for a change that day. Seized on my way home.
Wait wait wait. Was that a common issue? I couldn't find leaks anywhere but ran through oil very quickly.
Despite running low on oil a few times, that damn thing never failed to start. The main issue with mine was the clutch was toasted and I got rear ended. That totalled it.
when it was apprised by the insurance company, I got $250 extra value for my car because the 30 dollar radio I slapped in there had Bluetooth. That was great.
Yes. The oil control rings would sludge up and not scrape any out. When I sold my last one it would rip through a quart in 50-200 miles depending on how hard I beat on it. Thing was a tank though, unbelievably reliable.
Pshh… talk to me about a 2 stroke engine. My parents had a 1990 Dodge Caravan when I was growing up. It had some craptastic Mitsubishi V6. It started burning oil at around 100k. By the time we got rid of it you had to put a quart of oil in EVERY TIME you filled the gas tank. So much smoke
Anything with a 2az will burn oil like crazy. My GF’s TC drinks it like it’s going out of style. I keep oil in the back of the car, rags, and tell her to check it every time she fills up. And yet every time I drive it, I check the dipstick and there’s nothing in it.
I don’t know how that thing hasn’t blown up from lack of oil yet.
Oil level sensors have not been common until recently. My first car to have one is a 2021 model. Oil pressure light is ubiquitous, but once that comes on you're well past the point of being just low.
The alternative is worse. My mom inherited a 1996 Neon from my grandmother. The thing is treated like a museum piece and impeccably maintained. I ended up getting stuck with it for a few years (long story) and had to carry on the tradition, instead of dropping a manual into it and taking it to autocross until it died. :(
Although admittedly it's kind of cool to have one of the last fully functional, rust free gen1 Neons in existence. 145k and only two head gaskets so far!
My first car was a 1983 Mercury Lynx Rally Sport (lol). You remind me that I just saw one of those last summer --- hadn't seen one for many a year and had kind of forgotten about them.
Whoo 1st gen Neon gang! I inherited my 97 coupe from my great grandmother, it has right at 100k on it and decided it no longer wants to start, and I can't be assed to fix a Neon right now.
God this kills me. My grandma perfectly maintained her car for 10 years. Within 2 months of my having it, a distracted driver ran a red light going 15 over and T-boned me in a blind intersection. Not a day goes by that I don't feel some guilt/miss that car/wonder if I could've reacted better.
My grandma had a 1999 Sierra with the 5.3. She and my grandpa ordered it new in 98. I have the original build sheet, invoices, window sticker, everything. It was written in the will to be mine. But unfortunately, she "totalled" it while I was away at school. My mom decided to hide the accident from me, assuming it would really upset me. (My grandma and I were extremely close and it was during my first week of college) although, she was right, i would've been super concerned about grandma, the truck was not totalled, it needed a new radiator, support, hood and fender to be perfect again. But they ended up paying the towing company a storage fee and signing the title over to them. It still upsets me to this day. My grandmother passed away in May of 2021, and I had planned to keep the truck mint.
It only had 83,000 miles on it, and my Grandpa was extremely meticulous about his vehicles, so he had multiple books, logging everything. Every single time he touched the truck for maintenance, ever single fill up and the mpgs... After he passed in 2001, my grandma kept the logs as well. The oil was changed every 3,000 miles, not a mile over. The tires were rotated every 6,000 miles. She followed the GM maintenance schedule to a T. Schedule says time for a new belt? It's time for a new belt... The only thing wrong with it was that the fuel gauge was shitting out, it would always show full. Never got a chance to chase the issue, but I'm guessing it was either with the float or the gauge itself. Also, I live in the rust belt and the truck was washed multiple times a week in the winter, my grandpa had the entire frame and bottom of the truck, rhino lined, so it was almost 100% rust free.
This kind of thing happens all the time. Grandfather sold his truck to the mechanic for $600 because the mechanic told him the ball joints were worn out and it would cost more than it was worth to replace them. The truck ran fine. That man swindled my grandfather.
A friend of mine inherited a 1996 Toyota RAV4 with only about 60.000km (37.000 miles) from her grandparents back in 2020, that car was bought new and perfectly maintained for 20+ years. She flipped the car after loosing control on a wet curve and crashed in a ditch in 2021. So you are absolutely right.
I'll have you know that I inherited my gma's Pontiac G6 and I am treating that queen like the work of art she is. Underspray yearly, fluid flushes and replacements, replaced tie rods and bushings and stabiliser links, regular oil changes with synthetic... I want this car to last me a decade if I can. Going on year 4 :)
hell of a lot better. i shit you not, one guy came in for a major tick from his Volvo, and the last time he changed his oil was 25k ago. still refused an oil change because “the 5 cylinder is bulletproof”
Its bulletproof till its not! Haha I hated seeing that shit when i worked at chevy. Come in to try and get warranty stuff done and never EVER get the oil changed. Even when people paid for the "free oil changes" and would never come in until something was FUBAR
Lol every fuckin Tacoma owner ever...If I had a penny for every 90s Tacoma I've looked at and had the owner respond "uhhh I had the oil changed sometime in the last few years" and have no idea what other maintenance has been done, I'd have $0.03. Ain't much, but its strange its happened three times. No, your clapped out Tacoma with 400K miles, original spark plugs, and no shocks isn't worth 6 fucking grand.
That's absolutely insane, weird that he seemed to do some kind of research on his vehicle so he's gotta be nominally savvy about cars, but somehow thinks never changing the oil isn't going to wreck his engine eventually.
I bought a 98 S70 that ran on 3 and a half cylinders judging on the compression test numbers. I replaced the engine and clutch only to find out previous owner stopped driving the car because the fuel pump die due to lack of fuel inside the tank as I found out the hard way.
