thankyou for useful information. much appreciated

Mine seems to eat the range of the dip stick (maxx to min) about every 2-3 months or 1,000-3,000 miles.

Just started shoving the cheapest oil that meets the spec in it now.

Dread to think how expensive this will be once I have to start communiting to uni everyday. :rotz:

Just out of interest what MPG do you get? Don't you think at least doing the filter would be a compromise? There only a couple of quid on trade.

I get good mpg, had an indicated 73mpg yesterday, 50 - 60 mph on A roads. Yes I think doing the filter would be a compromise, but seeing as I haven't had any problems prior to this, it makes me think is it really neccessary.

Mine seems to eat the range of the dip stick (maxx to min) about every 2-3 months or 1,000-3,000 miles.

Just started shoving the cheapest oil that meets the spec in it now.

Dread to think how expensive this will be once I have to start communiting to uni everyday. :rotz:

Have you thought about adopting the no oil change method. Its great your car is eating oil, it means you have fresh oil rather than old stuff in the engine waiting for the next oil change to remove it.

On most modern cars the min-max on the dipstick can be as lock as 1Ltr!

I see no benifit in replacing oil between services. The emergency services only do it to ensure their cars are 100% reliable when they are needed. And as budgets tighten, I wouldnt be surprised if they actually review and bin this out dated practice. Oil has moved on since this was adopted aeons ago.

Have you thought about adopting the no oil change method. Its great your car is eating oil, it means you have fresh oil rather than old stuff in the engine waiting for the next oil change to remove it.

Except for the costs!

Personally with my car the condition of the oil is the least of its problems, it spends so little time in the engine anyway!

However, after reading through this thread, I can see where you are coming from RE just topping up the oil and personally (in my non-mechaniclly minded mind) think it makes sense. However the only issue I could foresee would be that there is some potentailly very old oil left in the system which could cause issues.

But as I said I know next to nothing about how the inards of the engine react to old oil.

Have you thought about adopting the no oil change method. Its great your car is eating oil, it means you have fresh oil rather than old stuff in the engine waiting for the next oil change to remove it.

Yet again.... you are joking right? This must be a wind up!

If you are serious, then I wish your turbo good luck sir! We reject lots of warranty claims for broken turbos, based on below spec oil condition.

If you want to quantify it, take an oil sample from your car, and a sample from someone that changed their oil correctly, and get them analysed.

Not changing the filter is like taking away your cars liver.......

Edited 22 July, 200916 yr by Bodge
spelling!

Yet again.... you are joking right? This must be a wind up!

If you are serious, then I wish your turbo good luck sir! We reject lots of warranty claims for broken turbos, based on below spec oil condition.

If you want to quantify it, take an oil sample from your car, and a sample from someone that changed their oil correctly, and get them analysed.

Not changing the filter is like taking away your cars liver.......

nope! if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Think of the damage you do changing the oil, when you have refilled the car, the filter is empty of oil, you effectively starve the engine of oil for a few seconds.

Edited 22 July, 200916 yr by jamesmckelvie

Erm... no. You're clearly an imbecile!

You fill up the filter before putting it on the car

And not sticking to the service schedule will result in your warranty being void anyway!

nope! if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Think of the damage you do changing the oil, when you have refilled the car, the filter is empty of oil, you effectively starve the engine of oil for a few seconds.

Not really.

Most of the oil drains back from a filter and it's only a non return valve in the oil cooler on the Octy II that keeps a significant amount back.

So when you're refilling a car with an oil filter that drops into a pot, you just pour a little oil into that pot then fill your car with the rest of the specified oil amount minus half the amount from max to min on the dipstick (eg octy II = 4L, so put 100-200ml in the filter housing and then 3 to 3.25L in the car).

Turn the engine over, give it a second and then take it for a nice easy drive around. Stop, leave it for 30 minutes then top the oil up so it's close to maximum.

I don't agree with you not changing your filter as you need a certain flow rate through this to allow the car to achieve the required pressure.

If you want to save money I would look at getting a pela pump, pumping your old oil out from the dipstick tube every so often and change the filter at that time too. If you really want to do it your way then I would say if your car has a 4L capacity I would do this every time you have added 4L and then are down to minimum again, eg the car needs it's 5th Litre.

I've done an oil analysis on a semi-synthetic oil after 5k miles and compared it to oil after 0 and 3k and the amount of acids and soot that build up towards the 5k mark isn't nice.

