Car Myths

I knew all that stuff. And I don't know much of anything about cars. Though I do listen to Tom & Ray.

 

Every 5,000 miles I just reset the prius stupid indicator message. I still change it every 10,000. I see people at work warming up their cars, I wonder what the heck they think they are doing. I drive away within three seconds (quite serious) of the engine starting.

 

I change the oil in my Prius every year. That's about 1,000 miles, most of that being my annual summer hiking trip to Canada. I never changed the oil in my Xebra because I could never find any oil in it to change. I can't find any oil in my Tesla to change either. I've read the owner's manual cover to cover and there's no mention of engine oil. There's no mention of an engine. Oh, yeah: Electric motors don't have oil. Neat.

 

I put new oil in my iQ every 400 miles or so. It runs better with new and fresh oil.

 

can i have your used oil?

 

When my car has used it, there is nothing left. It is quite greedy with the diesel

Seriously. I didn't know the oil change was a myth - I just choose to ignore it because (motor) oil is too expensive to be changed that often.

 

lol They'll have you for that sarcasm PriQ!

It is slightly amusing seeing our friends on the American side of the Atlantic getting all worried about a 10,000 mile oil change interval, when many cars here (often the same models sold in the US too) have much longer intervals - 15,000 miles, 20,000 miles and even 25,000 miles. We also have much longer warranties of 100,000 miles for many vehicles, so the concern that changing oil this infrequently causes long term damage is misplaced.

Sure you can get expensive oil diagnostics done to show it's starting to break down, but to the point it causes severe engine damage? Nah. I also know a taxi driver here who has never changed his oil, yet has run the car upto 200,000+ miles.

Hey ho.

 

Quick lubes here still put the sticker on the windshield for the next change being due in 3 months or 3,000 miles.

I do remember the 70s, where rings and lifters were shot at 100,000 miles in small block Chevys, because oil wasn't worth a crap. Back then, the rule of thumb was change oil often, and more was better. Plus, you had to let those cars warm up, because they were so cold blooded gutless.

 

Do you have any comments about the claims that the motor oils on this side of the pond are different, and inferior?

 

Myth #6 does not apply, to me anyway!
BTW, I wish the Camera would tilt up...


Up, Up, no the other up!

 

No.

You buy cheap crap then more fool you (not you personally, but you know what I mean). The prices for oil here vary just as much as they do your side of the pond. I can buy 5 litres of 'motor oil' from Asda/Walmart for £5 or I can buy 5 litres of 0w20 fully synthetic from Toyota for £45. Would I be mad enough to use the Asda variety? Not a chance.

You must use the specified oil to keep the warranty but how they can prove this is is another matter. You also keep your full manufactuers warranty if the car is serviced outside the Toyota network so long as they are a registered garage. Again, it assumes they will use the correct oil type.

So despite the wide variety of oils available we still have a longer service interval.

 

Gumpy I have in past post said exactly the same thing, but in the politest of ways been shot down in flames. It just seems in the mind set of some (must be careful here) in the US that we have always changed the oil at 3k or 5k intervals and it can't be correct to go longer. While I can see it does no harm to the car at these short intervals it's no good for the environment or your wallet "dealers excluded".

 

The short oil service interval in the US is pushed by service stations and dealers who make money from the extra service. Add to that car companies like Toyota that required 5,000 mile oil changes and it's no real wonder that many uninformed car owners think it's a good thing.

Besides, in the US we have a long standing tradition that if a little is good, more is better. If changing your oil at 10,000 miles is good, a 5,000 mile interval must be twice as good. The logic doesn't hold, but logic isn't a strong suit with US consumers.

Tom

 

Thanks for your US version of my post as from our side of the pond and our oil and fuel prices it is difficult to justify an oil change that costs for some people 25% of a weeks wages.

 

As far as oil changes go, I do what it says in the manual, and don't over think it much past that. I'm not doing oil analysis on my daily driver, and without that information anything longer than recommended just doesn't make sense to me.

 

I did oil changes according to the manual also, but I did it for the warranty. Now I drive the stinker so little, that I get the oil changed once a year, which is about a thousand miles.

 

Three oil changes in the first 16,000 miles, but from now on it is going to be every 10,000. I bring in my own 5-quart 0W20 MobilOne. I just hope they are using it instead of stealing it.