13,000 miles on cheap dino !!!

[CastroPenzoHavoMobil1]

What's your horror story?
Today, I changed the oil in a friends car. The car (98 Ford Escort ZX2 w/83K miles) was driven 13,000 miles since it's last oil change!

While not sure, I think the oil might have been Citgo 10W-30 dino. (The oil change reminder sticker had a phone number on it, I called out of curiosity and they said thier bulk oil was Citgo 10W-30)
It was BAD!!! Once I popped the drain plug it looked like black paint oozing from the oil pan. It was all frothy and nasty. The dipstick had sludge on it. As I looked into the valve cover, it reminded me of the dark, sludgy crude you get when something greasy gets left on the stove burner for about 6 hours too long.
To make matters worse, there was only three quarts of oil in the crankcase when I drained it. Capacity is 4.5 quarts.
This is the worst first hand motor abuse I've seen! Remind me never to buy any used cars from this particular friend.

 

[Cutehumor]

I would steer away from doing maintenance on his car. if something goes wrong, he'll blame you. say he does another 13k oci and his engine burns 3 out of 4 quarts and throws a rod. on the other hand, too bad you didn't get a UOA sample

 

[SSDude]

It looks like its time for Auto-rx.

 

[deepsquat]

tell him to do some 500 mile oci to get 1/2 cleaned out ..with that maininace record you will never convince him to ARX it!

 

[Leo]

Probably a good idea to run a HDEO in there. Like Delo or Rotella!

 

[427Z06]

Don't buy any used cars from this friend.

 

[GreeCguy]

Brothers, I've got one that will beat that. About five years ago when we lived in the great state of Alabama, (Roll Tide), a buddy of mine had an 81 Lincoln that he had owned two years and never changed the oil. Turns out he didn't know how. I told him to bring it by my house and we'd do the deed together.
Now, a Lincoln of that vintage has two drain plugs. One on the pan behind the front axle, one on the pan behind the axle. I pulled the main plug and nothing came out!

I went in the house, got a clothes hanger, and started fishing around in the drain hole. Finally, this black, gooey crud started coming out the drain hole in clumps.
The front drain plug was even worse, (if you can believe it!) Mixed in with the goo was chunks of hard carbon, (like bee-bee size).
So I show him how to change the oil, filter and tell him to take it real easy with the motor. Tell him to come back at 500 miles and we'll do it again. Okay says he.
Next week, he comes back with two cans of Gunk 5 minute motor flush, 10 quarts of oil and two filters. "I was thinking," he says "that we can use this stuff." What he wants to do is run a five minute flush, change the oil and filter, (now the he knows how), and then run another flush. Change the oil and filter and then motoring happiness.
I begged him not to. Told him I wouldn't help him do it, that it will break all that crud free and ruin his motor.
He then gets mad at me because I won't help him. "Well, I'll just go home and do it myself," says he.
He goes home, does it himself. One week later, old honest abe threw a rod.
Hate to say I told you . . . . but

 

[wileyE]

Many (most) of the used crate motors you get from Japan have NEVER had an oil change, maybe 1 ? Other than being gunked they are suprisingly in pretty good condition considering. We always put new pan and valve cover gaskets on them so had a chance to "scoop" most the crud out of them.

 

[Al]

quote:

---

Originally posted by vwoom:
Guys, instead of putting down this guy why not include and lead his friend to the "light"...the "Bitog Light".

CPHM1, why not invite him to become a Bitog member?(reads as good ol' Bobistheoilguy re-education "whippin'").

---

Its a noble thought and I salute you. I doubt it will work. I would probably stay clear of this guy's engine.

 

[burnout]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GreeCguy:
Brothers, I've got one that will beat that. About five years ago when we lived in the great state of Alabama, (Roll Tide), a buddy of mine had an 81 Lincoln that he had owned two years and never changed the oil. Turns out he didn't know how. I told him to bring it by my house and we'd do the deed together.
Now, a Lincoln of that vintage has two drain plugs. One on the pan behind the front axle, one on the pan behind the axle. I pulled the main plug and nothing came out!

