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yeah i'm so stupid... i neglected my car for the last 3 years, i think the oil has only been changed like twice since i've had it and i want to do it but what will happen when i do? should i use a diff oil and filter or what?

replace oil, replace filter. yes.

i don't have any major aspirations to a particular brand or type of oil, i tend to use whatever is cheapest (well, not the CHEAPEST no name brand).. quaker state or something like that.

and usually a fram filter

but what i'm asking is should i do anything special? because i know there has to be all kinds of gunk in there and i'm afraid if i just change the oil my engine will be damaged

eh, i go a year between oilchanges at times ... just change it and replace filter ... and inspect hoses and all that other junk while you are doing it / getting it done.

could run a can of seafoam in the oil for a few hundred miles before you change it, could break down alot of sludge for when you change it.. (but could potentially reveal a leak, if the sludge is whats clogging any hidden leaks)

are you changing it?, or are you goin to a shop to do it?,

If it's been that long, I would suggest the seafoam to break up some sludge, and also another oil change in a month or so to try to remove even more crud from the oil.

yeah i'm going to do it myself. Where can i get seafoam? and whats the worst case scenario on a leak?

Seafoam you can get at 99% of parts stores, it's in a red and white can.

Worst case scenario on an oil leak is you have to add oil once in awhile and your driveway might get stained a bit.

How many miles on your car? You shouldn't have TOO much of an oil problem with changing it, as far as leaks go, but still. After you change it, just pay attention to your driveway and oil level.

i have like 89000 miles. So should i use 10w30 or 5w30 when i change it?

well its not good to go a whole year without changing your oil....atleast every 5000 miles ...you SHOULD do it every 3000 miles or less but thats just if you care how your car runs and the longevity of your engine... i wouldnt reccomend using a FRAM filter just because in my experience they get clogged easily....

What oil you use is your choice. I think the manufacturer recommends 5w30, but if you choose to go with something else, so be it.

underway wrote:you SHOULD do it every 3000 miles or less but thats just if you care how your car runs and the longevity of your engine...

please don't spread myths.


Dan: another option is to use some Auto-RX. i believe their website is www.auto-rx.com if that doesnt work, google Auto-RX. it is highly reguarded by those on Bob is the Oil Guy. it has special conditioners so that when all the junk is cleaned out the seals get some treatment too.

any of the conventional oils will work fine. supertech, castrol, pennzoil, take your pick. i would go with 5w30 oil year round. for filters im a fan of purolators, but if your trying to do it on the cheap supertech filters are a good option.

im just gunna step away from this thread due to past issues ... ive put in my 2 cents.... take it or leave it

racer12306 wrote:

underway wrote:you SHOULD do it every 3000 miles or less but thats just if you care how your car runs and the longevity of your engine...

please don't spread myths.


Dan: another option is to use some Auto-RX. i believe their website is www.auto-rx.com if that doesnt work, google Auto-RX. it is highly reguarded by those on Bob is the Oil Guy. it has special conditioners so that when all the junk is cleaned out the seals get some treatment too.

any of the conventional oils will work fine. supertech, castrol, pennzoil, take your pick. i would go with 5w30 oil year round. for filters im a fan of purolators, but if your trying to do it on the cheap supertech filters are a good option.

thanks man i think that's what my car needs. I hope it works

if you want better responses check out www.bobistheoilguy.com they have a forum over there. also ewetho is very knowledgable when it comes to this stuff

Hmmm... yeah, you may want to pay attention to the oil expert more so than me...

TheRandom1 wrote:Hmmm... yeah, you may want to pay attention to the oil expert more so than me...

fixed

the real oil expert is ewetho

Actually, it sounds like we both said about the same thing, you were just more detailed, lol...

and can you tell me where my pcv valve is?

Take a picture of your engine compartment, I can't think of it right now.

neon abuse like that is a crime. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Out of curisoity what is the myth? Oil is a critical part of an engine and like any compound it WILL break down with exposure to high pressure, tempture, time and moisture guess what in an engine you get all 4. Better be safe than sorry. You may want to concider some lucas oil stablizer in case you forget again.

The myth is that it will break down in 3000 miles. It's recommended to do it every 3 months or 3k miles, but if you actually read your owners manual, most cars will actually say to do it more like 5k miles...

Atleast, that's what I'm hearing from mechanic friends about oil.

^^^yes

most of the time conventional oil can last 5000 miles. but the best way to know for sure is to have your oil analysed after a 3000 or 4000 mile run and see if it is still suitable for use. granted there are some situations where it is necessary to change it at 3000 miles, but a lot of times it can go more.

and here is a shot from my FSM of where the PCV valve is

That's where I thought it was, but I remember putting a breather filter on the backside of my valve cover, and wasn't totally sure which one was the PCV without looking, haha.

I go about 10 000km (~6200mi) on cheap dino oil and have zero problems. The light duty service interval in the owners manual is 12 000km (~7400mi).

My last car has been going on 13 years with 5000mi oil changes, again the max oil change interval for that car.

racer what do you think about mixing in a little lucas oil additive in our neon engines? a waste? or a helpful thing? My dad uses this stuff religously in his motor home and everything else...he even made me mix a little bit in our john deer tractor lol....

im not a fan of additives, period

i think its too thick. the synthetic stuff would be a better choice. but i really dont think that an additive is necessary with any of todays oils.

i do remember hearing that you shouldnt use it every oil change because it is so thick and it wont all come out when you drain the oil. but i have no way to back that up.

additives FTL

This is time to stop and see where you are at.

How many miles have you driven on that oil? If you are around 5K a year probably not too bad, not good but not too bad. If it is not making too much noise then you can probably save it.

Pull the dipstick and see how much burnt oil is on the dipstick. Also look into the oil fill hole and see how much carbonized oil is in there. If it is pretty gunked up, you can assume it is on the head and everything else too.

Do not do a flush at this point as you may dislodge large chunks of sludge that can damage stuff if it clogs an oil passage or bearing.

Probably start with a a couple of quick oil changes maybe a 500 miles each just to settle things down. Might even think of draining the first fill after a few minutes of idling now that you are going to take care of your car out and refill just ot get the oil that was left over out too. Then try Auto-RX for a couple of cycles. At that point you may try a flush such as Amsoil to clean up what is left but check under your valve covers first to see how bad it still is. You may need another batch of Auto-RX at that time.

Auto-RX is the slow safe way to try and clean it up, but has limitations. Will slowly dissolve stuff away but quickly cleans the pressurized oil passages. You might go ahead and pull the valve cover and take pictures before you start Auto-RX treatment to see how it progresses. Make sure to use regular oil with Auto-RX. GTX is a favorite for that.

I would recommend that as a course of action to start with.

i can't even tell you how many miles have been driven on that oil, and i am ashamed of myself i should've took care of this a long time ago but i was to embarrassed to say i'm an idiot and i didn't take car of my car.