Why do we care so much about oil?

[camrydriver111]

I've read an interesting description of BIOG recently. Somebody wrote "this is a forum where old cars go to die" when someone asked for some advice about their new car. Indeed, when I look at my own car it seems pretty close to death.

If that is the case, why do we care so much about motor oil?

Surely our cars have bigger problems than the brand and viscosity of oil we are using? Why do we pay so much attention to oil?

 

[Triple_Se7en]

It's an addiction that's never-ending. There is no cure.
I want a quart of yellow bottle in my casket someday. Fram EG too!

 

[buster]

LOL it’s a legitimate question. For many it’s an obsession or hobby. It’s certainly a rather peculiar subject to fret over. I suspect many of us want our cars to last as long as possible. However we seem to fixate on oil and fail to realize that the rest of the car is what will nickel and dime you to death, and also fail before the engine.

 

[csandste]

Read the "Sludged 2010 Cobalt 2.2 making noises" thread. This is what it takes to kill an engine these days. As Blackstone reports, in the real world there's little if any difference in actual engine wear from the cheapest conventional to the most expensive synthetic. I'm on here because it's a harmless diversion, or because we're all OCD. Not sure which. And as the above post stated, I've had almost forty cars, and two (under special circumstances) engine failures. Something else always gets ya.

 

[tomcat27]

Because we are obsessive compulsive, and frequently strive for analysis paralysis!

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111

If that is the case, why do we care so much about motor oil?

Surely our cars have bigger problems than the brand and viscosity of oil we are using? Why do we pay so much attention to oil?

To me, this forum is a general automotive forum that moonlights as a DIY residential construction forum, two subjects that I have insight into.
PCMO ain't the only board! Mechanical/Maintenance is my fav but I'll read and post in any recent topic that catches my eye.

 

[Dallas69]

I think it goes back to when we were young and helping Dad work on cars.
One of the first things learned was how to change oil.
There was a ritual of getting all the cans ready by poking an oil spout in the can,handing it to Dad,getting the empty back and throwing it away.
An easy job that anyone can do.
And yes,oil was in cardboard cans,no such thing as a 5 qt jug.

 

[andyd]

I don't give a hoot about oil. I come here because I like you weirdos

 

[Imp4]

What's amusing about BITOG is how little the members know about the technical aspects of motor oil and how much they truly understand about other topics.
(Insert you flame war and/or personal bias for/against Mobil1, Fram, Puralator, Supertech, etc... here!

)

Relatively poor platform for motor oil technical discussion.
Excellent source for general car repair knowledge.
Amusing when someone asks financial or relationship questions.
A good source for deals and limited offer sales.
I may have even seen a recommendation for summer reading once.

The long and short is there are a lot of folks here that know a lot about a lot of things. The ironic part is how much of the knowledge is off the site's intended purpose.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: Dallas69
I think it goes back to when we were young and helping Dad work on cars.
One of the first things learned was how to change oil.
There was a ritual of getting all the cans ready by poking an oil spout in the can,handing it to Dad,getting the empty back and throwing it away.
An easy job that anyone can do.
And yes,oil was in cardboard cans,no such thing as a 5 qt jug.

Yep that’s how I started as well.

 

[oldhp]

Originally Posted By: Dallas69
I think it goes back to when we were young and helping Dad work on cars.
One of the first things learned was how to change oil.
There was a ritual of getting all the cans ready by poking an oil spout in the can,handing it to Dad,getting the empty back and throwing it away.
An easy job that anyone can do.
And yes,oil was in cardboard cans,no such thing as a 5 qt jug.


^^^^^^This^^^^^^
I was around 9-10yrs old when I helped change out the main/rod bearings on Dad's 1959 Hillman Husky. I got to hand seat/lap valves on Dad's 1965 GMC V6 305 work truck. Pop never went past 3000 miles on oil changes, and "always" used Pennzoil. Period on the Pennzoil by the way.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Because if you ask anybody in the know it's all about oil!

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: andyd
I don't give a hoot about oil. I come here because I like you weirdos

Oil weirdos Unite!

 

[ka9mnx]

Originally Posted By: buster
LOL it’s a legitimate question. For many it’s an obsession or hobby. It’s certainly a rather peculiar subject to fret over. I suspect many of us want our cars to last as long as possible. However we seem to fixate on oil and fail to realize that the rest of the car is what will nickel and dime you to death, and also fail before the engine.


My wife and grown children think I need professional help...

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: Dallas69
I think it goes back to when we were young and helping Dad work on cars.
One of the first things learned was how to change oil.
There was a ritual of getting all the cans ready by poking an oil spout in the can,handing it to Dad,getting the empty back and throwing it away.
An easy job that anyone can do.
And yes,oil was in cardboard cans,no such thing as a 5 qt jug.
Yes, most of that ritual is familiar. We didn't use a fancy spout, just a screwdriver, which made nice holes after you mastered the technique. Another part of the ritual was syringing the old oil from the cartridge filter housing, then wiping its interior clean of gray sludge with a rag. Sometimes the oil was not in cardboard+steel cans, but in re-usable 5-gallon steel cans, or in a 55-gallon drum.

When my niece was about 3, she liked to help her Daddy change oil. Then gender stereotyping took over.

 

[CourierDriver]

 

[PandaBear]

Because that's how to get almost free oil deals.

 

[fcjeep]

oldhp

My dad also had that GMC 305 V6 with a 4 speed trans in a '62 panel truck. I learned to drive a clutch on it a few years later.

That was the first engine I did a crab rebuild on before I had my driver's license. Engine was good but the rust got out of control. Had well over 100K miles when he sold it to someone he knew.

 

[UncleDave]

Changing oil is one of the few things nearly everyman can and has participated in.

Few things are so widely undertaken as a chore and as such nearly everyone that's ever owned and cared for an auto can relate.

There are even fewer chores or tasks that are both so affordable and allow discussion from utterly simple graduating to the extremely complex subject of chemical engineering.

About the closest hobby or discussion topic I can think of would be watch collection where you have a product that can be found at its base level for 1.00 at a garage sale to multi-million dollar rare pieces and literally everything in between both price and complexity wise.


UD

 

[Trav]

Simple, oil if the life blood of the engine and there is almost nothing worse than an immaculate rust free shell with a blown engine.