- #489 of 632
-
Re: Credit Cards [ncee]
by fin
-
Jan 02, 2009 (12:28 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: ncee (Jan 02, 2009 8:53 am)
Thanks to all for these comments. Being retired we travel and visit, mostly the SE states. Credit card is the only way we pay for gas. Never had this happen but the advance warning is nice. Again, thanks.... 
|
- #490 of 632
-
Re: Credit Cards [tfelton]
by tfelton
-
Jan 03, 2009 (6:13 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: tfelton (Jan 02, 2009 7:26 am)
Just as a side note I emailed Shell Oil and they sent the following reply: "Our review indicates your experience occurred at one of our independently owned and operated locations. Please be assured that we have formally recorded your feedback and the appropriate party will be notified."
Next time I'm in Gallup I'll see if things have changed.
|
- #491 of 632
-
Re: Credit Cards [tfelton]
by rpfingsten
-
Jan 03, 2009 (10:25 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: tfelton (Jan 03, 2009 6:13 am)
Not really related directly to this story, but kind of a side bar that some of you might find interesting. A few months back my wife stopped at our neighborhood Exxon station to fill up.. she used her speed pass ( little wand like instrument that turns on the pump and records your purchase to your account - basically the same thing as a credit card ). Anyway she fills up her tank and then drives home.. 10 minutes later there's a deputy sheriff ringing our doorbell saying that the clerk at the exxon station had taken my wife's license number down and reported her for driving off without paying for her gas... Well my wife, now furious and embarassed, is led to the police car where he takes her back to the gas station - where upon the clerk inside the store i.d.'s my wife as the "thief" ( her words ) who stole the gas. My wife asked the clerk if she was in the habit of leaving the pumps "on".. of course she said no the pump was not on, so then my wife asks her, "if the pump was not on, and I didn't use my speed pass or credit card, how the hell was I able to get the pump on and fill up my car? With that, the Sheriff's deputy said this is ridiculous and returns my wife home with an apology for bothering her. When I heard about it I saw red!!! Couldn't believe it, asked my wife to go back down to the station with me and point out the person who accused her of stealing gas, but she said she was so mad she couldn't remember who it was... However from her description I had an idea of who it was ( since we buy our gas there all the time ). Next time I got gas, I used my speedpass and then before driving off, went inside ( while this clerk was working ) and asked them if my speed pass had gone thru... He then proceeds to tell me "when you use your speed pass" you don't have to come in the store...That's what I was waiting for because I then said well my wife used her speed pass in her a day or so before and whoever the crack head &%#&^(&% ( cant really use that language here ) was on duty tried to have my wife arrested, and I just wanted to make sure that same %$&^# wasn't on duty today... The look on his face was priceless... He was shakin....I sent exxon an email and about 3 weeks later she got a call from that stations' distributor where one of the managers apologized to my wife.. That's really all she wanted was an apology. She was embarassed that neighbors saw her being put in a squad car and then driven away... thank goodness he didn't cuff her. By the way, we don't buy our gas there anymore.....that's my story... sorry it took so long....
Roland
|
- #492 of 632
-
Re: Credit Cards [rpfingsten]
by tfelton
-
Jan 04, 2009 (7:12 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: rpfingsten (Jan 03, 2009 10:25 pm)
I have a Speed Pass and this experience of your wife's is a good reminder to be careful. It's no longer like 'the good old days' when you handed cash to the attendant who filled your tank. A receipt might have solved the problem right away. You can go to the Exxon/Mobil web site and set up your Speed Pass to always give a receipt.
|
- #493 of 632
-
Mobil 1 Oil
by tfelton
-
Jan 04, 2009 (9:58 am)
-
|
Ever since I bought an '87 Taurus I've used Mobil 1 synthetic oil and I change my own oil, etc. I've also been very regular with regards to changing the oil and filter about every 7,500 miles. However, I just read recently where you're better off changing the filter a couple of intervals, topping off the oil but not changing the oil. For example: changing the oil, then change the filter at 6,000; change the filter again at 12,000; and then change the oil and filter at 18,000. The reasoning is the it has been show there is more wear on the motor with fresh synthetic than with broken-in synthetic. I've sort of tried this with my '08 Avalon. This last Christmas we took a 3,000 trip to see family. I didn't need to change the oil yet, but would have half way through the trip so I simply changed the filter before I left. My Avalon has 16,000+ miles on it.
