Recent content by justfrank

J
Oil viscosity- tune it or don't mess with it?

Say whatever you want but I know what I know and I wasn't BSing, despite their owner manual info. I guess all the dealers everywhere who've been using nothing but 5w30 in ALL older engines (as advised by the manufacturers) have had it all wrong ;)
- justfrank
- Post #34
- May 14, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Oil viscosity- tune it or don't mess with it?

ZV, I checked the owners manual too for my '95 850T and in my chart, the arrow in that diagram stops at 68F (highly doubt its accuracy) but if you check the link I provided earlier, and info found elsewhere, the difference between 5w30 and 10w30 is better flow at colder temps only. Volvo...
- justfrank
- Post #27
- May 13, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Dark green paint

Some still do. I know Lexus does but it's not a popular choice. If buying a new car, all you have to do is go to their web sight and you'll see their color options.
- justfrank
- Post #3
- May 13, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Oil viscosity- tune it or don't mess with it?

It's NOT the dealers, it's the manufacturers that mandate what oil is used in their engines. Both Volvo and Toyota/Lexus have been using 5w30 for decades now and w/o ANY problems. The manufacturers have to warranty their engines and powertrain warranty is a long time these days SO, I think THEY...
- justfrank
- Post #10
- May 12, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Kalavryta - Patras onboard camera

Wow, that video is 1 hour, 12 minutes long.......really?
- justfrank
- Post #2
- May 12, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Toyota trucks, why so many rebuilt/replaced engines?

True, Toyota had problems with their PCV system, valve covers (PCV design flaw) on their 3.0 l V6s that caused gelling (sludge motors) and/or oil consumption BUT again, those that we've seen were always with cars that didn't get enough oil changes. Toyota's other engines took more neglect, abuse...
- justfrank
- Post #16
- May 12, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Oil viscosity- tune it or don't mess with it?

Every dealer I've ever worked (34 yrs now) for uses 5w30 year round in older engines (new is now 5w20 or 0w20), including my 22 yrs with Volvo. I use synthetic 5w30 in all 3 of my cars year round, including my 2 older Volvo's. As for temperature...
- justfrank
- Post #8
- May 12, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Oil viscosity- tune it or don't mess with it?

You really can't go wrong with 5w30 in anything, anywhere these days for older engines. 10w30 isn't ideal in cold winter weather as a comparison.
- justfrank
- Post #4
- May 12, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Front Bump stops broken...Dealer wants $600

You need to provide more details here. What's the problem? Any shop should be able to explain what exactly is wrong, what parts need to removed, replaced and how much the parts and labor is. If they can't explain that, go elsewhere.
- justfrank
- Post #11
- May 11, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Interesting AC Issues

The first thing you need to do is have it recharged, leak checked. When recharged, the machine weighs the amount of 134a and the tech then knows if it was low. If so, there's a leak and these days, unless it's obvious, one adds AC dye (if not already in the system) and checks for leaking dye...
- justfrank
- Post #2
- May 11, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Toyota trucks, why so many rebuilt/replaced engines?

What you aren't considering here is the FACT that most Americans do minimal maintenance on their cars. Toyota suggests oil changes every 5K miles but to many, they go farther than that on oil changes. I work for a Lexus dealer. You put a lube sticker on the windshield for 5K miles but when do...
- justfrank
- Post #10
- May 11, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
CTS Coupe vs. ISF

OK, I work at a Lexus dealer and can say that we've never seen any problems to date with the ISF although there aren't many of them as they're not very popular compared to the other models. Not too many people opt for a $65K, 415HP RWD Lexus as their daily driver. If you're in an area where...
- justfrank
- Post #49
- May 10, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Claiming hail damage

3 dings aren't due to hail damage and getting those fixed by a paintless dent removal guy will be far less than your deductible plus not risk raising your rates in the future.
- justfrank
- Post #8
- May 6, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Have you ever seen someone on a motorcycle go the speed limit?

Old Harley riders almost always go the speed limit compared to young crotch rocket street racers (the ones you usually hear winding out, hitting at least 5 gears at 10K+ rpms in a 25 mph zone).
- justfrank
- Post #11
- May 5, 2012
- Forum: The Garage
J
Did a very dumb thing. Car sitting for 2 years...

That guy's full of it. After 12 yrs, the gas will definitely be NG and I doubt an engine could run on it. 2 yrs, just try starting it. Have you even tryed to start it after trying to charge the battery?
- justfrank
- Post #21
- May 5, 2012
- Forum: The Garage

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