The Very-Many-Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XLII

[Aiken_Drumn]

Yearly test of roadworthness. Tyres/brakes/lights mostly. I suppose most US states don't have similar so an occasional oil change is all that people do?

 

[Farm Boy]

Oil every 3 to 5k miles. New filters every other change, tires when they wear low. Power steering or transmission as needed? No transmission fluid currently. Clutch eventually, I guess? Lights as they burn out. You'll get a ticket for operating with those out. Country roads, all that.

 

[Samson]

I've always just done it along side MOT, never specifically.

I think it should be a moral thing for people to never get work done at the same place as the MOT. I am convinced it incentivises them to fail things, in the expectation they will get paid to fix them. If no one ever got work done at the MOT centre they would not have this incentive. I know it is a load of hassle, and I have even done it myself on occasion, but the point remains.

Oil every 3 to 5k miles. New filters every other change.

You change the oil but not the oil filter every other time? Why? It is a small amount of the cost and a large amount of the gunk. Do you change the sump plug washer? I used to not do that, had it go one time and have done it every time since when I do it.

 

[Farm Boy]

Cheap. At 5k sure, replace the filter. At 3? Probably don't need to change it that often in newer vehicles, anyhow

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

I think it should be a moral thing for people to never get work done at the same place as the MOT. I am convinced it incentivises them to fail things, in the expectation they will get paid to fix them. If no one ever got work done at the MOT centre they would not have this incentive. I know it is a load of hassle, and I have even done it myself on occasion, but the point remains.

My mechanic takes the car to a MOT centre.. but my truck is an old knackered thing so there's always something to keep him busy, usually nothing to do with the MOT!

 

[Samson]

Cheap. At 5k sure, replace the filter. At 3? Probably don't need to change it that often in newer vehicles, anyhow

Here I usually pay about £25 for the oil and under £5 for the filter. It seems if what I want to do is reduce the amount of little bits of metal that the engine is exposed to the filter is doing more per pound (and perhaps in total) that the oil.

I agree modern cars need it less. It used to be that most cars reached the end of their life because the engine wore out. That has not happened to me for ages.

 

[Farm Boy]

The oil itself becomes degraded from use, reducing its effectiveness as a lubricant through changes and contamination the oil filter does not/cannot catch. The filter shouldn't release the larger metal bits it has caught unless it fails, gets disturbed, or plugs up, right? The frames fall apart from the road salt, around here, as often as anything, if one keeps replacing parts as they wear out.

 

[IglooDame]

Yearly test of roadworthness. Tyres/brakes/lights mostly. I suppose most US states don't have similar so an occasional oil change is all that people do?

Depends on the state. New Hampshire and I'm fairly sure at least a few others have a 'safety inspection' required as part of annual registration renewal.

 

[MaryKB]

I never take my car in for an oil change.

 

[really]

Mot is what? Some sort of mandatory government testing? We had that in Cook County. I used to need to unplug my dash fuses because they wouldn't test the emissions if a sensor had gone out and put the check engine light stuck on.

Ha, there's an EU directive for roadworthiness tests. The rules had to be updated as it used to be that a check engine light staying on was a fail, so the obvious solution was to disable the light.
Now they have to see the light come on when the engine starts and then go off again.

The UK'S MOT Ministry of Transport long predates the EU directive but presumably incorporated it.

 

[Samson]

Ha, there's an EU directive for roadworthiness tests. The rules had to be updated as it used to be that a check engine light staying on was a fail, so the obvious solution was to disable the light.
Now they have to see the light come on when the engine starts and then go off again..

Check engine lights should be outlawed. Every modern car has an LCD display that could give a useful readout, and most causes of the engine light coming on are not a safety issue, but some are. Putting them all together incentivises poor people to ignore it.

 

[Farm Boy]

It's Intellectual Property rent statutes. It's almost always some minor sensor. Like CA siding with GM and John Deere over NE.

Where's muh money? You're on a public road. Where's muh money?

 

[Takhisis]

I never take my car in for an oil change.

Do you mean operations that are exclusively oil changes, or do you mean that your car never has its oil changed?

 

[MaryKB]

Do you mean operations that are exclusively oil changes, or do you mean that your car never has its oil changed?

The latter.

 

[tjs282]

Do you mean operations that are exclusively oil changes, or do you mean that your car never has its oil changed?

Pssst... Mary has an electric car...

 

[Takhisis]

It's a hybrid car, actually.

 

[Synobun]

It's a hybrid car, actually.

Your face is a hybrid car.

 

[Synobun]

Any website host recommendations that don't charge $320/yr for one site with SSL? I'm not jazzed about this price tag for renewal and would be keen on jumping ship.

 

[MaryKB]

It's a hybrid car, actually.

WRONG!

Spend 20 minutes in Farm Boy's mind as punishment.

 

[Farm Boy]

You should be so lucky. I had a fantastic past weekend riding bikes, tyvm!