50k mi with no OCI

[ProfPS]

I have a friend who has a '99 Ford Escort who never change the oil. He did this because the salesman told him that the oil did not have to be changed for 60k mi while being informed of other long use items such as 100k use platinum-tipped spark plugs. He has maintained the oil level but now has an infrequent dashboard oil light. After he takes it to the dealer (who will probably change the oil and sending unit), what should he do to remove any build-up?

I suspect that everyone will recommend using Auto-RX and I agree. Is there anything else that can be done to loosen-up and remove some of the build-up before Auto-RX? Also, how often should the oil and/or filter be changed while the build-up is breaking down and suspended in the crankcase oil?

 

[mikeg5]

first you should smack your friend for taking advice from a salesman. second you should smack your friend for being dumb, third you should smack your friend and tell him to just sell that one and get another car.... oh and smack your friend and tell him next time to change the ---- oil jeesh..

 

[Auto-Union]

Wow.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Quote:

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first you should smack your friend for taking advice from a salesman. second you should smack your friend for being dumb, third you should smack your friend and tell him to just sell that one and get another car.... oh and smack your friend and tell him next time to change the ---- oil jeesh..

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Smacking the stupid won't make them smart. Been there - done that!

 

[VK56VD]

I assume he is running on his initial oil fill and filter? Motorcraft filter?

How is the car running after 50k on the oil? Tell your friend to save the filter to cut it open and post pics on here and maybe save the oil and run an oil analysis for the money he saved on oil changes. What did the 99 Escorts come pre-filled with from the factory? Motorcraft 5w-30, 5w-20, 10w-30?

 

[Yuk]

Stunning! I'm shocked that the car is still running... I mean heck, the filter has probably been stuck in bypass mode for over 40,000 miles!!! Forget fixing it, get the word out. I bet somebody would pay decent money just to use the car for demonstration purposes. Think about it, it's a great demonstration of how good Ford engineering is...

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Is this car located in a warm climate? I went to school with a girl that bought a new 89 Grand Am with the 2.5 and she drove the next 26,000 miles without an oil change. I worked at the dealership where she bought the car and I saw it being brought in on a flatbed and watched the drama ensue. Upon the removal of the pan, they found black Jell-O. The temperature fell below zero the night before and it appeared that all the viscosity improvers were long gone. And get this...GM warrantied the engine.

I'd guess that if your friend's Escort had ever gotten cold, this story would have gone a lot differently.

 

[JakeR22]

If I had a friend that dumb, they'd no longer be a friend.

 

[bigbull2984]

I had teacher change it at 100k. It came out like sludge.

 

[Zaedock]

Quote:

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how often should the oil and/or filter be changed while the build-up is breaking down and suspended in the crankcase oil?

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50,000 miles should do it.

 

[wantin150]

Lot's of life left on that engine! I went 50k between oil changes one time. My truck leaked oil so I just added new when it needed it (about a qt every 2 weeks). I forget at what mileage I started this thing but I started changing it every 3k and the truck lasted for 176k before blowing a head gasket.

 

[02zx9r]

Quote:

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first you should smack your friend for taking advice from a salesman. second you should smack your friend for being dumb, third you should smack your friend and tell him to just sell that one and get another car.... oh and smack your friend and tell him next time to change the ---- oil jeesh..

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X2

 

[glenncof]

I would do several short OCI to get the bulk of the junk out before doing any Rx cleaning. It probably would be a good idea to pull the pan and get the majority out first. Change and drive 20-30 miles and change again. Depending on what you find go maybe a week, change again. Then extend the OCI as patience & cost permits.

 

[tackleberry625]

Quote:

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I have a friend who has a '99 Ford Escort who never change the oil. He did this because the salesman told him that the oil did not have to be changed for 60k mi while being informed of other long use items such as 100k use platinum-tipped spark plugs. He has maintained the oil level but now has an infrequent dashboard oil light. After he takes it to the dealer (who will probably change the oil and sending unit), what should he do to remove any build-up?

I suspect that everyone will recommend using Auto-RX and I agree. Is there anything else that can be done to loosen-up and remove some of the build-up before Auto-RX? Also, how often should the oil and/or filter be changed while the build-up is breaking down and suspended in the crankcase oil?

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OMG........sounds like a HUA case to me.

 

[addyguy]

If he had to top-off the engine fairly often, he is giving it a 'running oil change' of sorts. If he gets it fixed fairly soon (oil light is probably from deposits blocking the oil pump screen), the engine will probably have a fair amount of life left....Escort engines are fairly tough pieces.....

 

[pp_rp]

DOOOOOHH !

I would tell him to get an UOA to find out if there is any problems with the engine. Forget the TBN it's probably nil and I would bet that engine is acidic. Teach him to change the oil!! It's cheap insurance to change the oil.. As Ron White said " Can't fix stupid ".

 

[JAG]

The easiest thing to do is sell the car, but if he wants to keep it here is one plan (pain in the butt plan, that is)

Take off the oil pan and valve cover to clean with solvent. Clean the oil pickup screen or replace if it won't clean up. Clean or replace the PCV system. Reassemble engine. Then run short OCI on cheapest oil to be found. Pour engine flush in that oil, follow directions, then drain. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

It may get clogged oil pickup screen or passages at any time and die of oil starvation.

 

[wgtoys]

At a minimum I would pull the valve cover to see just how bad the top end is. The oil pan should be pulled as well. Most likely one will find black and brown junk everwhere. The oil inlet screen to the oil pump is most likely plugged up. There is no good method for cleaning this ---- out other than pulling the covers top and bottom and cleaning as much out as possible. I doubt that the oil pressure warning light is coming on because of a failing sender. Much more likely is that the intake screen is so plugged as to be starving the engine for oil pressure. That 50k motor is probably worn more than a properly cared for 150k motor would be.

 

[ARB1977]

Id like to see pics of the internals.

 

[Cutehumor]

it does take alot to kill an engine, lots of stories about superlong oci and still running. I don't think you can slap the stupid out of someone, but it would be fun trying.

however, if this salesperson is a woman I would help her. maybe she would help you too.

if a salesguy, he needs a car maintenance book for dummies. now with the engine, frequent oci is a must. heck, just run the engine with new dino for 30 minutes, then change the oil and filter. repeat and watch the sludge keep coming out. use a 20wt too