Interesting thread, with most posts showing that longer oil changes are ok, and I must agree with a few exceptions. I bought an 8 year old 88 Ford pickup once that had been bought new by a corperate farm. I bought it with 45K miles on it. I could tell that it had at least 1 oil change in its life as it had a non-factory oil filter on it.
When I pulled the drain plug to change the oil.....nothing came out!!! The dipstick showed full, so I pulled the filter and the coil wire and cranked the engine over to get the oil out. I then gave the engine 3 oil changes in 1000 miles and added a quart of atf at each oil change. 40K miles later I had to replace a leaking pan gasket and the inside of the engine was as clean as a whistle.
I guess I am saying that if you drive your vehicle a mile at a time or less and then shut it off.....change the oil often. Drive it normally and change the oil when the oil tells you to, not some 18yo minimum wage "lube service tech".
Which brings up another sore point with me... I would rather have a mechanic work on my cars than a "tech"
Well used oil analysis isn't just for big companies. Anyone can get their used oil analyzed by Blackstone Labs. This should give you a pretty good idea of how far you can REALLY go. I've NEVER changed at 3K. I'd be changing my oil ever 4 or 5 weeks if I did that.
My Sprinter-based motorhome requires every 10K miles. On the View/Navion-Tech Yahoo group there has been much debate over oil change interval. One gentlemen indeed sent a couple of oil samples off to Blackstone. The samples indicated that in the break-in stage 10K should be fine but MAYBE doing it earlier initially isn't a bad idea. (His first sample was at 7K . . and the second was at 17K). Overall it appeared 10K was still conservative and the oil could easily protect the engine a lot longer then that. The newer Sprinters have a fairly sophisticated sensor to alert when it is appropriate to change oil. Some go as many as 17K and the oil is STILL fine.
kaydeejay wrote: ...I was a GM engineer when this all took place and trust me when I say A LOT of research went into it. The change intervals now suggested are extremely conservative. Unofficial discussions were along the lines of you could probably double the recommended change interval. But I will stick with what the computer tells me.
Given the research you did, maybe you can explain something. To my understanding, the viscosity of oil breaks down from wear and contamination (dirt, etc.) The less viscosity the harder the engine has to work, which results in increased wear and lower efficiency.
In my example, I'm familiar with how fast oil would blacken and get gooey in an air cooled 1970 VW bus with a remedial filter that was nothing more than a screen; perhaps this lack of filtering is the juice that's pulled me into the oil-change myth.
...however, the math geek in me tells me that there was some sort of limit test that you mechanical engineer types devised to show how anything GM is higher quality than anything Toyota, Ford, Dodge, Volkswagen, et. al. Showing that an engine can run in its optimum state even with low-quality lubrication would prove the quality of the product you were testing. I know, only speculation on my part.
The 3000 mile thing is promoted by those that have a vested interest in selling oil changes.......including the dealerships even if it is contrary to what the manufacturer says.
Nothing more, nothing less.
When I was a VW wrench we changed the air cooled engines every 3000 but those were a special case. Air cooled motors like VWs are partially OIL cooled too and the oil takes a lot of abuse.
I figured I might as well toss in my 2 cents worth, maybe one day I will get promoted to something other than a "new member." I have always felt that the 3000 mile oil change requirement was a lot of bunk fostered on the motoring public to sell more oil and nothing else. I usually go between 4000 to 5000 on my car and pickup and on the RV, I change it after a trip. The first one was 7500 miles and the second one 4500 miles. I haven't changed it yet after that trip and after reading all these posts, I don't think I will change it for a while. Ford says use a synthetic blend, but use full synthetic. One could maybe change the filter at 5000 miles or so, if one were so inclined, I guess. Anyhow, I guess it's up to the individual, isn't it?
My wife, Janet and I, plus two cats, Misty and Tootsie, travel in style with our 31ft., 2005 HR Atlantis.
I drive a fleet vehicle for work. We were driving Dodge 2500 gassers. When the time came to buy new, we convinced the powers-that-be to buy 1-ton diesels. We were frequently towing over our ratings.
When I picked up the new F350 PSD, the oil change tickets said every 3000. Their policy was 5K normal and 3K heavy duty use.
I explained that what we used the trucks for was NOT heavy use when you are talking PU trucks. He said stick to the program --3K.
I told him the book said 7500 --normal use, 5K heavy use.
He said stick to the program --3K.
I then told him he would be responsible for 15 quarts per oil change.
He said he would get back to me.
Well, I got tickets for oil changes at every 6000 miles??? Just where he got that number, I'll never know, but I often stretch it to 7500.
Chuck, Heidi, Jessica, Nicholas & Tan Puppy
2008 3/4-ton Yukon XL, Flagstaff 831BHSS
Equalizer Hitch and Prodigy
I'm old school, I have too much money invested in my Vehicles to pay attention to peoples myths of extended oil interval changes. I schedule a day once a year to do all of my Vehicles regardless of mileage . I don't put 13,000 miles on all of them combined in a year anyways.I use a full synthetic oil.
As far as the manufacturer recommended intervals are concerned ( for me ) their the ones that want to sell you a new product when yours ends up failing. You think they stay in business preventing or helping you from purchasing a new car. That's their business. For me, like changing tires every 6 or 7 years , changing my oil once every year is cheap insurance. If it's a money issue on the cost of oil changes, than you went way over your head by purchasing something that cost thousands to replace. But that's only my opinion, because of proper maintenance I have never had any of my toys from breakage , I have always gotten rid of them from boredom rather than from them being worn out or broken.
* This post was
edited 06/18/08 03:36pm by B-Plus *
The 3000 mile thing is promoted by those that have a vested interest in selling oil changes.......including the dealerships even if it is contrary to what the manufacturer says.
Nothing more, nothing less.
When I was a VW wrench we changed the air cooled engines every 3000 but those were a special case. Air cooled motors like VWs are partially OIL cooled too and the oil takes a lot of abuse.
Been doing this for over 10 years and never had an engine problem, probably had 8 or 9 cars and trucks in that time frame. I will stick to what I know works. Also spoke to a Mobil rep once and he said on the QT you could go 50,000 miles. Also saves me alot of money and I am conserving oil.
Ken
I guess if I had 9 cars in 10 years, I wouldn't even bother with changing the oil.
That includes the car for my DW, and my son in 10 years, happy now.
Ken
95 Georgie boy Encounter 37ft 5.9 cummins DP
Saturn SC2
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I have always felt that the 3000 mile oil change requirement was a lot of bunk fostered on the motoring public to sell more oil and nothing else. I usually go between 4000 to 5000 on my car and pickup and on the RV, I change it after a trip. The first one was 7500 miles and the second one 4500 miles. I haven't changed it yet after that trip and after reading all these posts, I don't think I will change it for a while. Ford says use a synthetic blend, but use full synthetic. One could maybe change the filter at 5000 miles or so, if one were so inclined, I guess. Anyhow, I guess it's up to the individual, isn't it?
