Dirt roads, per se, are not the real problem - dusty and/or sandy conditions are. Airborn grit is just as damaging whether it originates directly off a dirt road, along a paved desert highway, or from adjacent tilled fields. So much as a slight breeze exacerbates the problem since the lightest, smallest particulates have the best chance of entry past the air filter.
I AmTired of Everybody Saying that Every Driving Situation is Severe.
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I drive 3 miles to work. Once I get there the yard is constantly covered with dirt/dust/mud from heavy equipment constantly coming in/out (heavy equip is always dirty). For these reasons I have changed from a 5000/1yr OCI with Mobil 1 10-w30 to a 3 month/1000-5000 OCI with Pennzoil 10w-30. I figure if I only drive 1000 miles in 3 months it will need to come out of there and if I drive 5000 in 3 months then I have been doing some highway trips and I’m ok. Anyway that is my plan and it seems to be working. See this uoa. http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002524
Credit goes to Ted aka TooSlick on that one.
What's interesting about that formula is that I've run it on both of my cars and come up with very similar figures using a C of 40.
Highway mileage:
(31)(6)(153/170) = 167.4 * 40 = 6696 miles
(25)(5)(302/225) = 167.7 * 40 = 6708 miles
City mileage:
(21)(6)(153/170) = 113.4 * 40 = 4536 miles
(17)(5)(302/225) = 114.0 * 40 = 4560 miles
It seems like they've used a formula like this to come up with the oil pan capacity needed to provide a certain oil change interval. Otherwise this is just a very big coincidence. What's interesting is that the 302 speced a 7500 mile non-severe interval (retroactively changed by Ford to 5000 later on) and the 153 speced a 5000 severe interval.
Anyone know what C might be for API SF oil?
Highway mileage:
(31)(6)(153/170) = 167.4 * 40 = 6696 miles
(25)(5)(302/225) = 167.7 * 40 = 6708 miles
City mileage:
(21)(6)(153/170) = 113.4 * 40 = 4536 miles
(17)(5)(302/225) = 114.0 * 40 = 4560 miles
It seems like they've used a formula like this to come up with the oil pan capacity needed to provide a certain oil change interval. Otherwise this is just a very big coincidence. What's interesting is that the 302 speced a 7500 mile non-severe interval (retroactively changed by Ford to 5000 later on) and the 153 speced a 5000 severe interval.
Anyone know what C might be for API SF oil?
I was wondering what "c" represented in this formula myself?
As I recall from another thread, the value of C is the following:
GF-3 (API SL) oils are 40
GF-4 (API SM) oils are 50
Synthetics such as Mobil 1 are 80
I'm not sure how accurate these figures are. The main point of the formula seems to me to show that fuel economy is the best predictor of oil life (it is the only thing in the formula, other than oil, that the driver has any control over).
GF-3 (API SL) oils are 40
GF-4 (API SM) oils are 50
Synthetics such as Mobil 1 are 80
I'm not sure how accurate these figures are. The main point of the formula seems to me to show that fuel economy is the best predictor of oil life (it is the only thing in the formula, other than oil, that the driver has any control over).
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Well, it mainly indicates how fuel consumption, properly indexed, is an accurate indicator of oil fatique. It automatically compensates for short mileage (short trips, idling, bumber to bumper, enriched starts) and accounts for long mileage. It's just a more accurate method short of a OLM. Some like mileage ..and if your usage is a constant mix ..you can adjust it appropriately. Some like an hour meter ..but it's just as numb as mileage by itself. Between both you get a good feel...but fuel is kinda an unmaskable indicator. Too Slick has pointed this out a couple of times. Most don't use it since it's harder to calculate/document/tabulate.
I must be the only one who resets the trip odometer every time I fill the tank, taking a note of the reading and how many gallons I put in before doing so.
