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Old 02-21-2016, 11:46 AM   #41
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Main reason for my not doing oil changes any more, besides what you mention Myron, is the disposal of the old oil is a pain. Environmental rules are too tough these days and you have to find an approved collection facility then go there and get rid of oil, probably fees involved too.
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Old 02-21-2016, 11:53 AM   #42
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Knowing Myron, he probably recycles the oil in his lawn mower or something else, maybe a little oil heater...he always finds ways to reuse things.
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Old 02-21-2016, 12:11 PM   #43
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Whatever vehicle that I was going to use for towing, I would get the tow package for it if available. One thing about getting the NHT package on a GM vehicle is that you just about have to do a special order as it is very rare to find one on a dealer's lot. Also with the NHT package, it lets you get the big camper mirrors.

Kevin, get the 6.2 and you will never regret it. Even though an Escape 21 is light by most trailer standards, you still know there is something behind you. And you can load up without worrying about it.

Doug, I see you also got the summit white on your truck. It matches the Escape color and makes for a neat looking rig. We have had many comments on ours. Loren

Kevin I agree with Loren 6.2 with the NHT package. The funny thing is I had a 5.3 before towing the same 5.0TA and the 6.2 gets better fuel economy both towing and empty.

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Old 02-21-2016, 12:52 PM   #44
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Just back from towing, Silvey’s high-tech dash display said current oil life was zero. Yesterday, after 4,300 miles since my last change, I changed the oil in my Silverado 1500.

The truck has had 4 oil changes since I got it new. The first 3 were done under warranty, free, at the dealership, and the fourth they did for $74.26. Each time they used standard oil, not synthetic. Seems to me this is a simple job, right? Turned out to be quite a learning experience.

Bought oil yesterday at WalMart. Our WalMart only sells synthetic. Needed 8.5 quarts. The WalMart tire service guy came over and said their shop would do my oil change for $45. I turned him down. Paid $69 for 9 quarts plus oil filter.

Used my floor jack to raise up the truck and put my jack stand in place for safety. Seals in the floor jack were leaking hydraulic fluid big time. Will have to fix that. It was a struggle getting this old body to skootch under there, but I did it. Feels now like I pulled something in my back during the many back and forth skootches it took.

Why many? First, my oil filter wrench was too big for the smaller PF63 filter. Had to add wedges to snug up the wrench. That done, I turned to the oil pan screw. A 15mm box wrench should have unscrewed iteasily. But, the pan bolt was so G-damn tight, my wrench would not budge it loose. No way! I tried adding leverage with a pipe. I rounded off the hexes. It finally took a medium sized Stilson pipe wrench. Whatta job. Oil came out a pretty black.

So when did a simple home-boy oil change get soo expensive and tough? I may not want to ever do this again.
Myron is your engine a diesel or gas ? Wondering because you said 8 1/2,quarts of oil . Pat
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Old 02-21-2016, 01:10 PM   #45
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5.3L v-8 gas
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Old 02-21-2016, 01:13 PM   #46
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So when did a simple home-boy oil change get soo expensive and tough? I may not want to ever do this again.
And that's th' reason I let the dealer do it while I sit in a comfortable and warm waiting room drinking their coffee and reading a good book.
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Old 02-21-2016, 01:22 PM   #47
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The GM 5.3 liter gas engine uses 8.5 quarts of oil. I have always done my own service work on my vehicles and the new truck is no exception. Had to go buy a bigger pan. Maybe I am wasting money but I always change oil before it is due. And a lot of his is because it would come due in the middle of a trip.

