Oil Change Poll

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

What do you think about some vehicles that come with the bottom engine covers? Look at the oil change on the navigator aviator for examples.

it is making me reluctant to buy one r if I do, never put it back on? I don't know if that will cause a problem or not. Seem like 8 or 9 screws to remove ta may require a special tool?

Good point here...the CTS (replaced twice over now) had a cover plate underneath the engine that took 4 times the amount of time to remove and replace as it did to change the oil. I finally just left it off.

[Sappy2]

I have an oil shop nearby with big bay doors. They generally do it for me unless I find the need to crawl around and get dirty.

[EA37TS]

What bearing or use is this question to the forum?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

What do you think about some vehicles that come with the bottom engine covers? Look at the oil change on the navigator aviator for examples.

it is making me reluctant to buy one or if I do, never put it back on? I don't know if that will cause a problem or not? Seems like 8 or 9 screws to remove and may require a special tool?

The 2009 Jetta TDI DSG comes withe a full diaper. It covers the entire front bottom of the car including the suspension and is full of sound absorbent material and plastic to quiet the diesel. It is held on by 3 Torx 15 & 12 Torx 10 machine screws. The oil and fuel filter are cartridge type and accessible from the top when the foam sound proofing can cover is removed. Of course you need a 25 mm 1/2 drive socket to get the oil filter cover unscrewed.

The fuel filter cover comes off by removing 6 Torx 15 machine screws. Takes me about an hour in the house's garage. Oil and filter once a year or 10,000 miles and fuel filter at 20,000 miles.
Every even year, I replace the brake fluid in all four vehicles takes a all day and uses about 5 qts of NAPA DOT 4. I do use a vacuum bleeder system and the Corvairs have speed bleeders.

[lwmcguir]

I change the Tuscany if I am at my shop, so I have a drain pan capable of holding the 27 quarts of oil

Usually change most of the others and always the sport vehicles

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by lwmcguir

I change the Tuscany if I am at my shop, so I have a drain pan capable of holding the 27 quarts of oil

Usually change most of the others and always the sport vehicles

27 quarts of oil!!!!

Ok, it is official now, I can't afford a Tuscany

I am still complaining about 7 quarts. You da man

[Bill Johnson]

I have changed the oil on both motorhomes. I only use synthetic oil and filters, I will never use oem cheap filters. I always grease the chassis as needed

[10scDust]

For what it's worth, I only use conventional, non-synthetic oils in any of my equipment.

Without going into the details, I collect my drain oils because my shop, has an oil burning furnace. So I reap the rewards from the lubricant twice over. The furnace recommends to use non-synthetic oil, because the synthetic needs to be diluted with kerosene, or fuel oil #2 to get it to burn.
Most times, conventional oil is cheaper in cost, still using name brands.

[atreis]

I had a Chevy dealership change the chassis oil, but did the generator myself.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by atreis

I had a Chevy dealership change the chassis oil, but did the generator myself.

How much they charge cost?
How long did it take end to end (getting the RV and putting it back where it was?)

I have a facility 7 miles North of house that will allow us to dump waste tanks for free. Very nice clean place that can handle 4 RVs at a time. But after a while I bought all of the necessary including FloJet Macerator Pump so I can do at home. I got to thinking the hassle to move the RV and then park it back where it was, not to mention all of the added liability every time it is on the road around town (city driving has unique risks). Most idiot drivers see an RV, assume they are Richard Petty and that they own the road disrespecting the RV driver as a slow box driver. I know those drivers all to well, because I will ultimately have to re-pass them 2 mile up the road as they cower down to other cars up ahead. Drives me nutz

[Redsand]

I do my own oil changes kinda. In my mid 70s makes it a bit of a pain to crawl around under my vehicles so I buy all the supplies and have my young helper do the deeds. Probably not saving any cash but I know it's all being done with trusted oil/filters and no worries. I follow the API and SAE specs for each vehicle as that's what is really important. I don't trust the hype over different brands of oil and consider them much like bottled water or toothpaste. Brand A is superior to B and Chevron is better gas than Shell or Arco. Kinda like who has the better dump station. They all get the job done.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

How much they charge cost?
How long did it take end to end (getting the RV and putting it back where it was?)

I have a facility 7 miles North of house that will allow us to dump waste tanks for free. Very nice clean place that can handle 4 RVs at a time. But after a while I bought all of the necessary including FloJet Macerator Pump so I can do at home. I got to thinking the hassle to move the RV and then park it back where it was, not to mention all of the added liability every time it is on the road around town (city driving has unique risks). Most idiot drivers see an RV, assume they are Richard Petty and that they own the road disrespecting the RV driver as a slow box driver. I know those drivers all to well, because I will ultimately have to re-pass them 2 mile up the road as they cower down to other cars up ahead. Drives me nutz

Do you run the hose through the basement window to the toilet?

[atreis]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

How much they charge cost?
How long did it take end to end (getting the RV and putting it back where it was?)