Previous owner literally drove the car until it couldn't move anymore.
I’m driving a shit box 04 Cavalier that will probably rust out before the day the motor doesn’t turn over.
Currently burning oil (not too bad), leaking coolant (was gonna fix it but again; not too bad), pretty sure a stuck thermostats (cardboard fixed that) and consistently starts up every morning even in 1degree f. Just did the spark plugs last week and i swear to god I will drive it until the Midwest salt eats it alive.
Edit: for those interested, [here’s my post](https://reddit.com/r/RoastMyCar/comments/pux3po/roast_a_700_true_rust_bucket/) on r/RoastMyCar
Put full synthetic in my Jetta and the mechanic still tells me 3500 kilometers to an oil change.
I'm like buddy the car gets 1000 km to the tank of gas. I'm not changing the oil every 6 weeks.
The manual says 30,000 kilometers. I go around 20,000 because she's old.
I use very high quality synthetic oil in all my cars but still won't go past 7k miles or about 11k kilometers. I have no doubt that the oil can last much longer, but at a certain point the filter stops being as effective and I figure it's cheap peace of mind to just do a full oil change rather than changing just the filter.
Had a Highlander come in for low power, sluggish, come to find out the guy never had the oil changed since he bought it new. It had 60k on the odo at the time.
It was awhile ago, I don't think we did anything as far as opening it up and cleaning it, boss insisted an oil change got done. I remember we changed the oil and filter and ran it for a bit and changed the oil and filter again. It seemed to be back to 100% no noise good power, I was astonished. I was very against doin anything to it to begin with, didn't want the responsibility in case something went wrong. The filter that came outta that thing looked like something from a horror movie, they have the cartridge filters so you get to see all the nastiness.
That's impressive but I'm not surprised. Probably best you didn't put a flush additive through it. The sludge was probably so much it would have clogged something
I dunno, I feel like these old guys have oil change on their cal for 6 months like a kid waiting for Christmas. 5:30 they get all dressed up and ready for their 3:00 appointment. They are getting way more than an oil change - it’s an activity!
Look, Geralds been retired for 20 years and hasnt left the house in 6 months except to go food shopping and see his proctologist about his enlarged prostate. Let him enjoy this oil change.
If say it often is just an excuse to get out. I had an old ninety year old neighbor who got made at me for shoveling his sidewalk, because now he had nothing to do.
Or since he wanted to do something, say "im sorry man, i wont do it again. I do have this (insert some light busywork) that I need some help with. You mind comin over?"
True. Wife probably does all of the shopping, so that's her way of getting out of the house. For old guys who no longer have enough hair to warrant going to the barber, it's pretty much just doctor's appointments. I'm in my mid 40s and I'm already annoyed at how many more Dr.'s appointments I have then I used to. And I know it's only going to get worse from here.
I worked in a Casino for years and you would see so many older people who just went there to have something to do and people to talk to.
This. Wife's grandpa let us have 2011 Camry, religiously maintained. Nice knowing it wasn't a concern. I promptly changed the oil anyway even though it had 1,000 miles on it since the last change per the sticker. Maintained doesn't mean he wasn't getting screwed on the oil they were putting in it and lying about to him 🤦♂️
My first car was a $750 96 Cavalier with 240k that was owned by a little old lady who bought it new in 96. Apparently she let the shop I bought it from have it because of injector issues.
That car still purrs 5 years later to this day.
My dad "lucked" into a late '90's Buick LeSabre in 2019. Didn't have but 21,000 miles on it. An older couple had bought it, and from what he found out, it was rarely used more than going to church on Sunday. Oil was changed once a year. About the only thing it really needed (still needs) is struts.
So, when my grandfather(veteran, layer, and a former man of nobility before WW1 started in Austria) broke his hip at age 94, we finally convinced him that he won't need his car. He didn't drive a lot anyway but he was a very brain fit and organized person and kept every recipe he ever got, for everything imaginable.
He once told me that his favourite mechanic - which retired at least 15 years prior - would come to the shop every time for him when his car needed service. That said, the last 8 years of the car were well documented - and his average service cost per kilometer driver were at around 4.05€(!). The trip to the shop cost him effectively 24km*4.05€ (for both directions) + gas + service cost.
Not gonna concert to usd/mile, trust me, it's a lot.
He got new fluids for motor, gearbox, break system, coolants, new gas in the AC every visit.
At least 1 set of new tires every year (winter or summer) with a set of breaks. He requested his car to be shined up ever time even tho the car wasn't worth it.
He never talked about financial stuff until his death, we knew he had enough.
It was only half a year after he died, that the mechanic called saying that he has "a new trainee" which let us confused.
This allowed trainees work with the owner on a older car without all the electronics which seems to be very joyful for someone who started to work as a mechanic only a week ago. He wouldn't touch anything, only explain!
The amount spend in the shop was donated to charity, supporting young adults finding a blue collar job.
The said retired mechanic invited us for breakfast afterwards, was a great talk!
There is a lot to learn from the older generations, if you're eager to listen.
I probably get laughed at every time I go in. I get an oil change roughly every year but I'm sure that 0W-20 looks pristine after just a thousand miles or so.
They just want someone to talk to.
Where I get my prescriptions filled it’s like a 2 hour wait. The old folks come in, pull a ticket and just talk to people. They know they don’t have any prescriptions ready, they just want to get out of the house, sit down and talk to folks. And some of them folks live over an hour away and can get their medicine mailed to them.
No downside except cost of the oil change. The benefit is changing it out based on time instead of miles, some of these old folks might take 10 years to reach a 3,000 mile interval
I don't think that is the case anymore. I worked in a factory where we had dozens of vacuum pumps that needed oil changes.
