Meh. I've been taking our cars to the same Valvoline oil change joint for years and have had no issues at all.
I've paid someone else to change my oil exactly 2 times. The first time, they torqued the drain plug down so tight I had to replace the pan. The second one, they tightened the filter on in a similar manner. Took a neighbor guy and I 3 hours to get the damn thing off. Never again.
the fuel filters on the previous boat were notoriously hard to remove. 3 hours was the normal budget.
Location: right behind you. no, over there. Gender:
Posted:
Apr 18, 2019 - 5:24pm
Red_Dragon wrote:
Meh. I've been taking our cars to the same Valvoline oil change joint for years and have had no issues at all.
I've paid someone else to change my oil exactly 2 times. The first time, they torqued the drain plug down so tight I had to replace the pan. The second one, they tightened the filter on in a similar manner. Took a neighbor guy and I 3 hours to get the damn thing off. Never again.
The first change is 'supposed' to do two things: - Rinse any residual crud, assembly lube, whatever out of the engine - Provide a steady revenue stream to the dealer
You're fine. Modern engine oil is far superior to the old stuff, and lasts way longer. Just have the oil changed, or better yet do it yourself. Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
My preferred oil filter is 'Purolator Pure One'. You don't have to get the $$$ one, their regular/mid grade filters are good. I usually use synthetic oil, but dino oil has additives that make it perform about as well. The viscosity (10W30, 5W20, et al) is important, check the viscosity/temperature chart in the owner's manual.
The dealer will use GM-approved filter and oil, they're fine, especially if you'll be using them for warranty work.
For WAY more information than you'd ever want to know about engine oil and filters, check out www.bobistheoilguy.com.
Happy Motoring! c.
Meh. I've been taking our cars to the same Valvoline oil change joint for years and have had no issues at all.
You're fine. Modern engine oil is far superior to the old stuff, and lasts way longer. Just have the oil changed, or better yet do it yourself. Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
They put it back in, didn't they? Snowflake.
Yeah yeah yeah, smarty. I had to jack the dang thing up and use MY impact wrench to get it off. And go buy a new plug. At least they didn't strip the threads in the pan, that would have been $40+ for a Helicoil kit. I love buying tools and all, but those things are spendy.
Impact wrenches are great, but I only use them for removing stuff, not installing stuff. Too easy to mess something up.
On a side note, the McGard locking lug nut 'key' stripped out, so the little squiggly insert would just spin in the socket. Great. So I bought a removal tool that bites into the lug nut, whether it's locking or not. Chews up the lug nut so it's not really usable anymore, but hey. Glad I was able to do it at home with an impact, 'cause if I'd been on the side of the road somewhere, I'da been walkin'. The moral of the story is, don't count on those 'locking' lug nuts to keep thieves away from your wheels. Locks won't stop 'em, it'll just take them an extra couple minutes. c.
..... Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
.....
I'll third that. Had two negative experiences with Mr. Lube in the Greater Vancouver, BC area. In both cases the shop over-filled a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder. It was the first and only time that I experienced oil leaking from the engine block.
In the first case, I emptied some oil to bring it to specs. In the second case, I took a careful look at the dipstick under the fluorescent lights and asked them to empty some oil. That was done after a discussion.
Then a Budget Brake and Muffler concession in White Rock, BC overfilled and then emptied it after a bloody argument. Too bad. At another Budget Brake and Muffler concession in Burnaby, I enjoyed several years of top notch, excellent service but I recall the owner complaining about the practices of some of his franchise colleagues.
In all cases I supplied the oil, Mobil 1 synthetic, because in those days, synthetic oil was stilled viewed with suspicion by many in the business in the Lower Wasteland of SW British Columbia. (New fangled technology.....)
Now I do all the oil changes myself. So I would recommend that everybody either do it yourself or get a reputable shop to do it: dealer, independent mechanic, similar.
And yeah.... I would NEVER use an impact wrench on an oil drain plug. Wrench them off and back on carefully and they are good for a bunch of oil changes.
You're fine. Modern engine oil is far superior to the old stuff, and lasts way longer. Just have the oil changed, or better yet do it yourself. Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
I usually use synthetic oil, but dino oil has additives that make it perform about as well. The viscosity (10W30, 5W20, et al) is important, check the viscosity/temperature chart in the owner's manual.
So here's the thing that IMO seems to be going on lately with the specified oil viscosity in cars. There has been a noticeable shift to lower viscosity oils, to try and squeeze another MPG out of the EPA's fuel economy ratings for vehicles. Thus, a vehicle that used to be spec'd to use 10W30 SAE oil is now probably spec'd to use 5W20 or thinner. My wife's 2013 Prius is spec'd to use 0W20.
