Oil changes (frequency)

[DCPU]

And let me guess, in your opinion the quality of cars is worse than it has been 30 years ago?

Slightly off topic...

But whilst techniques and production equipment might move in one direction, the human desire to offset these by making things thinner, lighter, of a lower quality or just cheaper seems to more than keep pace.

The most recent example - Ford F-250 roofs.

"the lawsuit that led to a $1.7 billion verdict against Ford in August" stemmed from "Ford continued to cut costs by thinning the metal in the truck's A-pillar, roof bows, windshield inner header, and B-pillars on extended-cab models. The changes are estimated to have saved only $3.85 per truck".

Lawsuit Claims Ford Super Duty Truck Roofs Weren't Tested, Easily Collapse

Ford is accused of weakening the Super Duty's roof and never testing its safety in the real world.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Max]

About motor oil changes:

It all depends on the driving profile. If you drive to the bakery every morning and make no other trips, a completely different oil change interval is required than for long-distance trips of 500 km per day.

The intervals prescribed by the manufacturers are meant for the worst case scenario: short trips with mostly cold or half-warm engines, unfriendly drivers, mediocre oil quality and low-grade fuels.

My 190D (W201) engine was like new after 400,000 km. It burned no oil, had low fuel consumption and made no unhealthy noise. It still started without problems even at temperatures below -10 °C.

A long distance profile, 55 km to the office every morning and the same back in the evening. Vacation distances of 3000 km within 10 days. Only drawback: I was (and I'm still) a friendly driver and always drove carefully for the first 10 km, i.e. no high revs, no high load.

Oil change interval: 60,000 km. Zero problems.

If your engine comes up to operating temperature every time you use it, it's not a problem. If it doesn't, then it's the wrong car for the job.

I agree totally...I fortunately, live on the top of a little Mountain and roll down under no load and in my working life would then drive 100km to work and then return in the evening. Peugeot diesels were my choice of car. What people forget is that it is not the kms but the hours the engine is running and the temp. Temperature is also important in tyres, maximum temp, driving in straight lines no stop-starts and I would double what the normal wear would be. My cars when ready to trade were already sold and my dealer principal would say that they were the freest and fastest of the type he had driven. Don't buy a diesel unless you are going to use it, each time you start it, get to its maximum temp and as emax says get there gradually. Work a diesel not labour it. 450,000kms at roughly 100kms an hour is 4,500 hours of travel at optimum conditions is what should be considered and not what kms the engine has done. Time is also considered, some say a year and you should change oil? My diesel engines and I have had only diesels since 1980, have run superbly. A diesel engine frees up over time but before that, you have the feeling you are pushing it but then it starts to roll under its own steam, it is an amazing feeling and it takes time pending on the size of the engine but around 60 to 80tkm ...happy motoring.

 

[emax]

Really good points.

I can confirm that it's a matter of how your engine "feels" for you. If it doesn't want to perfom. don't force it. I always (on my motorbikes as well as with the cars) let the engine gallop if it wants. If it feels inert, I don't force it. And sometimes, if I treat my vehicle that way, I runs like there is no tomorrow. A bit like a reward "thank you for treating me well".

Sounds silly, but the results prove me right: No hassles with engines ever. Oil consumption, fuel consumption, noise, repairs, everything was fine as long as I can remember, at any mile ages.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

I reckon oil and fluids are way cheaper than motors and transmissions.

I try to do oil changes every 5,000 kms in all my vehicles. Manuals say you can push that out to 10,000 kms or more. Manuals also will have a "heavy use" maintenance guide. I say try - I'm not perfect at it, but by being so conservative with my intervals I have no stress about doing a few hundred more kilometers if I need to between changes.

Transmissions and differentials are every 2 years or every 50,000 kms.

Brake fluid and Coolant is every 3 years regardless of mileage.

The above is probably overkill, but my stuff works pretty good.

The other advantage of frequent maintenance like this is I'm more likely to notice other things that need attention. I will adopt the same intervals for my Grenadier unless the manual specifies more frequent attention, then I'll probably be conservative on that too and cut it down by 30% at least.

 

[painter]

Just wondering what people are planning, I'll likely change every 6 months which should be good for 5k miles or so between changes.

Having only owned new bikes this new car world is 'new' to me. With my bikes I changed at first 500 miles then 1500 then was into every 6 months. Presume Ineos will advise the recommended steps. Are new engines bench run in??

I'll see what IG recommends. Then I'll do what I want

Will be interesting to see if they recommend different intervals for different operating conditions. I'm not familiar enough with the various B57/8 applications to know if there is a commercial or "hard working" type placement, notwithstanding racing type applications.

My pick up truck service manual for example has a regular, normal interval and a number or special operating conditions intervals. Those could be: mostly stop and go driving, frequent idling, dusty conditions, towing heavy, operating at max gvw, operating in extreme temperatures, and probably a few others I've forgotten. Most of those will be given a stated recommended service interval.

