Cheap insurance

[Johnny2Bad]

Originally Posted By: Claud
How much will be spent on gas, other maintenance, insurance, and other expenses over 150k miles?, maybe in the grand scheme of things a few hundred dollars more spent on possibly unnecessary oil changes won't amount to a hill of beans.

Claud.


Certainly as a % of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) it's small, but it's not a hill of beans, it's a hill of dollars.

 

[Shannow]

And if you you took 1 in 4 or 5 of those gallon jugs (in the overservicing regime), and sent it straight to recycling, clean, without ever having seen the insides of your engine, you would likely have the same overall outcome expense versus reward.

And added one less risk from dropping a piece of sealing tinfoil, filter gasket, dirt, bugs, etc.

 

[zach1900]

Originally Posted By: Bamaro
Changing oil more often than needed wastes resources, wastes time, wastes money and provides very little or no insurance.
yup, more leak potential too.

 

[LubricatusObsess]

[/quote] I've never seen a Toyota (not sure what model you're referring to) with the oil burning severity as the Saturns of that era. [/quote]

I think GM still used a version of those low tension rings in their AFM engines in the 2000's - the 5.3L V8 was (is?) notorious for pumping oil, GM finally admitting there was a cylinder problem - numerous blogs out here on that. I had one & sure enough it ws an oil pumper. Got rid of it for a HEMI.

Anyway, yes, the engine manufacturers know well their engines will have no issues with 7.5k OCI's with the excellent oils out there today. I usually split my changes into convenient 4 month intervals due to harsh climate in MN, every 4 mos. (spring/summer/fall)....ends up ~ 6k OCI's. Close enough.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I've never considered frequent oil changes cheap insurance,I think of it as part of the responsibilities of car ownership. I change mine at 3/3k per fsm,as well as keeping the transmission,rear diff,cooling system,power steering,brake fluid,and clutch fluid changed per fsm.

 

[raytseng]

For all the people who like to say "cheap insurance" as justification, do you also visit your doctor MORE than the once a year and dentist 2x a year as recommended as "cheap insurance".
I bet many don't even visit the scheduled amount.
A problem with your body is magnitudes more costly then a problem with an automobile; so if you also don't "cheap insurance" in more important things, the logic all falls apart.

I'd agree that the phrase "cheap insurance" is really more of psychological justification for this hobby than an actual need.
It is a logical failing, but in the wide scope of things, it doesn't really matter and understandable and human why one needs to use that white lie as a crutch, it doesn't really hurt anyone, but come on let's be real here, it is a weaselly phrase.

 

[Vikas]

what about the risk of doing the extra oil changes itself? May be the drain threads wear out? Forgetting to remove the filter gasket? Forgetting to add oil?

Don't you have to account for the added risk by adding more things that could potentially go wrong during the oil change itself? That risk is NON-zero even if you yourself are doing it. Yiu just drain the oil and your phone rang, during the heated conversation, you forgot to tighten the drain plug or forgot to add the oil etc etc.