My recommendation (which I follow, particularly for older cars out of warranty) is to definitely use a thicker oil, particularly in summer. My vehicles all have 5W30. MORE
Interesting!
So the whole point of using thinner oils is to pass the test! Figures. I might go up a notch in viscosity... Thanks! c.
You're fine. Modern engine oil is far superior to the old stuff, and lasts way longer. Just have the oil changed, or better yet do it yourself. Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
I usually use synthetic oil, but dino oil has additives that make it perform about as well. The viscosity (10W30, 5W20, et al) is important, check the viscosity/temperature chart in the owner's manual.
So here's the thing that IMO seems to be going on lately with the specified oil viscosity in cars. There has been a noticeable shift to lower viscosity oils, to try and squeeze another MPG out of the EPA's fuel economy ratings for vehicles. Thus, a vehicle that used to be spec'd to use 10W30 SAE oil is now probably spec'd to use 5W20 or thinner. My wife's 2013 Prius is spec'd to use 0W20.
My recommendation (which I follow, particularly for older cars out of warranty) is to definitely use a thicker oil, particularly in summer. My vehicles all have 5W30. MORE
Im about 1500 miles over my 1st oil change on MA's truck. 2017 Chevy Colorado. Milage is about 3500 now and it should have been done at 2 k. Thoughts?
The truck has 3500 total miles? After two years?
The first change is 'supposed' to do two things: - Rinse any residual crud, assembly lube, whatever out of the engine - Provide a steady revenue stream to the dealer
You're fine. Modern engine oil is far superior to the old stuff, and lasts way longer. Just have the oil changed, or better yet do it yourself. Whatever you do, don't go to a quickie-lube type place. I had to buy a new drain plug because they put it back on with an impact wrench: destroyed the plug just getting it off!
My preferred oil filter is 'Purolator Pure One'. You don't have to get the $$$ one, their regular/mid grade filters are good. I usually use synthetic oil, but dino oil has additives that make it perform about as well. The viscosity (10W30, 5W20, et al) is important, check the viscosity/temperature chart in the owner's manual.
The dealer will use GM-approved filter and oil, they're fine, especially if you'll be using them for warranty work.
For WAY more information than you'd ever want to know about engine oil and filters, check out www.bobistheoilguy.com.
I am not sharing my favourite spots either, especially the ones for steelhead! In the 1980s, I wrote a few where-to-go articles for fly fishing and outdoor magazines. In most cases, effort shot up and violence resulted. The photo-journalism freelancing helped me financially when I was living off of C$7,500 to C$8,500 per year as a student.
I stopped writing those articles and eventually learned the economic models behind Garrett Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons piece. which is a key article to read for those interested in all things ecological. What was really interesting was the debate that occurred in subsequent years. Many pointed out that it was possible to manage public resources on a sustainable basis and pointed that in some instances this was done through self-enforced social conventions and norms.
Self-enforcing social conventions and norms are the Holy Grail of those who believe in decentralized resource allocation mechanisms.
I agree completely that open access recreational fisheries can find an equilibrium with many anglers simply abandoning the system. Expected catch rates decline; expected average size decline and the next thing you know, the easily accessed public water is no longer congested. It is possible for anglers to enjoy fishing without actually catching anything.
From a cost perspective, open access is the way to go. It does not always work. Especially when "dirty, culturally backwards and inferior" Aboriginals get in the way.
British Columbian anglers appear to get far more confrontational and violent of the river than American ones do. From limited experience in western USA, American do a much better job of sharing water. Why? I do not know. Is it because BC is a younger colony?
Note to non-anglers: Places to fish in rivers are often a rare commodity. Rocks to stand on are a scarce commodity. Productive runs and pools are a scarce commodity.
Quebec takes care of these issues with intensively managed watersheds that are typically co-managed with local communities or local FN bands. The best known institution is the ZEC which means Controlled exploitation zone in English. The quality of sea-run brook charr and Atlantic salmon is absolutely fabulous. I gladly spent C$10 to C$40/day to fish when I was getting degrees at Laval University in Quebec City and as mentioned above, while living off of C$7,5 to C$8,5K per year. Typically I spent more on gasoline getting to the flow than I did on day fees.
Quebec's salmon/sea-run brook charr streams are drop dead gorgeous and with almost no exceptions in incredibly good health. In almost all cases the ZECs manage the entire watershed.
On North America's most productive salmon river, the Natashquan, the Montagnais band own and manage the outfitter with exclusive rights. It is not a zero-sum game as practised along the Pacific coast of North America.
