Stop Changing Your Oil

nasio

I agree 100% with this article. I am a mechanic and I bought a 1992 Honda Accord with a "blown" engine a few years ago. The donor engine had 85000 miles on it. I replaced the air filter, fuel filter, fuel pump, oil pump, timing belt, balancer belt, water pump, clutch assembly, spark plugs, wires, etc. I have driven the car for 159,000 miles since then, changing the oil regularly at 10,000 mile intervals with Mobil 1 synthetic. There have been no problems, no engine knocks, no rattles, no smoking, which leads me to believe that the recommended 3000 mile oil change intervals pushed by the oil change industry is bunk. I also have a 1985 Toyota pick up with the original engine still in place with 277,000 miles on the odometer. I also routinely change the oil at 10, 000 mile intervals, no problems there either. So, to all you 3000 mile oil change NUTZ out there, ya'll are being taken for a ride by the Quik Lube, Jiffy Lube oil change rascals. My name is Nasio, and I approve this message.

ecoplunderer

Follow the recommended oil changes that the manufacturer requires and keep records while a warranty exists, otherwise you will buy the failure. After that your on your own even though your Government tells you otherwise.

ecoplunderer

I would also like to add that nobody has mentioned the fact that the 3000 mile change existed back to the carburetor days. Fuel injection that came into the US car lines in about 1985 changed everything. Carburetors had a manual choke that people would leave on too long when warning up the engine thus "washing down" the cylinder walls and oil. The automatic choke helped but carburetors still could not come close to fuel injection for accurate metering of fuel. Guess what? Engines started to last MUCH longer with better fuel metering. When I was young the 100,000 mile mark was usually the sign of a new engine being needed. Now 2-3 hundred thousand is almost "normal" on a well kept engine. Usually the vehicle body and interior suffer so much at that duration that owners change vehicles because the overall condition is beyond economical value to repair. The vehicle manufactures have brought up service intervals but it may be true to offset the loss of engine rebuilds they have kept them shorter than needed. They can also "catch" other "problems" while they have your vehicle in their bays. Because of piece work in a dealer shop, I am reluctant to even take take my warranty work to them. I understand both sides of the fence in that case but if you encourage short cuts in a shop, you will get them and some are not so good for the owner of the vehicle. Back to the oil change discussion. I think you need to follow the warranty recommendations and from there you need to decide how long you are going to keep the vehicle and the reputation of the vehicle can play a part in that decision. Imagine a semi-truck changing oil every 3000 miles(that's not even a trip across the US)! They don't and they can last a million miles in extreme service with proper oil maintenance(tests) and filter changes. If I plan on keeping the vehicle a long time, shorter oil changes make sense. I will stretch the oil changes If it will be kept for a short time.

jimisbell

This article is spot on. The three comments below are the "hogwash" I have owned 120+ cars over 76 years of life. There have been many studies that showed that oil "lifetime" had nothing to do with engine life unless there is already something wrong with the engine. I drove a Mercedes 200D for over 100,000 miles changing the oil every 10,000 miles. It was like new when I sold it at 150,000 miles. I have only had ONE oil related failure in my entire life. My daughter was driving a 64 mustang I bought for her while she was in college, She NEVER put any oil in it for an entire year. Then one day it threw a rod through the pan and there was not enough oil in the pan to stain the ground. That was NOT the oils fault, it was my daughters fault.

shadetree_55

This information is correct. I have been a fleet operator and years ago changed the oil change intervals on my fleet to 5,000 miles using Mobile 1. I had a vehicle in my fleet, a 1986 Chevy Blazer S10 that blew a head gasket at 98,000 miles. When the engine was pulled apart for over haul all of the tolerances were within factory new limits. I drove that vehicle to 215,000 miles with no other issues. All of my fleet vehicles were driven to high mileage and without exception no engine suffered a failure due to oil issues. That is over a 20 year time span. I still use the same 5,000 mile schedule today and have a 96 Jeep with over 340,000 miles on it and it runs like new. On the other hand I just purchased a 1999 Lexus for a very low price because the owner did not change the oil timely and screwed up the variable valve timing. So extending the time between changes has to be tempered with the type of oil used.