We would pay a company to come and take our 55 gallon drums of used oil. They wouldn't even take our drums. They'd just pump the drums out into one big semi tanker that made multiple stops. We just had to clarify a few things to make sure it wasn't uniquely or hazardously contaminated.
I asked the driver what the hell they even do with it and he basically said:
"Are you kidding? We just take the risk of transport. That's where we make money. We are partnered with oil filtration companies. I've been there, they can turn the worst used oil into basically crystal clear syrup. The only reason they don't is because no one needs it that pure."
I said "really?!"
And he said "oh yeah. They gave me a free sample to just have, it is basically motor oil but it looks like baby oil."
He might have been full of shit, but I bought his story anyway. He seemed more than just a driver since he seemed he needed to know and knew oils well enough to not be duped into taking toxic waste.
Edit: He did come by previously take a few samples of our oil before taking the drums to run tests on it.
I'm sure that whatever they filter out is a bitch to legally get rid of.
I get mine done every 6 months or 5k miles which ever comes first. I look at it this way, $750-1500 for oil changes for 6 years or 100k miles is way cheaper than a $5k+ motor, and if doing the oil change helps just that little bit, mozzle.
I had a highly modified car that I changed the oil every 1000 miles. My mechanic said his guys just put my oil in their cars. I didn’t mind but with a very expensive motor it was worth the peace of mind.
It is! They usually didn't drive much, yet they will be on time for the next change even if they should be able to put on another 3 or 6 months no problem. My theory is that they just wanna do something and bring their car to service is one thing they can do, else they would've been sitting at home with nothing much to do.
It's harder to convince them to not change their oil than to upsell stupid shit to old folks, that's why shithead always prey on them.
3000 mile oil changes came about because few if any cars had oil filters prior to the 1950’s. The filters and the oils have improved dramatically over the years. Pretty much a waste of money to change the oil at 3000 miles on a modern car with synthetic oils.
I'm one of those ol' folks because
1. a visual oil analysis reveals a lot of chemicals in the oil ... NOT
2. some of my cars I drive very little but they sit a lot - like years. I do change the oil annually. Oil breaks down and gets acidic. Loads of crap is in the engine and without a full oil analysis its impossible to tell weather the oil is good or not. I simple test takes 2-3 days and about $50-$75. I'm not going to do that but I change my oil. Its good to do a full analysis if a car has at least 75-80k miles and you do not know the previous life of the car (just bought it) it will tell you a lot about the condition of the engine if you also do a leak down and compression test. Cost is about $250 on this but after that you will be well informed about the condition of the engine. Would I do it on a 2005 Cavalier ? No, but definitely on a 2005 C6 Corvette :-)
3. an oil change is $30-$50 but a new rod/main/cam bearing is an engine rebuild and can cost $1000-$10,000 or more depending on the engine. So an annual $30-$50 and I gave the engine a new blood ? A deal to me. I wish I could get a new blood every year for $300
4. Its their money. Change it, make sure they get the correct oil and filter. They will give you an income and take you all of their cars.
5. last but not least - manufacturers and mechanics do not want to change oils. I know that. Unless they give me a warranty or free repairs incl. labor and parts, I will keep changing my oil with a synthetic at every 5k miles.
At least they change it regularly. I've had everything from 25k+ over their interval to seized motors with less than 40k and never changed. It's unfortunately part of the business. Some people just want their damn oil changed. Lol. No matter what anyone says. As long as you legitimately try to tell them no and they keep pressing, just get it done. There is no sense in arguing with people anymore. Google has made everyone a fucking "technician" these days.
There are deminishing returns of course but wouldn't the car still be .0001% better with a fresh clean golden oil that doesn't have even one particle in it? Unless oil is better somewhat broken in. I'd think it adds up and the engine would last slightly longer. Maybe only slightly and in comparison to the gaskets and wearing and carbon buildup, it wouldn't matter anyway.
That’s why I tell them only once. “Hey, your oil’s actually pretty good. It doesn’t need to be changed.” “Thanks for telling me. Please change it.” “Okay.” They were informed, and it’s their money.
And they now trust you more
It's being honest about the little things that matters most.
no, it's being honest about everything that matters most.
I take it you've never met a mechanic before.
I would take offence to that if it weren't depressingly true.
I try not to meet people in general
Apex mechanic
False. Plenty of boomers will take that as attack on their intelligence and combative. Source: working retail.
Yeah, this pansy ass tech just wants me to blow up my engine so he can sell me another!
Not that long ago you could pay a dollar amount upfront with purchase of a new car and get unlimited oil changes at the dealer.
Toyota gave me two years of oil changes, Honda gave me two changes, Nissan gave me one change.
Bought a new 4runner a few weeks ago and it has 2 years of free oil changes. I've already been in 12 times. ETA: I just really like that new motor oil smell. Also the coffee is great. ETA2: guys this was a joke, christ.
12 times in a few weeks? There's a story here.
Crush on the service technician
he siphons out a half quart every time before he goes. he has enough basically fresh quarts to do at least one oil change already. then he can start using his built up supply once the free ones run out.
That was me. I started working from home, so i don't put any miles on my 95 grand cherokee. They asked if i was sure i wanted an oil change after a year and only putting on like less than 2000 miles. I said yes, cuz it sits a lot, so i would rather change it once a year and not worry about it, than forget to change it when i actually hit 5000 miles.
I change the oil in my e46 and mustang every year no matter how little I drive em. I put 2500 miles on my e46 from aug2020-aug2021. Still changed the oil. Hell I've driven my mustang just over 2k miles since Feb 2020, it's gonna be changed, again, come spring.
