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Are automobiles a major cause of global warming?

6849 messages,  Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 1:15 PM

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#4220 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [oldfarmer50] by ruking1
Nov 26, 2008 (11:40 am)
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Nov 26, 2008 10:57 am)

I also sometimes peruse the Prius maintenance sites. I was literally shocked to see how the hybrid ICE is engineered for LOW (OCI's) oil change intervals- like the dirty old gassers of old (LEADED and unleaded) , aka 3,000/5,000 miles.
 
I wondered how much MORE it would cost (R& D total, per unit cost, etc.,) for them to respecify and obviously redesign the hybrid engine to go a min of 10,000 miles between OCI's; like say, the Honda Civic. This of course is 2x to 3.33 x better for the Civic (conventional oil by the way) !!
 
I personally run OCI's of 20,000 miles on Mobil One 0w20 to 5w20, and have so for 76,000 miles Oil and the next 20,000 miles oil, and oil filter change is due 80,000 miles. It is totally sludge FREE !!!! The thing runs like a top. I run the VW Jetta TDI 20,000 to 25,000 miles OCI's, again on a Mobil One product (Delvac One/Mobil One Truck and Suv 5w40)
#4221 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [ruking1] by steve_ HOST
Nov 26, 2008 (11:42 am)
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Replying to: ruking1 (Nov 26, 2008 11:40 am)

I think Toyota got burned pretty good on their sludge (pardon me, gel) issue and shortened their intervals, at least for the North American markets.
 
Oldfarmer, I think the Prius may have been a loss leader for a year or so, but not after that.
#4222 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [steve_] by ruking1
Nov 26, 2008 (11:44 am)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 11:42 am)

Ah the real dirty dirty dirty secret/s eh?
#4223 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [oldfarmer50] by kernick
Nov 26, 2008 (11:48 am)
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Nov 26, 2008 10:57 am)

I heard yesterday that all the Hybrids that Toyota has sold have been sold at a LOSS!
 
Yes I heard that too. Washington Post - Nov. 25th carried the article (sorry I can't post; needan online subscription). But what that gives them is what is known in the accounting world is an "intangible asset". The "intangible assets" in this case would be a "green-label for the entire company"; the fact that they can claim "the highest mpg mass-produced car", and there may be others.
 
To Toyota these may be worth several billion $'s, more than compensating for any actual lose.
 
Other companies have these intangible assets - why does Bud keep teams of Clydesdales (at a loss), and all the other companies with their logos - they pay for image.
#4224 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [ruking1] by steve_ HOST
Nov 26, 2008 (11:48 am)
Reply

Replying to: ruking1 (Nov 26, 2008 11:44 am)

It is an issue - I go 7,500 to 10,000 miles on my Nissan using plain old motor oil, and no oil related hiccups in 129,000 miles. It's lessened my opinion of Toyota a bit.
 
Ah, here we go:
 
Toyota Says It’s Now Turning a Profit on the Hybrid Prius. (LA Times). It took 75,000 sales to get to profitability and now they've sold over a million of them and expanded hybrid technology to several other models.
#4225 of 6849
Re: Global Cooling signs here in NE [steve_] by gagrice
Nov 26, 2008 (11:50 am)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 9:26 am)

Sure everyone is for a cleaner planet with perfect year round temperatures. Tell them that they are going to have to cough up more money to accomplish that GW mandate and see how many you have. If the high speed rail bill that got voted in this election was proposed honestly no one in their right mind would vote for it. The way it is now every man, woman and child will have to kick in $3000 to build that worthless rail system. All in a state that is on the verge of bankruptcy.
#4226 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [steve_] by ruking1
Nov 26, 2008 (11:53 am)
Reply

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 11:48 am)

While the issue is technically not sound bite able, the fact of the matter is that oil chemistries have gotten literally (hate to use the term) exponentially better !!!!! So to keep say a Prius 3,000 to 5,000 miles OCI's is as consumptive as under the old regime of doing 500 miles to 1,000 miles OCI's. DIRTY! DIRTY! DIRTY???? But at the same time the Toyota engineers really know their products and well !!??
#4227 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [ruking1] by steve_ HOST
Nov 26, 2008 (11:56 am)
Reply

Replying to: ruking1 (Nov 26, 2008 11:53 am)

I don't know what a severe service interval would be (don't see may Priuses towing or being used as cabs), but the normal interval is 5,000 miles. Just like my '97 Outback. If anything, the Prius should take the lead with a standard 15,000 or 20,000 mile interval.
#4228 of 6849
Re: Does This Sound Right? [steve_] by ruking1
Nov 26, 2008 (12:02 pm)
Reply

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 26, 2008 11:56 am)

To state the absolute obvious, it does pose the question: if Prius' operate so clean/ly why does it need so frequent OCI's (with exponentially better oil chemistries) that are the equivalent of the OCI's of the 1950/60/70/80's cars (with exponentially worse oil chemistries) !!!???

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