I've been very bad to my car

How can you afford to do 30,000 miles of driving a year but NOT afford $15 for some oil? That’s not “bare necessity” driving! I get economic hardship, but this reeks of mis-placed priorities. This is the automotive equivalent of having deluxe cable and not paying your utility bills.

No sympathy. When I was in college my budget was somewhere around $5 a week. Yet I had my VW serviced at the local dealer every 3000 miles. Don’t remember what it cost but somewhere around $10. The biggest was the front end overhaul for $50. If you had a car with only 28K on it, you weren’t too broke.

Since there’s been more than one suggestion to use Rotella, I’ll do that.

I don’t have a preference of one brand over another. Most sludge/failed engines are towed in one week after an oil change from the highway. The detergent and heat wash the sludge down from the cylinder head and plug the oil pick up screen. Thicker viscosity and high detergent are two things that you’ll put on your cars tombstone.

I would change the oil, drive ten miles and change the oil again. Next change the oil after 100 miles.

Should your engine oil light come on after an oil change turn the engine off as soon as possible (seconds) and have the car towed. Cleaning out the oil pan and pick up screen may save your engine.

I see no way on Earth that engine is in good shape. Agreed that you should do a couple of oil changes on it and very regular ones after that.

When the oil is changed a piece of coathanger with a sharply wound loop on the end can be inserted into the oil drain hole after all of the oil has drained out.
The loop can be scraped on the bottom of the oil pan and if it’s caked up with coked oil I would advise that you not travel far out of town with the car.

Change the oil and drive on or trade it in. That simple.

Btw my wife in college was beyond poor and changed the oil herself in school parking lot for <$10 once per year.

Charge cards work wonders for situations like these btw and establish credit.

@dagosa The reason I said to trade it in as is because the used car dealer I know does a oil and filter change on all the cars on his lot weather it was a trade in or from the auction. He also has a high school student that really details all of the cars.

How can you afford to do 30,000 miles of driving a year but NOT afford $15 for some oil?

Exactly ! And how can you afford college expenses and not $15. I bet some one is still paying cell phone bills and buying new ipads which everyone seems to feel is "more ’ necessary. Car Maintenance is insurance and even the old cars we gave to our kids, they still maintained them regularly at the expense of “going out” that week. It’s stuff you have to do if you don’t want to loose big money on the other end.

@VOLVOV70 The reason I said to trade it in as is because the used car dealer I know does a oil and filter change on We don’t disagree on this at all. But’ I know dealers too who do nothing to their cars before they turn them around “as is”. I have a fear (it’s just me) that the car will break down somewhere between the time I decide to get rid of it and the time I actually do. I then make sure all maintenance is up to date. It pays when I take it in too and it gives me piece of mind. I will make that $22.50 back.

when gas was $4 you may have spent $40/week on fuel. some folks think oil changes are a waste of time or maybe they forgot. the OP is going to change oil now?

Unbelievable! Rocketman

Nevada gives good advice: how to prevent or at least be on the lookout for an oil supply / oil pressure crisis. Using the correct oil is important. I’ve seen Rotella in 15W40 but not in lighter grades. Your car likely calls for 5W20 or something close to that. OK’s idea to take a sample of what’s left on the bottom of the oil pan sounds good to me too. My hunch is that things will be better than the worst case scenarios that we might imagine.