Date:         Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:05:52 -0600
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Maintenance Schedule
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

> My '89 Westy is almost at 100k and I've been told that my vanagon
> should be serviced every 3000 miles; this is far more frequent than
> my
> manual indicates. Is there such a thing as a list of items to be
> performed or checked for at these 3k intervals? How do you folk
> maintain your vanagons?

yeah, but check the wording carefully in the manual ...

"If you drive mostly short distances, or if you operate the vehicle in
dusty areas, or under predominantly stop-and-go traffic conditions
..., the engine oil should be changed MORE FREQUENTLY.".

other car companies call it "severe conditions", and they consider
normal daily go-to-work driving as just that: severe conditions!

so what's NOT severe conditions and what kind of driving is ok for
7500 mile oil changes?
loooooong trips at highway speeds .. like from new york to los
angeles.

well, who the heck ever does that!!???  so basically, all the car
companies are lying to you ... just to make you think their cars can
go longer without maintenance. it's a crock.
if you want the machine to last, you have to take care of it ... the
old school ways are still the best.

the best Rule of Thumb i've heard is this:
*******************************************************
change the oil every two months or 2000 miles, whichever comes first,
in winter.
change the oil every three months or 3000 miles, whichever comes
first, in summer.
*******************************************************

in winter, the temps keep the oil from warming up fast enough, so it
collects more condensation and acids and just plain crud.
in summer, the oil warms up quicker, so you can go longer on it.

so with regular dino oil (NOT synthetics), i would recommend to never
go more than 3000 miles without changing the engine oil and filter. in
fact, i've dropped my interval down to 2500 ... just so it divides
nicely into the 7500 the book says. ;)

i figure it this way ... a case of oil (12 cans/bottles) costs me $20.
i'm kinda particular about the oil i use, so i spend more than i
should. ;) an oil change uses 5 quarts. that's $8.33. a vw filter runs
me about $7. so i'm spending a tad over $15 ever 2500 miles.
for 15,000 miles a year, that's like 6 oil changes a year ... every
two months. more or less.  call it $100/year for oil changes.

and a new engine would cost me what?? like $2500. so i can go 25 years
changing oil at my schedule. :)

like the old Bardahl ads used to say: you can pay me now, or you can
pay me later. ;)

good luck!
joel