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Check Engine Light Came On



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 6th 06, 02:24 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Default Check Engine Light Came On

I have a 1999 Mazda Miata. The check engine light came on and stays
on. It's been a year and 8 months since the oil was changed. Would
that cause the check engine light to come on?

Patricia
Macon, GA

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  #3  
Old August 6th 06, 03:53 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
pws[_1_]
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Posts: 1,424
Default Check Engine Light Came On

XS11E wrote:

> Have you checked the oil level? If it's too low the check engine light
> will come on but if the level is OK then the problem isn't the oil.
>
> A year and 8 months is too long to go w/o an oil change.


Yes, conventional wisdom has always been 3,000 miles or 3 months,
whichever comes first.
Now there are endless arguments that you can go much longer, especially
when talking about synthetics. I think that Hyundai recommends 7,500
miles with dino oil.

Still, 6 months is the longest that I would consider between changes,
regardless of miles driven.

I watched my mechanic do an oil change on a Chevy van one time. He had
checked the oil and it was full but very dirty. When he took the drain
plug out, nothing happened.
He actually had to punch through a solidified piece of sludge that had
formed at the bottom of the oil pan to get the oil that was still fluid
dripping, and it dripped out thick and slow. The owner had never
replaced the oil in over 5 years, he just topped it off as it seeped
from bad seals.
Still, with a new filter and oil, the van drove away with no strange
sounds or smoke.

Pat
  #8  
Old August 6th 06, 10:35 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
pws[_1_]
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Posts: 1,424
Default Check Engine Light Came On

XS11E wrote:

> If the above fixes the check engine light you still need to change the
> oil and filter.



Nonsense, your lowest grade dino oil is good for at least 10 years or
100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
As far as oil filters, I got tired of paying for those and deciding
which one to use, so I just plugged off the hole.

The lack of an oil filter makes those once a decade oil changes much faster.
At least I think it would, the engines seem to keep burning up long
before then, but I doubt if the problem is lubrication based.

Now quit trying to get people to waste an ever-decreasing and ever
more-costly resource. ;-)

Pat

  #9  
Old August 6th 06, 11:22 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
XS11E[_1_]
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Posts: 738
Default Check Engine Light Came On

pws > wrote in
:

> XS11E wrote:
>
>> If the above fixes the check engine light you still need to
>> change the oil and filter.

>
>
> Nonsense, your lowest grade dino oil is good for at least 10 years
> or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
> As far as oil filters, I got tired of paying for those and
> deciding which one to use, so I just plugged off the hole.
>
> The lack of an oil filter makes those once a decade oil changes
> much faster. At least I think it would, the engines seem to keep
> burning up long before then, but I doubt if the problem is
> lubrication based.
>
> Now quit trying to get people to waste an ever-decreasing and ever
> more-costly resource. ;-)


I'm sorry, should have thought of the environment! Once had a lady
come into the shop with a Dodge van, 318 V8 (5.2 liters for you
european types, 5.2 litres for you Brits) and wanted to know how often
she should change oil. She'd had the van for a couple of years, many
many thousands of miles and had NEVER changed it, I told her she was
due and suggested the conventional 3 months or 3,000 miles.

We changed it, when we pulled the drain plug a quart or so of thick
sludge came out. With new oil and filter it started, ran normal
compression, normal oil pressure and ran fine.

My girlfriend once had a 1973 Ford LTD that got an oil change only when
the oil light came on, same deal, it didn't seem to hurt it?

Engines take an amazing amount of abuse.

OTOH, a young girl brought in a Pontiac Grand AM (GMs attempt to build
something even cheaper and crappier than the Vega) with the oil light
flashing, she was coming from LA on her way to Colorado. We drained
about a cup of oil, refilled it and the engine disintegrated as she
reached Albuquerque. Of course she tried to sue us and GM for using a
defective oil filter....

So when I said engines take an amazing amount of abuse I didn't mean
GMs 2.4 liter 4 banger....


  #10  
Old August 7th 06, 12:07 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
Lanny Chambers
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Posts: 832
Default Check Engine Light Came On

In article >,
pws > wrote:

> Nonsense, your lowest grade dino oil is good for at least 10 years or
> 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.


Absolutely. It's already 60 million years old; what's another 10? :-)

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
 




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