Entitlement at the mechanic

[ADeMartino]

My oil change interval is every 25,000 miles - with ordinary 15W40 oil (no fancy synthetics).

Yes, BUT... you're driving an over-the-road truck (I can tell by that 15W40 spec). The thing that pollutes motor oil is the short-distance driving most people do. Cold starts and stop-and-go driving are HELL on motor oil - moisture and deposits end up in the oil under those conditions. A heavy truck is started and runs for HOURS all its life. It gets hot and STAYS hot - so there is far less opportunity for the moisture and 'cold start' deposits to build up and contaminate the oil.

An ex-girlfriend of mine's father was a salesman and on the road constantly. He could drive his car for MONTHS, racking up 15,000 miles between changes, and that oil was clean and clear when it came out of the pan. The car he drove had over 300,000 miles on it, and still ran great when he sold it.... (bear in mind this was in the mid-1980s, when cars seldom got past the 150,000 mile mark!)

[KatherineB]

My mechanic is awesome. He comes to my house or my work and gives me great service, is always chatty and friendly, and I also know he's not ripping me off. How? A light went out inside the car, and instead of fixing it (and charging himself) he wrote down what globe I needed, etc, told me what shop to go to and told me how to fix it. 50c job and I learned something. Great stuff!