jackinkeywest

I've adopted the "5,000" mile oil change rule. Easy to check the odometer an change oil at 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000 miles, etc. Saves money from changing oil/filter too often using the 3K mile rule and I have peace of mind knowing I change oil a bit more often than the 7500 mile interval the manufacturer suggests for my Dodge Ram Pickup. Has worked for me and most of my friends have apopted the "5K mile rule". It's much simplier math that way.

nolies

HI FOLKS I AM A AUTO REPAIR SHOP OWNER AND MECHANIC FOR 25 PLUS YEARS SO CLEARLY I HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT SUCH THINGS AS OIL SO YOU BETTER LISTEN TO AN ENVIROMENTALIST WITH AN AGENDA OR A CAN'T BE WRONG ENGINEER WHO BELIEVES THEIR OWN HYPE.ESPECIALLY JAPANESE AND GERMAN CAR ELITISTS.OIL IS A CHEAP INVESTMENT ANS AS FAR AS OIL DUMPING-100% OF WASTE OIL IS RECYCLED OR USED AS FUEL FROM MY SHOP.99.9% OF THE IMPROPERLY HANDLED OIL IS FROM DYI ERS. MAYBE THEY SHOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO WORK ON YOUR OWN CAR THAT WOULD SOLVE THE WASTE PROBLEM.ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON TO DO IT 4-5K IS TO GET UNDER THE HOOD AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING ELSE IS DOING FINE.I HAVE SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WITH 4-500K ON THEIR TOYOTAS WHO HAVE RELIGIOUSLY SERVICED THEIR CARS AND I HAVE TEN TOYOTA ENGINES WITH LESS THAN 100K ON THEM WITH HOLES IN THE BLOCKS.7500 MILES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES WITH CATASTROPHIC RESULTS.BMW AND MINI CARS COMING IN WITH ENGINES HAMMERING THEMSELVES APART THANKS TO 10K OIL CHANGES AND MOST CARS RUN OUT OF OIL AT THESE INTERVALS.IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT AN ENGINEER STATES ABOUT HIS "PERFECT CREATION"YOU ARE SILLY AND NAIVE.SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 4-5K IS PERFECT.YOU CAN PAY ME 50.00 NOW OR 5000.00 LATER.IF YOU BELIEVE THE DRABBLE THAT IS IN THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE.BUT THEN AGAIN MANUFACTURERS ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF SELLING NEW CARS SO 7500-10K IS PERFECT FOR THEM.CAR IS JUNK AT 100K..TIME TO BUY A NEW ONE..GO FIGURE...I HAVE CAR OUT BACK CUST WENT 17K BETWEEN OIL CHANGES TWICE(USING CASTROL SYNTEC) ON EDMUNDS ADVICE..NOW NEEDS ENGINE...THANKS GUYS...DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE FOREVER COOLANT THAT IS DESTROYING COOLING SYSTEMS,HEATER CORES AND CAUSING MASSIVE,EXCESSIVE REPAIRS...THESE PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER DOING THEIR INVESTIGATING IN THE REAL WORLD INSTEAD OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD.ANYTHING BUILT BY HUMANS IS FLAWED AND WILL FAIL...

mack083184

Most NEWER vehicles do not require the 3000k frequency (mine is on average 7500 when following the manufacturers recommmended prodedures). But older vehicles still need more frequent oil changes especially if standard oilis used. What I take offense to is that the writer believes oil is just dumped. I assure you it is not. Service centers recycle the oil. And now pretty much all auto part stores have free recycling also.

300k5

I have a 2010 Chrysler 300 with the 3.5 V6 and I have to change my (synthetic!) oil every 2800-3000 miles or it actually starts damaging engine parts, as we had learned the hard way. We recently had to replace several engine components because we went 3200 miles before changing the oil. The only car I have EVER owned that was different was my 2007 Nissan Altima 2.5s. We did our own oil changes with Royal Purple and were able to go 8-10k miles between changes, and even up to 12k for one.

volvojoe1

2001 Volvo S80 T6 Twin Turbo with 25K Miles. Oil and Filter changed every 5000 miles with Mobil 1 Full Synthetic. No Oil related engine problems or internal engine problems. Tranny flushed every 25K miles. No Tranny issues either.

Mobile 1 in the5 qt size is pretty reasonable at Wally World. I always use an OEM Oil Filter. Buy a case of filters at a time to save.

Now why would I change my schedule?

