What do you do with your old oil?

[pietpetoors]

What do you do with your old oil when you serviced your vehicle?

I am one of the guilty ones. I put it back into an empty oil can and put it in the dustbin. I reckoned that the refuse dump is already polluted and unless the grader break the oil can it will never get out of the can.

But surely there must be a better way?

I know some workshops collect the old oil and sell it to refineries.
Is it possible that the backyard mechanic can drop their old oil at a workshop?
It would be better if it can be refined.

What do you do with your old oil

[JohanM]

I drain the oil into the blue Sumpy, and then I will take it to the Auto Mate workshop in town and ask (actually i tell them ) them to let me drain my old oil into their drum. I have used it also on the farm to kill some alien plants.....

[hentey]

:x :x :x :x

[pietpetoors]

I have used it also on the farm to kill some alien plants.....

My grandfather also did that, apparently oil from a diesel engine is more effective than those from a petrol engine.

[Dadz Toy BFI]

I never had this problem with my old Toy 4y as it burnt 1 ltr of oil to every 1000 kms travelled, thus my oil was always a nice colour :shifty:

However now I've got my Korean and she hasn't used a drop in 10,000 kms :roll:

I think what Piet has highlighted here is that we are horribly ill informed of environmentally friendly re-cycling/dumping facilities here in South Africa.

I was so cross when our local re-cycling facility was closed down by the council due to "non profitability" :x :x :x

I think it's a crying shame that one has to battle so hard to try and do the "right thing" when it would be so much easier to add to South Africa's Major Cities ground water pollution problems.

If any one could enlighten me as to a re-cycling facility in Kaapstad I'd be happier for the knowledge, otherwise I'll probably end up doing like Piet.

[pietpetoors]

I have seen an ad that says something like 1 litre of oil can pollute a couple of million litres of water.

I think even though a rubbish dump is one big polluted area, oil is still bad if it reach the ground-water.

Are there any mechanics out there? Tell us, would you mind if a total stranger pops in and ask you if he can dump his can of used oil in your used oil drum? What do you guys get paid for the used oil? Is it a decent amount? So much that you would welcome others to bring you their old oil?

[Bfreesani]

My spare shop here in North Riding (Mintrams Spares) has a drum in the back where you can drop your oil into. I think they have Oilkol that collects from them. I presently have nearly 75 litres of oil in 25L drums in my yard at the moment. My Sani takes 8 lit on an oil change, and I don't take my oil in till the end of every year ( I missed it in 2008) ..

But yes, get that oil in so that they can refine and clean it, I think they make Castrol with it

[Mud Dog]

OilKol fiters and re-formulates it. Almost every workshop has a collection drum and there is no cost to them, so they should'nt mind if you brought yours along.

[bosjakkals]

Sponsor it for the Landrover and Ford Guys (Oilkol= onder die kar)

CJ

[Riceburner]

My rubish dump has a OILCOL to dump old oil.

[Scooter]

When I was still a Mechy we used to have a collection truck that came around once a week to fetch our old oil and the boss got paid for it, was only like R50 a drum or something. Most private workshops will allow you to drop off your oil with them.

At one stage, when sumpys first came on the market, there was a big drive to have oil collection points all over. I don't know what ever became of them but it didn't seem to work too well.

I have used it also on the farm to kill some alien plants.....

My grandfather also did that, apparently oil from a diesel engine is more effective than those from a petrol engine.

Normal diesel works best for that kind of thing.

[hentey]

If you guys want to service your vehicles yourself,it is your right to do so,but then the responsability becomes yours to dispose that old oil in a eco friendly manner.Tell me,how much do you really save doing it yourself?
Please support the stealers........(sic)........dealers.!!!!!

[pietpetoors]

Hentey, it is not always about the cost.
1. I trust my own work more and if I screw up I can be angry at myself.
2. I enjoy doing it, I sit in front of the PC the whole day and need to do something with my hands every now and then.
3. You learn by doing it yourself, if you get stuck in the middle of the Namib there might not be a stealer around to fix it for you.
4. I cannot get myself to pay somebody R300 for labour to do something that takes me 20 minutes and I enjoy what I am doing.
5. Normally while I service the car I see the odd loose screw or two which I can tighten and prevent possible problems later on.
6. For more serious stuff I might consider a dealer if the forum cannot help me. In the two years I had my Hilux there was no serious stuff. (Touch wood)
7. Where I stay it means driving 30Km to the dealer to drop off the vehicle, drive back 30Km to come home and repeat the exercise when I go fetch the vehicle and NO I will not let them deliver it to me, again a trust thing.

[Mr_B]

The dump in Durbanville, which is pretty close to us, has an oil drop-off facility... probably linked to oilkol

B

[Harold]

No doubt easier to dispose of old oil in urban areas - but living in the country does have a problem of disposal. Any suggestions?

Another question: where oil disposal/collection does take place - what eventually happens to all the mega litres collected? It may be refined but eventually still ends up as old oil!

