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Comment on New Cars Don't All Come With Dipsticks Anymore, Here's Why

intheformbelow@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

Oil is essential. However, those manufacturers that claim you have to change synthetic oil three times a year are full of shit.

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HelixDab2@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Depends on how much you drive, and what the recommended interval is. If the interval is 7k miles, and you drive 18k in a year, yeah, you need to change the oil 3x/year.

It seems to me that counting the number of cycles each makes, and basing your intervals off that would make more sense than mileage. If I’m constantly running at high RPM, that should require more frequent oil changes in terms of mileage.

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EtherWhack@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
That chronological duration is more of an estimate based on how much the “average” car may be driven and is just to give someone an idea of the frequency.

The standard for cars built for synthetic (“conventional” cars may have a bit more susceptibility to contamination, so they normally have shorter durations) usually usually go for 10-15k miles (~16-24k km). So going 30-45k miles in a year isn’t really unheard of. (Some cars are much less, while others like company cars/taxis can be more than double)

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TonyOstrich@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I know it can last longer than that, but I think there is a benefit to doing so even if it doesn’t need changed that often. It’s the same reason I have my mechanic do my oil changes instead of doing them myself. It’s so that they can look at the rest of the car and let me know about problems before they become a much more expensive fix. Kinda like going to a doctor for a yearly checkup and blood work.

I can fix almost anything on a car if I know what the issue is and have the shop manual, but I don’t work on cars enough to know all warning signs or quickly diagnose things.

However, I do realize how difficult it can be to find a mechanic that is trustworthy, competent, and reasonably priced. I’m generally not a fan of dealership mechanics or the places that are dedicated to cheap oil changes. Not saying none of them have good mechanics, but it can be hit or miss.

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