Please let me repeat... TWIN TURBO.

ritepath

I change the oil in our vehicles in the 7-10k range. Never had an engine failure in 26 years and 20+ vehicles.

You want to replaced something worn....change your struts/shocks on a regular basis.

admbenbow

As a motorcycle cop I came upon a stalled MG convertible in an intersection in Los Angeles. A quick inspection revealed, after a couple of failed starts, that the engine had seized up.

I asked the driver to open the bonnet. When I removed the dip stick, I found rust on it and a total lack of oil.

So, I asked him when he last checked his oil. "I dunno," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "I can't remember."

Without AAA, his attractive but dead auto disappeared behind a police approved tow. This caper, better than any other I can think of, illustrates the real need to occasionally check your oil. Better that than writing your motor off.

skygolfer

It's not because the oil wears out that you should change it regularly, it's because the combustion products in the cylinders create grit which acts as an abrasive that accelerates engine wear. Until an oil filter that removes this grit and still maintain a high flow of oil can be developed, the grit will always be the problem. Oil is cheap compared to engine replacements. Perhaps since automakers are making egines that last well pat 150,000 miles, the only way they can sell new cars is to get people to extend their oil change periods.

gary747

My 1990 Jeep Wrangler made it to 307,000 miles before I replaced the 4.2 L engine, due to valve train noise. I changed the oil every 3,000 miles. I now send in an oil sample for analysis every time with he new engine. My last Blackstone Lab Report showed centistock viscosty LOW by 20%, after 2,688 miles on that oil. No fuel or antifreeze contamination was present to affect viscosty. That was with NAPA 20W-50 (decent oil) operated in a warm climate. This report is politically correct BS. Sorry, but if you follow this report's advice, you will be buying cars/engines more often.

wblakesx_

are the previous posters saying the 3,000 mi interval applies to both northern and southern states? Alaska and Rio? that fuel injection, particularly at cold start, has not protected oil from substantial degradation due to dilution by molecule snipping solvents in the fuels?

sirced

Hey Shep your S10 is an Isuzu and none of the [non-permissible content removed] vehicles like their oil to be neglected. What the author neglected to say is that these quick oil change places use the cheapest recycled oil on earth so to keep things safe just change it every 3,000. And also, synthetics are a joke and especially Mobil 1. Mobile 1 is complete garbage con-job going. All synthetics completely suck. How do i know this? I am well attuned to my engines sound at start up and well attuned to the gas mileage I get thuout my oils cycle. In 2 different brand new toyota's I used synthetic and in the 2009 Yaris you could hear slight rod knocks at the instance of ignition. Don't go crazy over oil. Change it at between 3 and 5 thousand. Remember, the auto makes are trying to make you think that they have advanced and that you have broad and vast time within your dreaded service intervals. Remember what happened with Dodge and the engine sludge thing? Plus, is it better for the environmental to get shittier gas mileage then to change your oil? They just recycle your old oil into HD motor oil or WD-30 or whatever else they can think of to maximize there profits anyway I said to much.

sammie_jo

hogwash is right! My change oil light goes on when I need to change the oil, it's approximately every 3000 miles. My truck is 12 years old and I don't plan on trading it in anytime soon.
It only costs me $30 to get my oil changed, I use the local garage, cheaper than a new engine and certainly cheaper than payments.

qwester32

It is possible to put more than 300,000 miles on an engine without changing the oil more than six times. It depends upon how, when, and where you drive. I have put 309,000+ miles on a 1992 Ford E150 5L engine by using the followine practices:

1. Never put more oil in than will bring the level up to the add oil mark. When the engine runs rough due to lowered compression due to low oil add oil per the above limit.

2. Drive over 45 MPH as little as possible. Never take super highways. Driving that slowly would be too dangerous. Driving should not be exhausting but rather a pleasant interlude to life's serious complications.

3. Keep the interior cool even in winter to avoid nodding off.

4. Pay attention to vehicle sounds and acceleration dynamics.

5. Develop true affection for your car and use true synthetic oil.

krfleming

Given the rate at which cars I'm familiar with need to be topped-off with oil normally, oil is replenished in the engine at a rate far higher than the rate at which the oil loses its integrity. With routine filter changes and synthetic oil, I see no sense in changing oil at all. I don't, and never will. In fact, my 535i (turbocharged) engine is well-known for running through oil at a fairly high rate. That rate is far higher than the rate at which the Mobil 1 needs replacing.

