Consumers reports "test"

["PAT MARTIN" <MARDKINS@msn.com>]

I will start off this post with I am by no means an expert I just have a few 
opinions on the subject of oils.  There are other people on this list who know 
a whole lot more than me so lit them get more specific.

I have 2 problems with the CR test.  
1:  If what I have heard was true the test was conducted with chebby caprice 
and the like over 75k miles in "grueling?" cab driving conditions.  Correct me 
if I am wrong but 75k is just a break in on the Audi's and the Caprice for 
that matter, so what exactly did they expect to see when they ripped these 
engines apart. Also automatics arent going to be as hard as a stick shift is 
on a motor.   How often to you run the rpm's up on a stick and how often do 
you run them up on an automatic.   On our cars 150-200k miles is probably the 
AVERAGE and from what I hear that is the same with the Caprice also.  So if 
after 175k miles we opened those same cars would we get the same results?  
Maybe it would have been more appropriate to use a car that notoriously has a 
short engine life and see what would have happened then. I would be very 
interested in seeing there testing protocol.  

2: If 7500 mile intervals are OK than why do my brand new lifters start to 
make noise at ~3400 miles.  Dont the Caprices have solid lifters that dont 
rely on oil pressure.  For example:  I had my oil changed just before the 
Bremerton track event and my lifters started to make noise at about 2500 miles 
which tells you that a track event puts a lot of wear and tear on the oil.

IMHO I think that for the majority of cars somewhere in between 3000 and 7500 
miles will make it last OK.  But when you are talking about cars that are 
sensitive to variances I think you are better off err-ing on the side of 
caution

Pat Martin
864000csq 2 1/2 cat back, H&R-Boge,advanced and loving it.  Drilled and 
stopping it.  Koenig Cobra 16x7 with AVS Intermediates.
95 subaru legacy awd: so stock it hurts
Bothell,WA