[Mr_B]

No doubt easier to dispose of old oil in urban areas - but living in the country does have a problem of disposal. Any suggestions?

Easy... donate the oil to a land rover owner!

[Dadz Toy BFI]

If more guys had Frod Mouters there'd be less worries in this world

[Mud Dog]

It may be refined but eventually still ends up as old oil!

Hi Harrold. The old oil as I understand is filtered, purified, chemically re-formulated (gets rid of the acidic build up as well) and then mixed with other cheaper brand synthetic oils.

[Spartan]

again a trust thing

Daar stem ek met jou saam Piet, daar is niks verkeerd om jou self tevertou nie

[hentey]

[quote="pietpetoors"]Hentey, it is not always about the cost.

5. Normally while I service the car I see the odd loose screw or two which I can tighten and prevent possible problems later on.

Mmmmm,the tipical hilux love affair.We understand Piet,we trully understand.Back to the issue,I see on a daily base how incompotent electricians (laymen)subject people/family/children to unsafe electrical installations,and if only they know how dangerous it is.The same applies for the motor industry.Unskilled people working on their vehicle's brakes etc.Sorry people but I do not condone that.However changing the oil is not rocket sience,but there is more to a service than just changing the oil.Hey,but that is just me.

[Bfreesani]

Hentey, it is not always about the cost.

5. Normally while I service the car I see the odd loose screw or two which I can tighten and prevent possible problems later on.

Mmmmm,the tipical hilux love affair.We understand Piet,we trully understand.Back to the issue,I see on a daily base how incompotent electricians (laymen)subject people/family/children to unsafe electrical installations,and if only they know how dangerous it is.The same applies for the motor industry.Unskilled people working on their vehicle's brakes etc.Sorry people but I do not condone that.However changing the oil is not rocket sience,but there is more to a service than just changing the oil.Hey,but that is just me.

I for the first time due to time constraints and the relining process needed on my rear brake shoes, went o safety brake and clutch. My first and LAST time I will trust someone else with my car, let alone brakes... My previous cars had awsome brakes, I would strip down every other service and lub all the bits and check goodies. These clowns used rubbish quality product, skimmed my brand new drums 3 times to make the new shoes fit and I still have one warped drum at my cost.. The front calipers got a new seal kit and pins.. 7K later they start pulling to one side.. I check it out at 10pm in the dark and am horrifies to see the main cylinder rubber not even seated over its lip. The mud is caked in between the cylinder and housing. The pins have no Lubrication and are ciezed and hence not releasing.. Been back 4 times and get nothing better than a report that this is to be expected from such an old car..

@#$%^& to them, it all worked well before I ran metal to metal on the rear and had to get them to horse around with it.

School fees paid... I can't afford to trust my life and my families life to these so called professionals. When things go south and you go back, they have a law book of indemnities and waivers that they throw back at you... When my rear wheel came off on the highway just 20km after leaving a service station and I called the owner back, I was screamed at by this guy and compared to women private parts and told that he will take me on for defamation of character if I say anything...

I rather stand by the mirror tonight and call myself names after fixing my own car...

I do this exercise with mixed feelings (joy and happiness)... At least now I also know how to fix things up in the middle of nowhere with the minimum of tools and materials.

OK, now I feel better... Pieter, you may now delete this rant

[LouisK]

Dankie, hiers waardevolle inligting wat ek nie van geweet het nie, my olie is als nog in kanne in my garage (ek het regtig nie geweet wat om daarmee te maak nie!) Ek gaan more-oggend 'n trippie na Durbanville se dumpyard to maak.

[dalkill]

I had two 4L bottles of old oil in the backyard, standing my my stainless steel "braai-bak".
then one day the auto-gate would not close 100%, and left just enough space for hoodlums to see it...
they stole the 'braai-bak', but left me the oil.... I was so in the @#$@#$, I threw the oil in the bin....

[Harold]

Hi Harrold. The old oil as I understand is filtered, purified, chemically re-formulated (gets rid of the acidic build up as well) and then mixed with other cheaper brand synthetic oils.

:

Yep. But it eventually ends up as old oil, or is the refining carried on ad-infinitum;
at this rate the world will soon not need oil - we will be awash with oil.

[Mud Dog]

Yep. But it eventually ends up as old oil, or is the refining carried on ad-infinitum;
at this rate the world will soon not need oil - we will be awash with oil.

Not sure how many times it can go through the process, probably indefinitely with technology available today. If they can produce oil from coal, they can produce oil from oil. Of course oil can be manufactured completely from raw chemicals but it's easier and cheaper to do from products that are already halfway there, or in this case 90% there. Any unwanted elements can be extracted, but again I'm not sure up to what point it becomes impractical.

[pietpetoors]

I see there is a "Rose Foundation" which collects old oil at certain spots in the main areas.
Have a look at http://www.rosefoundation.org.za/depots.php

[Dadz Toy BFI]

I found 3 ltrs of Unused Shell Helix in my garage; free to a Hilux Owner if they need

just kom and collect nê

[Family_Dog]

Rich, will you deliver?




-F_D