I had to look it up. It was in Feb, and I had them do the first service, so it also included checking things out. Aside from topping up fluids, the only thing they really did was just the oil though. $93.80

Time will depend on how far you go. I have to go from where I keep the RV to a dealership downtown - the only one in the area that can do 4500 chassis - had to call around a bit to find one that could do it - so about 45 minutes each way to get there and back. Traffic here is rarely an issue. The service itself took an hour or so. I don't remember exactly. It wasn't horrible though, and I waited there while they did it.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

Do you run the hose through the basement window to the toilet?

No, we have a swimming pool and there sewer drain plumbing to pool filter for back washes. It use to be a closed system, but the City went to crying threatening to fine Residents if they did not break plumbing; so there is at least 1.5" gap; so that in the event the city sewer were to backup it would not go straight to the pool equipment.

I like to turn negatives into positives. So I bought a 100ft 3/4" hose that is specifically for waste, one end in the sewer fits perfect in between the gap while the other end is connected to output of FloJet Macerator pump.

I love it; it is really fast. The distance from the RV Macerator pump to the sewer is 99' I kid you not; it is perfect fit. I have an old wheel cart that I roll it up on and move to location where no one should use.

Now that I think I have answered your question; what is a Basement window?
There are no windows in our bathroom. I am sure that must be Public Safety thing in the event I bought the coach

The lower compartment where we drain tanks and have the macerator, I call it the Wet bay.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Redsand

I do my own oil changes kinda. In my mid 70s makes it a bit of a pain to crawl around under my vehicles so I buy all the supplies and have my young helper do the deeds. Probably not saving any cash but I know it's all being done with trusted oil/filters and no worries. I follow the API and SAE specs for each vehicle as that's what is really important. I don't trust the hype over different brands of oil and consider them much like bottled water or toothpaste. Brand A is superior to B and Chevron is better gas than Shell or Arco. Kinda like who has the better dump station. They all get the job done.

That is EXACTLY what I did. Chevron Delo 400 was the only oil that I found that had the SAE API CK-4 or SN service category, and SAE 15W-40 viscosity grade. That one oil met specifications for my Onan Generator and V10 Engine. Then it has the best price and the fact that it has name brand of Chevron is an unearned bonus. There may be others, that do both, but that is why I use Chevron Delo 400 and I have no incentive to change given I am now working on 4 years.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by atreis

I had to look it up. It was in Feb, and I had them do the first service, so it also included checking things out. Aside from topping up fluids, the only thing they really did was just the oil though. $93.80

Time will depend on how far you go. I have to go from where I keep the RV to a dealership downtown - the only one in the area that can do 4500 chassis - had to call around a bit to find one that could do it - so about 45 minutes each way to get there and back. Traffic here is rarely an issue. The service itself took an hour or so. I don't remember exactly. It wasn't horrible though, and I waited there while they did it.

$93 is not bad. But for me it sounds like all total you may have spent 3 hours. Since my RV is at the house, From the time I start to going in the house to wash my hands it is 1 hour and I have changed oil and filters in both generator and engine with cost of oil & filters less than $40. Any of the places I tried talking to all where wanting me to drop of and $150 just for oil in the engine. But I do myself to save time, NOT MONEY.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

No, we have a swimming pool and there sewer drain plumbing to pool filter for back washes. It use to be a closed system, but the City went to crying threatening to fine Residents if they did not break plumbing; so there is at least 1.5" gap; so that in the event the city sewer were to backup it would not go straight to the pool equipment.

I like to turn negatives into positives. So I bought a 100ft 3/4" hose that is specifically for waste, one end in the sewer fits perfect in between the gap while the other end is connected to output of FloJet Macerator pump.

I love it; it is really fast. The distance from the RV Macerator pump to the sewer is 99' I kid you not; it is perfect fit. I have an old wheel cart that I roll it up on and move to location where no one should use.

Now that I think I have answered your question; what is a Basement window?
There are no windows in our bathroom. I am sure that must be Public Safety thing in the event I bought the coach

The lower compartment where we drain tanks and have the macerator, I call it the Wet bay.

I can't help it, every time I see Texas I have to ask about the basement. Everytime I mention basement they look it up in the dictionary and say we don't have basements in Texas. lol

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

I can't help it, every time I see Texas I have to ask about the basement. Everytime I mention basement they look it up in the dictionary and say we don't have basements in Texas. lol

A while back, I had previous employer that wanted to relocate me to Minneapolis to their Headquarters. My wife and I flew up there to spend a week to look at houses. All the houses were dug half way into the damn ground? I was like WTF, what do people try to do; move in with the termites and fire ants? For us... I don't think so.... but we try to move on, then we noticed there were no fences, everybody's back yard was like one great big open field. How do they run around naked in back yard or in and around the pool? And if that was not enough, the houses did have AC's They told us just open the window or go the basement Can I point out there was no such thing a Basement Window in those houses unless you had a crack for Ant or a Termite mound. Needless to say, we did not move.

[Bill Johnson]

I'm from up north so you all I think they say, we live below below ground with the fire ants. The cold temperatures below ground, they are like pets and they make good protein for our salads. We don't have Fences so all our pets run free like our bobcats, we don't have poisonous snakes, they're pets down here. We still run around naked, no one will come on the property when they see a naked 70 year old man. You should put in a basement window so they know you were almost a northerner,, in Minnesota.

[Redsand]

From oil to running naked? Sounds slippery to me..