idled for12 months

Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
I am betting the cheapest filter and oil were used too.
Based on what? It's coming out of your tax dollars, so little reason for them to skimp instead of using the OEM filter and major brand dino oil if not synthetic.
Based on the fact that department dollars are not prioritized for fleet maintenance as a start. I would bet a steak dinner that they are using bulk oil that meets minimum specifications and to go even further, it is probably outsourced to a vendor that manages fleets. This is how money is stretched in budgets and there is absolutely no incentive for them to do anything else.
 
try to do this in the 5.7l hemi and see what happens....
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Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
Based on the fact that department dollars are not prioritized for fleet maintenance as a start. I would bet a steak dinner that they are using bulk oil that meets minimum specifications and to go even further, it is probably outsourced to a vendor that manages fleets. This is how money is stretched in budgets and there is absolutely no incentive for them to do anything else.


This is probably how most fleets operate. I think this forum over-exaggerates the benefits a premium synthetic oil bring over the cheapest brand that meets the same minimum spec.
 
Originally Posted by earthbound
try to do this in the 5.7l hemi and see what happens....
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Lol, we are. There are several Chargers that I've been noticing an idle tick in when they're sitting out in my sallyport. We have a group of 16's 18's and 19'2. Most of the 16's (That we have left) are ticking, and even some of the 18's. Maintenance is per the OLM in the cars at the local dealer. Never looked under the hood at the filter, but I'd bet my next paycheck the county doesn't pay for anything other than the minimum.

Next group of vehicles I think are supposed to be Ford, something about Chrysler not making the Charger for a couple of years or something. I don't pay particularly close attention to it.
 
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Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
I am betting the cheapest filter and oil were used too.
Based on what? It's coming out of your tax dollars, so little reason for them to skimp instead of using the OEM filter and major brand dino oil if not synthetic.
Based on the fact that department dollars are not prioritized for fleet maintenance as a start. I would bet a steak dinner that they are using bulk oil that meets minimum specifications and to go even further, it is probably outsourced to a vendor that manages fleets. This is how money is stretched in budgets and there is absolutely no incentive for them to do anything else.


Nope, that's not how it works. When a gubbment employee has a choice, they go with the safe bet, because it's not their money.

Your steak dinner means nothing, bulk oil is not automatically a bad thing, just means they use enough of it to buy drums.

You wrote "incentive" as if they are somehow challenged by budget like an average everyday citizen is. This is NOT the case. Disclaimer: I've worked for a government agency that had a shop doing this. Obviously that is not proof of every gov garage, but in the end, no, they are not penny pinching like you or I might be because they don't have that limit. They do it by the book and no BS.
 
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
I am betting the cheapest filter and oil were used too.
Based on what? It's coming out of your tax dollars, so little reason for them to skimp instead of using the OEM filter and major brand dino oil if not synthetic.
Based on the fact that department dollars are not prioritized for fleet maintenance as a start. I would bet a steak dinner that they are using bulk oil that meets minimum specifications and to go even further, it is probably outsourced to a vendor that manages fleets. This is how money is stretched in budgets and there is absolutely no incentive for them to do anything else.

Many Municipals are using the Ford Explorer or Escape, depending on needs.
 
Most municipalities and governments will use whatever oil/filter meets the spec and is the lowest cost. I've never heard of a government agency that's been given the discretion to be "conscientious" in regard to maintaining vehicles... not that they don't exist, but I've been around government employees and fleets for decades and never seen or heard anything like this. In other words, they invest the minimum amount possible that will still satisfy the warranty requirements, and they do their best to do the service on time for each vehicle, including making calls and sending emails for vehicles that are overdue. Yes sometimes a few vehicles will go beyond the recommended service interval because they are needed immediately, usually Police/Sheriff, EMS or OES. This possibility is "allowed" (if you will) by the service intervals which are almost always conservative (whether by time/mileage or OLM). Most OLMs will warn you when the meter is like 10-15% which is itself probably conservative in life remaining.
 
Local county government orders wix filters from us. They get really good negotiated pricing. I don't think we make much profit, as this pricing is better than regular commercial price. As for oil I have no idea what they use but I suspect it's whatever they get cheap that meets spec and comes in 55 gallon drums lol. Never seen one of their vehicles broken down on the side of the road so they must be doing something right.

I've owned several used cop cars from around the state. Never any engine issues. One of them I had paperwork. Every 5k miles it got synthetic blend 5w-30. No brand was listed. That was a Vic with an idle hour meter with a ton of hours on it. Yes it specced 5w-20 but I guess they were smart enough to use 5w-30... Or 5w-30 was cheaper. Who knows!
 
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I'd theorize that the system was well designed, the parts were manufactured to specification, and the oil performed appropriately.
 
Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
I am betting the cheapest filter and oil were used too.
Based on what? It's coming out of your tax dollars, so little reason for them to skimp instead of using the OEM filter and major brand dino oil if not synthetic.
Based on the fact that department dollars are not prioritized for fleet maintenance as a start. I would bet a steak dinner that they are using bulk oil that meets minimum specifications and to go even further, it is probably outsourced to a vendor that manages fleets. This is how money is stretched in budgets and there is absolutely no incentive for them to do anything else.
Nope, that's not how it works. When a gubbment employee has a choice, they go with the safe bet, because it's not their money. Your steak dinner means nothing, bulk oil is not automatically a bad thing, just means they use enough of it to buy drums.You wrote "incentive" as if they are somehow challenged by budget like an average everyday citizen is. This is NOT the case. Disclaimer: I've worked for a government agency that had a shop doing this. Obviously that is not proof of every gov garage, but in the end, no, they are not penny pinching like you or I might be because they don't have that limit. They do it by the book and no BS.
That may your experience, but it is certainly not the norm. I have colleagues in 3 of the major municipalities (Houston, New York, and Boston) who work in the fleet department and what I describe is exactly how it works. Government budgets are not blank checks and they do have to make decisions about how to prioritize the money for the whole department and not just the fleet. Many times the fleet has older vehicles in it as well to save on costs so they are not looking to use top shelf oil and filters--they use minimum specifications and often outsource.
 
