Vehicle Oil changes

[dodge man]

I once forgot to add the oil back in a vehicle. I started it up and it ran about 20 seconds before I caught it.

I store my used oil in an old 5 gallon hydraulic oil bucket. I have a huge funnel that I put in the spout of the 5 gallon bucket and dump the oil from a catch can into. I guess I was impatient once and had the funnel mostly filled and knocked it over. The funnel must hold around a gallon. That was a mess.

 

[mrmikey]

Odd timing, Project Farm just did a test on ramps

 

[paulsharvey]

Odd timing, Project Farm just did a test on ramps

I'll check that our, he does good work. I rarely buy his "top" pick, but often choose is higher than average quality, cheap, pick.

 

[mrmikey]

He does do good, no nonsense real world tests.
I will admit, I'm not a proponent of the plastic ramps but they did do a lot better than the steel ones. Saying that, mine are the old style that have the separate brace that goes from the upright to midway down the ramp.

 

[paulsharvey]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

 

[WinterDeere]

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles?

I grew up in a house with a friggin' huge garage, heated with cast iron radiators... spoiled. Then I bought my own house, and it had a carriage barn too small to work on any car, and a gravel (3/4" modified) driveway, and sat way up on a windy hill. That really sucked, especially when all vehicles seemed to break in 20F weather with 0F windchills and snow.

Now I have my shop in another carriage barn, and I can work on a car in there, but not an SUV or pickup. There's a much larger attached garage down at the house, but that's several hundred feet from my tools in the shop/barn, so I still end up doing most oil changes in the driveway in front of the barn. It's smooth asphalt, seal-coated every 3rd year or so.

Moreover, now I have more reliable vehicles, and more of them, so there's rarely any emergency to work outside on anything in bad weather. Most vehicle repairs get put off until the weather is at least somewhat conducive (35F - 85F) to working outdoors.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Paulsharvey,
I have been doing mine for over 50 plus years. Even at 73 I can still crawl under my 2017 F150 to change the filter and drain the oil. Will continue to do it as long as I can ! The 8 qts of oil and filter are still under $40 ! That’s using a 5/20 wt synthetic blend oul. I couldn’t justify $120 for sure, JMO !

 

[ArlyA]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

We have a concrete floor which is cracked and heaved but the one car garage is awful small anyway. I take it in for oil changes.

 

[tradosaurus]

You know, that video wasn't his best work. It was fine, but...

I still really wish Muhammed would make a poll function available;

How many of yall actually have a concrete surface to work on vehicles? My old house I did add a asphalt millings parking pad, but I've never lived anywhere with a true paved or concrete work surface.

Wish he would have tested them on regular old dirt driveway.

I prefer my gravel driveway to change the oil as any spills will be absorbed. I use a thick mat to lay on use ramps if needed.

If I'm changing brake pads I will park on the concrete parking pad.

 

[paulsharvey]

I prefer my gravel driveway to change the oil as any spills will be absorbed. I use a thick mat to lay on use ramps if needed.

If I'm changing brake pads I will park on the concrete parking pad.

Yes, I also use an old rubber bed mat. The old house I had a asphalt millings parking area, but that's not a good time to lay on either. New place, it's all sand, sand with a bit of gravel, or sand with a bit of clay, or sand with a bit of grass, pick your poison.

The new plastic ramps are Far better than the stamped metal ones about sinking in.

 

[Williy]

I purchased this 2024 VW Sport with 4 year 50,000
mile warranty and get 3 free oil changes then when
its time to change oil on my ticket replace car with new
and start over. With all this new electronics etc I don't
care to mess with them so let the dealer handel problems
with a warranty. I'm too old and don't have any experience to work on this new stuff. Besides electric/electronic problems take waaaayyy tttoooo much time to find

Can some one tell me why a person uses regular oil mixed with synthetic??

willy

 

[aba4430]

Not entirely sure I understand your question but typically folks do not mix regular and synthetic oils as part of an oil change. Then again, modern motor oils are miscible and if someone needs to use some makeup oil or top off oil in the car within service interval, using synthetic or regular oil in a pinch is fine and will not hurt anything. Not ideal practice however.

 

[fishheadbob]

I got old so the Ford dealer changes my oil for $69.00. When I had a BMW it got "free" synthetic oil changes. Free as in you paid so much for this puppy we'll change your oil as a throw in. High end dealerships take good care of customers: Starbucks, great bagels, good donuts, and more. They also wash and detail your vehicle gratis. When the 50,000 mile honeymoon is over they want 5 or 6 hundred for an oil change so time to hand the job off to a local shop which does a lot of fancy cars. Maybe $90.

 

[paulsharvey]

I got old so the Ford dealer changes my oil for $69.00. When I had a BMW it got "free" synthetic oil changes. Free as in you paid so much for this puppy we'll change your oil as a throw in. High end dealerships take good care of customers: Starbucks, great bagels, good donuts, and more. They also wash and detail your vehicle gratis. When the 50,000 mile honeymoon is over they want 5 or 6 hundred for an oil change so time to hand the job off to a local shop which does a lot of fancy cars. Maybe $90.

I always figures the "free" oil changes were to drag you into the "coolant flush for just $199.99, $39.99 wipes, break job at 40,000 miles, ect"

 

[paulsharvey]

I have never understood the idea of trading a $50k vehicle in, after just 2 or 3 years, and maybe getting $30,000k trade in value, to avoid going out of warranty. Heck, are you even at a positive value on the trade in? After just 50,000 miles, are we just rolling negative equity into the next vehicle?

 

[DarkBlack]

Some people have disposable money.
They only care about what they want and that they can afford it.
Different strokes for different folks

 

[paulsharvey]

Not entirely sure I understand your question but typically folks do not mix regular and synthetic oils as part of an oil change. Then again, modern motor oils are miscible and if someone needs to use some makeup oil or top off oil in the car within service interval, using synthetic or regular oil in a pinch is fine and will not hurt anything. Not ideal practice however.

I'm assuming he is referring to synthetic blend? On a chemical level, I don't know. On a sales side; I think it's almost like 89 gas, or a medium drink at a fast food place. Basically, as soon as you look at the middle upgrade, they intend for you to think, hmm, $27/gal for syn blend, but it's only $33/gal for full syn, I'll just buy the full syn. So, let say basic conv is $22, they just got you to spend 50% more, And you "think" you got a bargian, if that makes sense.

 

[ArlyA]

Which reminds me, our ranger needs a oil change and switched to winter wheels...

 

[Williy]

It was the blended oil as how do you know you are getting a 50/50 blend as it could be 70/30 and you don't know the difference

willy

 

[DarkBlack]

My truck takes 6 quarts. The owner manual calls for 5w20 semi-synthetic.
I buy just a 5qt jug of that, and use a quart of 0w20 full synthetic that’s always leftover from another vehicle fill.
I’m mixing semi, with full, and I’m mixing base viscosities.