And, by the way, the 3,000 mile oil change recommendations do not come from 'the old days' when cars 'needed' frequent oil changes. It's a completely modern sales invention. When I was a kid there was no such recommendation I'm aware of, and 10,000 miles was the norm. I believe the interval recommendation has continued to drop over the years, with 6,000 being common for quite some time.

There's a big difference between doing regular oil changes and not putting oil in the engine at all. No engine has ever 'seized' because it needed an oil change--plenty have seized because they needed oil.

eurotech865

OK here we go..... With todays oils, an oil change is not needed every 3k. But!! It is not the oil that i am worried about. Its all the other nastys that can build up in the oil (fuel, vapor aka water). Then they like to get together and do harm to the internal components of the enging. It can reduce the lubrication qualitys as well as clog the crank case vent systems. I do not mind that most people go the 10k to even 20k oil change interviles. That keeps me in business! Though I do recomend with a full Synthetic oil 5k to 7k. I have seen too many early engine failures with the longer oil changes. think about this too! Most car companys will change your oil for free at a milage that they have deemed OK. Well untill the Car is out of warranty. Hope this helps. Good Luck reading throught the bS.

buckhalt

My 1998 Dodge truck has 238,000 miles. This is because of good oil & oil changes. When it reaches 250,000 I may freshen it up. It is a 4 wheel drive that pulls my backhoe & bulldozer & other tractors. This truck is not babied as it is a work truck & is not a dually but rather a 1500 series Dodge with a 360 with fuel injection. No question about it Dodge makes great truck engines. I have owned Chevrolet & Fords & none has even come close to my Dodge & in my opinion is in a class of its own. My advice is to change oil & filter regularly & it will pay off in the miles driven!

puppyuppers

What does this mean - "he was told that the vehicle had safely gone 13,000 miles between oil changes" ? What does the fact that nothing visibly bad happened have to do with it? Are you supposed to go without a change until something bad happens, and then it is time to change?

wrxfan1

PLEASE don't change your oil for 20,000 miles! I can use the work!

dangrs1

I have been saying this since 1993 when I switched to synthetic. 200,000 miles later on my '93 Dodge truck with 10,000 mile oil changes it did not move on the dipstick between changes. 150,000 on my '02 with the same results and will be doing the same on my new 2012 Ram.

gmcgurk

I commuted 25k a year in TX. heat for over 25 years. Now that is a lot of miles. Years before I started those kind of miles. I switched to the first synthetic on the market. AMZOIL. recommended 25k oil changes. IN all those miles bought used low mileage 4cyl stick shifts for commuting. I drove every one over 200k before replacing the cars, paint would fade interiors would wear or I just got tired of them. . Never lost an engine never had one that used over a qt. to 20k, Then would change the oil as a rule.
Right now I have a forever car the wife loves. It's a 96 Honda Del Sol. 210 k, Just gave my daugter a 2002 Saturn 225k. And I have a 2002 dodge Quad cab pickup with 110k used for towing, Camper and boat.

I don't know if Amzoil is better than other full synthetics. I do know with that kind of service I am staying with it. Now take this for what it is worth but commuting for all those miles at high speed in TX heat I think is a pretty good test of what Edmunds says.

I do maintain my vehicles well. Change coolants best grade of tires, on and on. But $ for $ and commuting that many miles you evaluate cost factors carefully. Good maint. best quality parts like tires hoses belts pay off. Many miles and many years prove it for me.

kelliem

I am disabled and rarely drive more than about 1500 miles per year...and that is the high end. So what would the recommendation be for someone like me?

mikie101

fwiw; Experience with my little car since new;
Gets 24mpg starting with fresh oil, I check it every tankful !
Mileage drops down to 22mpg by next 3000 mile mark.
Goes right back to 24 with nothing but oil and filter change.

Actually seems slightly quicker with fresh oil, maybe that's my imagination but surely the gas mileage increase isn't my calculator imagining things. I'm slightly heavy on the throttle, it sees some rpm's and always like to see twisty corners.

