Heheh, that's why you need a Canadian oil sump heater to keep your bus oil
thinned out. :-) Tough to find, but oh so worth it. Most cold climate
dealers sold them. Look around, you'll be glad you did.
Courtney

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Always be yourself, because the people that matter don't mind,
and the ones who mind, don't matter.

----- Original Message -----
From: "craig cowan" <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: Motor Oil (Synthetic)

> My comment regarding cold temperatures dealt specifically with an
> occurance
> last year when the temperatures in my region were consistantly below zero
> for over a week. On the coldest morning of the lot, early, I tried to
> start
> my bus to no avail. My battery and all systems were in great shape, but
> the
> motor oil had turned so thick that the engine would BARELY turn. The
> solution involved draining the motor oil and replacing it for the
> remainder
> of that winter with a thinner oil.
> 20W50 is quite thick at or below 0*F.
> Put a bit of it in the freezer sometime (even at 32*F) and watch just how
> smoothly it pours.
>
> -Craig
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 8:34 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> My comment concerning warranty was meant to convey the maker's attitude,
>> not to suggest that we are trying to maintain the long expired warranty
>> on
>> our VWs.  I change oil myself, have been doing so for a series of
>> vehicles
>> for about 50 years, and have managed to drive all of them for around 200k
>> or
>> more miles.  My change interval seems economic to me. Oil is cheap.
>> Engines
>> are expensive.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 6:02 PM, Allan Streib wrote:
>>
>>  Synthetic will flow better than conventional when cold.
>>>
>>> None of our Vanagons are under warranty anymore.  Oil analysis can be
>>> used to determine if your oil is still "good" and over time you can
>>> establish a reasonable, economic change interval.
>>>
>>> Allan
>>>
>>> Dave Mcneely  writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>  I use Castrol 20W50, petroleum based (nonsynthetic).  I change the oil
>>>> every 3000 miles, just as I always have for all my vehicles.  I can't
>>>> imagine how synthetic could improve on that.  I notice that most
>>>> manufacturers specify that oil should be changed at the recommended
>>>> interval, and that less often than that voids the warranty, whether
>>>> the oil used is synthetic or not.  David McNeely
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Stephen Cebula wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  What motor oils you you all use out there?  A friend of mine keeps
>>>>> pushing synthetic oil.  He's a Ford man, and not familiar with
>>>>> Vanagons.  What's the rap on that?
>>>>> Steve
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> --
>>> 1991 Vanagon GL
>>>
>>