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Most probably do that, Brian. But do you record how many gallons you've put in and see what that is when you change your oil? I get off easy. My wife's mileage will just about be between 17.5-18.5 always..so unless I see something odd ...it's a constant ..as is her typical driving. They all fall on some common turf
Ther's no need to record how many gallons went in each time if the type of driving you do is consistent enough to give you similar fuel economy on each trip. The Scangauge has shown me that my driving is. Obviously with that information the number of gallons used can be calculated at oil-change time.
My driving does consist of servere service.
My driving consists of 85%city/15%highway.
My average trip is LESS than 20 minutes and LESS than 15 miles.
Where I live, you can get ACROSS town on surface roads in 30 minutes or less.
I live on the Gulf of Mexico, and I drive on the beach at least a dozen times a year.
My vehicles suffer from short trips and dusty conditions.
I vac out the air filter/fliter chamber when I change my oil.
I used to do 3-4k mile dino oil changes (except on my '00 Silverado w/ oil life monitor) because I like playing with/working on my vehicles, I can afford it, and it makes me feel good.
This year I started using Synthetics!
I now have to break my habit of the 3-4k mile OCI.
Dr. Haas is a smart man.
Like Guliani's book said, surround yourself with great people.
My driving consists of 85%city/15%highway.
My average trip is LESS than 20 minutes and LESS than 15 miles.
Where I live, you can get ACROSS town on surface roads in 30 minutes or less.
I live on the Gulf of Mexico, and I drive on the beach at least a dozen times a year.
My vehicles suffer from short trips and dusty conditions.
I vac out the air filter/fliter chamber when I change my oil.
I used to do 3-4k mile dino oil changes (except on my '00 Silverado w/ oil life monitor) because I like playing with/working on my vehicles, I can afford it, and it makes me feel good.
This year I started using Synthetics!
I now have to break my habit of the 3-4k mile OCI.
Dr. Haas is a smart man.
Like Guliani's book said, surround yourself with great people.
I agree that our little rough road "under road construction" town with the wonderfull atmosphere being severe(for those of you uninitiated it is nearly third world in places). I am attempting to run normal service intervals with the road vehicles with synthetics and LC. My dream is to have nice roads like Virginiaquote:
Originally posted by Islandvic:
My driving does consist of servere service.
My driving consists of 85%city/15%highway.
My average trip is LESS than 20 minutes and LESS than 15 miles.
Where I live, you can get ACROSS town on surface roads in 30 minutes or less.
I live on the Gulf of Mexico, and I drive on the beach at least a dozen times a year.
My vehicles suffer from short trips and dusty conditions.
I vac out the air filter/fliter chamber when I change my oil.
I used to do 3-4k mile dino oil changes (except on my '00 Silverado w/ oil life monitor) because I like playing with/working on my vehicles, I can afford it, and it makes me feel good.
This year I started using Synthetics!
I now have to break my habit of the 3-4k mile OCI.
Dr. Haas is a smart man.
Like Guliani's book said, surround yourself with great people.
Another thing that is hard to measure is your driving style. Two people can drive the same vehicle through tough rush hour traffic every day and get very different results in gas mileage, brake wear and sometimes tire wear. A Honda Civic that I commuted through San Diego's worst rush hour traffic for over 10 years still got me well over 100k miles on the clutch and brakes and 37/39 miles per gallon, year in and year out. I think your driving style has a lot to do with wear and tear on you car. And like we have discussed before , maybe a simple formula of gallons of gas used equals oil change interval.
A report came out last week about studies done on our nations roadways.
Our city ranked 3rd worst for metro areas under 500,000 people for having the worst roads.
don't quote me, but the study estimated that vehicles in our town have an additional cost of $650-$750 worth of additional depreciation/repairs per year from the impact of our horrible streets. I can attest to that.
A few months ago I just drop'd $750 for new shocks, complete L/R control arms w/ bushings and ball joints, 2hrs of frame work, stabilizer links, alignment, and some other stuff on my '96 CVic's suspension.
I hate our road system, and our local govt's continuous use of sourcing out the cheapest bidder and their substandard materials.
