I did not quote "Car Talk" as an "authority.  I mentioned the web page
as a place I looked for a link or other way of locating the CR report I
had mentioned.  I specifically made the point that a lot of what I found
there amounted to comments from forum participants who had various
recall as to what the CR report said.  If you quote me, quote enough to
contain the meaning of my statement, not an abbreviated portion to try
to make my statement say what you want to criticize.

I did state what the "Car Talk" hosts recommend regarding oil change
frequency.  That is not quoting them as authorities, but simply stating
what their recommendation is.

I do read and consider what Dennis and other participants here say. That
said, I also have enough experience with using oils and maintaining my
vehicles (every one driven around 200K or more miles by me, before being
passed on to another user) that I think I can judge whether to change to
exorbitantly priced, hyped product or not, and whether to alter the oil
change frequency I adhere to.

I'm going out to change the oil in my Honda, as six months has elapsed,
and it hasn't acrued 3000 miles yet.  It is my wife's commuting and
around town car, and though it has 192K miles, I doubt we'll get rid of
it any time soon.

So far as I am concerned, this thread has run too long.  The same
content (except the lame attempt on my part to dredge up the old CR
report) has run ad infinitum ad nauseum in the archives.

BTW, the hosts of the Car Talk show, though the show has degenerated in
recent years as fewer people seem to have an interest in maintaining
their own vehicles, are engineers and mechanics who have operated their
own shop for many years in Boston.

David McNeely

On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 11:34 AM, Angus Gordon wrote:

> On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 8:51 AM, Dave Mcneely  wrote:
>
>>  The "Car Talk" web site has lots of references to the CR
>> study...
>
>
>
> Dave, with all due respect "Car Talk" or "my mechanic recommends" are
> not
> exactly authoritative references. There are a number of contributors
> to this
> list, like Dennis, with a very significant expertise in Vanagonology.
> When
> they speak, I listen. Give it a try.
>
> If you need to reference an entertainment source as an authority,
> rather
> than Car Talk you could at least quote Vanagon Man!
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEMBWUNYpB4
>
>
> Angus
>
>
> Angus Gordon
> Bainbridge Island WA