Date:         Fri, 11 Oct 2002 17:47:39 +0000
Reply-To:     Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: oli change question
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I own two '87s, a Westfalia and a Mazda B2000 pickup.  The Westy puts on ~
5-6k per year, mostly summer vacations, trips and other highway miles.  The
pickup is driven when I need to run around town, or haul something.  During
the winter it takes me 1.5 miles to work when the roads are too slippery to
bike comfortably.  Probably 1.5-2.5k per year.

I change the Westy to 15-40 in October, and 20-50 in May.  The pickup gets
new 15-40 in the fall.  It leads a hard life, but I own it specifically to
spare the Westy from short trips and hauling dirty loads.  I keep it tuned
up, use good gas, and will replace it with another $1500 pickup when it gets
too troublesome to maintain.

I love my Westy, the pickup is an appliance.

- Mike

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

On Thu, 10 Oct 2002, David Brodbeck wrote:

On Thu, 10 Oct 2002, G.M.Bulley wrote:

>Every 90-120 days.
>BTW--That type of use is torture on a car.
>
>Why doesn't she just rent a car or take a cab when she needs it? Save
> >$2k/year in tax, tag, insurance, etc.

That may make sense in her case.  It was a good question for the list,
though, because I suspect a lot of us have Vanagons that get similar use.
You know, those of us who don't use our Vanagons as a daily driver, but
instead for occasional road trips and camping.

>My girlfriend on the other hand, puts about 2200 miles on her car (1988
>Nissan Sentry, with 68k) a year, driving it once a week, and sometimes
>letting it sit for 2 - 3 weeks at a time.
>
>When should she change her oil?  Her total miles for the last year was
>2,550. She had the oil changed recently (June I believe), and wanted to
>know
>... when she should change again, knowing it sits a lot, and is not used
>frequently.

Mike Finkbiner
mike_l_f@hotmail.com

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