I am seriously considering jettisoning the z4 from my fleet. Itis pure abuse to drive it in town and it's hard on the car too.quote:
Originally posted by Islandvic:
Bryanccfshr's comments on where he an I live is right on the money.
A report came out last week about studies done on our nations roadways.
Our city ranked 3rd worst for metro areas under 500,000 people for having the worst roads.
don't quote me, but the study estimated that vehicles in our town have an additional cost of $650-$750 worth of additional depreciation/repairs per year from the impact of our horrible streets. I can attest to that.
A few months ago I just drop'd $750 for new shocks, complete L/R control arms w/ bushings and ball joints, 2hrs of frame work, stabilizer links, alignment, and some other stuff on my '96 CVic's suspension.
I hate our road system, and our local govt's continuous use of sourcing out the cheapest bidder and their substandard materials.
Seriously I read the article online. After driving up to Virginia to visit the Inlaws I am seriously considering leaving, despite my fishing heritage. I don't know what they do with all that tax money
Buster,quote:
Originally posted by buster:
Basically then, my 40 mile commute one way is ideal for long engine life. Sustained speeds of 75-80 mph. So much for worrying about putting too much mileage on. Only for resale...
Once upon a time I knew a man who disconnected the speedo cable on his daughter's Ford Escort for half the year. She went to college 45 miles from home, and he didn't want the car depreciating too fast. Hmmmm.. not that you'd do anything that unethical. You just brought up some memories.
My brother had a 1986 Camaro Z28. We have no idea how many miles were on it when it finally died--I would guess over 200,000 based on what Carfax showed (an entry with 86,000 miles and then about 8 years later, another entry with 69,000 miles, logical conclusion is that the odometer had rolled over. My brother put 40,000 miles on it in the time that he had it).
What doomed it to the wrecking yard in 2001 is that the manual transmission failed (it started making clunking noises, ending with grinding noises in every gear with no vehicle movement). The engine still ran fine, although by then it needed some carburetor work. Since there were no reasonably priced replacements available (for either the carb or the tranny), to the junkyard it went.
What doomed it to the wrecking yard in 2001 is that the manual transmission failed (it started making clunking noises, ending with grinding noises in every gear with no vehicle movement). The engine still ran fine, although by then it needed some carburetor work. Since there were no reasonably priced replacements available (for either the carb or the tranny), to the junkyard it went.
Let me state at the outset that I'm an unapologetic 3,000 mile oil changer. Nevertheless, one of my former co-workers put over 400,000 miles on a '92 Accord I-4 changing every 7,500 miles using dino and what are probably the cheapest quality filters available at the quickie-lube. He lives 45 miles from work. I had always derided him about his oil maintenance schedule, but in the end, the laugh was on me. In 1996, on his way to work one morning, he suddenly found his car slowing after a moderately loud "clang" from up front. Pressing the accelerator only made the engine rev higher, but nothing other than coasting. He down shifted to 4th gear. 10 minutes later, that gear failed, so down to 3rd gear. 15 minutes later it was necessary to relocate to 2nd gear. Another 15 minutes found our hapless freeway flyer in 1st gear, but coming off the I-10 in Fontana, he lost it, too. A cooperative policeman escorted his car, now consigned to reverse, to the local Honda dealership about three blocks off the freeway. His engine had outlasted his manual transmission! The dealership quoted him $1,200.00, installed, for a rebuilt transaxle. On my advice, he had a wrecking yard install a used one with 32,000 miles on the clock (totaled in a rear-ender as it turned out) and a new clutch for $400.00 Plus tax, out the door. (in for a penny, in for a pound - doing the clutch at that point was cheap future insurance for just the part cost) He drove that car without further incident for another year at which point he turned it over to his college-bound son with 400,000+ miles clocked. My point is not that racking up high mile intervals between engine oil changes is always acceptable, but that routine, cruise speed freeway driving, sufficiently long that the engine oil fully warms, can result in outstanding engine service life - even with the SH and SJ motor oils that car was weaned on.
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