So nobody is confused, all these intensively managed recreational fisheries in Quebec are available to the public.
Use fees for public amenities especially parks, outdoor activities.
Most people who can afford to drive to parks and other outdoor destinations can easily afford use fees. A number of outdoor activities are largely pursued by folks of higher socio-economic status. Driving around the countryside in a well equipped 4WD truck or SUV is not something that most bona fide poor people do.
I see no public policy rationale for subsidizing the enjoyment of the better educated and the better off. But then America voters happily funnel US$30 B in annual subsidies to rich farmers and then strong arm foreign countries to take subsidized US agricultural exports so perhaps I am the one who is out of step.
Actually even with expensive use fees, many outdoor public amenities will still require annual tax payer financing to cover costs. The use fees will simply mean more resources to manage and monitor, and ideally less congestion and a far better quality experience.
Open access fishing often leads to stupid competitive behaviour and violence. It also leads to righteous, trashy white anglers intimidating and bullying Native Americans and First Nations (Canadian term). Ironically perhaps, the biggest single determinant of angling quality is the value of carbon emitting fuels consumed in order to get to the destination.
So in some respectives, it is important to not worry about the materially comfortable. Go ahead and destroy watersheds near urban centres or simply destroy the angling quality. The materially comfortable can always drive 1,000 kilometres or buy or charter and fuel a big boat, or use a Jet Sled with its high fuel consumption and noise, or hop on a plane or a helicopter. Forget about the poor people, they are not going fly fishing for steelhead and salmon in remote parts of Alaska, BC or Patagonia.
BTW Lazy8. I have been reading and talking to people about Montana fly fishing for almost half a century now. Never went. Why? The congestion. Most of the people I talked to about Montana fly fishing, I met in southern Chile, Argentina or remote parts of British Columbia. That said, there is some excellent angling on private venues in Montana, in particular the Blackfoot managed Duck Lake and the ranch-owned spring creeks.
Some background: I live in a tourist destination. That comes with some benefits and some drawbacks. On the plus side some of the most beautiful parts of the planet are within a day's drive. I live a mile from the river A River Runs Through It was filmed on*âI can walk there. I don't fish it because it's overfished, and the protocol for these areas is catch&release, which I find ethically repellent.
And no, I'm not sharing my fishing holes. Don't even ask.
Open-access fishing is self regulating. It gets too crowded and it's not fun and you find somewhere else. The use level sorts to the crowd-tolerance of the most crowd-tolerant people. The externality of this kind of use is the ecological damage done to the fishery; I've never seen this "stupid competitive behaviour and violence" you speak of.
The tribes manage their own hunting and fishing access in this part of the world. You access their fisheries (non-tribal members generally aren't allowed to hunt on the rez even if they live there) with their permission and via a tribal fishing permit. Those fisheries are generally pretty well-managed. Intimidating or bullying tribal members will not end well for you. Might work up in Cannadia, but on the rez it will get you used as a fence post.
Those paying big bucks to fish here aren't rubbing elbows at public fishing accesses, they're up in pristine wilderness areas hauled in on horseback or on private ranches. Anyone who can afford to travel to Chile or British Columbia to fish is having a secluded, beautiful, ecologically-sensitive vacation that I could never in a million years afford or justify. My style of fishing requires more patience than money. It's part of my compensation for putting up with two seasons of tourists.
My midmost lives way out in the bush in Alaska, and yes poor folks are fishing and hunting thereâlike they always have. If it means enough to you to do those things then you make the sacrifices required to live where you can do them.
I don't object to use fees to cover actual costs of operating a facility. I happily pay for a camping spot. But regulating access by price seems like a misuse of power. Where I live the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (which manages state recreational areas) is funded almost entirely** by license and user fees. An annual State Land Use Permit costs $10. Not saying this model would solve problems in your neighborhood but it works for us.
And don't expect me to justify farm subsidies. I'm as outraged as you are.
*No, that isn't the Blackfoot. I grew up fishing the Blackfoot and know it well, but it's overfished now too and the filmmakers had their reasons for not using it. Which outraged the locals BTWâanybody could see that's not the Blackfoot! What kind of dishonest crap is this?âbut I can forgive.
**FWP gets a cut of federal excise tax revenue, makes up about 1/4 of their budget. General Fund revenue amounts to just over 1% of the FWP budget and it's (I think) heavily earmarked for specific purposes.
Use fees for public amenities especially parks, outdoor activities.
