David McNeely said:

> >> Hmmm..... .  Well, I'm not using 50 weight, I'm using 20W50, which is
> what the driver's manual recommends.  It also does not recommend a 3k mile
> change interval, but 5k. <<

   I should have said 20W50... although I live in the southeast, Atlanta
has a winter season... such as it is.

  Another benefit of my switching to the Mobil1 15W50 was the disappearance
of random lifter noise- they stayed pumped up even after a 3 month period
of downtime when the bus was never started.  When it finally did get
started, the oil pressure light turned off seconds after starting.  I
switched to an inline VW engine after that motor had gone 165,000 miles.

  Temperature gauge?  What's that for?

G.