Fuel system cleaners/additives, oil change intervals

[givemeslack]

Whatever you say! You must know best about cars you don't own.

I shared my experience with fuel additives and oil changes.

Individual results may vary. I'm happy with hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles.

I think this thread has reached an end, as far as I'm concerned.

Peace, out.

[Frank Lee]

For my New Year's Resolution, I resolved... to not make any new resolutions. Just like always.

[2000neon]

So you're not one of the seemingly endless amount of people who will go to gym every day this week, then never again (until next new years)? I was starting to think that's what new years was all about.

[Frank Lee]

Nope!

[ECONORAM]

Frank, that doggie sure has a big smile!

My RAM manual says 3K oil change if the following conditions are met: day or night temp below 32*F, stop and go driving, extensive engine idling, driving in dusty conditions, short trips less than 10 miles, over 50% of your driving is at high speeds in temps above 90*F, trailer towing, heavy loading, any commercial service, off-road or desert operation, operating with any amount of E-85 fuel. My truck is a flex-fuel but it hasn't seen a drop of E-85 yet.
It also says do not exceed 6K miles or 6 months whichever comes first!? Two pages after that, it says you can use synthetic oils, but only by adhering to the afore mentioned change intervals. Interesting. Rut-roh Raggie, looks like I blew that...
Haven't use much in the way of fuel additives, but think I'll run a bottle of Seafoam through it sometime. Lots of folks on the Dodgetalk forum like it/use it. I do like putting Stabil in the mower for the winter; definitely helps the spring start-up.

No New Year resolutions for this feller either. Why wait all year to start making a change for the better?

[Frank Lee]

Congrats, you have described the severe service schedule, as I did in #26. Givemeslack still doesn't comprehend the difference.

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by givemeslack

Even with the best synthetic oil, I wouldn't go more than a year without changing it, as oil will oxidize, even if you're not putting on lots of miles.

I'd be surprised if any car's manual recommends you go more than a year without an oil change.

I dont think the issue is time........havent heard anyone say "go longer than a yr"
but your fixation on "3k miles" and 'nearly every car' has pretty much been debunked.
Come on the newest manual you have was 'printed' 12 yrs ago!!!! THe other two are 20 yrs old!
make a new yrs resolution to lighten up

ps. no one is saying to not do what you want to do.....it's still a free country. Just get off the absolutes when talking about others.

[Cd]

I didn't read this entire thread ( especially since most of it is bickering )
I have a question though and didn't want to make a new thread : My car exhaust smells stronger than usual .
I changed the oil around 8-9 months ago, and in that time have driven the car less than 500 miles.
However, the oil is black and has a strong 'old oil' odor.
The plugs have a completely normal amount of fouling on them, and the car runs smoothly.

What is causing my exhaust to smell stronger than usual ? Is it from the oil not being changed in months ? How would oil that has less than 500 miles cause the car to create more emissions ? Why is the oil black with so few miles ?
I know oil breaks down with time, but it has been less than a year !!

And what is the final say on fuel injector cleaners ? When are they even needed ?
I would think only if you had some hesitation in your injectors opening.

Something else about my car is that the car has weak spark .
I installed a new distributor with all the parts and pieces as well as new wires around 6 months ago and the car fires right up strong, yet I still am having an issue with weak spark. Just as a test, I pulled one of my plugs and checked the spark. The spark is a small orange spark. The car has always had this issue and i even went so far as to make a new ground for the engine to the frame.
I wonder though : If there is spark and the car fires up great, how can a weak spark have a bad effect on a car ?
If there is a big blue thunderbolt of a spark from your plug versus a weak orange spark, how is one better than the other if the result is the same - the spark ignites the air-fuel mixture.

[Frank Lee]

Strong spark = fewer misfires. Higher loads require more spark energy to ignite the mix.

God how I miss this thread. Good times.

[nemo]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

God how I miss this thread. Good times.

You can visit anytime you like.