I went in the house, got a clothes hanger, and started fishing around in the drain hole. Finally, this black, gooey crud started coming out the drain hole in clumps.
The front drain plug was even worse, (if you can believe it!) Mixed in with the goo was chunks of hard carbon, (like bee-bee size).
So I show him how to change the oil, filter and tell him to take it real easy with the motor. Tell him to come back at 500 miles and we'll do it again. Okay says he.
Next week, he comes back with two cans of Gunk 5 minute motor flush, 10 quarts of oil and two filters. "I was thinking," he says "that we can use this stuff." What he wants to do is run a five minute flush, change the oil and filter, (now the he knows how), and then run another flush. Change the oil and filter and then motoring happiness.
I begged him not to. Told him I wouldn't help him do it, that it will break all that crud free and ruin his motor.
He then gets mad at me because I won't help him. "Well, I'll just go home and do it myself," says he.
He goes home, does it himself. One week later, old honest abe threw a rod.
Hate to say I told you . . . . but

---

Thats hilarious! If you taught him how to do something as simple as an OIL CHANGE, what makes him think he has the judgement to go hog wild on solvents

 

[GreeCguy]

I guess he figured he had to make up for lost time

 

[jc1990]

that,s okay the last 2 vehicles ive bought have been a 90 ford high top van and a 96 grand am 3.1 when i bought the ford van with 100000 miles it wen,t 18000 miles on cheap oil and my 96 21000 miles on same since ive boughten them ive done 3000 mile changes there still running but the grand am ticks like crazy

 

[medic]

Today, a guy I work with got a call from his significant other. She drive a vehicle that he paid for. Anyway, she said the oil light has been on for a couple of days and last night when she was pulling up the driveway it started to run real bad and made funny noises.

I'll keep everybody updated.

 

[vwoom]

Guys, instead of putting down this guy why not include and lead his friend to the "light"...the "Bitog Light".

CPHM1, why not invite him to become a Bitog member?(reads as good ol' Bobistheoilguy re-education "whippin'").

[ April 09, 2005, 12:29 PM: Message edited by: vwoom ]

 

[427Z06]

quote:

---

Originally posted by medic:
Today, a guy I work with got a call from his significant other. She drive a vehicle that he paid for. Anyway, she said the oil light has been on for a couple of days and last night when she was pulling up the driveway it started to run real bad and made funny noises.

I'll keep everybody updated.

---

A colleague's wife once called him at work with a similar story. When he asked her why she didn't tell him sooner instead of driving it that way, she replied that she saw that he was not concerned when the light flickered a couple of times at a stoplight. He then had to explain to her the difference between a flicker at hot idle and "burn through your retinas" solidly on at speed.

 

[Nitrox]

I got a good one. Work car, a late model Ford Taurus with a V6. First driver to get the car put it's first 30k miles on it, never changed the oil. Probably never even checked it but I don't know about that one.

Car was turned over to another employee. He took it to a shop right away for an oil change and other routine maintenance. The shop made him sign a hold harmless waiver because of the oil. I was told the oil came out like molasses.

Car's got 60k on it now. **** , those engines must be tough mothers.

 

[Lloyd10977]

A few years ago I met a young lady who had recently graduated from high school. As a reward for successful completion of her basic education, her affluent father gave her a a new Mazda Protege. He took it upon himself to have the car serviced the first few times by the dealer, then turned over maintenance responsibilities to his daughter, the owner. Well, she drove up to me one day and I could hear the valves tapping. I asked when she last checked the oil and her reply was that she never learned how. I lifted the hood and found the dipstick which showed no oil. When I asked her when she was due to change the oil, her response was, and I quote, " I don't know because the oil light has not come on yet! "

 

[the_oil_dealer]

Someone have mercy on these cars!!! Help your friends! Change their oil with very high-quality HDEO's or something.. if all else fails redline them till they blow and put them out of their misery

 

[Nitrox]

You know, the buggers who use and abuse their cars get the most mileage out of them. My father used to try to maintain his cars properly, and he seemed to always have problems with them. My wife had a 92 Explorer she beat the living snot out of, and it's still going the last we heard with 200k on the gauge.

 

[unDummy]

Its sad and happens every day.

My favorite quote concerns one of the idiot lights on the dash.
"Doesn't that light tell you when to change the oil?"
And I say, "Nope, it tells you when to change the engine!"