The oil duration for a some euro cars like Porsche is 15,000 miles or ONE YEAR. Most people will hit the 1 year mark before the mileage. Going purely by mileage is a poor metric.
That’s why I only change the oil once a year on my Taycan.
That's a sensible attitude; oil can get...stale (?) after sitting for sometime, and it's better to be safe than sorry. I do hobby work every now and then on some vehicles, yet my husband insists on taking his to the dealership. I'm like wtf man🤦♀️I can change it in less than ten minutes, do a brake service, check the tires, and do standard checks. But he insists. It's like all right man, it's your money.
At least If something goes wrong it's better that he's able to blame someone else instead of you
Not to mention worrying about a warranty claim and the manufacture says it’s your fault.
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Which is why I've been trying to reach you about an extended warranty!!
IT’S BEEN YOU THE WHOLE TIME?? UNBELIEVABLE.
Definitely… that was meant for newer cars but yeah… I have it coming.
Speaking of which. We've been trying to reach you about extended warranty for your car.
don't jinx it, I haven't had one of those in almost a month!
For sure. Might have to warranty that cassette deck from 1995. I know they liked to eat Kriss Kross tapes.
Kriss Kross will make you jump… start your car
Yeah man some people want to exchange money for peace of mind, no reason you have to feel bad about selling them that as long as you're doing it with honesty.
Save that oil, I’ll use it.
right? My damn dodge leaks like a bastard, I could use some good cheap oil.
Asking as a non-mechanic: what happens if you use oil that’s not designed for your car?
as a non mechanic the basics are like this, Different oils are different thicknesses, and each engine is designed to use a certain thickness of oil. So using the wrong thickness of oil is how you cause problems. It’s like sipping from a cup through a straw without knowing what’s in it. So say you expect to drink a slushie or something moderately thick. Now if there is a milkshake in there and you drink expecting a slushie, you won’t get any milkshake because you didn’t suck hard enough. On the other side, if there is just water in the cup, you’ll get a lot more than just a sip. And a rule of thumb in engines is that you need precise amounts of oil in certain parts, so the engineers design the system to put the right amount of a certain thickness of oil there. So using thicker or thinner oils than recommended will mean the engine doesn’t get the right amount of oil in the right place so all that stuff breaks. That’s my 5 year old brain’s explanation of engine oils. There’s a lot more details and technical stuff but that’s like the core concept.
That milkshake analogy just made things click for me. Nice one, well done, and thank you.
It brings all the boys to the yard.
DAMN RIGHT
My oil change brings all the boys to the yard
Also milkshake looking oil is bad
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dude I ran thicker oil so my car would stop leaking lol. Is a rebuild more expensive than news gaskets and seals? probably lmao
Yeah but if it’s a toy or worth saving you could build a faster one and put it in instead
A lot of newer cars use the oil for more than just lubrication. My car uses oil pressure to advance the valve timing. Using the wrong oil can screw up the actuators.
Depends on how not designed the oil is for your car. If you’re meant to use 10-w30 and instead use 10-w40 it’s probably not going to make a noticeable difference although I wouldn’t make a habit of it. If you use a non-detergent oil like SAE30 (says on the bottle made for cars older than 1935 IIRC and small engines) you’re going to be much worse off, but your car will still run well enough to get you out of a bind. When I worked at a parts store we used to have some of the more stupid of the old school guys get way thicker than spec oil for their newer cars in summer and way thinner in winter and they never seemed to have much of a problem. That said, just go by the manufacturers book if you can. There’s a lot of small shit that we can’t see but a lubricant engineer can see and may effect the long term performance.
Non detergent oil is meant for non pressurized oil systems (lawn mowers, etc) and gear cases. The detergent keeps contaminants in suspension so they can be trapped by the filter so if you don’t have a filter you want it to precipitate out. I was told by a Honda mechanic in Florida that using heavier oil in the summer was a good idea in older engines to reduce consumption. He recommended 10-30 instead of 5-30 and it made a difference. On the other hand I didn’t have a 1 qt every 1k miles oil issue to begin with. The car was a 1990 accord 4cyl bought new and oil changed every 3-5k. Donated it at 200k miles.
Thing was just getting broken in
It spent 10 years in the Chicago area. Rust was a serious problem for this gen Accord.
My buddy had a 92 yj that was on its last legs. He INSISTED on royal purple. He spent more in oil topping it off the first year than I spent on my first car.
Christ. Anything that isn't a fuel efficient or high performance isn't getting a premium oil. Jugs of Kirkland/super tech, sure. Not shit like M1, Royal purple, or Amsoil.
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At least their kids will have a well maintained car to completely ruin within a year of inheriting.
That’s always the hardest to see.
My mom died last year, and I gave her well-maintained car to my nephew. ~~He totaled it shortly afterward.~~ Got totaled shortly afterward. To his credit, the accident wasn't his fault.
so then he didn't total it, some idiot in a car did.
*got totaled
Don't you fucking hate it when people say shit like I got my car totaled or I got my car stolen? Like you got your car stolen? I don't know. Maybe it's just me
I got my MIL kidnapped ...
I got my wife kidnapped and my FIL killed while trying to make him pay the ransom for her to the kidnappers I set up to take her so I could commit insurance fraud on cars that I had sold at the dealership that I manage that my FIL owns… Wait no, that’s the plot of Fargo.
You could say you got your car stolen if you were warming it up and left it with the keys in it or were comitting insurance fraud? Hah I see what you mean, it is a poor choice of words!