Most people who can afford to drive to parks and other outdoor destinations can easily afford use fees. A number of outdoor activities are largely pursued by folks of higher socio-economic status. Driving around the countryside in a well equipped 4WD truck or SUV is not something that most bona fide poor people do.
I see no public policy rationale for subsidizing the enjoyment of the better educated and the better off. But then America voters happily funnel US$30 B in annual subsidies to rich farmers and then strong arm foreign countries to take subsidized US agricultural exports so perhaps I am the one who is out of step.
Actually even with expensive use fees, many outdoor public amenities will still require annual tax payer financing to cover costs. The use fees will simply mean more resources to manage and monitor, and ideally less congestion and a far better quality experience.
Open access fishing often leads to stupid competitive behaviour and violence. It also leads to righteous, trashy white anglers intimidating and bullying Native Americans and First Nations (Canadian term). Ironically perhaps, the biggest single determinant of angling quality is the value of carbon emitting fuels consumed in order to get to the destination.
So in some respectives, it is important to not worry about the materially comfortable. Go ahead and destroy watersheds near urban centres or simply destroy the angling quality. The materially comfortable can always drive 1,000 kilometres or buy or charter and fuel a big boat, or use a Jet Sled with its high fuel consumption and noise, or hop on a plane or a helicopter. Forget about the poor people, they are not going fly fishing for steelhead and salmon in remote parts of Alaska, BC or Patagonia.
BTW Lazy8. I have been reading and talking to people about Montana fly fishing for almost half a century now. Never went. Why? The congestion. Most of the people I talked to about Montana fly fishing, I met in southern Chile, Argentina or remote parts of British Columbia. That said, there is some excellent angling on private venues in Montana, in particular the Blackfoot managed Duck Lake and the ranch-owned spring creeks.
You've made several points here and I disagree with every one of them!
Use fees for public amenities especially parks, outdoor activities.
Most people who can afford to drive to parks and other outdoor destinations can easily afford use fees. A number of outdoor activities are largely pursued by folks of higher socio-economic status. Driving around the countryside in a well equipped 4WD truck or SUV is not something that most bona fide poor people do.
I see no public policy rationale for subsidizing the enjoyment of the better educated and the better off. But then America voters happily funnel US$30 B in annual subsidies to rich farmers and then strong arm foreign countries to take subsidized US agricultural exports so perhaps I am the one who is out of step.
Actually even with expensive use fees, many outdoor public amenities will still require annual tax payer financing to cover costs. The use fees will simply mean more resources to manage and monitor, and ideally less congestion and a far better quality experience.
Open access fishing often leads to stupid competitive behaviour and violence. It also leads to righteous, trashy white anglers intimidating and bullying Native Americans and First Nations (Canadian term). Ironically perhaps, the biggest single determinant of angling quality is the value of carbon emitting fuels consumed in order to get to the destination.
So in some respectives, it is important to not worry about the materially comfortable. Go ahead and destroy watersheds near urban centres or simply destroy the angling quality. The materially comfortable can always drive 1,000 kilometres or buy or charter and fuel a big boat, or use a Jet Sled with its high fuel consumption and noise, or hop on a plane or a helicopter. Forget about the poor people, they are not going fly fishing for steelhead and salmon in remote parts of Alaska, BC or Patagonia.
BTW Lazy8. I have been reading and talking to people about Montana fly fishing for almost half a century now. Never went. Why? The congestion. Most of the people I talked to about Montana fly fishing, I met in southern Chile, Argentina or remote parts of British Columbia. That said, there is some excellent angling on private venues in Montana, in particular the Blackfoot managed Duck Lake and the ranch-owned spring creeks.
I am all for getting out in nature. But FSMdamnit, show a little respect. Clean up your $hit. Sure alcohol is a factor, but it's not a license to leave a mess.
I don't know what the answer is. It would take an army of park rangers to patrol everywhere. User fees are one tool: our local state parks are $10/person/day, ouch. I think there are programs to get low-income kids out there too, maybe that's where you start. Get kids on board early...
Ten bucks A DAY?
This user fee is a tool for what, exactly? Seems more like a massive obstacle to getting people out and enjoying parks.
Well, the place does require maintenance and supervision, those are not free. The lake is a popular fishing site, lots of fancy bass boats around town. I know it's very popular, I bet in the summer it's a job just to keep the restrooms clean/stocked. But yeah, I'd like to see discounts or vouchers for folks who can't swing the fee.
Plus, boat-wise, it's critically important to make sure boaters drain and clean their boats due to the zebra mussels.
They've added 5-6 well-appointed small Airstream trailers in permanent locations. So cute, but $225/night? Really? c.