Originally Posted by DGXR
Most municipalities and governments will use whatever oil/filter meets the spec and is the lowest cost. I've never heard of a government agency that's been given the discretion to be "conscientious" in regard to maintaining vehicles... not that they don't exist, but I've been around government employees and fleets for decades and never seen or heard anything like this. In other words, they invest the minimum amount possible that will still satisfy the warranty requirements, and they do their best to do the service on time for each vehicle, including making calls and sending emails for vehicles that are overdue. Yes sometimes a few vehicles will go beyond the recommended service interval because they are needed immediately, usually Police/Sheriff, EMS or OES. This possibility is "allowed" (if you will) by the service intervals which are almost always conservative (whether by time/mileage or OLM). Most OLMs will warn you when the meter is like 10-15% which is itself probably conservative in life remaining.

01.gif
 
Originally Posted by avi1777
man thos engines are beasts.i dont think there is any late model German cars that are so durable.


I dont agree
smile.gif


Finnish police using VW Transporter and they are running them to 400 k km before they sell them on auction . You can image the idle time they spend...
 
Originally Posted by Bjornviken
Originally Posted by avi1777
man thos engines are beasts.i dont think there is any late model German cars that are so durable.


I dont agree
smile.gif


Finnish police using VW Transporter and they are running them to 400 k km before they sell them on auction . You can image the idle time they spend...

compering an american police car and policeman to a Finnish one is like night and day.2 different level of jobs for both car and man.thos two situations cant be more different.
a finnish cop is like a librarian in the states.
and even if the vw lasted 400k in nice cold weather compering to lets say texas heat the transmission has been replaced more then once,we all know vw and there issues.
ill take american made over european every day especially for long term ownership.german cars are not what they used to be since the early 2000׳s.
 
Originally Posted by avi1777
Originally Posted by Bjornviken
Originally Posted by avi1777
man thos engines are beasts.i dont think there is any late model German cars that are so durable.


I dont agree
smile.gif


Finnish police using VW Transporter and they are running them to 400 k km before they sell them on auction . You can image the idle time they spend...

compering an american police car and policeman to a Finnish one is like night and day.2 different level of jobs for both car and man.thos two situations cant be more different.
a finnish cop is like a librarian in the states.
and even if the vw lasted 400k in nice cold weather compering to lets say texas heat the transmission has been replaced more then once,we all know vw and there issues.
ill take american made over european every day especially for long term ownership.german cars are not what they used to be since the early 2000׳s.



Well... if you compere police work maybe its true, but i was talking about cars. When you said that a late model german cars would not hold. They get abused alot over here, we have really bad roads and salt on the roads like oceans.

Warm weather have noting against cold weather when it comes to wear on engine and frame/body.

And why do you think transmission need to be replaced?
Looks like the bashing german cars have become a trend on the bitog.
 
I will say this. I worked for a hazmat company inside the Chevron refinery in Richmond CA, they buy cars to test their products in. These cars are run 24/7 on a dyno, at hwy speed, slow speed, and idled. They stay on their until they reach 100k miles. I was told they're maintained to OE service intervals. The engine is then torn down all the way down to the bearings. Oil companies don't just make claims they can't back up.
 
A few years ago I had to visit a couple of municipal garages for work that serviced ambulance and police vehicles here in Charlotte, NC and they used Valvoline oil in 55gal drums in the shop.
 
Originally Posted by RhondaHonda
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
I like how they made up these numbers !
grin.gif


Quote
Over its life cycle, this cop car has spent 8300 hours of idle time. With one hour of idling converting to about 33 miles of driving, that means that the engine has been put through 275,000 miles of wear through idling alone. Throw in the extra 82,000 miles that the car actually drove and it brings us to the grand total of 357,000 engine miles.
In all seriousness, where did they get that 8300 value from ? They use that to come with their arbitrary 275k miles too.


The hour meter shows 8300 idle hours. The average drive speed for that particular car works out to 28 miles per non idling hour based on 82,000 miles and the difference between engine total hours and idle hours. Now whether idling is better or worse than driving, I have no clue but those are the numbers .

Govt. of Canada uses 50 km/h or thereabouts to convert idle hours to mileage. That's about 30 mph. I think it's only used to calculate oil change intervals, not engine wear.
I don't know where the number came from but given they are so close I have to guess it's a standard of sorts.
 
8300 hours of idle time is *NOTHING* compared to 8300 hours at maximum rated torque levels.

I have had various Ford 302, 351 and 4.6L engines pulling trailers at WOT for sometimes hours at a time.... all made it for over 200,000 miles.

Huge hours of idling time does NOT impress me.
 
Originally Posted by GMFan
A few years ago I had to visit a couple of municipal garages for work that serviced ambulance and police vehicles here in Charlotte, NC and they used Valvoline oil in 55gal drums in the shop.


Yep, one shop I visited frequently got all of their Conoco branded oils (late 80's & early 1990's) in 55 drums from the same local oil distributor. Whatever oils met the spec, was available, and for the right price. No other preferences given.
 
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