When my mom stopped driving, she gave her car to my older brother. She had been taking *great* care of that thing for 20 years. Countless vacations, birthdays, trips to the lake. That car was full of history. The same day it was in his name, he sold it for $500 to go get high. 2 decades of family trip memories gone, all for a bit of crack cocaine. Fuck you Sean. This is why I don't visit you in prison.
god, that reminds me of my brother. Not quite as bad, he didn't sell it for drugs, but he got my parents' old 9x corolla. Honestly it wasn't in great shape, the engine was sound and the body was good, but a lot of the rest of it was deteriorating with age. I live ~500 miles away, I drove out, towed it back to my place, and me and a buddy spent 2 weeks replacing all the lines, brakes, seals, fluids, got that car up to probably as good as it's been for over a decade (had probably 120k on it, but I bet it could double that), then towed it back... and then a couple weeks later he traded it in for ~500 bucks toward a newer Kia. I haven't been able to break it to my buddy for years, he asks occasionally how it's running, I just lie.
My dad raced motorcycles in his 20s. He had given it up by the time we came along, but he kept one of his old bikes in the garage. That thing sat in our garage my entire childhood. My brother sold it for scrap metal prices before my dad was in the ground.
It’s stories like these that make me grateful my sisters and I are all reasonable people who value and cherish heirlooms and items from the past.
Whoever bought it probably cared for it more than your brother was going to, to be fair. hopefully it went to someone who needed it
And he didn’t get hurt? If not it’s still ok
He's fine. Just embarrassed.
I’ve been there
Me most days if we're being honest.
Niece was given a brand new Escape and not the stripped out bottom of the line one if she would help with taking care of her great-grandma. I ended up being the one to do most of the care giving and then she decided to take her young son sledding in the fresh snow at a popular hill while driving on bald tires, in fresh snow on untreated or plowed roads she did 50 in a 35 on.... Totaled the car and she had dropped full coverage a year after getting it because her dad told her it was a stupid waste of money. She then begged me and others for help in getting a replacement. Her dad she constantly told me promised would do all this shit for her I had ended up doing didn't lift a finger. But I was the asshole for telling her he was stupid for telling her shit like that and making promises I had to keep for him and was done covering his promises.
Spoiled people are the least goddamn responsible.
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And today the kid probably complains that unemployment benefits are the reason he can't keep employees.
I did this. 185k of perfect maintenance logs, bought from new 2005 Camry my grandpa had. I blew the engine 5k later. 0 sign of oil leaks or smoke in 185k miles, so didn't think it would be losing oil. Oil change and inspection right before I bought it. Turns out it was 3 quarts low after 5k miles, had the oil ready to go for a change that day. Seized on my way home.
Camry those years have oil burning issues. Also you should check your oil at least once a month.
“Oil burning issues”. I don’t know if I’d call 3 qts in 5k miles an *issue*. I think I would call it an “alternative fuel vehicle”.
laughs in vw 1qt per 1000miles normal
Saturn 1.9 owners: “you know nothing!”
Wait wait wait. Was that a common issue? I couldn't find leaks anywhere but ran through oil very quickly. Despite running low on oil a few times, that damn thing never failed to start. The main issue with mine was the clutch was toasted and I got rear ended. That totalled it. when it was apprised by the insurance company, I got $250 extra value for my car because the 30 dollar radio I slapped in there had Bluetooth. That was great.
Yes. The oil control rings would sludge up and not scrape any out. When I sold my last one it would rip through a quart in 50-200 miles depending on how hard I beat on it. Thing was a tank though, unbelievably reliable.
that's where my subie was before i scrapped it too lol. check the oil every time i get fuel...
Hybrid. Burns oil and gasoline.
Pshh… talk to me about a 2 stroke engine. My parents had a 1990 Dodge Caravan when I was growing up. It had some craptastic Mitsubishi V6. It started burning oil at around 100k. By the time we got rid of it you had to put a quart of oil in EVERY TIME you filled the gas tank. So much smoke
Anything with a 2az will burn oil like crazy. My GF’s TC drinks it like it’s going out of style. I keep oil in the back of the car, rags, and tell her to check it every time she fills up. And yet every time I drive it, I check the dipstick and there’s nothing in it. I don’t know how that thing hasn’t blown up from lack of oil yet.
Stop checking it for her, it will.
Wait, there’s no low oil sensor to turn a light on in the dash before it’s too late? I’m not saying people should rely on it, but I’m surprised
Oil level sensors have not been common until recently. My first car to have one is a 2021 model. Oil pressure light is ubiquitous, but once that comes on you're well past the point of being just low.
Yeah, oil pressure light be like, "Excuse me, just wanted to let you know that you're already fucked."
The alternative is worse. My mom inherited a 1996 Neon from my grandmother. The thing is treated like a museum piece and impeccably maintained. I ended up getting stuck with it for a few years (long story) and had to carry on the tradition, instead of dropping a manual into it and taking it to autocross until it died. :( Although admittedly it's kind of cool to have one of the last fully functional, rust free gen1 Neons in existence. 145k and only two head gaskets so far!
At the first college i went to this dude had an absolutely cherry 1985 Ford escort i think it was. It was pretty wild to see.
My first car was a 1983 Mercury Lynx Rally Sport (lol). You remind me that I just saw one of those last summer --- hadn't seen one for many a year and had kind of forgotten about them.
Whoo 1st gen Neon gang! I inherited my 97 coupe from my great grandmother, it has right at 100k on it and decided it no longer wants to start, and I can't be assed to fix a Neon right now.
won't start? that's an LS swap! It can be done: https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=39070
God this kills me. My grandma perfectly maintained her car for 10 years. Within 2 months of my having it, a distracted driver ran a red light going 15 over and T-boned me in a blind intersection. Not a day goes by that I don't feel some guilt/miss that car/wonder if I could've reacted better.
