I'd recommend an electric car for avoiding oil changes, but I think we still have a few more years until cheap second hand electric cars become available.
this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
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No, a electric car is twice the price of an ICE car. It's not an oil change per year that will break the deal.
Also don't believe the 3000 miles oil change, it's a scam. I change my oil every 8000 miles, there's zero problem with that, especially if you put synthetic, but dino works the same.
This is only true if you're purchasing used. Anyone in the market for a NEW car absolutely can and should be considering an EV.
Also, you would be fucking shocked how expensive an oil change can be on some cars, even when doing it yourself.
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Yeah most* engines can fairly easily do 7500mi changes on good synthetic. Even my 30 year old Honda expects 7500mi changes from the factory.
*I say "most" because a lot of modern direct injected turbocharged engines (designed for efficiency) have issues with fuel washdown due to DI cold starts and high turbo bearing heat cooking the oil to death. Those actually do need 5000mi oil changes typically, especially since 0w20 and 0w16 has real low film strength to start with.
To be sure of any OCI do an oil analysis from a lab like Blackstone at the end of your extended interval to make sure it's still in acceptable shape.
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You can find what the manufacturer recommends for your make and model in your owners manual or you can look it up online. It's never 3k miles and is almost always something like 6-8k miles, with increased frequency as the vehicle ages. Older vehicles frequently burn more oil so you might want to check your levels more often if you use one as a daily driver.
true 6-8000 is completely fine
(disclaimer i have no idea what imtalking abouy
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Which will also need a costly battery replacement not long after buying it 😬
I've had an electric car since 2011. The battery looks like it will last another 10 years.
Early Nissan Leaf batteries degraded relatively quickly (8-10 years) due to poor battery chemistry and no thermal management. Both of these issues have been fixed in all new electric cars (except the new Nissan Leaf which still doesn't have battery cooling).
Even the old degraded batteries are valuable as static energy storage, and several people are using them as house batteries.
Most of the cost of a battery replacement is the manufacturer markup. There is at least one company making replacement Nissan Leaf batteries for significantly less than Nissan, and they include the latest chemistry and liquid cooling (unlike Nissan who just give you a second hand battery).
Most electric cars today have a 10 year warranty on the battery. Manufacturers wouldn't be offering that if there was a reasonable chance you would need to replace the battery in that time.
Even if today's EVs degraded like the first Leaf, when you start off with 250 miles of range you could lose a third of it and still have a very usable vehicle.
Would you mind sharing which EV you have that has a battery that will last 22 years with normal use?
I have a 2011 Nissan Leaf AZE0 24kWh with about 40% battery degradation. It can drive about 80km (50mi), which is perfectly adequate for a second car. It is rarely driven more than 20km in a day.
My other car is a 2018 Nissan Leaf ZE1 E+ G 62kWh with about 4% battery degradation.
The fastest battery degradation happens when the battery is new, and the degradation slows down gradually over time. I expect the 2011 Leaf to still have at least 50km range in 2041, and the 2018 Leaf to still have at least 200km (130mi) range in 2038. Both of these will still suit my needs.
No, it will not. Stop spewing nonsense.
My 02 VW diesel goes 10,000+mi between oil changes. 50mpg fuel economy. The car cost $6000
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Probably could do some of this stuff yourself. It might seem intimidating at first but it could save you money and save you from mechanics overselling their labour.
Yes and no. Getting all the tools you need can be a significant expense for someone poor, and you gotta have somewhere to keep it all (such as a garage). Unfortunately one of those "gotta have money to save money" type of situations. DIY undoubtedly is cheaper though (and sort of fun).
You can get some decent stuff for not much. Unfortunately harbor freight isn't what it used to be but its still OK for basic hand tools. Major stuff I'd rent. I threw all my stuff in a duffel bag when I lived in an apartment and it worked decent but digging for tools sucked lol.
Would be cool if there were groups for it to get people started off and save a little money without buying anything
True that, it costs hundreds of euros to get a full set of tools. It is really unfortunate, it depends on how much you are ready to spend up front.
Oil changes dont require a lot of tools. Most cars you'd get away with just a socket, a drain pan and a filter wrench. I'd be suprised if it took two oil changes to pay back what you spent on tools through the savings of doing it yourself.
If you can afford to drop a hundred bucks on a decent socket and spanner set, then there's even more savings to be had from doing your own brakes and basic part replacements
"We discovered that your brake lines were cut and we found a bomb fused to the manifold."
"I had to use a coupon just to get the oil change. What makes you think I can afford fixing major safety issues like that? Now push me back home before the bomb detonates."
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