Is the *insert car, engine, tranny* any good?

[Chapap]

You have a point there. I tend to end up doing maintenance sooner than recommended as a result. Usually based on time instead of mileage.

Im conflicted on this point. I find convincing arguments and anecdotes for doing it according to the book or the old fashioned 5,000 miles (or whatever it is). We used to have a 90s caravan that made it to 300k on original trans and engine. The last 100k had 3 or so oil changes. Got rid of it cause there was a brake leak hidden somewhere. Still drove strong.

 

[sgtsandman]

Im conflicted on this point. I find convincing arguments and anecdotes for doing it according to the book or the old fashioned 5,000 miles (or whatever it is). We used to have a 90s caravan that made it to 300k on original trans and engine. The last 100k had 3 or so oil changes. Got rid of it cause there was a brake leak hidden somewhere. Still drove strong.

In the end, it is a call you are going to have to make.

On the 2011, I follow the max mileage allowed or 6 months, whichever come sooner for oil changes, doing brake inspections and other preventative maintenance along the way. Transmission and transfer case fluid is is every 30,000 miles. Rear axle and front axle is based on when the maintenance charts list them but they have been changed well before the recommended mileage. On the 2019, I've had to modify the maintenance schedule a bit since very little mentions anything about time change intervals. Just mileage.

An honest transmission shop will tell you that they would be out of business if people changed their transmission fluid every 30,000 miles. Most axle problems, especially those with limited slip differentials, are due to people never changing their axle fluids.

Vehicle manufacturer's want people to buy their product, so in order to make them seem more convenient, they have stretched out the fluid change intervals more and more as time has gone on. Sure, oil has gotten better since the 1950s and 1960s but it still wears out and gets contaminated from combustion byproducts. Never the less, change recommendations like 10,000 miles or once a year for oil is just insane. The mileage recommendations for transmissions and axles are the same. Some recommendations, like the rear axles being "the life of the vehicle" are purely meant to cause the vehicle to wear out and break so you will want to buy another one.

Plus, they don't say what "life of the vehicle" is. Just after you paid it off? 10 years? I'm sure they don't mean 20 - 30 years like the typical owner on here has in vehicle age.

 

[racsan]

I feel “lifetime warranty “ on auto parts is merely a marketing gimmick, its a gamble that by the time it needs another water pump, alternator, ect that the vehicle will have changed hands or no longer be on the road. The fine print says “duration of ownership “, meaning of course that once the car changes hands there is no more warranty in affect on replacement parts. There’s probably something in the legal fine print too about excluding commercial service useage.

I typically change oil twice a year in the escape, it might get 10K miles a year. the hhr & ranger get changed once a year, but both usually sit half the year without being drove, at best both of those get maybe 2K miles/year. The tractors vary, I watch the dipstick more than anything for condition. The deere mower gets the most hours of anything and gets a yearly oil change.

 

[Chapap]

I feel “lifetime warranty “ on auto parts is merely a marketing gimmick, its a gamble that by the time it needs another water pump, alternator, ect that the vehicle will have changed hands or no longer be on the road. The fine print says “duration of ownership “, meaning of course that once the car changes hands there is no more warranty in affect on replacement parts. There’s probably something in the legal fine print too about excluding commercial service useage.

Good point on the commercial thing. I bet they could cancel the warranty for one Uber trip.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I always go by instinct...I'm not gonna sit there and count the miles. It's not like a 5k oil change goes bad at exactly 4,999 miles. When checking the oil, look at it, what does it look like? If it's been awhile, check the coolant and tranny dipstick, flush as needed...pull a wheel and look around and wiggle stuff if my gut says I haven't done brakes or bushings in awhile...
I've changed low mileage oil in recreational machines just from it being "old". I've ran oil well past the scheduled change for it still looked clean. And on the contrary, my "10k mile gaurantee" Amsoil was changed at less than half that because it looked and smelled beat up already.

 

[sgtsandman]

And on the contrary, my "10k mile gaurantee" Amsoil was changed at less than half that because it looked and smelled beat up already.

This is why I just buy the synthetic oil that is on sale and a good filter. I can't afford Amsoil prices on 5,000 mile change intervals. Good oil. It scrubbed all the junk out of the engine when I used it. The engine looked brand new inside after a couple of changes. This beer budget just can't afford the hard liquor price.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

This is why I just buy the synthetic oil that is on sale and a good filter. I can't afford Amsoil prices on 5,000 mile change intervals. Good oil. It scrubbed all the junk out of the engine when I used it. The engine looked brand new inside after a couple of changes. This beer budget just can't afford the hard liquor price.

Interesting, maybe that's why the Amsoil got dirty so fast. I usually run the Mobil1 synthetic in my F150 and motorcraft in the ranger. Might try the Amsoil again if my buddy still gets the discount.

 

[sgtsandman]

Interesting, maybe that's why the Amsoil got dirty so fast. I usually run the Mobil1 synthetic in my F150 and motorcraft in the ranger. Might try the Amsoil again if my buddy still gets the discount.

The Honda CR-Vs I had required periodic valve adjustments. So I got to see the before an after running Amsoil. The bargain synthetic doesn't keep the engine as clean but it is cleaner than running petroleum oil.

 

[Roert42]

I change the oil between 3 and 5K miles, buy Napa semi synthetic because its $12 a gallon. Buy Motorcraft filters buy the case and change them every other oil change. I have a fairly long commute, so I normally need 4/5 oil changes a year.

I did the filter and fluid change on my 5R55E at 60K miles like the manual says, it was having a hard time time shifting when the transmission was cold. Cleared that issue right up, clearly needed to be done much sooner so I'm going to go for 20K miles on this filter.

I just changed the coolant around 70K and used Motorcraft Gold, changing the coolant is a PINTA so probably will only be done if I have to take something apart again.

The axels get rebuilt at 250k miles whether they need it or not.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you keep up on the maintenance, even dino oil will do the job. It just won’t be as clean inside.

60K for an automatic transmission is too long.

As far as the coolant, after the initial time or I change something that requires the coolant to be drained, it’s every 3 years. Same with the brake and clutch fluid.

It could just be the engines I’ve had but the coolant change hasn’t been bad.

Brake fluid has been a mixed bag. The 3 year cycle has helped keep the bleeders from seizing up and nothing has rotted from the inside out.