Oil change for a Pennsyvania to California trip !

[Hyde244]

Use any of those oils - all will be more than capable of handle 2500 miles of highway driving.

I used MC 5w20 for both of my cross country drives (Ohio to California, then California to New Hampshire), not to mention excessive mountain climbing as apart of my work in California.

Agree with others - if you anticipate stop/start operation once you reach your destination or lots of in-city driving, that is perfect for the 0w20.

Outside of that, coin toss between 5w20 and 5w30. Maybe save the 5w30 for more excessive engine revs? (3k RPMs on the highway is hardly a heavy load on the engine)

 

[needsducktape]

On a side note, has anyone else ever taken I-80 across the country??

 

[A_Harman]

Not all the way across, but as far as Utah.

 

[needsducktape]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Not all the way across, but as far as Utah.


What are your thoughts -Easy driving & places to stop? Good Roads? Pennsylvania is pothole heaven...

 

[A_Harman]

Traffic on the Ohio Toll Road can be pretty aggressive, and the police have a regular presence there.

The Indiana Toll Road is very nice for driving until you get to the west gate, where it tightens up, and traffic gets heavy for Chicagoland. Things to see in Indiana are in the Elkhart-South Bend area. There is an RV Museum in Elkhart, which is home to many RV companies. There is also the Studebaker Museum in South Bend.

Once you get west of I-55, traffic eases up, and it's nice cruising through flatlands to the Iowa line.

Iowa has rolling hills all the way across. One place to stop at so you can check it off your bucket list is the I80 Truck Stop, which is the largest in the world. They have a museum there of vintage trucks, which is a nice way to spend a half-hour.

In western Iowa/eastern Nebraska, things to see include the Union Pacific railroad museum and the Strategic Air Command musuem. These are in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area. I80 through Nebraska is flat and straight passing through wide-open spaces. You can amuse yourself by counting the trees, because there aren't many out there.

Wyoming I thought was pretty desolate west of Cheyenne. Peak elevation going through the mountains is only about 8000 feet, and if there are any spectacular views, I missed them because I went through there at night. In western Wyoming exits are few and far between. Most of them are private exits for ranches. The exit ramps end in dirt roads for the most part. Don't let your car get low on fuel because exits with traveler services can be far apart.

Utah I thought was more scenic than Wyoming, but I was on I80 only as far west as Ogden, where I went north on I84. Of course the thing to see in western Utah relevant to motorheads is the Bonneville Salt Flats. I80 basically passes through them.

 

[KitaCam]

OP doesn't mention oil "consumption" during the OCI...if there is any, I'd take a quart with me to top off "at the turn" if level drops below "half"...

...another suggestion...Check the tires...inflate them @ 15% over typical around town use for LRR, (as long as THAT is below the "max cold psi" on the tire) and rotate/balance them if needed...nothing like a smooth ride across country...

 

[CELICA_XX]

If you Google road trip preparation, you can read about a million things to check and go over before you embark.

I love reading about this stuff.

Probably most important is tires (including the spare) and fluids.

Good luck !!

 

[datech]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
On a side note, has anyone else ever taken I-80 across the country??

I have gone on I-80 from Nebraska west, as well as other routes. It's the best route to that part of the country. The last time I went I was kind of surprised about the variation in gas prices. Usually Wyoming is the cheapest but there were some surprises. Gas was much cheaper in Reno than Elko, NV.

I guess the best thing is to check gas buddy .com for the prices.

This is a good time of the year to travel, less snow and not too hot yet.

 

[andyd]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
Hi I just wanted to thank everyone for their opinions- Its a scary driving a car across the country that is 13 years old with 145K !!

I am going to change it with the 5-30 and save the 0-20 for next winter !

Filter will be a Fram Ultra
8 If the car hasn't failed you driving around town, it should be fine on a long trip. Make sure the transmission and the diff are filled. . Carry a qt or 2 of oil and a gallon of water or coolant. Make sure the spare is aired up.The jack and the lug wrench etc. I took several 2k road trips in my first 528e. I bought the car with 150 K on it and added another 200k. Miles just means maintenance. If a car is maintained, it doesn't break as often. In the 12 yrs I drove that car it never stranded me. It was because it got maintained. When I heard a noise or felt a vibration, I didn't turn up the radio, I hunted it down. When something showed symptoms, it got fixed. I like the car ,so I keep buying more of them.

 

[datech]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
Hi I just wanted to thank everyone for their opinions- Its a scary driving a car across the country that is 13 years old with 145K !!

I am going to change it with the 5-30 and save the 0-20 for next winter !

Filter will be a Fram Ultra
8 If the car hasn't failed you driving around town, it should be fine on a long trip. Make sure the transmission and the diff are filled. . Carry a qt or 2 of oil and a gallon of water or coolant. Make sure the spare is aired up.The jack and the lug wrench etc. I took several 2k road trips in my first 528e. I bought the car with 150 K on it and added another 200k. Miles just means maintenance. If a car is maintained, it doesn't break as often. In the 12 yrs I drove that car it never stranded me. It was because it got maintained. When I heard a noise or felt a vibration, I didn't turn up the radio, I hunted it down. When something showed symptoms, it got fixed. I like the car ,so I keep buying more of them.

Good advice. Also I have always theorized that the most likely parts of a car to suddenly fail are the rubber parts, belts, hoses, and tires. The heavy metal parts usually will give you pretty good warning and go out more slowly but the rubber parts can snap, crack and break and then strand you.

If the belts are pretty old it might not be a bad idea to have a spare main belt and check the hoses and maybe carry some hose repair tape if not the actual hoses.