What's up everyone!? Just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself to the community. I bought an 07 STI in November and been in love with it since. I'm not a gearhead nor do I normally work on my own car, but I want to start so I figured this is a good place. I'm mechanically inclined, just don't have the tools or time to work on ma baby. Which should be changing hopefully. So I may not be able to add much to the discussion but will def be learning! I first wanted to start changing my own oil since 1) it's costly 2) it will get me more in touch with my car and how it works. I found this post regarding an oil from Renewable Lubricants. It's a veggie-based oil. Yeah, I'm a tree hugger. It doesn't look like it's available locally but Grainger is a distro so I was going to contact them and see if they can order sans shipping costs. (Which are crazy expensive due to weight. 1 gallon = $34 minus shipping, with shipping = $50) I'll post again if I make any headway. http://www.iwsti.com/forums/2280969-post50.html Other than the oil, I'll slowly be adding mods, trying to do what I can. Like brake pads, brake lines. I'm also on the SoloAtlanta forum and recently tried autox. yum. I would consider this a second "hobby" as my first hobby, which is actually a second-job-trying-to-be-my-primary-job, is as a music producer/audio engineer. I own a studio in Marietta and create music for artists and record bands. I also play in several bands which takes up most of my non-work time. Any other members into music let me know! On that note too, the stock stereo in my STI BLOWS!!! I usually find myself listening to the car/engine over the crap-ass stereo. I guess I didn't buy an STI to listen to the 'jams'. Kind regards to all, mark/space (ones and zeros)
welcome mark!! Great into!! If there is one place with plenty of mechanically inclined folks, it's here! I just don't happen to be one of them! But I am into music. Haha. Sounds like you have a great thing going! Look forward to meeting you at some of the future meets! Best of luck with the car!
---->ENTER<----- is an awesome key I like to use to separate series of sentences into paragraphs. Welcoem aboard
Thanks all. Yeah, I see I lost my formatting. I got logged out while writing it and copy/pasted it after i logged back in, so I must have gotten lost that way. I'm a stickler for all things proper. "Entroducing" was the title of DJ Shadows debut record. Just a hint at my music side.
Welcome... FYI the chem e inside of me says "no" to those lubricants. While the oil itself is veggie based it doesn't say what the additives are. Wanna bet those additives are *green*? Also regardless of what your engine oil is, I would not pour it on anybody's lawn. The oil has been in your engine helping it stay lubricated and most like in the process absorbing yuckie stuff from the combustion process and gasoline. I would not want people dumping their used oil on anybody's lawn period nomatter how *green* it is. I'd imagine you would have to get rid of it just like regular oil, therefore I don't quite see it as "biodegradable" either.
Welcome! Did you do the autoX school??? I talked to someone there, but I thought his name was Scott.... but he had an '07 that he bought recently, so...? And I'd recommend a fully synthetic and then recycle it when you're done. That's about as "green" as you can get and not harm your car. Just saying...
MMMtasty, yeah that was me. Mark/Space is my "superhero" name as we call it. Scott is my "government" name. haha. mark/space is the old-school way of representing ones and zeros, before we called it 'digital'. It works for a music producers' moniker. In terms of the oil I was not planning on ridding of it any other way than usual oil, just trying to get off the petrol "tit". I figured since is conforms to the same standards as all other synthetic oil it would be safe. Also taking in to consideration the post I linked and the data from the manufacture. But I can't find it locally and shipping brings it up to $14/quart so that pretty much throws that out. Back to the oil tit it is!
There are some good quality synthetics that are ester based. Think that is pretty darn close and some say is a better oil.