Over and over repeats this gas mileage cycle with oil changes at 3000, its now at 100,000 miles.
Pulled the pan off at 50,000 miles and replaced all the crank and rod bearings.. all looked quite nice but was replacing clutch so the engine was out. Easy.

quepuesese

I'm not a auto mechanic but I do work in the maintenaince field as a instrumentation technician.
From personal experience, I have a 2002 Honda Civic with over 300,000 miles on it and it's still going. I regularly change the oil and filter every 15,000 miles. Has worked for me. Thank you Lord God.

steve459

I've been using 100% Synthetic oil for years now. The best brand, by far, is Amsoil. Their oil lasts 15,000 miles/1 year when used with their oil filter. I've been running it for 4 years in my 99 Integra and about to start the second year for a 04 Corolla. They both run great!

jeepwonder

I don't suppose you have ever torn down an engine filled with sludge?
Or read about Toyota's V6 issue with sludge, or Chrysler's 2.7 engines?

There is more to oil than it's viscosity, contaminants damage the engine and need to be removed regularly. I understand that you don't mention how recycled oil isn't an ocean of wasted oil. This was a one sided piece of propaganda.

panjok2

Has anyone done the math on these new synthetic oils versus basic oil? If you take the extra money you spend on using a synthetic oil versus the money you spend on a basic oil, what you get is enough money to buy the engine for that car! I have changed the oil at 3,000 miles in all my cars (with regular valvoline) and I have always gotten at least 200,000 miles on them! Not spending that extra money on synthetic has saved me enough money to buy a new engine for another 200,000, if I choose to keep the car!
Also not enough people explain to these customers the reality of what happens if they use synthetic oil and then go back to regular oil the next oil change. (because they don't have the extra money for synthetic or whatever reason) Their car will most likely start leaking oil because it shrinks the seals!
Basically...those of use who are changing your oil don't get paid enough to be your "car expert"! Maybe if we got paid more then we would see the benefit of learning how far each car can go between oil changes! All these supposed smart people who look down on us will one day be at our mercy like we are when we need a doctor, but do we get the pay for our extra knowledge? NO .......There needs to be a shift in what labors and the such get paid! Our years of knowledge is worth just as much as the guy designing a building in my opinion! If not then maybe people need to learn how to take car of their own car and learn how long they can drive between oil changes because I don't get paid enough to tell you for free! Does a doctor freely tell you what medicine to take for that rash you have? NO....then why should we! He learned that in a book the same as we learn what we know...in a book! Why shouldn't we be paid better?

poolswami

IMO the article is accurate. I have a swimming pool repair and maintenance company and put grueling stop and go miles between accounts in the city coupled with frequent highway miles and routinely go 6,000-9,000 mi. with conventional oil between changes. One truck has 215,000 mi. and the other 285,000 mi. and neither engine uses any oil between changes. No drips, no smoke, and both still have as much power as when they were new and fuel mileage is unchanged. Other maintenance is critical as well though. Transmission service, fuel and air filters, and plugs/wires at 100,000. Modern engines and oil additives are fantastic and require far less maintenance and repair than the vehicles of 20-40 years ago.

dakotagypsy

I have had at least 7 cars that have reached 200,000 plus miles with no major service. Four were Fords, one was a Pontiac and two were Chevys. None had any major engine problems. Current vehicle is a 2002 Chevy with 251,000 miles. Never an engine problem.

None of these vehicles had oil changed in less than 7,500 miles. Usually tried to follow the oil monitor in the Chevy but frequently went 1,000 to 1,500 miles after the light came on.

While not statisticly significant when looking at the millions of cars on the road, 100% success over my 60 year lifetime is good enough for me. I'll stick to the 7,500 average and bank the savings.

jetmechanical

There will always be exceptions to the oil change routine - you can't fix stupid! I have heard those idiots say "Oh should I change the oil?" I have used Mobil 1 and Royal Purple forever, since before syn oil was popular! I put 250,000 miles on my 86 Chevy p/u with a 350 and changed oil at 7500 miles sometimes more. At teardown for a resto and more power the engine mic'd ut near fatory spec! Same thing on my Yamaha 1100 Special Editon 4 cyl - 125k miles with NO appreciable wear in the engine. The hone marks in the bores were visable...barely but visable. Syn oil is the way to go, but remember spend the bucks on the best oil filter you can find- the oil can go the distance but filters are another story!