The problem is that no matter what you do in terms of topping the car up, that soot and much of that acid isn't going with the oil when it gets burned off.

My experience with lack of oil changes was a fire service Astamax- a H plate 1.7 diesel. Manufacturer's service interval was quite short, and most fire service vans were OK for this, as they were used as a station runaround, and the servicing regime was set up accordingly on just timed schedule.

However, I was part of a team looking after radio and turnout equipment, and we covered a lot of miles in this heavily loaded astramax: it was our on-call vehicle and covered the whole county, plus it went to someone's house every night- and a couple of guys had a long trip. It was literally in use all day and often for some of the night too. It did use oil and got regularly topped up.

It did many, many times more than it's schedule without an oil change, and got ragged everywhere. It got very very clattery, and eventually expired on me on the way home on a friday night- I managed to coast it onto my drive, and got it recovered (I had to steer it on the end of a tow-pole back to the workshops).

It turned out the cam had seized, and snapped into 3 pieces. The oil in it was black and thick due to the amount of soot.

nope! if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Think of the damage you do changing the oil, when you have refilled the car, the filter is empty of oil, you effectively starve the engine of oil for a few seconds.

Are you stoned?!

This must be a wind up.....ive been a mechanic for 18 years & around cars all my life & ive never heard such a daft comment. at least if he keeps his cars for 10 years(if the engine lasts that long!) then scraps them no body would be unlucky enough to buy them!

I am not worried if my oil falls below min on dipstick as diesel is a lubricant. The more it falls below minimum, the more fresh stuff goes in. The magnetic sump plug keeps anything from ever entering the filter. If I were to change the oil and filter, I wouldn't even bother fitting a filter. Yes I'd do away with it completely, as you have more chance of the filters materials coming into contact with the oil.

I am not worried if my oil falls below min on dipstick as diesel is a lubricant

No diesel used to be a lubricant, but actually since they have taken the sulphur out it isn't any more.

Add to that the fact that the derv is in the wrong place to lubricate the engine and that it doesn't lubricate much when on fire and I think that one is a dead theory.

The more it falls below minimum, the more fresh stuff goes in.

And the more chance of the engine not having oil in it if you go around a fast corner or on a steep slope etc.

The magnetic sump plug keeps anything from ever entering the filter.

Including the none magnetic soot and acids too? Hmm yeah ok.

The soot is locked up in the oil and travels around dissolved in it. Additives are actually added to oils to stop the soot building up into lumps and making sure it stays in solution so the filter can collect any larger amounts.

If I were to change the oil and filter, I wouldn't even bother fitting a filter. Yes I'd do away with it completely, as you have more chance of the filters materials coming into contact with the oil.

You would take the oil filter out completely?

The whole point of an oil filter is to have maximum surface area so that as much of the filter material comes into contact with the oil to take out as much rubbish as possible while still giving a good flow rate. The filter itself doesn't deposit itself in the oil so I have no idea what your point is.

I see three options.

1) You're a troll

2) You have absolutely no concept of basic engineering principles or indeed how an engine works.

3) You're a first class handing out bad advice and actually believe your own rubbish.

Either of these three are not good.

Edited 22 July, 200916 yr by cheezemonkhai

I see three options.

1) You're a troll

2) You have absolutely no concept of basic engineering principles or indeed how an engine works.

3) You're a first class handing out bad advice and actually believe your own rubbish.

Either of these three are not good.

Good to see you can't have a discussion without turning to abuse, round of applause for that man.

I'm not sure wether to laugh or cry!

I think you're being wound up folks

Preventative maintenance (oil changes) is better then Breakdown maintenance (when it seizes up).

Sorry but :feedtrol:

I love this tread.:hippy:

Good to see you can't have a discussion without turning to abuse, round of applause for that man.

I'm not turning to abuse, I was suggesting three options and I'm still going with 1)

I'm not turning to abuse, I was suggesting three options and I'm still going with 1)

rofl, but I don't live under a bridge

Due to James' chronic stupidity, and his quite frankly bizarre PM, I've blocked him. I suggest everyone else who values their car also put him on their ignore list.

The oil and oil filter in my vrs gets changed every service (10k)

James you are either winding everyone up or you are a tight ******* who wont shell out the money for propper car maintenance !

Hmmm whats cheaper ? a full oil drain and new oil filter or an engine rebuild or even a new engine when its nackered due to poor maintenance ?

Idiot !

10 services @ £250 a pop and the engine rebuild :P

Just the oil change and obviously the proper maintenance works better