More modern versions of engines may have oil minders that notify to the operator when the oil condition warrants a replacement. But the above list might give an idea of some of the conditions that could change that advertised, "extended oil life interval".

 

[Mr. Largo WINCH]

Bonjour,
Personnellement, je fais la vidange de mon DEFENDER 90 utilisé pour les raids en France, Maroc et Tunisie tous les 7000 à 8000 km.
Vidange de la boite de vitesse et de la boite de transfert tous les 30 000 km. Vidange des ponts tous les 50 à 60000 km. Il faut mieux acheter un bidon d'huile à 40 euros que changer un moteur.

Bonne journée / Have a nice day

 

[Sebastian]

Hi Largo Winch, thank you for your input, with your experience you certainly contribute to this community. And thank you for taking the effort to post an english translation also. Have a great day!
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Bonjour Largo Winch, merci pour votre contribution, avec votre expérience vous contribuez certainement à cette communauté. Et merci d'avoir pris la peine de poster une traduction anglaise également. Bonne journée!

 

[Jean Mercier]

Bonjour,
Personnellement, je fais la vidange de mon DEFENDER 90 utilisé pour les raids en France, Maroc et Tunisie tous les 7000 à 8000 km.
Vidange de la boite de vitesse et de la boite de transfert tous les 30 000 km. Vidange des ponts tous les 50 à 60000 km. Il faut mieux acheter un bidon d'huile à 40 euros que changer un moteur.

Tunisie: j'ai vécu 3,5 ans en Tunisie, fantastique pays pour les 4x4. J'ai même rencontré par hasard sur une piste dans le Sud Bruno Saby et le Japonais Kenjiro Shinozuka qui 'entrainaient pour le Paris-Dakar avec des Mitsubishi Pajero, et j’avais moi-même une Pajero ! Tous les deux ont gagné le Dakar, le premier en 1993 et le second en 1997. Mais le Maroc et l’Algérie ont de meilleurs paysages que la Tunisie! .

[Google translation:
Tunisia: I lived 3.5 years in Tunisia, a fantastic country for 4x4s. I even met by chance on a track in the South Bruno Saby and the Japanese Kenjiro Shinozuka who were training for the Paris-Dakar with Mitsubishi Pajeros, and I myself had a Pajero! Both won the Dakar, the first in 1993 and the second in 1997. But Morocco and Algeria have better landscapes than Tunisia! .]

Beaucoup de ruines Romaines aux endroits les plus imprévus - A lot of Roman ruins on the most unexpected places! (1994)

 

[klarie]

@DCPU Indeed - lowering quality - came to almost all products - not just vehicles. - But what I can see now - problems of rust, oil, visible exhaust or other smells are virtually no where, - prolonged service intervals. warranty is longer etc. But then equipment fails shortly after warranty and almost impossible to repair.

Ford is sometimes special in their construction, - so sometimes they develop vehicles or generation of vehicles that are really lasting and others are really a f*** up. My spouses first Focus Turnier was a piece of s**e - sometimes failed to start, - issues in electronics. etc. The current - a model later - now 7 years old is a top vehicle w/o issues.
Just services according to schedule in this case once a year.

@Max my dad had a contract as Peugeot and later Mitsubishi dealer in 1970 - 1980 .. my opinion on Peugeot as I experienced it. They re made for warmer countries. The diesels run like hell. - and lasting. The general quality was low. - had in the meantime a Peugeot as rental - still not impressing me. The biggest problem we experienced. almost all Peugeot engines were prone to failing head gaskets - mostly petrol ones Generally the Diesel were noisy - but almost unbreakable.

and @Jean Mercier .. Mitsubishi Pajero the orginal one was from technical specs a lot like what IG is now. Ladder frame .. and some more real capabilities.
The diesel was also quite robust.. however the Pajero was probably built for Algeria and the desert.- Never seen a vehicle that was so prone to rusting.
On the later ones Mitsubishi moved to integral body and so much stability was lost. Its trailer pulling capability is still quite well. But it was one of the first vehicles that moved to life style .. the old one was continued as "Galloper" however..

The vehicle was initially the best selling product - and I know some areas were its offroad capability in the 80's outmatched the G Wagon. (Or was it the lack of drivers skills)
At least I remember a case were we were together, assisting a customer at that time to free a G Wagon that got stuck in mud. The owner of the Pajero mastered the mud and to pull the G wagon out. (at that time I was 16 and underage for possession of a car driving license. - just assisted in attaching ropes)

I think at that time there were many quite capable and robust offroaders available - need some more frequent maintenance perhaps . but these vehicle could be serviced and maintained. - Now the offroader almost disappeared, or replaced by pickup utility or life style vehicles (only mimics) ,
engines are due to regulations of exhaust are both more efficent, but stressed. More torque, more horsepower, less volume.. ( a landrover disco sport diesel bi turbo 2l Diesel has 240HP .. almost the same power as the IG BMW straight six - 3.0l 248 HP. So.. I will also shorten the service intervals and keep the vehicle well maintained)