This is a long way of asking if anyone else has tried this system or read about it. Of course finding out if it's good or bad takes thousands of miles and then how do you know it was the oil that did in the motor. I have a '98 Sienna with 210,000+ miles on it and the motor still runs smooth and gets good mileage. With that car I changed oil and filter about every 7,500 miles.
One note, synthetic is a lot cheaper than it used to be so this isn't a question about saving money but is about doing the best for the car.
|
- #494 of 632
-
Re: Mobil 1 Oil [tfelton]
by rpfingsten
-
Jan 05, 2009 (1:24 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: tfelton (Jan 04, 2009 9:58 am)
tfelton....Like you I have used Mobil 1 synthetic for a number of years. I have not heard or read about the system you discussed of changing the filter and oil on different intervels. If I'm understanding you correctly that means that you would basically be changing your oil ever 12K correct? Well Mobil 1's extended life Synthetic is supposed to be good for 15,000 miles. But here again I think when you change your oil is also dependent on your driving conditions. I still change mine ( oil and filter ) every 5 k. but that's because the manufacturer calls for oil changes every 5,000 miles and since the warranty is still in effect I don't want to give them any "outs" if something were to go wrong... but I'm pretty sure once the warranty expires, I'll be changing my oil and filter every 7500 miles.. going 12 K seems like pushing it to me... however your talking to an old schooler where we learned to change oil and filter ever 3,000. miles.
Roland
|
- #495 of 632
-
synthetic oil wear
by mlingga
-
Jan 05, 2009 (6:26 am)
-
|
tfelton:
Can you document the statement that "there is more wear on the motor with fresh synthetic than with broken-in synthetic?" This sounds totally illogical, and strikes me as likely another example of the urban myths that have grown around synthetics (i.e. "synthetic oils do not allow an engine to break in correctly" and "synthetic oils don't contain zinc additives so bearings wear out faster"--both of which are nonsense).
How an oil would become better with wear is unclear to me. Happy to be taught otherwise though, so I'd love to see your source of information.
|
- #496 of 632
-
Re: synthetic oil wear [mlingga]
by tfelton
-
Jan 05, 2009 (7:10 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: mlingga (Jan 05, 2009 6:26 am)
Here's the link regarding oil life:
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html
|
- #497 of 632
-
XM and Bluetooth on 2008
by joeblack1
-
Jan 05, 2009 (1:55 pm)
-
|
Does the 2008 come with XM and Bluetooth?
I think if you get the upgraded JBL sound system on the 2009 it includes both, but not sure about the 2008.
I'm also curious about VSC. I believe this is included on the 2009 but an option on the 2008? If so, is there a package that it generally comes with? Just trying to find an easy way to identify cars with these options as I'm shopping for used if I can get one with these options.
|
- #498 of 632
-
Re: text button for stereo [mackabee]
by Mike0853
-
Jan 05, 2009 (5:09 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: mackabee (Sep 12, 2007 7:12 pm)
I just took my '08 Avalon Limited in for service with same complaint about text button. I compared with FM stations in my wife's '05 Sienna, she was getting text, but I wasn't on the same stations. Service department invoice states my complaint as "Text on radio is not appearing for name of station." Their response is "Could not find any abnormal condition." I don't think anyone at my dealer's place understands how the text button works, because no one in sales or service ever said it doesn't work with FM like previous Toyota radios. Now that I look at the owner's manual more closely, the only places it talks about the text button is in sections about the XM radio and CD, so I'm assuming now it only works in those modes.
|
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans 
