Oldest engine oil ever.

So last night I'm helping my wife's cousin change the oil in her 2004 Freestar Van. She doesn't have anyone to help her.

So I spent over 30 minutes just trying to get the oil filter off. i finally had to buy another filter wrench to get it loose. I noticed then that the filter was the original oil filter installed when at the factory. that's right. This vehicle had nearly 100,000 miles on it on the original factory motor oil and filter.

What was worse is the air filter was blacker than the oil coming out of the crankcase. Just disgusting. I've never seen a vehicle in such a state. It was no surprise at autozone that when they pulled the codes, it popped about 5 different emissions and fuel codes, as well as engine misfire codes.

I reset the computer last night and so far, changing the oil and air filter has kept the check engine light off for now, but I'm expecting it to turn on again. I smelled gas last night and there was no leak...bad fuel filter.

 

wow. im at 5000 miles since my last oil change and i thought that was bad.

 

I have 45,000 miles on a 1995 Geo Prizm and have never given an oil change.rolleyes
It uses 1 quart every 750 miles.When it gets 2 quarts down, the oil light on the dash flashes.
Then I will put 2 quarts in.
Every third time that I put in oil, I change the oil filter.
(That doesn't count as changing, does it?):confused

 

That is the 'perpetual oil change'. I used it on my truck until the jerks in the shop stopped it from burning oil... :-D You might want to change the oil filter though.

 

Re-read the post, Fred.
States that the filter does get changed every third time oil is put in.

 

OOPs.

:-D

Ahh, I just mistyped?

 

I know someone with a 01 Chevy truck. He bought it used back in like 04 or 05 and put about 150K miles on it and has not once changed the oil or filter and he don't plan on ever changing it. I told him just wait i bet if you pulled the valve cover off its more sludged up than the Beaches from the BP oil spill. I change mine every 2-3months no matter the miles and i always use Valvoline.. Shoot my dads company has a truck that they change the oil in it every month and thats cause they put 10K miles on it every month just driving around Atl.

 

I don't get it. An oil change is dirt cheap, you can easily do it yourself, and it is great preventive maintenance. :confused

 

Well that's my thinking. I mean, seriously not changing the oil ever 3000 miles on conventional or 7000 on synthetic, is frankly stupid. I don't mean to offend anyone, but it really is. Blowing an engine is not going to usually happen in your driveway, but out on the road somewhere far away from home and sometimes help not to mention incredibly expensive.

 

Wow, that's amazing.

Had a guy in shop who was putting a new engine in his wife's car at 35K miles. She forgot about oil changes when she got the new car and he never thought once to check on her car at all?

I think one time when he was getting his done he might have said it out loud and that would have triggered something in her or he would have asked if she needs one too and taken hers? It was the strangest thing.

I'm notoriously bad about oil changes and my car model has been known to be in the Toyotas prone to sludge. Bad about it, but not disturbingly so. When i hear of grown women forgetting the basics of how to take care of a car, usually the ones who can afford to have the car die the least, it makes me wonder who taught them to drive? Just the fear of the repair bills or getting stranded makes me keep up with my car. Thirteen years and still kicking and lookin' good!

I can't believe that your wife's cousin made it that far! How many oil changes have you done since? I can imagine it still looks pretty bad. Transmission flush? Brakes? Power steering fluid? BELTS? 100K miles and no maintenance. I'm still in shock. Lucky lucky lady.

 

I think she'll be lucky if it ever passes an emission test again without new valve guides and seals.

Maybe a rebore and piston is in order Motc?Good luck with that :-D

I'll be interested in the outcome of this so keep us updated.

 

Thats just crazy.

I might go 7k by accident on my vehicles oil changes. Makes it even easier knowing that my local shop charges about 25 bucks and i dont have to be under the car or get rid of the oil.

 

Slightly off topic, but I've noticed one common feature in cars that are poorly maintained: they usually carry a load of "Save Gaia" type bumper stickers.
Friends of the earth or WWF - World Wildlife Fund, in this context. That sort of thing. Such irony.