Have an oil analysis done. There are a number of choices including CAT S.O.S or Blackstone Labs. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of bernie
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2016 8:08 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Tune Up Poll

I have a 1985 with a 1.9 and I run Mobil 1 15/50 synthetic with Mobil 1
M205 Extended performance filter.
I have been changing the oil every 10,000 kilometres which is 6000 miles.
Am I changing it too often?
Thanks in advance.

Bernie
Vancouver BC

On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 6:35 PM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) < scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> all right...
> and now we know you drive a 1.9 waterboxer engine ...
> or at least the fuel/ignition system on some waterboxer.
>
> Doesn't that feel better, having lubed something properly.  ? !
> lol.
> scott
>
>
> On 2/20/2016 3:53 PM, Tyler Hardison wrote:
>
>> At the risk of taking this list off PG-13...
>>
>> Guess whose little felt got a drop of lubricant tonight??
>>
>> :)
>>
>> On Thursday, February 18, 2016, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) < 
>> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>>
>> I would say that on a waterboxer engine, the spark plugs barely wear 
>> *at
>>> all* ~!
>>>
>>> Like 'maybe' the gaps will expand and electrodes get rounded ...a 
>>> tiny bit over time.
>>> I have boxes of used waterboxer Bosch and NGK spark plugs that are 
>>> good for thousands of miles yet.
>>>
>>> However...
>>> "It's NOT the parts ! ..it's the adjustments."
>>>
>>> for sure ...throttle switches fail to make contact after a while.
>>> Most that I have seen have not been adjusted since the Dark Ages.
>>> Some are corroded or worn beyond normal adjustment range, but still 
>>> can be tweaked.
>>>
>>> timing doesn't get off at all normally.
>>>
>>> air filters 'may' get a little dirty eventually ..easily cleaned 
>>> ...I just turn mine over and tap them on a clean concrete floor 
>>> ...tons of dust comes out that way.
>>>
>>> spark plug wires ..mostly those last really well...
>>> but ...they don't last forever.
>>>
>>> Rocker arm adjustment ...ideally those never need attention ..
>>> but sometimes they do. Pretty rare.
>>>
>>> Oxygen sensor ...I'm sure there are Many of those running in 
>>> Vanagons mostly dead or lalzy.
>>>
>>> Coolant temperature ..very important that it runs up to proper temp.
>>> 1/3 on the guage is not good, it's very bad.
>>>
>>> Changing the coolant.
>>> you can't change that too often. You never get all the old out ..
>>> Just look at any place a coolant hose goes on an aluminum connection 
>>> ...corrossion forms there easily ...
>>> ...that's how the head gasket area inside the engine looks.
>>>
>>> Bosch distributor caps and rotors..
>>> i carry good spares ..but those last practically indefinitely.
>>>
>>> for example...every 1.9 waterboxer distributor has a felt pad under 
>>> the rotor.
>>> Does anyone even remember about those or know what they are for ?
>>> I've seen multi-thousand dollar rebuilds turned out without a drop 
>>> or two of oil ..or even looking at it, on that felt that is there to 
>>> lube the centrifulgal advance.
>>>
>>> and ..checked that the centrifugal advance is functioning properly 
>>> ..that's part of a real 'tune up' ..right ?
>>>
>>> it's not 'the parts' ..it's the Service and Adjustment of things, 
>>> and inspection .
>>>
>>> What good to new spark plugs do if say ....vaccuum leaks develope 
>>> slowly over time here and there ?
>>>
>>> it's far more the lack of service, and keeping the very few 
>>> adjustments correct, than it is 'replacing parts'.
>>>
>>> The parts barely wear if you keep it in Full Proper Running Order.
>>>
>>> they should start, idle, run, and accelerate perfectly. When they 
>>> don't ....it's not usually from parts not being changed..unless it's 
>>> been totally forever.
>>>
>>> have fun !
>>> Scott
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/18/2016 9:23 AM, Dan N wrote:
>>>
>>> I would say 2 oil changes...
>>>>
>>>> oil filter every oil change
>>>>
>>>> spark plugs wire every 4 oil changes
>>>>
>>>> depending what kind of oil you use approx between 8K miles to 10K 
>>>> miles
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>