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Subject:Re: Cold weather, short trips
From:J Stewart
Date:Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:59:38 +0000

Last year when my daughter took her '98 New Beetle back to school after Christmas break, I took her to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed (I know, I know, but with her being 200 miles away at school they will top off fluids at n/c) While she was home she had been using  the Beetle for short 3-5 mile trips. The Jiffy Lube "technician" came into the waiting room with the oil cap off the Beetle, it had a whitish sludge on it.  "Your Beetle engine has sludge" he announced, "We can do a de-sludge treatment on the engine for $89.95, I highly recommend you do it" I looked at and said (loud enough so every other customer could hear) "That looks like a little moisture mixed in with a little oil which happens when cars are used for short trip in cold temperatures, I don't think we'll be getting the "de-sludge" treatment". He quickly went back into the service bays and never came back. Just so happens when my daughter went back to school I was going to the same town as her college on business, so she followed me in her Beetle, about a 200 mile drive. When we got there I popped the hood on the Beetle  and took off the oil cap and I showed it to her, laughing, as I said look, no more sludge! It still turned out to be valuable lesson, and I've since taught her how to check the fluids herself on the Beetle. Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----