[mantaray]

I was recently quoted $290 for a 7500km intermediate service, nearly fainted-told them I will service it 12 monthly thanks very much.
Anybody in SA had the 15000km service done and how much? (Might have to take out a second mortgage)

Two cheaper options: Do it yourself or get the local mechanic to do it. All you are required to do is put in the correct oil. I do my own intermediate and don't bother with the filter.

The cheapest option is the one you suggested... just leave it out and do it 12 monthly.

[agentr31]

do it yourself... oil $50 ~$80 and a filter is around $30...

if you get out of it on the cheaperside of what i said thats only $80 a saving of $210

even if you have to but the spanner for the sump plug, and a socket and ratchet for the oil filter housing thats still gonna be a massive saving!

And if don't want to get under and suffer the hot oil burns as you remove the plug (or the potential mess if you spill some) you can get a vacuum "sucker". It's also very useful for sucking out steering/brake fluid reservoirs as well.

[agentr31]

i do my services first thing in the morning AFTER all the oil has settled, so i know i have removed as much of the old oil as possible!

i dont understand why people do an oil change when the car is hot... i thought that was a thing of yesteryear when oil pumps were weak and unreliable! and if they sucked up air they couldnt "self prime"

i do my services first thing in the morning AFTER all the oil has settled, so i know i have removed as much of the old oil as possible!

i dont understand why people do an oil change when the car is hot... i thought that was a thing of yesteryear when oil pumps were weak and unreliable! and if they sucked up air they couldnt "self prime"

I guess it is an old thing. The theory is that when the oil is hot it will flow out quickly and flush out the sludge from the pan with it. There is unlikely to be sludge these days and that fact makes me confident that not draining at all is still satisfactory.

For the reason you mentioned I also change the oil when cold to allow as much as possible to drain to the sump but this is probably a mythical advantage. Changing 90% of the oil is (in practice) as good as all of it. The major benefit from an oil change is to refresh the additives... a few % less will mean little.

For the same reason an oil flush is probably useless and in the same category as colonic irregation. Sounds good... but just unnecessary.

I have no idea what your reference to weak oils pumps is about.

[paul]

i do my services first thing in the morning AFTER all the oil has settled, so i know i have removed as much of the old oil as possible!

i don't understand why people do an oil change when the car is hot... i thought that was a thing of yesteryear when oil pumps were weak and unreliable! and if they sucked up air they couldn't "self prime"

My sentiment exactly, they say do it when its hot so it drains easier, but if left all night, more has drained in to the sump?  OK the oil in the sump itself may drain slower but there will be less oil stuck to all other surfaces.
so i think the amount drained is not much different but i dont like HOT oil   

I understand what self prime means agent31   

[agentr31]

i thought back in the 50's ect once car oil pumps sucked in air, they struggled to pick the oil up again...

[paul]

I do believe some old ford V8 engines where the pump was driven by a rod from the distributer suffered from priming problems