Re: Changing oil and filter...do you go by the vehicle oil monitor or months & miles?
Would you please elaborate on your post? Unless I am interpreting it wrong, you are saying that fuel consumption for either mileage or operating hours reveal more than any other factor? The issue I have with that statement is that for a person operating an engine with no trip computer or monitor to check exact fuel consumption, they have no really accurate way to measure the fuel used. I don't understand how your reasoning applies.
Yes, any
single measureable.
Miles alone, aren't even a ballpark measurement without other measurements.
5k miles of inner NY city driving at an average speed of 15 MPH is worlds away from 5K highway miles.
125 engine hours pulling a trailer on a highway is worlds away from 125 engine hours idling at inner city traffic lights.
Temperature alone is meaningless without time, duration frequency measurements.
The single most telling measureable is fuel processed ( consumed ). A modern ICE is after all, a fuel processing machine. Example:
A highway 60mph driven truck getting 17mpg with indicated oil change at 8,000 miles has processed 471 gallons of fuel
A start/stop city driven truck getting 12mpg will/should get an oil change 'minder at the same 471 gallons or 5,600 miles.
A truck towing a trailer, or running rich, burns more fuel and as everyone knows, needs more frequent oil changes.