Last year the oil in my Astro van was changed in the Chevy garage because some other work. When I went to service it the next time it was a one hour job getting the filter off in pieces. They had tightened it to the max and had not lubed the rubber gasket. Loren
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Old 02-21-2016, 01:24 PM   #48
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Main reason for my not doing oil changes any more, besides what you mention Myron, is the disposal of the old oil is a pain. Environmental rules are too tough these days and you have to find an approved collection facility then go there and get rid of oil, probably fees involved too.
Here in tree-hugging Portland, OR we can put used motor oil in a clean milk jug and leave it at the curb with the rest of our recyclables. I still wouldn't want to change the oil. Quite doing that back in 1991.
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Old 02-21-2016, 01:25 PM   #49
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Oil changes

And if you schedule the first thing in the morning there's fresh donuts at my Toyota dealership. I always did my own oil service till I got the Highlander. Now it's full synthetic, they do it, wash the exterior and send me a coupon via the email so the cost isn't that bad. I'll never forget how and can prevail upon a few younger guys I know if there comes a time I'm physically or fiscally challenged. Gives me more tire to cut the grass.
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:35 PM   #50
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The GM 5.3 liter gas engine uses 8.5 quarts of oil. I have always done my own service work on my vehicles and the new truck is no exception. Had to go buy a bigger pan.
That is a lot of oil, even for a relatively large engine. My 6.8 L V-10 Ford doesn't take that much. I think they're doing some head cooling with oil flow.

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Maybe I am wasting money but I always change oil before it is due. And a lot of his is because it would come due in the middle of a trip.
In a vehicle without an oil condition monitoring system, it might make sense to conservatively change oil. Now that most vehicles tell you when they are due (although still not any of my vehicles), I think changing earlier just wastes money and consumes excessive resources.
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:42 PM   #51
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5.3L v-8 gas
I change my own too . They sure upped the oil now or the pan is pretty big . When I bought Subaru came with 7 oil changes - found they added all 6 instead of 5 and 1/2 . Also never changed the seal for oil screw a 50 cent part and the best , the synthetic oil wasn't being changed out . Found it was a little dark and dirty . I never went back for the 7 th . Nothing is free in this world . Went to 3 different dealers , only the first was honest . Pat
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:49 PM   #52
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The truck has had 4 oil changes since I got it new. The first 3 were done under warranty, free, at the dealership, and the fourth they did for $74.26. Each time they used standard oil, not synthetic.
A warranty doesn't cover oil changes, but a package of services is often included with a vehicle purchase. The fact that it was done at the dealership suggests that it should be done correctly, but there's no guarantee - does the manual specify synthetic oil? If it doesn't, it doesn't matter if it is synthetic.

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Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
Bought oil yesterday at WalMart. Our WalMart only sells synthetic. Needed 8.5 quarts. The WalMart tire service guy came over and said their shop would do my oil change for $45. I turned him down. Paid $69 for 9 quarts plus oil filter.
If I trust the dealership, I would rather have them do it for $75 than pay $69 for just the oil, and still need to buy the filter, do the work, and dispose of the waste. I wouldn't have a Walmart work on my car if it were free, but maybe that's just me.

Even if you don't need synthetic, if that's all you can find there's no problem (other than cost) with using it. Recent engines - especially smaller ones - tend to need 0W-20 oil which is likely available only in synthetic, and I prefer synthetic anyway, so it has been quite a few years since I bought conventional engine or transmission oil.

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That done, I turned to the oil pan screw. A 15mm box wrench should have unscrewed iteasily. But, the pan bolt was so G-damn tight, my wrench would not budge it loose. No way! I tried adding leverage with a pipe. I rounded off the hexes. It finally took a medium sized Stilson pipe wrench. Whatta job. Oil came out a pretty black.
Obviously it was too tight, and at the point I found it was so tight that I couldn't remove it without damage (which would be before removing the filter the way I do an oil change) I would have taken it to the dealership and told them to fix the problem they created, at their expense.

Also, If the hex rounded off, the wrench didn't fit well enough. This engine does appear to use a 15 mm plug head, but box-end wrenches are normally double-hex (sometimes called 12-point, although sometimes that's really not the same thing); when a bolt is anything close to this tight, I make sure that I'm using a 6-point socket so that it is secure.

So, Myron, did you put the ruined plug back in, or did you leave the truck stranded while you went out and bought a replacement plug?

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First, my oil filter wrench was too big for the smaller PF63 filter. Had to add wedges to snug up the wrench.
...
So when did a simple home-boy oil change get soo expensive and tough? I may not want to ever do this again.
I don't see anything having changed here. It's always been difficult to work on a vehicle that the last person has messed up, and it has always been difficult to work with the wrong tools.

