Environmental Nightmare - Oil Changes

Reading this I’d say 99% of my clients have there oil changed every year .
You are not going to get a company to attend your boat and not carry out an oil change yet look at the rest of the engine to check it over , it’s uneconomical for the servicing agent .

Now look at saving your own skin, I am doing more engine and drive inspections these days than ever before , plus oil sampling which in past has revealed some heavy faults in engines where the buyer has walked away .
They also walk away when they see poor service history especially those who like to skip a year because they have only done 20 hours the year before .
Items not spotted on an annual service come back and bite you , that’s my advise.
 
volvopaul said:
Reading this I’d say 99% of my clients have there oil changed every year .
You are not going to get a company to attend your boat and not carry out an oil change yet look at the rest of the engine to check it over , it’s uneconomical for the servicing agent .

Now look at saving your own skin, I am doing more engine and drive inspections these days than ever before , plus oil sampling which in past has revealed some heavy faults in engines where the buyer has walked away .
They also walk away when they see poor service history especially those who like to skip a year because they have only done 20 hours the year before .
Items not spotted on an annual service come back and bite you , that’s my advise.
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Like many I do my own oil changes and other jobs...… Service history, paperwork and work done by people with letter heads is a whole different debate (I hasten to add that I do not include you in this)
 
Bigplumbs said:
Very useful post and thanks for that.... Is that what you use ?
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I have used Shell Rimula RT4X previously , which is closer to £70 for 50 litres . However thy have changed it to R4X recently so I think the range of Shell oils has reduced.
I used Smith and Allan gear oil , of the correct grade, for the sterndrive last year and it was fraction of the cost of the stuff with the VP label on it.
I have the Smith and Allan engine oil on my shopping list and I probably will use it when I do this years oil change.
 
MartynG said:
I have used Shell Rimula RT4X previously , which is closer to £70 for 50 litres . However thy have changed it to R4X recently so I think the range of Shell oils has reduced.
I used Smith and Allan gear oil , of the correct grade, for the sterndrive last year and it was fraction of the cost of the stuff with the VP label on it.
I have the Smith and Allan engine oil on my shopping list and I probably will use it when I do this years oil change.
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Many thanks...…….. Once you buy if you could spare the time to post some links that would be appreciated by me and I am sure others
 
Bigplumbs said:
Very useful post and thanks for that.... Is that what you use ?
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Dennis, I was in Home Bargains last year and saw that they were selling 5 litres of fully synthetic oil (Unipart brand). for £10!!!

So I bought loads (16 x 5 litres) so I can feed the Verado which takes around 7 litres a time. Whilst it's not quite the same spec as Verado oil, the mere fact that I am changing it and the filter on a regular basis - (and I don't thrash the engine) gives me some comfort.... Its an old engine so I'm not worried about warranty

http://rebel-superdreamerz.proboards.com/thread/570/unipart-oil
 
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One of the reasons I pay a wee man to come and service my engine just before the start of the season.
I don’t want the hassle of trying to dispose of old engine oil. Local garages will take it. So will parts store but it’s still a pain in the but.
So I pay a wee man.
Just like I take my car in for a service for the same reason. I pay some other wee man to crawl under it and change the oil.

By the time I by the new oil and pay the disposal fee for the old oil. It doesn’t cost much extra. I could do it myself but I hate trying to get a bits I can’t quite reach.
 
Uricanejack said:
One of the reasons I pay a wee man to come and service my engine just before the start of the season.
I don’t want the hassle of trying to dispose of old engine oil. Local garages will take it. So will parts store but it’s still a pain in the but.
So I pay a wee man.
Just like I take my car in for a service for the same reason. I pay some other wee man to crawl under it and change the oil.

By the time I by the new oil and pay the disposal fee for the old oil. It doesn’t cost much extra. I could do it myself but I hate trying to get a bits I can’t quite reach.
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I must be lucky. At the marina where i keep my boat there is a tank for oil disposal (at no cost).
I did pay for engine oil change but about three years ago decided to do it myself and found it very easy. I bought an oil extractor which paid for itself on the first use.
I will get someone in for any significant work .

Must admit I have not serviced a car for some years although I did so when younger . But then it was easier to do on older cars.
 
Don’t have the receipts as they are on the boat, but I am sure the local VP guys in SCM charge some sort of environmental disposal fee in addition to the oil change.

I have all servicing done by the VP main dealer, and annually, purely to keep the service record in tact. Due to a bereavement last year, I probably only logged <30 hours, but wouldn’t dream of skipping this years service.

All part of the costs I took into account when I bought it....
 
Just staggered at some of this, haha.
Unless you have a boat and engines big enough to warrant centrifugal purifiers and routine oil sampling...change the oil every year or at the recommended hours guys. Honestly now.
 
QBhoy said:
Just staggered at some of this, haha.
Unless you have a boat and engines big enough to warrant centrifugal purifiers and routine oil sampling...change the oil every year or at the recommended hours guys. Honestly now.
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Why if that is not necessary
 
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