Evening star., 1923-09-30
Widespread Ignorance Exists
On Changing Oil in Auto
Misleading AdUice and Current Prac-
tices of Garage Mechanics Cause
Much Trouble to Car O,U1ers.

without question of doubt automo-
bile owners make greater mistakes
In the process of changing oil than
in any other task in car care, simply
because the job does not appear to
call for any headwork.
If the owner does the work him
self he considers the rough spots
conquered when he has put back the
drain plug without running his
clothes or rapping his thinking ap-
paratus on. a stray obstruction of
the chassis. If he engages the gar
age man to do the job he considers
his share of the process accomplished
when he has satisfied himself that
the old oil Is out and the new In.
AS a matter of fact, under such
: conditions the job is worse than half
done, it is very badly done.
Much Unreliable Advice.
The car owner who has watched
the oil-changing job dozens of times.
or who has done it himself, will
doubtless be surprised to learn that
under no conditions should kerosene
be run through the oiling system and
that it is dangerous. to turn the en-
gine over with the starter as a
means of draining off the last drop
of old oil. His surprise Will best in
dicate the enormous amount of false
advice which has been offered by
word of mouth and print on this i'm
portant subject.
The purpose of this article is not
to startle him into rushing to some
equally costly extreme in his method
of changing oil, but to show him the
facts and thus lead him to see for
himself what folly it is to follow the
accepted. but untrue. rules of oil
changing now in vogue.
When to Change Oil.
Starting with the matter of when
to change oils. there is an important
point to be considered Most drivers
have a feeling that they are counting
trouble when they have driven in
excess Of 500 miles since last chang
ing oil. This is because they have
been told to attend to the oil every
500 miles, with 1000 as the positive
limit. The average car owner, there
fore, comes to assume that his oiling
system is necessarily all right up to
500 miles and not in immediate dan
ger up to 1000. All of which may
be contrary to the facts.
The oil-presSure gauge on the dash
should be the guide to the facts in
the case.
The instruction book for each make
of car will show the owner just
aDout now mucn pressure TINS gauge
should show under normal condi-
tions, so that, barring loose bear
ings, leaks in the oil system or
stoppage, any decrease in the amount
of pressure when the engine is run
ming normally indicates a thinning
out of the lubricant in the crank
case. If this situation grows more
noticeable it is a cue to change the
oil, regardless of whether the car
has run only 800 miles or 700.
When the owner goes by the rule
that the mileage indicates the pc
riods of oil change he assumes that
all brands and grades of oil are
, alike. that oil acts the same under
all weather conditions, and that oil
consumption does not vary with
varying use of the car; all of which
is untrue.
If the engine is not choked too
much, if pistons and rings are tight
fitting, if temperature conditions are
normal and the car is not run at a
high speed nor forced to climb many
hills there is no good reason why a
supply of good-oil, with periodic ad-
ditions as required, should not last