High mileage car - different oil?

loretts

Hello,

I have an appointment at a local brake place that is offering oil change and tire rotating for $20.00. This is less than my mechanic will charge. In making the appt. I was asked if the car had over 75,000 miles on it. It does... 157,000.
Its a 1996 Subaru Impreza AWD. I use 5W-30. Mostly low mileage city driving. Long trip once or twice a week.

Is this necessary? It costs $10 extra. I asked and they said they use Mobil oil and Napa filters.

Thanks

kens

Bottom line -- if your Impreza is running fine with no oil consumption problems or oil leaks then no, it's not necessary.

As engines wear on, the tolerances increase, seals get old, etc. so there are a line of "high mileage" oil products designed to help reduce consumption and leaks. They usually have additional seal conditioners, additives or even higher viscosities to help counteract the effects of an older engine.

$20 is a steal. Assuming they do a good job, the key to engine longevity is regular and frequent oil changes. Congrats on getting to 157K.

w8ifi

I wonder if this is just a one time offer for $20.00?? A special of sorts? If you have a good rapport and trust in your usual mechanic I would shy away from the special. A good mechanic can and will save you a lot of money in the long run if he considers you a regular
My mechanic has lot's of experience with Subaru's and now I'm over 90,000 miles he suggested I go to 10-30.
Jim

ateixeira

That's a good price. Possibly even less than it would cost to do it yourself.

They up-sell to make a profit, mostly. Your Subie has been fine for 157k miles, why change now?

Go for it. I shopped around and even generic oil was $2.79 a quart at Advance Auto Parts, plus the oil filter for my Toyota was $8-12.

That's more than you'll pay, labor for free!

Just ask about any extra fees - usually they tack on an environmental fee. If they do ask if you can recycle the filter yourself, if you know where the local recylcing center is.

loretts

Hello All,

I went for the $20 special and they were fabulous.

Went with my regular 5W-30 oil. It was, am I allowed to say .. a local commercial brake shop place. They did a courtesy check of a list of things and I needed back brakes, (I knew that) and rotors .... they found a few leaks ... right strut and in the power steering fluid reservoir. They gave me an estimate for brakes and rotors, $394. I took it to my mechanic and he did it for $230. New rotors and pads. Originally he said $300, but I think he gave me a break because he kept me waiting for over an hour when I went to pick it up.

The power steering reservoir has a leak, very minute, no puddles, no drips, just a wetness around the reservoir. He said keep an eye on the reservoir, which I do anyway, and that the strut leak is not serious, that I would have to replace the rack and pinion to fix, but can live with this. Hmmmmm.

Any thoughts anyone ?

This mechanic has been great for three years, and worth the drive, however, seems he is going through some personal issues which are taking his focus from his work. He forgot to check a few things on my list and kept me waiting to pick up after leaving the car the night before, and I was less than satisfied with his answers on the leak issue and will look closer to home for someone to evaluate the strut leak.

Thanks for all the feedback. Sorry for delay... just been plain busy. Wanted to acknowledge all comments !

ateixeira

Remember to replace the struts in pairs, even if only one is bad.

How does it ride? Change it ASAP if you think the ride quality has deteriorated.

In the meantime, check the PS fluid level each time you get gas.