Your motor oil matters. Video.
- Thread starter Zee09
- Start date
I think you’re right. The other day I was getting my oil changed and my buddy called me. When I told him what I was doing he said, “yeah, I need to do that too. The light has been on for a while.”
I think most people prefer to push out the maintenance, wait for the gaslight to refuel and drive it like a banshee.
Sorry. Aftermarket oil additives like slick 50 etc...
Zee09
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Just now my cousin said the same thing that her oil change light has been on and she needs an appointment
Used SLICK 50 for engine and tranny of a used ( 99,000 mis. ) '86 Chevrolet NOVA ( Corolla 1.6 Ltr. ) 4 door liftback with a 4 speed auto ( or 3 ? ) . Would use it with oil and A.T.F. every 30 > 34,000 miles . Went for 260,00+ miles of harsh conditions . Favorite car of 40+ years of driving .
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Perfect! now I can stop wasting money on oil changes!
Joking aside, my vehicles are 8, 14 and 36 years old with no rust/fluid leaks etc. and are substantially older than most samples represented on that spreadsheet.
Heck, anything nearing 10 years old on that site is considered an ancient relic!
While this site is useful, it doesn't necessarily mean they are more durable nor does it address the reason why people are keeping their vehicles on the road, longer. As mentioned many times on this site, the mere cost of new vehicles has many shying away from new vehicle purchases.
I agree. Perhaps for lack of knowledge, or the younger generations look at cars as disposable.... "lifetime atf" and the like.
Patman
Staff member
The younger generation doesn't seem to be into cars as much as we were. That's why it makes me happy that my 22 year old son is just like me, he lives and breathes cars! He still has the 2002 WRX that he bought when he was 16, and unlike a lot of younger people he loves to drive a car with a manual transmission! Even his second car is a fun car, a 98 Honda Civic hatchback (also manual trans) He does all of his own oil changes on his cars and even a lot of the modifications and repairs too. Even his career is cars, he's a detailer, he's very good at paint correction and will likely open up his own high end detailing shop one day.
Lifetime ATF is an interesting topic to me in terms of vehicles / vehicle maintenance.
Up coming story is about heavy duty (class 7 & 8) trucks.
I was at a conference for heavy duty trucking and got to talk to a Volvo transmission engineer at length about their new transmission. (Again in class 7 & 8 trucks) Which they advertised “life time ATF” in it. Didn’t require anything.
While, he admitted that the ATF does have a set life span. The problem is not the ATF wearing out. The clutch materials inside of the transmission, are currently the limiting factor for them before the ATF degrades or oxidizes too much.
My counter to that was two parts. First off, the transmission is not a sealed system. So you have a breather and thus, the ability to get contamination into it.
Second, the application - an OTR class 8 truck is going to do significantly less shifting, thus have longer clutch life, than a vocational application class 8, that never leaves 75 air miles from home base. So how do you justify both?
Post that conversation, they later reconsidered the lifetime fill of the product. And put service intervals out.
I think, automotive OEM’s are in similar boats. I’m not going to say their engineers are bad or wrong. I’m just going to say that, they put out marketing bulletins like “lifetime” fill or, oil change intervals, under ideal circumstances with, the absolute minimum specs. So if you do something different, your mileage may literally vary. Reality is not autocad all the time. Or even track testing.
Words are important. People are always anxious to expand their meaning, especially the American advertiser.
Some things will never change, service intervals, in my opinion should be one of them.
They are. I kinda stopped hating on oil videos. I just sit back and enjoy the entertainment.
Service intervals should never change? What??
So, what I mean by that is, as an example, in a GM truck, from which most of my experience is based:Service intervals should never change? What??
Years ago, in service manuals, the interval for an automatic transmission was 30k miles. It was that way for 30 years+-. then, in 2000, with the gmt600 vans and gmt800 trucks, from 2000-07, service intervals went from 30-100k. Now understand, Dex6 ("the superior fluid") did not become in full use and spec until 2006. But somehow, the service interval, and towing capacity all upon a sudden increase dramatically. "Coincidentally", the service interval coincided with the warranty, and a reduced cost of ownership. All tactics being used by companies to sell cars.
Were the transmission different? Not really. The 4l80e had been in use reliably for over a decade, and with only minor changes to where the cooler lines attached, the same transmission. But with more horsepower in the GMT800 in contrast to the GMT400, the service intervals increased? Makes no sense, from a service\mechanical standpoint.
Point being, a lie told long enough becomes the truth. Funny these days, manufactures have gone back to shorter service intervals, but at the same time, removed the AT dipstick. Coincidence? No. All geared to suck the money out of your pockets.
Catch what I am saying now?
Again, I am no expert. Not a scientist, but was a pretty good observer.
I catch what you are saying but superior fluids can extend OCI's - that said, just extending without knowledge - agree makes zero sense.
Oh, I agree, no question on that, superior fluid can and are used in "extended" intervals. But "lifetime", no. Let me clarify, "lifetime" in my understanding means "the life of the unit". Sure, if the unit dies at 100k, it sure lasted a lifetime.
In the example I gave, there was no change in fluids, which is why I brought up Dex6 in the ending years of the gmt600 & 800.
I have no doubt that 95% of vehicles out there can survive 100k without a filter change in the ATF, is is a good practice? Not in my opinion, or to your point, without knowledge.
Zee09
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Here's another video with Lake in it. It's a bit irritating just in the beginning but this is interesting and a good watch for diesel owners and Euro car owners who baby their rides.
It does settle in eventually.
I liked it because it brought back the good days at gun and trade shows. I used to frequent them to sell my wares years ago and you would also get into great technical discussions.
It does settle in eventually.
I liked it because it brought back the good days at gun and trade shows. I used to frequent them to sell my wares years ago and you would also get into great technical discussions.
https://apnews.com/article/average-vehicle-age-record-prices-high-5f8413179f077a34e7589230ebbca13d
Now show me the source which says the numbers are starting to decline, thanks.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Maybe they mean lifetime of the transmission which will fail past 60k in part because the ATF was depleted
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Hey, that would qualify as “lifetime fill”In my uneducated opinion, this sound right.
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