I have accumulated three or four oil filter wrenches over the years, in different styles and sizes, and I still don't have any of the socket type.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Loren & Cathy View Post
Last year the oil in my Astro van was changed in the Chevy garage because some other work. When I went to service it the next time it was a one hour job getting the filter off in pieces. They had tightened it to the max and had not lubed the rubber gasket.
It looks like this is what Myron's dealership did to his truck. They may have even omitted the gasket entirely. This cannot be considered acceptable.
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:51 PM   #53
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Wally is about $60 bucks for a Mobile1 synthetic change and always watch them dump n fill so never have seen an issue with not doing it. Probably couldn't buy the oil n filter for that before the labor and topping all the other fluids. Our Wally isn't crowded so usually pull right in and gone in 20 minutes.
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:54 PM   #54
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When I bought Subaru came with 7 oil changes - found they added all 6 instead of 5 and 1/2 . Also never changed the seal for oil screw a 50 cent part and the best , the synthetic oil wasn't being changed out . Found it was a little dark and dirty . I never went back for the 7 th . Nothing is free in this world . Went to 3 different dealers , only the first was honest .
That's unfortunate. I bought a lifetime oil change package with my Mazda (I normally wouldn't; it was part of the purchase negotiation); they contact me to suggest having the next one done when they predict it is due, they include the usual inspection service, they top up minor fluids at no charge (including filling the washer fluid reservoir)... and they do the oil and filter change with synthetic oil and an original-equipment filter.
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Old 02-21-2016, 02:59 PM   #55
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Main reason for my not doing oil changes any more, besides what you mention Myron, is the disposal of the old oil is a pain. Environmental rules are too tough these days and you have to find an approved collection facility then go there and get rid of oil, probably fees involved too.
Disposal is certainly a hassle, but I can't imagine a rule that is "too tough" just because it keeps you from contaminating the environment with used oil. Here oil is not collected at curbside - we take used oil and filters to any "Eco Station" or "Enviroservice Station" (collection points run by the municipality) or drop-off points at bottle return depots; there is no charge. It should take about two minutes to find corresponding facilities in any area (unless of course you're in some third-world country) - for instance: Recycling centers for “Used Motor Oil” near “Phoenix, AZ”
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Old 02-21-2016, 03:10 PM   #56
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LOL, actually not near Phoenix, we're rural. The only center that is convenient to us per the recycling center link is the Wally and they have a 5 gallon limit. If I'm going to have to collect and bring used oil to them might as well just to have them do the change and then they don't tell you about any limits.
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Old 02-21-2016, 03:11 PM   #57
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Do my own oil changes too; disposal is easy as it is part of our curbside recycling. May be available in your service too. They leave a large plastic container that has a built-in drain pan and a tough zip-lock bag for the oil filter. Call ahead a couple days when you want it picked up. Pretty slick.

My '13 Highlander had one of those cartridge filters being used now in some vehicles to help reduce landfill waste, but it is a mess to deal with- much prefer the old style filters. Lube the o-ring, hand tight, another 1/4 turn- no leaks and easy to get off next time.
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Old 02-21-2016, 03:17 PM   #58
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All of this leaves me wondering. I have a 4WD Silverado with 5.3L and 3.08 rear end, with the regular towing package. The specs say this allows towing a trailer weight of 6200 lbs. and a payload of 1820 lbs. We are looking to get an Escape 21 with GVWR 4500 lbs. I read of people towing a 21 with smaller vehicles with V6s. Then I read of others saying you really need a 6.2 with a 3.42 rear end and max trailering package. That is way past the listed requirements for an Escape 21, more like what one would get for a bigger and heavier trailer. So I am not sure what to think. Anyone towing a 21 with something like my my Silverado?
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Old 02-21-2016, 03:21 PM   #59
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We use a 2013 Yukon, 5.3/3:42 and tow our 21. Have over 25K miles all over the west from Glacier down to ID, CO & Utah. You shouldn't have any problem, and likely don't need a WDH. We stopped using ours and can't discern any difference.
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Old 02-21-2016, 03:26 PM   #60
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Thanks. I was wondering if I would need a WDH. Anyone else with experiences similar to what I will have?
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