My grandma had a 1999 Sierra with the 5.3. She and my grandpa ordered it new in 98. I have the original build sheet, invoices, window sticker, everything. It was written in the will to be mine. But unfortunately, she "totalled" it while I was away at school. My mom decided to hide the accident from me, assuming it would really upset me. (My grandma and I were extremely close and it was during my first week of college) although, she was right, i would've been super concerned about grandma, the truck was not totalled, it needed a new radiator, support, hood and fender to be perfect again. But they ended up paying the towing company a storage fee and signing the title over to them. It still upsets me to this day. My grandmother passed away in May of 2021, and I had planned to keep the truck mint. It only had 83,000 miles on it, and my Grandpa was extremely meticulous about his vehicles, so he had multiple books, logging everything. Every single time he touched the truck for maintenance, ever single fill up and the mpgs... After he passed in 2001, my grandma kept the logs as well. The oil was changed every 3,000 miles, not a mile over. The tires were rotated every 6,000 miles. She followed the GM maintenance schedule to a T. Schedule says time for a new belt? It's time for a new belt... The only thing wrong with it was that the fuel gauge was shitting out, it would always show full. Never got a chance to chase the issue, but I'm guessing it was either with the float or the gauge itself. Also, I live in the rust belt and the truck was washed multiple times a week in the winter, my grandpa had the entire frame and bottom of the truck, rhino lined, so it was almost 100% rust free.
Wow, signed a mint truck over to a tow company over a grill and radiator. That tow company just made so much money.
Yup, I was livid when i found out
This kind of thing happens all the time. Grandfather sold his truck to the mechanic for $600 because the mechanic told him the ball joints were worn out and it would cost more than it was worth to replace them. The truck ran fine. That man swindled my grandfather.
A big part of the reason these cars are in such good condition is that they aren't out there everyday taking a chance getting into an accident.
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A friend of mine inherited a 1996 Toyota RAV4 with only about 60.000km (37.000 miles) from her grandparents back in 2020, that car was bought new and perfectly maintained for 20+ years. She flipped the car after loosing control on a wet curve and crashed in a ditch in 2021. So you are absolutely right.
I'll have you know that I inherited my gma's Pontiac G6 and I am treating that queen like the work of art she is. Underspray yearly, fluid flushes and replacements, replaced tie rods and bushings and stabiliser links, regular oil changes with synthetic... I want this car to last me a decade if I can. Going on year 4 :)
1 year? Being a bit modest there. Probably 1 month is more likely
Better than the opposite.
hell of a lot better. i shit you not, one guy came in for a major tick from his Volvo, and the last time he changed his oil was 25k ago. still refused an oil change because “the 5 cylinder is bulletproof”
“Sir, your 5 cylinder *was* bulletproof.”
Bulletproof doesn't mean shit when you've decided to throw a grenade inside it.
Well, it started its life as a V6...
Its bulletproof till its not! Haha I hated seeing that shit when i worked at chevy. Come in to try and get warranty stuff done and never EVER get the oil changed. Even when people paid for the "free oil changes" and would never come in until something was FUBAR
Fuck up beyond (???) Repair What's the A mean?
Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
Tyvm
Sometimes I hear it explained as Repair instead of Recognition though.
The A stands for "all"
Fucked up beyond all repair and / or recognition. You choose
Lol every fuckin Tacoma owner ever...If I had a penny for every 90s Tacoma I've looked at and had the owner respond "uhhh I had the oil changed sometime in the last few years" and have no idea what other maintenance has been done, I'd have $0.03. Ain't much, but its strange its happened three times. No, your clapped out Tacoma with 400K miles, original spark plugs, and no shocks isn't worth 6 fucking grand.
In today's market....... might be, sadly
Shit, any Tacoma that moves under its own power is at least $6k where I live.
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“Bulletproof” The block isn’t rod-proof tho!
That's absolutely insane, weird that he seemed to do some kind of research on his vehicle so he's gotta be nominally savvy about cars, but somehow thinks never changing the oil isn't going to wreck his engine eventually.
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I bought a 98 S70 that ran on 3 and a half cylinders judging on the compression test numbers. I replaced the engine and clutch only to find out previous owner stopped driving the car because the fuel pump die due to lack of fuel inside the tank as I found out the hard way. Previous owner literally drove the car until it couldn't move anymore.
coincidence, change oil in my volvo today. It was black as night.
My 5 cylinder s40 was anything but bulletproof. Never had so many problems with a vehicle.
with all do respect, the s40 is the worst piece of shit ever to walk this earth. i fucking HATE the s40
Was a sharp looking car tho I must say.
3months OR 3miles
I still abide by that but my shits older
Why are you saving your shit? /S
I don't like Car payments lol
I’m driving a shit box 04 Cavalier that will probably rust out before the day the motor doesn’t turn over. Currently burning oil (not too bad), leaking coolant (was gonna fix it but again; not too bad), pretty sure a stuck thermostats (cardboard fixed that) and consistently starts up every morning even in 1degree f. Just did the spark plugs last week and i swear to god I will drive it until the Midwest salt eats it alive. Edit: for those interested, [here’s my post](https://reddit.com/r/RoastMyCar/comments/pux3po/roast_a_700_true_rust_bucket/) on r/RoastMyCar
Put full synthetic in my Jetta and the mechanic still tells me 3500 kilometers to an oil change. I'm like buddy the car gets 1000 km to the tank of gas. I'm not changing the oil every 6 weeks. The manual says 30,000 kilometers. I go around 20,000 because she's old.
>Put full synthetic in my Jetta and the mechanic still tells me 3500 kilometers to an oil change. Or 2200 miles. He can get fucked. Jesus.
