Know what's in your crankcase?

[Thomcat]

.02

Been doing my own oil changes for almost 50 years. Traverse had over 10K and I just changed the oil 6 qts. Mobil 1/PF 63E, Two year anniversary up and decided to get the free tire rotation before it expired - a real PITA doing crossing rotating the previous '16 Silverado tires, necessitating using the spare made it 6 mountings. So went to the dealer advisor who agreed free oil change and tire rotation - I said No it has a belly full of new Mobil 1 5W-30, please free tire rotation only. He said both were included and then I offered to pay for just the tire rotation. He checked, then OK'd just the free tire rotation and wrote work order with a heavy red marker in large letters that even Helen Keller could read "TIRE ROTATION ONLY".

 

Of course when  it came back I saw the filter lacked the index mark I always add to gauge rotation when tightening and asked what they threw in there with the new filter and asked to see the containers of the oil used - of course from a drum labeled Dexos 5W-30 - or maybe not because there was another Dexos 0W-20 drum close enough to mate with it. Couldn't tell by visual exam of the oil, clear before and after.  Let it go for a few days and then it started to really pi$$ me off what was in there and decided what the he!! New Mobil 1 and PF63E just to be sure and glad I did.  Put the oil removed in a qt. measuring cup and let it cool to room temp, then ran it through a funnel with a large wad of screening jammed into the neck to slow the flow rate and measured the time it took to fill another measuring cup below. Then after a kerosene rinse repeated using a qt. of Mobil 1 5W-30 and again using Mobil 1 0W-20. Timing rates were almost identical for the crap in the sump and the 0W-20, and differed from the Mobil 5W-30 which is the correct viscosity for the Traverse.

 

Proved that the only way to know for sure what is in there is to do it yourself or to watch them do it. Also proves that since the OLM readings are inaccurate because they are based upon the proper viscosity of the fill. Next time I'll just play stupid, forget free maintenance and just ask and pay for the tire rotation on the '19.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Thomcat

[Mountain boy]

One reason I go to Discount Tire for rotations, they don’t do oil changes ever and it’s always free. 

[Bikeman]

I didn't go in for free oil change, don't want some oil jockey banging up my doors and what not

[jagabom (Esquire)]

2 hours ago, Thomcat said:

 Then after a kerosene rinse repeated using a qt. of Mobil 1 5W-30 and again using Mobil 1 0W-20. Timing rates were almost identical for the crap in the sump and the 0W-20, and differed from the Mobil 5W-30 which is the correct viscosity for the Traverse.

What is the kerosene rinse you talk about. We used to use 2 quarts diesel and 2 quarts oil and run that for a minute or so.  Been changing my own oil for as long as you have. 

Jim

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by jagabom

[mistergmc]

It's a bummer you fell into the dealer's trap. That's the risk you run when you let someone else do it outside of your line of sight. I too have been lulled into the dealership freebie spider web and also found out it did not meet my standards.

 

That's another reason I like Discount Tire (as someone else mentioned). You have full view of the service bay, they fix flats and rotate for free. I've of course spent enough money with them over the years that they still make a profit off my "freebies"!

[garagerog]

1 hour ago, jagabom said:

What is the kerosene rinse you talk about. We used to use 2 quarts diesel and 2 quarts oil and run that for a minute or so.  Been changing my own oil for as long as you have. 

Jim

 

Thomkat was talking about using kerosene to rinse the funnel, not the crankcase. Many decades ago I knew a farmer that used straight diesel to cleanse the crankcase in his Cat D5 before an oil change, was it worth it? Maybe, but in farming as in most industries, time is money so I doubt it. And who's to say that any residual diesel, kerosene or another solvent isn't a worse contaminant than the dirty oil remaining.

[KARNUT]

OH Brother.


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[Thomcat]

deleted  -answered

Edited August 30, 2019 by Thomcat

[Moend]

That is why I don't like bringing my truck to the dealer. Honestly the lube techs either don't know much about cars and therefore just don't have common sense, or they just don't care.

 

Jobs now a days is paycheck and how fast you can work. They stripped out the workers soles and turned them into monkeys (they call it process) good old mechanics are things from the past.