Suggestions Needed-Severe Service vehicles

[Deltona_Dave]

I work at a local Sheriff's Office and the "Boss" is asking for cost-reduction ideas, as our budget is getting smaller every year. I want to suggest changing the Deputy Patrol Vehicles (CVPI's) to run Synthetics for longer OCI's. Currently, the get mostly bulk-dino every 5K. They can only use Quick Lubes every other OC, as they need to have a safety inspection every 10K (Brakes, etc), done at the dealer or full service independent garages. Our Fleet department only has 2 techs, so routine maintenance is done by the dealer/lube shops.

Do you think going to M-1 or Amsoil for say 15K changes would make much of a difference cost wise? Or should we just stay at 5K for dino? These vehicles are assigned to the deputy and maintenance stops are their responsibility. They see 12 hours of idling, high speeds,etc.

I just want to have an idea, before I write up a suggestion.
(I am a quasi-fleet tech. I install and maintain the dash-cams, and MDT computers, plus help out with other odd-jobs around the garage.)

Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance....
Dave

 

[Cup of Joe]

Sounds exactly like what REDDOG has been doing. I would look at what he has been able to do.

Quote:
I do maintenance for a "small town fleet" of police vehicles, fire apparatus and ambulances and use Schaeffer's Supreme 7000 oils, 204SAT, gear oil, and grease.

 

[Johnny]

I will assume they use Ford Crown Vics for the Sheriff's Dept. If so, they take six quarts per change. Not knowing what the shops/lube centers around you charge, I will just use Wal Mart retail as an example, and I will use Pennzoil as an example.

PYB in 5-quart jug is around $12.50
PP in 5-quart just is around $23.00

So cost wise for 10,000 miles would be about the same.

Now, if lube centers where your at are anything like lube centers where I'm as, the synthetic oil change will cost you about 3X what a conventional oil change would be. So in that case you would save money doing 5K changes with conventional oil.

 

[Boomer]

ell, llok at M-1 5w30 EP which is about $28/5 qts at WalMart witha $6 Pure 1 filter. Total: About $34 for 15000 miles. Go to a qulaity bulk dino at what? Maybe $2.50 qt with a $4 filter and use three times the oil/filter in the same 15,000 miles. Cost would be $49.50 plus the downtime and inconvenience of the two additional oil changes. The bulk would have to come down to about $1.75 or so to break even with the M-1 EP, for example.

 

[Nyquist]

Mobil would probably advise against going a full 15,000 miles on their EP line based off of the severe service. I would tend to side with Johnny on this one.

 

[tomcat27]

amsoil has done numerous studies with fleet service. check their site. I would elaborate, but I gotta cruise. when you are comparing costs earlier, you aren't considering labor....

 

[Johnny]

Well, here is one considering labor.

Local Mobil lube center here in town charges the following:

Oil change with regular Mobil 5000 conventional oil is $24.95 plus tax.

Same oil change using Mobil 1 synthetic oil is $64.95 plus tax.

Based on this, you could do two 5K oil changes for less than one 10K oil change using the Mobil 1.

 

[gathermewool]

Would the person you're paying - on the clock while waiting, I'm assuming - to wait at the quick lube place have been doing anything productive, or is there enough down time in that person's schedule so that his waiting doesn't detract from his other responsibilites? If you're paying some one $X/hr, you'll save that amount if you double the OCI.

The service station you go to for the inspections might even throw in free labor to change the oil you provide. Kill two birds with one stone, and only have to service the vehicle every 10k.

Also, M1EP w/ filter is on sale at AAP for <$30. I'm sure you'll find similar sales on other synthetics. Stock up when you can and you should see some savings over the long-term.

 

[ChiTDI]

How about getting the two techs cerrtified and use them to change the Wal-Mart purchased oil?

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Both the tech's are certified, but with 200 patrol vic's and over 400 other vehicles (un-marked, special vehicles, etc), and the other jobs they have (installing lights, sirens, repairs), there is no way they could keep up.

