Mom got a new Jeep 2.4L Compass. I looked in the owner's manual and saw that 6k is what they recommend, but I knew it outta get a break-in oil change sooner. I told her to bring it to me at 2500k and let me do the first OC.
She tells me on 4th of July that the "oil change required light" was flashing on the instrument cluster. I asked how many miles and she said "Son, you had it right on the nose; it has just over 2500k". So I assume Jeep has the first OCI pre-programmed for 2500k so that was an interesting coincidence.
Anyway, my intent was to change the oil for her and switch it to Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and repeat every 6k. She does frequent short trips and mostly city driving less than 12k per year. So I figured with that PP would be a fine choice and i would not conflict with the OEM OC reminder system. Bu there was no way under those conditions I was gonna let her use dino for the life of the car.
Anyway, she tells me on July 4h that I am a busy person and she did not want to burden me with having to worry about her oil changes. I reluctantly cave in (but am glad not to have that additional OC on my back. So here is where it gets good!
I just went through this same thing with my stepdad's '08 Liberty 3.7L and I did manage to do his 1st OC at 3k w/ Mobil 1 5w20 and a WIX filter. But he could give a crud about cars and at 9k on the odometer when the OC light went off, he took it to "The Pennzoil place" and told them to change it and that he wanted synthetic oil (cause he remembered that is what I put in). I assume they gave him Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 but not sure. ANYWAY.....
So Mom said that she wanted to just do like her husband and they did not want me to be responsible for their car maintenance and she promised me that she would take it to the same place he did and she wrote down to ask for Pennzoil Platinum. Well LOW & BEHOLD, she tells me today that she took it in for an oil change but went to "The Valvoline place" and when she asked for Pennzoil Platinum the attendant went into some tie-raid about Pennzoil & wax, etc. He did not even acknowledge it was Pennzoil synthetic she wanted. I admonished her for asking for PP at a Valvoline place and also why she went to that place instead of the same place her husband went with his vehicle.
I had her (this was over the phone) get the receipt and I asked her a series of standard questions all of you would have asked. She said that it was 50 bucks and they used Durablend and they used the weight of oil that was stamped on the oil cap (5w20)and they reset her OEM Oil monitor thingy and also put a sticker on the window. She was unable to tell me if the sticker matched the OLM thingy or how they decided to put in durablend. I explained to her that they should have offered white bottle, dura, and synpower and that the equivalent of PP would be synpower and that is what she should have gotten. At that point she did not want to worry about it any more and said that she needed an OC and that it was not my car to worry about basically (in a nice way of course).
The short questions are:
1.) Will durablend be okay for the described driving conditions @ 6k
2.) If so should she just stick with the 50 dollar rip-off durablend?
3.) If not what is best solution if she voluntarily lets me out of changing her oil with PP & WIX?
thanks
She tells me on 4th of July that the "oil change required light" was flashing on the instrument cluster. I asked how many miles and she said "Son, you had it right on the nose; it has just over 2500k". So I assume Jeep has the first OCI pre-programmed for 2500k so that was an interesting coincidence.
Anyway, my intent was to change the oil for her and switch it to Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and repeat every 6k. She does frequent short trips and mostly city driving less than 12k per year. So I figured with that PP would be a fine choice and i would not conflict with the OEM OC reminder system. Bu there was no way under those conditions I was gonna let her use dino for the life of the car.
Anyway, she tells me on July 4h that I am a busy person and she did not want to burden me with having to worry about her oil changes. I reluctantly cave in (but am glad not to have that additional OC on my back. So here is where it gets good!
I just went through this same thing with my stepdad's '08 Liberty 3.7L and I did manage to do his 1st OC at 3k w/ Mobil 1 5w20 and a WIX filter. But he could give a crud about cars and at 9k on the odometer when the OC light went off, he took it to "The Pennzoil place" and told them to change it and that he wanted synthetic oil (cause he remembered that is what I put in). I assume they gave him Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 but not sure. ANYWAY.....
So Mom said that she wanted to just do like her husband and they did not want me to be responsible for their car maintenance and she promised me that she would take it to the same place he did and she wrote down to ask for Pennzoil Platinum. Well LOW & BEHOLD, she tells me today that she took it in for an oil change but went to "The Valvoline place" and when she asked for Pennzoil Platinum the attendant went into some tie-raid about Pennzoil & wax, etc. He did not even acknowledge it was Pennzoil synthetic she wanted. I admonished her for asking for PP at a Valvoline place and also why she went to that place instead of the same place her husband went with his vehicle.
I had her (this was over the phone) get the receipt and I asked her a series of standard questions all of you would have asked. She said that it was 50 bucks and they used Durablend and they used the weight of oil that was stamped on the oil cap (5w20)and they reset her OEM Oil monitor thingy and also put a sticker on the window. She was unable to tell me if the sticker matched the OLM thingy or how they decided to put in durablend. I explained to her that they should have offered white bottle, dura, and synpower and that the equivalent of PP would be synpower and that is what she should have gotten. At that point she did not want to worry about it any more and said that she needed an OC and that it was not my car to worry about basically (in a nice way of course).
The short questions are:
1.) Will durablend be okay for the described driving conditions @ 6k
2.) If so should she just stick with the 50 dollar rip-off durablend?
3.) If not what is best solution if she voluntarily lets me out of changing her oil with PP & WIX?
thanks
