Best oil and filter for a college student

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I respect the OP for giving his son a well maintained car so that the boy can concentrate on his studies and being out on his own.

I myself have 2 girls that are in university and the last thing I would want is a broken down vehicle that they can't afford to fix or worse yet, get them stranded.

I would just stick to what you are doing. He knows how to check the oil, so maybe give him a qt of top off oil if req'd. And maybe you can change it when it comes due and he's on a home visit.
 
Have him pick out a good quick lube place or the local Dodge dealership and have him on a 3/3000 oil change schedule if he's going to be living someplace that's not diy friendly.
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
You had 18 years to teach him responsibility and how to maintain his vehicle. Growing up means mom and dad are not there to change your diapers anymore. Or maintain your car.

Sorry dad, but if this really is a concern of yours, you blew it.

Wow, I ask for input on an extended oil change combo and get advice on child rearing.

Thanks for your input, but I think I'll consult other sources when it comes to that subject.


No kidding! Sheesh. BITOG has some preachy ****s! My daughter is a freshman at college now. She has my parents old Trailblazer that (fortunately for us) doesn't burn any oil and as an oil life monitor. I taught her to check the oil and to keep an eye out for the oil monitor. I just stuck with Pennzoil Yellow Bottle 10W30 since my dad had used conventional in it. This engine takes 7 quarts and is easy on oil. I don't expect the oil to be used up until this summer, so I'll just change it for her when she's home.

I'm with you--my daughter doesn't need something else to worry about. I want her to focus on her studies. Sure, responsibility is part of that but she's doing great. I never thought about changing my oil when *I* was 18, but here I am on BITOG. :-)
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Wow, I ask for input on an extended oil change combo and get advice on child rearing.

Thanks for your input, but I think I'll consult other sources when it comes to that subject.


HAHA, good point. Hope you didn't take offense to my comment, I just want the next generation of DIY'ers/BITOG'ers to get on board ASAP ; )
 
If you really expect that he won't maintain the vehicle and you'll be changing it when he comes home from time to time, I'd say M1EP and a Fram Ultra or Puro Synthetic filter.

With my daughter, I had the talk about how its cheaper in the long run to at least perform minimal maintenance with the best products that fit your budget. Then she wound up driving about 1200 miles a semester at most, so I still do the oil changes when she comes home :-p

If he buys into the plan of maintaining it at lowest cost to him, then I'd tell him to run PYB and a plain Wix filter.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
M1 EP with Fram Ultra will be able to do 1 year OCI with expected mileage of 15k miles, need an extra quart or 2 in the trunk in case it needs top off between oil changes. Tell him to check oil level at least every few months.
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Wow, I ask for input on an extended oil change combo and get advice on child rearing.

Thanks for your input, but I think I'll consult other sources when it comes to that subject.

If I said "Tell him to check oil level at least every few months" is interpreted as advice on child rearing, I'm sorry I didn't mean to tell anyone how to raise their children.
 
I would not trust any synthetic to go a 15k yearly interval with questionable driving pattern (lots of short trips) and a big potential for some "fast & furious" type behaviour with the car. Personally I would instruct my son to go to any quick lube and do the oil change every 5k or 6 months whichever comes first.
I'm sure there is an app that can remind service intervals.
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
It will likely be short trips with an occasional road trip thrown in. I would estimate about 15K miles a year.

M-1 5w20EP....with a Fram Ultra Filter. Perfect for 15K OCI's
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
You had 18 years to teach him responsibility and how to maintain his vehicle. Growing up means mom and dad are not there to change your diapers anymore. Or maintain your car.

Sorry dad, but if this really is a concern of yours, you blew it.

Wow, I ask for input on an extended oil change combo and get advice on child rearing.

Thanks for your input, but I think I'll consult other sources when it comes to that subject.


Right on OP. It is ridiculous how rude some here are being. It is dimwits with comments like that which discourage others from being active on this site. That is some gall to tell a man who came here for advice on oil how he didn't appropriately raise his child. Outrageous. If you tell them to go pound salt, I will second that motion.
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I'd still aim for 7,500 mile changes but use M1 EP just in case the OCI ranges on up to 10,000 miles.

Keep an eye on the first change just in case the vehicle exhibits some usage with the M1 product.

Use a well built NAPA Gold filter in that Dodge and save a couple of bucks over the FRAM Ultra that others are recommending.
 
Originally Posted By: danthaman1980
I just want the next generation of DIY'ers/BITOG'ers to get on board ASAP ; )


Absolutely! Have him sign up for an account here :^)
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
M1 EP with Fram Ultra will be able to do 1 year OCI with expected mileage of 15k miles, need an extra quart or 2 in the trunk in case it needs top off between oil changes. Tell him to check oil level at least every few months.
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Wow, I ask for input on an extended oil change combo and get advice on nk child rearing.

Thanks for your input, but I think I'll consult other sources when it comes to that subject.

If I said "Tell him to check oil level at least every few months" is interpreted as advice on child rearing, I'm sorry I didn't mean to tell anyone how to raise their children.


Not directed at you. Thank you for your advice.
 
My suggestion is to go with M1 5w-20 EP with a Fram Ultra filter because it could go 15k miles if it really had to.

But any time he came home I wouldn't try to push the oil to it's limit and would go ahead and just change the oil. So for example, if he came back after 6k miles on the oil, I'd eat the loss and just change the oil with more M1 5w-20 EP and a Fram Ultra filter.

I'd also teach him to check the oil when he fills up with gas since it's a nice level surface. Then keep a quart of oil tossed in the trunk in case it's needed. Also, since walmarts are everywhere and he probably wont have a lot of extra cash (most college kids don't), I'd tell him to just top it up with SuperTech oil if more is needed.
 
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
I would continue with PP 5w-20 at a 7500 OCI with a Fram ULTRA

Once at Christmas break / once in the summer


I didn't think about Christmas! That makes it a 6 month oci.

I believe this is the way I'm gonna go. Thanks!

Thanks again for everyone's advice
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
I would continue with PP 5w-20 at a 7500 OCI with a Fram ULTRA. Once at Christmas break / once in the summer

I didn't think about Christmas! That makes it a 6 month oci. I believe this is the way I'm gonna go. Thanks! Thanks again for everyone's advice

Late entry, but the PP would likely be good to 10K or a bit more with the road trip style driving so that gives you a little more cushion in case it runs over. My daughter was in college a few years ago and I switched her to a synthetic for that very reason. I started with MS5K, but she was short tripping and not changing it every 5K so I went to synthetic.
 
Edge w/ ti, M1EP or Amsoil sig. 1 or 2x per year. If one x, do it just before winter so cold flow will be at test spec for a couple months. Cold flow/pumpability will often degrade one (W)inter category after 4-6 months on many oils.
 
Originally Posted By: garyb80
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
I would continue with PP 5w-20 at a 7500 OCI with a Fram ULTRA

Once at Christmas break / once in the summer


I didn't think about Christmas! That makes it a 6 month oci.

I believe this is the way I'm gonna go. Thanks!

Thanks again for everyone's advice


thumbsup2.gif


This sounds like a good plan, and it's basically what you were already doing (oil changes at 7500 miles with PP 5W-20 and a FRAM Ultra). Sounds like it will work out fine.
 
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