I am thinking of suggesting, hiring another tech who would be strictly a preventative maint. specialist. We have a lift, storage, and everything else needed for used stuff.

That might work. If not, they will "tag" me to do them. I do have some down-time during the week, like right now, I am waiting for the backup jobs to finish on the video servers.

Dave

 

[Johnny]

The problem with all of this is the OP is dealing with a city/county bean counter. Got to be careful how he spends the tax payers money.

 

[Cup of Joe]

Quote:
Car had 274 hours of idle time, which equals approximately 9,042 miles per Ford, plus an actual 10,390 driving miles, for a total of what is equal to 19,432 miles.


https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/schaeffers-7k-5w-20-10-390-mi-08-crown-vic-pol.124562/

You have to admit that is cost effective.

 

[Johnny]

Yes, it is if it can be repeated every time. Being in San Marcos, TX is not like being where REDDOG is located. During the summer, San Marcos is like living in an oven.

 

[rclint]

I think you will be hard pressed in this situation to save any money over using conventional oil at 5k OCI. You can try to triple the mileage using a synthetic, however you will be kidding yourself, if you can triple the mileage with synthetic, then you can probably double the mileage with conventional. I'm not in any way trying to jab any of the synthetics, nor any of the big time oils, however expensive boutique oils that will require sending off oil samples will only cost more to get mileage out of, and you may find with the severe service, extensive idling, severe heat while idling-keeping cool/ac etc will kill any oil in a short time, however I don't know, and noone here does probably enough to risk lots of motors, and taxpayers dollars, and your job !! So the added cost will be sending off oil samples which again will take more money your trying to save, and have to go even further on the oil.

One place you may be able to save money is going with a HDEO if your not already, the try a few oil samples in a given range from new to old cars, cycled to heavy to low use etc, keep your samples as broad as you can just to determine a good OCI, this is much different than extending OCI's to the very max as in 15k and more. I would be shooting for 1/3 more in this case using a good HDEO like rotella, delo, etc (all names here to not leave out any brand name) there may be some good fleet HDEO's you can ask for here that will not have the name brand cost with them. I'm not sure how this would work out with the given inspection, however if you could up the mileage to 10k using a good HDEO with some broad samples sent off to check the oil it may present a savings.

Don't try to be a hero saving some money by going synthetic, synthetic may just cost you your job !! By all means do not for any reason go in over your head, just wade in slow LOL, do a few cars at a time, then add more, and more etc until you have proven your method to you, and your boss.

 

[sangyup81]

Will Synthetic at a longer OCI mean that you can get the service done in house rather than at a quick lube?

Rotella T6 5w40 at 10k OCIs. If you do top-ups, you could make it to 15k. To speed things up, you could get one of those oil siphons they use at the quick lubes. Hopefully the oil filter isn't hard to change.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just wanted some advice to see if it would be worth sending up the chain. I am just trying to come up with some ideas of saving a few bucks in the budget. I don't make the decisions, just send up ideas.

I appreciate the insight and other points of view. The 5k dino has been working, so I will not suggest the synthetic.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Chris142]

Heres what I would do.

Call your local gas/lube supplier and see what they get for a 55 gallon drum of oil and a pump. They might even give you the pump. Here we have Chevron and Shell suppliers but they both carry other oil brands.

See what they have thats inexpensive but still good quality.

Call the auto parts stores and get some commercial accounts set up. Here Pep Boys is always having a sale on their Pro line filters. $1.44 each if you buy a case. I'm sure that A-Zone, O-Rileys etc will have simmiliar pricing.

Add up what the oil and filter cost's you per car vs having the quick lube place do it and see if there is room in there for a lube tech@ $10/hr or so.

Lets say that 6 qts if oil costs you $12. A filter costs $1.44. Your in for $13.44 so far. The lube tech can easily do 2 cars an hr so he costs you $5 per car. Total cost is $18.44 per car vs whatever the quick lube is charging you.

I'm guessing even with the new lube tech cost would be about 1/2 of what your paying now. I'd stick with 5k oil changes.