1997 Isuzu Rodeo
SuperTech Synthetic 10W-30
STP S2808 Filter
Peak coolant (green stuff, forget the exact brand)
Fram air filter
My friend Jessica and I changed the oil on her sister's Rodeo. Jessica did everything except the actual draining of the oil (the oil pan was way under there, and she got claustrophobic even with the car up on jackstands). She did the filter change, added the fresh oil, added coolant, and replaced the air filter.
Her sister really neglects the car, and it had run unknown miles on unknown oil. The oil was black, nasty, and when we dropped it off at AutoZone for recycling it there were various little bits that stuck to the inside of the translucent container. The sticker from wherever she last changed her oil fell off and was lost a while back. The front tires are essentially bald, and had been run at low pressure for quite some time, and so are in dire need of replacement (she'll do that within the next week or two). Rear tires are fine.
I was originally going to get Mobil 1 High Mileage and a PureOne filter to help clean out any gunk (looking through the fill port, the interior of the engine was covered with a dark film, but there was no visible goopy sludge) and afford her a bit of added protection if she neglects to change the oil at the prescribed interval. However, her budget was tight, so we settled on the SuperTech Synthetic and an STP filter (I still wanted to get a PureOne, but the only shop in town that has it is a PepBoys, and they had closed for the evening shortly before. When we were there, we were closer to the AutoZone than the Wal-Mart, else we would have gotten a SuperTech filter over the STP.) While at AutoZone, we picked up a Fram air filter and replaced the no-brand one that was in there already. Jessica already had some coolant from when we worked on her Jeep last time, so we used that to top-up the reservoir on the Rodeo.
Hopefully the SuperTech Synthetic can help clean up the engine, as well as be a bit more forgiving in the future if she fails to change it on time. I told her to get everything the oil and filter changed with a 5,000 mile OCI (a bit low for synthetic), as that should ensure the cleaning action of the oil has time to run its course, as well as getting a bit more particles into the filter increasing it's filtering efficiency.
Jessica, however, knows her stuff, and will remind her sister to get the oil changed (or offer to do it herself, with or without my help) at the appropriate interval.