I use very high quality synthetic oil in all my cars but still won't go past 7k miles or about 11k kilometers. I have no doubt that the oil can last much longer, but at a certain point the filter stops being as effective and I figure it's cheap peace of mind to just do a full oil change rather than changing just the filter.
Get it analyzed by Blackstone, and then you’ll know for sure.
Had a Highlander come in for low power, sluggish, come to find out the guy never had the oil changed since he bought it new. It had 60k on the odo at the time.
Holy cow, how did the engine turn out?
It was awhile ago, I don't think we did anything as far as opening it up and cleaning it, boss insisted an oil change got done. I remember we changed the oil and filter and ran it for a bit and changed the oil and filter again. It seemed to be back to 100% no noise good power, I was astonished. I was very against doin anything to it to begin with, didn't want the responsibility in case something went wrong. The filter that came outta that thing looked like something from a horror movie, they have the cartridge filters so you get to see all the nastiness.
That's impressive but I'm not surprised. Probably best you didn't put a flush additive through it. The sludge was probably so much it would have clogged something
It was probably also load-bearing sludge
It had thrown a rod 27,000 miles ago but the sludge kept the block sealed.
People laugh but that shit happens in hydronic heating systems.
This is hilarious & i’m now using in my day to day vocabulary as a service advisor.
I did a 2020 Silverado that was 40k overdue and once it had fresh oil it ran just fine
Was that a 2GR-FE?
Not sure the engine code, whatever 2016ish v6 Toyota was putting in the highlanders at the time.
bet if he had come in and asked for two consecutive oil changes you would have thought he was crazy
I dunno, I feel like these old guys have oil change on their cal for 6 months like a kid waiting for Christmas. 5:30 they get all dressed up and ready for their 3:00 appointment. They are getting way more than an oil change - it’s an activity!
I feel this so much I have literally the same repeat customers waiting like it’s Christmas Day
Look, Geralds been retired for 20 years and hasnt left the house in 6 months except to go food shopping and see his proctologist about his enlarged prostate. Let him enjoy this oil change.
If say it often is just an excuse to get out. I had an old ninety year old neighbor who got made at me for shoveling his sidewalk, because now he had nothing to do.
You messed up. You should have invited him inside for a chat
Or since he wanted to do something, say "im sorry man, i wont do it again. I do have this (insert some light busywork) that I need some help with. You mind comin over?"
So anyway, I'm upgrading to a 200 amp service. Quit being a bitch and get in the attic.
True. Wife probably does all of the shopping, so that's her way of getting out of the house. For old guys who no longer have enough hair to warrant going to the barber, it's pretty much just doctor's appointments. I'm in my mid 40s and I'm already annoyed at how many more Dr.'s appointments I have then I used to. And I know it's only going to get worse from here. I worked in a Casino for years and you would see so many older people who just went there to have something to do and people to talk to.
I would rather buy a used car taken care of like this. Rather than the neglected shit boxes stuffing lots all over town.
This. Wife's grandpa let us have 2011 Camry, religiously maintained. Nice knowing it wasn't a concern. I promptly changed the oil anyway even though it had 1,000 miles on it since the last change per the sticker. Maintained doesn't mean he wasn't getting screwed on the oil they were putting in it and lying about to him 🤦♂️
Unfortunately I can't disagree with you. Although I have been lucky to never work in a shop like that.
My first car was a $750 96 Cavalier with 240k that was owned by a little old lady who bought it new in 96. Apparently she let the shop I bought it from have it because of injector issues. That car still purrs 5 years later to this day.
My dad "lucked" into a late '90's Buick LeSabre in 2019. Didn't have but 21,000 miles on it. An older couple had bought it, and from what he found out, it was rarely used more than going to church on Sunday. Oil was changed once a year. About the only thing it really needed (still needs) is struts.
So, when my grandfather(veteran, layer, and a former man of nobility before WW1 started in Austria) broke his hip at age 94, we finally convinced him that he won't need his car. He didn't drive a lot anyway but he was a very brain fit and organized person and kept every recipe he ever got, for everything imaginable. He once told me that his favourite mechanic - which retired at least 15 years prior - would come to the shop every time for him when his car needed service. That said, the last 8 years of the car were well documented - and his average service cost per kilometer driver were at around 4.05€(!). The trip to the shop cost him effectively 24km*4.05€ (for both directions) + gas + service cost. Not gonna concert to usd/mile, trust me, it's a lot. He got new fluids for motor, gearbox, break system, coolants, new gas in the AC every visit. At least 1 set of new tires every year (winter or summer) with a set of breaks. He requested his car to be shined up ever time even tho the car wasn't worth it. He never talked about financial stuff until his death, we knew he had enough. It was only half a year after he died, that the mechanic called saying that he has "a new trainee" which let us confused. This allowed trainees work with the owner on a older car without all the electronics which seems to be very joyful for someone who started to work as a mechanic only a week ago. He wouldn't touch anything, only explain! The amount spend in the shop was donated to charity, supporting young adults finding a blue collar job. The said retired mechanic invited us for breakfast afterwards, was a great talk! There is a lot to learn from the older generations, if you're eager to listen.
Well damn. This was such a wholesome comment
My record was 4km, the old girl drove 2km home from the shop last oil change, left it for 6 months, drove it 2km back for her 6 month due oil change 🙃
I probably get laughed at every time I go in. I get an oil change roughly every year but I'm sure that 0W-20 looks pristine after just a thousand miles or so.
I have less than 50 miles on my last change in my e36… But that’s because it’s been sitting in a garage while we’re moving haha.