rmunn

Over the past 30 years I have heard it all. I changed my own oil for years. I had an Oldsmobile, Toyota. Chevy, Geo, Nissan and now a Dodge. Most car makers engineer cars to eventually fall apart. The first thing they do is put cheap gaskets on heads and oil pans. Once the cars start to leak oil the problems increase. I check the oil regularly and if it is not clear I change it. Brown oil is dirty oil. I learned that oil does not break down it gets dirty Miles do not matter but dirt in the engine does. I used synthetic oil once and never used it again because it slugged up the engine so bad it was like glue on the parts, especially the plastic parts and covers. This is all about planned obsolescence, return customers and their money. Honda's last for 300,000 miles GM and Fords last 150-200,000 if you are lucky. OIL is the life blood of the engine...3000 mile changes is a farce as are 15000 oil changes. If it gets dirty change it...

st87

My dad taught me to judge the oil in a vehicle. New oil is light brown on the dipstick. As it ages it turns darker brown to black. It definutely needs changed at black! Also the feel of the oil: wipe the oil from the dipstick with thumb and index finger; if it feels smooth and silky it's OK. If it is slightly gritty then oil change may be needed. If it is very gritty, change the oil. You can start the feel method right after the oil is changed and monitor from there. Of course, you have to open the hood and pull out the dipstick to do that. Otherwise, you have to depend on others to tell you (and that can be wasteful).

john_289

You can't be serious. In 3 months time the average person uses 180 gallons of oil (refined into gasoline) but you're b1tching about them "wasting" 4 quarts during that time frame? I can't quite figure if you're daft or if you're on the payroll of some company that stands to profit from people whose engines have worn out.

mrash

The truck had only 74000k on it and the engine was SIEZED!

Wow.. if the truck had 74 million miles on it no wonder the egine was SIEZED!

As my dad taught me, check your oil, and keep it full. We kept the oil changed every 3500 mile back then. I use Mobile One in everything now and run it 10k miles between changes and have had zero problems related to engine wear. I also use an actual mechanic to maintain my vehicles rather that depending on these Qwikie clip joints with the minimum wage technicians who are just as likely to break it as to fix it.

Something that the article

dickerin

Old ideas die hard...

I had an old neighbor years ago that said his truck would not run unless it had Gulf brand motor oil. Every time it started it confirmed his belief.

paulsundling

There is actually a California site where you can plug in your make/year/model and find out how often to change the oil. I assume the numbers work for other states too.

http://www.checkyournumber.org/

snogfrocket

I don't see how anyone can be concerned with the environmental effects over the over-zealous oil changes of the TINY percentage of people who manage to get their oil changed every 3,000 miles. I usually change my oil about every 5K-7K miles and have been satisfied with that for dozens of years, and usually just take the window sticker and wad it up the moment the nice young man installs it. Half the population is female. Very few women - especially young ones - give any thought to changing oil, and certainly not on a 3,000 mile cycle. Sure their might be a few random exceptions whose old man instilled it in them, but young women change oil about as often as young men change towels.

crzdad

$30.00 for an oil change 2-3 times a year is nothing compared to the engine damage and the cost associated with the repairs that are caused by oil that has lost its ability to lubricate properly. Lack of maintenance is the "killer" of vehicles. Writing a column suggesting that we don't change our oil on a regular basis is both dumb and irresponsible.

nbell

hmmmm my2000 honda has almost 200,000 and has had no major repairs done to it. I follow the guidelines in my owers manual and change the oil at under 5000mi. Has worked great for my Honda and Plan to try to get to 300,000.....

jackooo

As a kid of 17ish and knowing little about oils and having even less money I purchased the cheapest oil for my cars in the 50' to the 70's. It was not until I reached the age of 25 that I realized how to check the worth of the oil.
The oil I was buying at the drug store was rated SA. After further review I saw that it was rated for lawnmowers.
Never had a problem with it and had many cars back in the day.

chris339

So im guessing I should take advice from some average joe on how to take care of my car than someone that actually built it and knows how a engine works inside and out gtfo.lol stupid

boise2

Ha, the funniest thing that come to mind here is my first car. It went through so much oil that I always had fresh oil in it : )

oiler1

The tidal wave of "media" and manufacturer sentiment against 3,000 mile oil changes is misleading at best. Are automotive engine tolerances tighter, are modern lubricants improved, has oil filter technology improved? Yes to all three. BUT, here are some keys points to consider:

Modern engines are generally much smaller, have higher specific output (more power for their size), work harder (move more weight for their size), and contend with arduous conditions (traffic jams/idling/heavy loads) daily.

