Or any other regular service on a car.
I just occurred to me that I don't remember when I last changed the oil in my 924s
I was going to change it this spring. I was doing the oil in my Truck and was going to do the 924s as well but looking back on it I got distracted with something else and did not finish things and get back to the other car. Last fall I am not sure I changed it either. .. . . .
I looked at it today and it is full up to where it should be but it is black.
Guess I know what I am doing this weekend.
Guess I really need to keep that log book updated I have in the glove box.
You should get some of those Jiffy Lube stickers for your windshield.
A higher tech option is use the reminder app on your smart phone. Just set a date based on your average miles put on in whatever time span is appropriate for driving.
I have never gone more than 18,000 miles between oil changes...
I did a month or two ago. The little maintenance thing went off in the MS3 and I went yea yea I'll get to it and reset it.
2 weeks and 750 miles later I remembered I probably should do that.
It's pretty easy for me...
The Jeep gets changed twice a year. Spring and fall.
Miata gets changed once a year. Spring.
MX6 gets changed when the oil is black. Since it leaks a lot, i look at it pretty constantly, so it's easy to keep tabs.
And because it leaks a lot, it seems i only need to change it once a year because it has a "self-changing" function built in.
alex
UberDork
9/20/13 11:49 a.m.
I haven't changed the oil in my truck for...I honestly don't remember the last time. It burns/drips about quart every 500 miles or so, so the oil's generally pretty fresh. I should definitely change that filter, though. (Not gonna lie, I'm subconsciously looking for an excuse to swap in a 4.8, so my maintenance is woefully lax on the tired old motor.)
My girlfriend gets her basic maintenance done at a shop within walking distance of her office, so fortunately I'm only neglecting one vehicle at a time - not counting the broken motorcycles.
Yep, I use those little Jiffy Lube stickers for my fleet. I've actually run out a few times and just tore off a little piece of paper and taped it to the windshield.
Or you can buy an EV...I don't need no stinkin' oil changes.
A friend of mine has a thirteen year old Dodge Ram 2500 with 8,000 miles on it. He has only changed the oil once.
Both DD's get oil every 5K, so whenever an odo rolls over (95K, 140K, etc), they get changed.
The Javelin gets it whenever I feel like it. I should probably do it now, actually, but with impending engine work I'll probably put it off.
Nothing else stays long enough to make it to the second change!!!
Ian F
UltimaDork
9/20/13 12:11 p.m.
In reply to Javelin:
Same here - the DD (TDi) gets changed every 10K, give or take, so it's pretty easy to keep track of.
The classics, on the other hand... yeah... that's a little tougher sicne they are driven more sporadically. Like Swank's MX6, the Mini and GT6 or sort of "self-changing", although I try to do a change once a year. The BMW was changed last Fall, but I've put barely 2K miles on it since then.
- The Miata get an annual w/ Redline.
- The Tacoma gets Rotella synthetic the beginning of race season.
- The M3 gets Redline before the first event and every 3rd event thereafter.
- The race car gets Motul 3000 before the season and every other or 3rd event depending on whether they're singles, doubles, or have practice days. Rain days barely count.
- The 525i will get an annual w/ some fancy synthetic stuff. I think it has Motul now.
So I do everything in the spring, then the event schedule dictates the rest. I divide my mileage across enough vehicles they're all changed on time, not mileage.
Bikes? The KTM gets every other year with horrifyingly expensive Motorex oil + 2 filters + 2 screens to clean. The RD 400 is a 2 stroke. Change the trans oil every election year.
I have a leaker so it gets a new quart every six months.
The VW burns it so I just drive it until the oil light starts to come on in corners and add three quarts. I think I last changed it official-like about 15k ago.
The Mazda gets the oil drained and fillled every thousand miles and a new filter every third oil change, and I cut the filter open and inspect it to see if I need to change it more often. (So far so good)
Duke
PowerDork
9/20/13 12:45 p.m.
I've got 4 dailies and they are all probably overdue. Lost my records book...
i keep track on valvoline's website.
The Samurai gets GTX 10W30 twice a year, about every 5-7k miles.
The 'rolla used to get 25W60 twice a year but with the new engine it's gonna be Valvoline 10W30 twice a year now at the mechanic's advice.
When I do an oil change, I write the date and mileage on the oil filter with a paint marker.
slefain
UltraDork
9/20/13 1:55 p.m.
I haven't changed the oil in my '69 Olds since I prepped it to use in my marriage ceremony...seven years ago. I think the car has been driven 600 miles since then.
Duke
PowerDork
9/20/13 1:56 p.m.
Zomby Woof wrote:
When I do an oil change, I write the date and mileage on the oil filter with a paint marker.
That's a good idea, but to read it, I'd have to put the car up on stands anyway, and at that point, I might as well just change it whether it's due or not.
Duke wrote:
Zomby Woof wrote:
When I do an oil change, I write the date and mileage on the oil filter with a paint marker.
That's a good idea, but to read it, I'd have to put the car up on stands anyway, and at that point, I might as well just change it whether it's due or not.
I usually try write it on a piece of masking tape and stick it on the air filter box or the radiator support.
The play cars get it twice a year, the truck once a year. That works out to 2000-3000 miles. My work van every other month, which works out to every 5000-7500 miles.
i have just trained myself to always change the oil at multiples of 5000 miles. but i'm following the oil life meter in my 01 GTP that says the oil life is at 47% after 6000 miles, and the oil (Mobil 1 0W30) is still full and still looks clean... think that one will get changes at multiples of 10,000 miles..
I keep a 3x5 card in every car and write down important things on it. Oil change at 145,321 miles. New tires a 86,567 miles. That sort of thing. I also put the date down. Every now and again I pull it out and do the math and see where I am.
Sort of. I changed the oil in my Prism right before I sold it. 54k. Went another 2yrs and 30k before it got wrecked. I dont think Japanese engines are designed to use new oil.
I use google docs - a spreadsheet with tabs for each vehicles service records. Seems to work
I do my Elanta with Mobil 1 every 7500 miles, yep every 6 weeks.