SureTrack Users General Discussion

[Crusty]

People that change conventional oil every 3 months or 3K that stick to the schedule but rarely check oil level will be down a good quart and a half at oil change time.

Not necessarily true Wit. Typically engines that have been treated well from the start will only have used 1/4 or 1/2 quart between services. Doesn't matter if it's 5 months and only 2,000-miles or 2 months and 4,000-miles.
With temperature changes in the north east, a service is a smart thing to do spring & fall even if the miles are low, regardless of the oil level or other visual indications.
Constantly stretching service intervals to the limit has ALWAYS ended up with a worn out engine prematurely, regardless of oil specifications and the term "synthetic". Been that way ever since the first round of "synthetic" B/S back in 1973.

MAYBE engines will stand that kind of "abuse" in Sunny Southern California or Florida.....sometimes....

[Witsend]

As far as what I am seeing a quart every 2K miles seems to be average oil consumption on dry as a bone engines with less than 120K. All 3 of my family beaters from the big 3 with over a 100k seem to be closer to a quart every thousand miles and oil appears dirty by 3K , no matter what I use. I typically start off with full Synthetic, because I'm trying to reduce oil changes intervals to every 6 months instead of every 3 months because the mileage isn't being accrued, but the stuff when drained could be mixed partially with conventional oil due to topping off with conventional or semi synthetic oil . Typically When my oil is changed it appears dark, due by time (hasn't reached mileage yet) and is already down about a quart.
Saturn 1.9, Chrysler 3.8, Ford 4.0 OHV, all use oil.

[Crusty]

As far as what I am seeing a quart every 2K miles seems to be average oil consumption on dry as a bone engines with less than 120K. All 3 of my family beaters from the big 3 with over a 100k seem to be closer to a quart every thousand miles and oil appears dirty by 3K , no matter what I use. I typically start off with full Synthetic, because I'm trying to reduce oil changes intervals to every 6 months instead of every 3 months because the mileage isn't being accrued, but the stuff when drained could be mixed partially with conventional oil due to topping off with conventional or semi synthetic oil . Typically When my oil is changed it appears dark, due by time (hasn't reached mileage yet) and is already down about a quart.
Saturn 1.9, Chrysler 3.8, Ford 4.0 OHV, all use oil.

I guess they weren't treated well from the start then. If they were "pre-enjoyed" or used when you got them, and especially if they were about 3-5 years old, the first owner knew they were going to be dumping it and it barely got any oil changes, OR, the oil changes were done using the oil life monitors, which means not frequent enough right from the start.
The advantage of buying used is someone else gets to pay the first three years of depreciation, and boy did they depreciate them-!!
The advantage of buying new is you get to maintain them to the ninth degree and they'll last much longer overall.
KEEPING a vehicle in good shape with high level maintenance always costs LESS than replacing a vehicle, regardless of used car pricing, or how much oil changes cost-!!!
I don't always follow the 3/3000 rule but it's my yardstick to measure by. The oil always gets changed long before the oil life monitors say it should be done. Both the family vehicles and customers vehicles that do this last for 15 and 20 years EASILY and still don't use oil as your examples are.

[Witsend]

I imagine I consume about a quart of beer every 5 miles I go before I need to drain, so a quart of oil every thousand miles for an old car is acceptable and beats walking.

[Crusty]

I imagine I consume about a quart of beer every 5 miles I go before I need to drain, so a quart of oil every thousand miles for an old car is acceptable and beats walking.

When I was younger the guys and I didn't get nearly that good a mileage out of a quart of suds. Heck, we were lucky to get 500 yards...

[Thomas Greene]

Vintage

Nick, What happened to the "Vintage" side of Pro demand? I input vehicle and year only to get information on crank case ventalation and emissions?? Really?? Believe specs is probably what most are looking for on a vehicle like that. Vehicle in question is a 1963 Ford f-100.
Thom

[Nick_Taylor]

Nick, What happened to the "Vintage" side of Pro demand? I input vehicle and year only to get information on crank case ventalation and emissions?? Really?? Believe specs is probably what most are looking for on a vehicle like that. Vehicle in question is a 1963 Ford f-100.
Thom

Thom,

The Vintage data from the old site is all in there. It was always limited in scope especially for older vehicles like that. The difference was in the old site you looked up what information was available and then found your vehicle. Now that you select the vehicle, you see how limited it is.