Are auto manufacturers really concerned with the long life of your engine? They will be all too happy to sell you a new car when yours (prematurely) wears out.

I speak from 35+ years of maintaining my own vehicles (i.e. 3,000 mile oil changes). Our family has owned dozens of foreign and domestic vehicles. We have NEVER worn an engine out. Our '86 VW Scirocco has 250,000+ miles on its original engine, 2002 Honda 161,000+ original engine, '85 Chevy K20 123,000+ original engine, etc. My point is an oil change is the cheapest insurance you can get. It is false economy to thing saving a few hundred dollars on oil changes is wise when engine replacements are multi thousands of dollars and new cars are really expensive.

For drivers who frequently buy new cars and wasting money is not a concern here's something to consider: savvy used car buyers request maintenance records. We recently gave one of our older (well-maintained) cars that was too small for our current needs to a family member. The "new" owner (a 30 year automotive technician) was blown away when we provided every maintenance record for the car back to our new purchase 25 years prior.

For the self proclaimed "eco" folks out there: I recycle all of my used motor oil and filters. When a vehicle is well maintained (those 3,000 mile oil changes again) it can last and last. When a vehicle dies an unnecessary premature death, how many Earth resources (water, raw materials, chemicals, etc.) does it take to replace it with a new one?

Finally it is hardly a coincidence that every documented REALLY high mileage (350,000 miles+) vehicle still on its original engine seems to have had frequent oil changes throughout its life.

napajim20740

I do not typically bother to register and post comments on any site that I frequent.

I felt is necessary to post, because edmunds is misleading the public. The article is obviously biased, using scientific evidence mixed with subjective view points.

While it is indeed true that certain synthetic oils can easily go 10,000+ miles, the author has intentionally left out three critical aspects.

Firstly, the oil will, over time "burn" off, and the vehicle will need to be topped off. Most drivers will not check their oil levels on a regular basis, and will likely drive around with low oil levels. This will cause damage to the engine, as well as other components of the vehicle.

Secondly, and probably most importantly is the oil filter. The vast majority of people trust auto shops to change the oil and filter for them.

Auto shops operate just like any other business, on profit. Very simple, bring in more money that you spend. Ergo, auto shops will use the least expensive filter possible, not to mention some shops will put extremely inexpensive oil in the vehicle, not a premium mobil 1 full synthetic.

A cheap oil filter will stop doing its job around 3,000 miles, so your oil will then bypass the filter, meaning NOTHING is being filtered. You might as well drive around without a filter at that point.

As you can imagine, NOT filtering oil is bad. All filters will clog, PERIOD. A more expensive filter will last longer, but NO filter will last 10,000+ miles, while continuing to effectively filter out contaminants in the oil.

This article is intentionally misleading the public due to a political view that the author has, which is that we need to save the environment and that the automotive aftermarket industry is evil, and full of lies.

cosmiccowboy

Being a Auto Tech for the last 40yrs I have seen the way oil has changed as well motors.The old days a V8 could go 8000 miles between changeson regular 10w40 .Then came the V6 & 4clyd motors witch turned more RPMs than V8s so the oil broke down quicker.Hence dropping down to 3000 miles.
Now 30yrs later the oil has changed to synthetic & better grades like 5w-30,20w-50 and others.Plus now V8s &V10s are back too.Even the large trucks have increased their intervals between changes.
I don't know about 20,000 but 5 or 6000 yes,with todays oils you can increase the miles ,but take the advise of a motor builder the life of a motor is your oil & cooling system.Both must be maintained regularly,And don't buy the Cheapest of either, buy a name brand oil &coolant.

probuilding

I have been using mobile one any 2005 Chevy pickup 2500 series with a V-8 engine, 130,000 miles, change the motor oil every 7500 miles engine is running strong, change coolant at 100,000 miles, spark plugs hundred thousand miles, serpentine belt just recently everything is running great. Cheapest full synthetic oil change believe it or not is that Walmart 55 bucks. Am I keep this regimen up and not waste money and oil changes. Stop going to Jiffy Lube and other places like it the cost way too much. Remember it's your money.