Anecdotal evidence from your experience with your Saturn doesn’t change the fact that computer aided design and modern machining techniques help to avoid loss of engine oil.
If I were only younger, single, and you weren’t 3,000 km away. :::sigh:::
glad to help, ask anytime. Trust me, being pestered by a pretty girl is something I never get enough of.
This doesn’t make sense on two levels. First, I have never heard of a recommended interval as low as 3000 km (not since the 50’s, anyway). Second, for the majority of drivers (in the U.S., and I would think likewise in Canada) 3 months usually corresponds with 3000 miles, not 3000 km. Unless your climate is such that reputable sources - like car manufacturers, not Jiffy Lube - actually recommend 2000mi/3000km change intervals, I suspect you all have been flimflammed.
I live in Calgary, too – and the place I go recommends a change every 5000 km/3 months. I’ve heard that number everywhere I’ve been. I don’t know who or why anyone would say 3000 km, unless it was a mistake and they meant 3000 mi.
Changing oil more often than 5000 miles only profits the oil companies, service stations and car agencies. I don’t think it helps the life of the car too much. 7500 to 10000 seems to work for me. With good multi viscosity oils, the life of an engine is long. Besides, who keeps a car for 200,000 to 400,000 miles.
As mentioned above, it’s very unlikely that there will be a problem with the oil level - but it’s not impossible. And if for some reason there is a problem, the potential consequences - like buying a replacement engine - are severe.
If your engine loses oil pressure a light will come on, and at that point damage is being done. If there’s a pool of oil under the car some people will notice, but not all will. If there’s a significant loss of oil halfway between changes there won’t be anyone there to notice it.
So granted the odds of a problem are low, but it’s easy to check oil, it’s the owner’s responsibility to check oil, and it’s potentially very costly not to. I don’t see it as wise to counsel people to not check it.
Well the climate is horrendious (as Rick mentioned); however, flimflammed (great word, BTW) is an equally good choice.
I would say that I’m a cone-head but I just called my friend who actually uses JiffyLube (or something) and he went and looked at his sticker - 3,000Km is what it says on it.
So who knows. Maybe he and I have been going to a shady oil change place - totally possible.
Hmmm…the folklore when I was young was that you should perform the first oil change on a new car after 1000 or 1500 miles, just to wash out any post-manufacturing crud or metallic residue that might have been left in the engine during the machining process. Is that no longer (or was it ever) necessary?
We used to have an early service (600-1200) miles.
Improved quality control, and better filters have eliminated the need for this service.
Rick, can you verify there’s an oil level indicator in the Volvo? I’d expect there to be, as I’ve got a less fancy Lincoln with such a creature. Just asking because Gary T points out that all cars have oil pressure lights, but better cars generally have all kinds of warnings (it’s nice knowing you’re out of windshield washer fluid before you actually run out).
Absolute, my old beater 2000 Bonneville had such an oil life monitor, so it’s not limited to anything as fancy as exotic European cars. Kind of wish my Fords had this.
Anecdotal tale: The Jiffy Lube (or Penzoil or whatever) that I took my personal car to when working in southern Ontario printed an 5000 km interval on the sticker for my US car, which is about inline with what they do here in the States but in miles. I’m a 5000 mile changer, so it worked perfectly for me. My own Lincoln dealer recommended 5000 miles for oil changes, at least until Ford stopped paying for them, then suddenly started recommending 3000 miles. At some point I told them I’d do it every 5000 miles – they must have put a note into the computer, because after that the sticker was updated for 5000 miles.
The Ford-Lincoln dealer in southern Ontario where I took my then-company-car to twice for oil changes recommended 8000 km, but then again Ford was picking up the tab.
All of that spiel is not meant to support one oil change frequency over the other; I’m just pointing out US vs. Canada samenesses.
Personally, I plan on driving my car into the ground, so every 5000 miles seems good enough for me. If I were leasing or had a beater or planned on trading in every couple of years, I probably would hold out for 10,000 to 25,000 miles, after all, oil changes are meant to prolong the life of the car, but if you’re not planning on keeping it, then it’s the next guy’s problem.
This is totally true! My car was gracious enough to tell me when the wiper fluid was getting low, and it took me a couple of days to figure out how to open the hood*, and I never actually ran out of fluid despite washing the windows quite a bit.
*I actually had to phone and ask the service guys how to open the hood. Seriously - too dumb to own a car. In my defense, the New BF looked and looked for the release and couldn’t find it either. So, either we’re both morons (which is possible) or the release is kinda hard to find. I prefer to think it’s the latter.
Balthisar No oil level / oil quality sensor. Many of other model Volvos have them., but not this platform.
Alice don’t feel bad, the hood release is mounted a few inches off from where they usually are on Volvos. I could never find them by feel either. :smack:
You just need to convince her to come to you.
Then charge her $20 for an oil change…
That’s a very good price for an oil change! 
Hey little girl, want an oil change?
Hmmm.
What kind of cars do you drive in America?
My dealer recommends 30.000 Km or 2 years. (2005 VW diesel)
For my previous car it was 10.000 Km.
Do we use better oil? Do american cars last longer? (Around here we drive a car for 200-300k Km)
I believe that Rick addressed this when he discussed the extreme driving/weather conditions around these parts. In Calgary the temperature can change up to about 75 degrees C. I’ve seen it change 60 degrees C in the same day.
I presume that may be part of it.
How does a slight variation in temperature (from a engine-oil perspective) decrease it’s lifespan that dramatic?
Yes you do have better oil, much better oil. The top grade oil available at the auto parts stores meet the European specifications. However when you look at bulk oil (what is sold to shops) the European spec oils are not available. It is kind of a chicken / egg problem. the car makers* don’t require the better oils, because they are not available in bulk. The oil suppliers don’t supply it, because the car makers don’t require it. :smack:
This “problem” will continue until one of the big car makers like GM or Toyota requires European ACEA rated oils.
*I believe that Mercedes and BMW do require synthetic but IIRC they pay for maintenance for the first 50K or so.