As always, you can call our Product Content Support group and they can look up older information for you in our old manuals. 1-888-724-6742. I don't know what Editorial's plans are to add more data to the older vehicles.

Nick.

[Witsend]

Working on Salt Belt Vintage stuff just remember 12 Fist pounds to every Foot Kick

[Thomas Greene]

Working on Salt Belt Vintage stuff just remember 12 Fist pounds to every Foot Kick

That's Funny!! We have them same problems here in southern Idaho!

Nick, don't mean to harp! But believe editorial should at least input torque specs! (Tuneup would be nice to, but I'm old and got a pretty good Idea what I'm going to set things at) I really don't want to spend the time to make the phone call and wait for an e-mail! Especially when I found the info on Mr. google within minutes (FOR FREE) after receiving a notice the other day stating that Mitchell is increasing my subscription by 2% to better accomodate me! Sorry, I'll crawl off my soap box now! Hope y'all having a great day
Thom

[greasybob]

In retrospect, using a grinder to remove the old shelving from the fire works van probably wasn't one of my better ideas. Just glad there wasn't anything on the other end of that fuse !!

[greasybob]

This Happened to Me

I wasn't going to say anything but maybe this information can prevent something like this from happening elsewhere.
A little over a week ago we had a shop fire with significant structural damage. No people, tools or vehicles were lost but it's still a set back. The building is part body shop and part mechanical repair. One of the body technicians was in the paint booth prepping a plastic bumper cover for painting, wiping it down with solvent ( I'm not sure what they use). A static charge built up in the bumper cover and when he pulled the cloth away a spark jumped to the cloth igniting it. The technician dropped the cloth. The booth is a down draft type and the cloth landed on the grates which then ignited the filters below. We quickly emptied every fire extinguisher we could find to put out filters. Unfortunately the booths fans were not shut off immediately and they pulled some of the burning filter material into the exhaust vents which have dried paint and clear coat on the sides. The vents caught fire and from there the wooden trusses of the roof where most of the damage occurred. Once we realized we could no longer contain the fire until the fire departments arrived, we worked on clearing the building of people, vehicles, flammables and tools. It seems like the most unlikeliest of ways for fire to start and get out of control considering all the flammables you work around everyday with heat and open flames. Thanks to all the volunteer firemen who answered the call. Their quick response kept the fire damage to a minimum and the building can be repaired.

[Nick_Taylor]

Glad to here it was only structural damage but you're right, it's going to be a setback. Hopefully your shop can recover quickly and you're still able to work some.

[Bob's Garage]

Godspeed on the shop recovery!

I wasn't going to say anything but maybe this information can prevent something like this from happening elsewhere.
A little over a week ago we had a shop fire with significant structural damage. No people, tools or vehicles were lost but it's still a set back. The building is part body shop and part mechanical repair. One of the body technicians was in the paint booth prepping a plastic bumper cover for painting, wiping it down with solvent ( I'm not sure what they use). A static charge built up in the bumper cover and when he pulled the cloth away a spark jumped to the cloth igniting it. The technician dropped the cloth. The booth is a down draft type and the cloth landed on the grates which then ignited the filters below. We quickly emptied every fire extinguisher we could find to put out filters. Unfortunately the booths fans were not shut off immediately and they pulled some of the burning filter material into the exhaust vents which have dried paint and clear coat on the sides. The vents caught fire and from there the wooden trusses of the roof where most of the damage occurred. Once we realized we could no longer contain the fire until the fire departments arrived, we worked on clearing the building of people, vehicles, flammables and tools. It seems like the most unlikeliest of ways for fire to start and get out of control considering all the flammables you work around everyday with heat and open flames. Thanks to all the volunteer firemen who answered the call. Their quick response kept the fire damage to a minimum and the building can be repaired.

UNbelievable Bob! Prayers and best wishes on the shops recovery. Glad to hear you and workers are OK. Especially the poor kid who had the freakish fire start in his hands! Wow !!

[Witsend]

Maybe the fact that the fans were still on actually saved people at ground level from some serious toxic smoke inhalation, or the fire spreading at ground level that could have had resulted in people not being able to get vehicles and tools out of harms way.

[greasybob]

If your shop normally only works on cars and light trucks but occasionally sees a larger truck, maybe a few times a year, is there a short term subscription that you can purchase for the large and medium truck information ?