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Old August 6th 06, 11:22 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
XS11E[_1_]
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Posts: 738
Default Check Engine Light Came On

pws > wrote in
:

> XS11E wrote:
>
>> If the above fixes the check engine light you still need to
>> change the oil and filter.

>
>
> Nonsense, your lowest grade dino oil is good for at least 10 years
> or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
> As far as oil filters, I got tired of paying for those and
> deciding which one to use, so I just plugged off the hole.
>
> The lack of an oil filter makes those once a decade oil changes
> much faster. At least I think it would, the engines seem to keep
> burning up long before then, but I doubt if the problem is
> lubrication based.
>
> Now quit trying to get people to waste an ever-decreasing and ever
> more-costly resource. ;-)


I'm sorry, should have thought of the environment! Once had a lady
come into the shop with a Dodge van, 318 V8 (5.2 liters for you
european types, 5.2 litres for you Brits) and wanted to know how often
she should change oil. She'd had the van for a couple of years, many
many thousands of miles and had NEVER changed it, I told her she was
due and suggested the conventional 3 months or 3,000 miles.

We changed it, when we pulled the drain plug a quart or so of thick
sludge came out. With new oil and filter it started, ran normal
compression, normal oil pressure and ran fine.

My girlfriend once had a 1973 Ford LTD that got an oil change only when
the oil light came on, same deal, it didn't seem to hurt it?

Engines take an amazing amount of abuse.

OTOH, a young girl brought in a Pontiac Grand AM (GMs attempt to build
something even cheaper and crappier than the Vega) with the oil light
flashing, she was coming from LA on her way to Colorado. We drained
about a cup of oil, refilled it and the engine disintegrated as she
reached Albuquerque. Of course she tried to sue us and GM for using a
defective oil filter....

So when I said engines take an amazing amount of abuse I didn't mean
GMs 2.4 liter 4 banger....


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