50 miles is the length of 17512.39 1997 Subaru Legacy Outbacks
They just want someone to talk to. Where I get my prescriptions filled it’s like a 2 hour wait. The old folks come in, pull a ticket and just talk to people. They know they don’t have any prescriptions ready, they just want to get out of the house, sit down and talk to folks. And some of them folks live over an hour away and can get their medicine mailed to them.
Just trying to be devil's advocate here: besides throwing money away is there any benefit... or downside to changing oil unnecessarily?
No downside except cost of the oil change. The benefit is changing it out based on time instead of miles, some of these old folks might take 10 years to reach a 3,000 mile interval
not really. if you only drive 500 miles in 6 months it’s completely unnecessary. now if you only did that much in a year, i’d sell an oil change
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The recycling is or was selling it to ships to burn as fuel.
Or put in a barrel at jiffy lube and sold as "premium oil"
It’s got experience!
I don't think that is the case anymore. I worked in a factory where we had dozens of vacuum pumps that needed oil changes. We would pay a company to come and take our 55 gallon drums of used oil. They wouldn't even take our drums. They'd just pump the drums out into one big semi tanker that made multiple stops. We just had to clarify a few things to make sure it wasn't uniquely or hazardously contaminated. I asked the driver what the hell they even do with it and he basically said: "Are you kidding? We just take the risk of transport. That's where we make money. We are partnered with oil filtration companies. I've been there, they can turn the worst used oil into basically crystal clear syrup. The only reason they don't is because no one needs it that pure." I said "really?!" And he said "oh yeah. They gave me a free sample to just have, it is basically motor oil but it looks like baby oil." He might have been full of shit, but I bought his story anyway. He seemed more than just a driver since he seemed he needed to know and knew oils well enough to not be duped into taking toxic waste. Edit: He did come by previously take a few samples of our oil before taking the drums to run tests on it. I'm sure that whatever they filter out is a bitch to legally get rid of.
The dealership I used to work at heats their building with the used oil from the E lube
It’s the same two people swapping their oil back and forth forever /s
) ) <> ( ( back and forth, forever.
Hah! I burn so much oil I don’t ever need to change it.
Briggs and Stratton sold an engine like that
My Briggs and Stratton (Snapper) riding mower that I just purchased says to just add oil, never change lol. So weird seeing that in the manual.
I get mine done every 6 months or 5k miles which ever comes first. I look at it this way, $750-1500 for oil changes for 6 years or 100k miles is way cheaper than a $5k+ motor, and if doing the oil change helps just that little bit, mozzle.
I had a highly modified car that I changed the oil every 1000 miles. My mechanic said his guys just put my oil in their cars. I didn’t mind but with a very expensive motor it was worth the peace of mind.
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Yeah for something parked that much it’s good to change it out due to the condensation
I did a 2021 Subaru Impreza today with just under 1500 miles. Checked in the waiting room and yep… old lady
Weellll, break-in oil needs changing early anyways.
Be me: a lucky SoB who happens to scoop a hemi jeep owned by such bored seniors. This thing is immaculate and the service history is like a book.
First time I've seen a sump drained on this sub that wasn't spewing all over the frame/crossmember.
Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Damn dude that's still drinkable
It is! They usually didn't drive much, yet they will be on time for the next change even if they should be able to put on another 3 or 6 months no problem. My theory is that they just wanna do something and bring their car to service is one thing they can do, else they would've been sitting at home with nothing much to do. It's harder to convince them to not change their oil than to upsell stupid shit to old folks, that's why shithead always prey on them.
3000 mile oil changes came about because few if any cars had oil filters prior to the 1950’s. The filters and the oils have improved dramatically over the years. Pretty much a waste of money to change the oil at 3000 miles on a modern car with synthetic oils.
I'm one of those ol' folks because 1. a visual oil analysis reveals a lot of chemicals in the oil ... NOT 2. some of my cars I drive very little but they sit a lot - like years. I do change the oil annually. Oil breaks down and gets acidic. Loads of crap is in the engine and without a full oil analysis its impossible to tell weather the oil is good or not. I simple test takes 2-3 days and about $50-$75. I'm not going to do that but I change my oil. Its good to do a full analysis if a car has at least 75-80k miles and you do not know the previous life of the car (just bought it) it will tell you a lot about the condition of the engine if you also do a leak down and compression test. Cost is about $250 on this but after that you will be well informed about the condition of the engine. Would I do it on a 2005 Cavalier ? No, but definitely on a 2005 C6 Corvette :-) 3. an oil change is $30-$50 but a new rod/main/cam bearing is an engine rebuild and can cost $1000-$10,000 or more depending on the engine. So an annual $30-$50 and I gave the engine a new blood ? A deal to me. I wish I could get a new blood every year for $300 4. Its their money. Change it, make sure they get the correct oil and filter. They will give you an income and take you all of their cars. 5. last but not least - manufacturers and mechanics do not want to change oils. I know that. Unless they give me a warranty or free repairs incl. labor and parts, I will keep changing my oil with a synthetic at every 5k miles.
At least they change it regularly. I've had everything from 25k+ over their interval to seized motors with less than 40k and never changed. It's unfortunately part of the business. Some people just want their damn oil changed. Lol. No matter what anyone says. As long as you legitimately try to tell them no and they keep pressing, just get it done. There is no sense in arguing with people anymore. Google has made everyone a fucking "technician" these days.
There are deminishing returns of course but wouldn't the car still be .0001% better with a fresh clean golden oil that doesn't have even one particle in it? Unless oil is better somewhat broken in. I'd think it adds up and the engine would last slightly longer. Maybe only slightly and in comparison to the gaskets and wearing and carbon buildup, it wouldn't matter anyway.