Neither would I. Didn't the Franz filters use a roll of toilet paper as their filter medium? Wouldn't that make one gloppy mess to change out?
These days, you're not even supposed to throw ordinary oil filters in the trash, what with all the oil still trapped in them. (I change my oil at work, where we have Safety-Kleen come in to take the recycled oil as well as the used oil filters.)
My '06 Civic is at about 4600 miles right now & I've got 40% on the OLM. The car was bought on June 18th. I've never gone this many months without a oil/filter swap & am a bit concerned. Should I be? And at about 24k miles, I'd like to go with Mobil 1. I've been told that I'd have to manually adjust the OLM, as I'd probaly go out to a 10k change interval. Is this an easy procedure to change the OLM on my own? I really don't understand the OLM actually. I do about 80% city driving with a 19 mile round trip to work. I've always considered this a "severe change interval" and have never gone more than 4.5k miles. With this kind of driving, will synthetic just be a waste for me or should I just stick with 5W20 dino juice? I know you just sell cars, but maybe one of your trusted mechanics could give me some clarity here. If not, that's o k too.
The Sandman
(My son's home from college and he's racking up lots of miles, so I should be at 15% by the time he leaves in 2 weeks.)
I personally see little benefit in using synthetics since regular oil is so good these days. The OLM's are pretty new and at this point, I don't know whether to trust them completly or what? I just don't feel comfortable going over 5000 miles no matter how I drive.
But, that's me. I know I tend to over maintain my cars especially when it comes to oil changes.
It probably makes little difference if I change my oil every 4000 miles or every 8000 miles but I just feel better doing it more often.
Maybe some of this comes from some of the sludged up engines I have seen.
I know I "just sell cars" but in one of my former lives I managed a large shop.
A friend in the wilderness! I couldn't agree more with you on the point concerning the current quality of mineral oils. The only reason to use true and pure synthetic oil is if you are entertained by the mileage stretch game. After listening to all the finest arguments on all sides of the issue, I simply change my oil and filter in my cars and trucks every 3000 miles. :shades:
Thats a waste of time and money, and does extra environmental damage. The real reason synthetic oil is great is to provide one-year oil changes, and the filters (Mobil1's EP line or Amsoil's EAO line) are up to the task as well. Just look for an oil with the tougher ACEA test ratings along with the GF-4 and SM ratings, such as Mobil1 EP oils or Amsoil's 0w-30, for example.
If you choose to use a particular oil and pattern for yourself, that's fine. Please don't critique other's like myself. I change my oil to remove contaminants collected from starts and short trips. In winter especially that means I change at 3000-3500, depending on the mix of driving the car has had.
Truth is, the oil filter removes the contaminants you're talking about, and the Total Base Number (TBN) reserve buffers what acids may build up in cold-short-trip driving. Its been shown so many times that you can keep the oil in there longer. The latest study was on the Mobil 1 website Oil Test results There are other older tests, too numerous to mention, that says you don't need brand new oil in there at all times. However, its an emotional attachment many people have.
Also, a little bit of small solid particles in your oil have also been shown to lower the wear rateon internal engine parts. This has been shown by SAE engineering study tests and other oil-analysis tests, as well as tests in the 70's by Arco, the makers of Arco Graphite motor oil back then, which put graphite carbon particles in the oil and it lowered the wear rate.
Do you have a link for a reputable test that says more particulate matter is better for reducing engine wear? Would tha include not changing your oil for say 30000 miles because of the small particles? Leaving the old oil filter in there because it won't filter out small particles?
Fresh, clean doesn't "harm" engines, just that you get lower wear rates with slightly dirty motor oil. That means less metal lost off your cam lobes per 1,000 miles driven, something we all want: less wear.
As my post #939 said, there is a link in there to Mobil1's oil test where they left the same oil in there for 15,000 miles at a time in tough tests. That one study. Another source of two studies cited (their own and an SAE technical paper is at Used Oil has less Wear Rate -- read near middle of the page for the SAE paper cited, and their own study. Their exact quote is: "Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."
Personally, I believe Arco Graphite, the Mobil company taxi tests, the SAE paper, and the oil analysis guys results. Taken together, they are all strong evidence that you don't need to constantly change your oil. 10,000 miles would be plenty conservative with a good synthetic. 15,000 miles would usually be fine. If the conditions are very dusty (lots of dirt road, Mojave/Sonoran desert, etc.) then 8,000 might be enough since the filter has to trap a lot of silica in that case, to be cautious.
"Would that include not changing your oil for say 30,000 miles because of the small particles? "
30,000 miles is too much for the acid-neutralizing chemicals added to modern oils. With too much acid, metal begins to etch away, increasing metal loss (wear). Also, oil will thicken a bit with age, so you don't want to push it past 15,000 or so with a good synthetic. One should change a good quality oil filter at every 15,000 miles or so (Amsoil EAO filter or Mobil1 EP filter) to keep it from being clogged.
:confuse: I'll take a pass on that, coldcranker! I have had great success running clean oil that was manufactured by "name brand" oil refiners, such as Chevron and Shell (and many others). I'll accept any and all negative consequences of my tenacity for engine sanitation. :shades:
Every car I've owned was outlived by the engine. 3,000 mile oil changes in the old days, 5,000 on my Dub (mandated by warranty), 6,000 miles on our old Accord...it won't matter. The engine always outlives the car. Critical rust, electrical issues, or collisions have taken all of our cars out of action, usually in the 150,000 to 160,000 mile range - whether import or domestic, large engine or small. I don't think I'm particularly worried about engine wear from too clean of an oil.
" I don't think I'm particularly worried about engine wear from too clean of an oil"
You just said you changed your oil at 6,000 or less. You worried enough to change your oil too often, wasting time/money. A lot of other people have been duped into these irrational habits, too, so I'm not just picking on you.
I don't feel duped and I don't feel picked on. I'm simply following the owner's manual recommendations based on where, when and how our cars get driven. I like to keep my warranties intact.
A side note: Before I bought my VW, I joined several forums that addressed that particular car. The debate back in 2002 was did the 1.8T need to run on synthetic. Guys argued up and down that no it didn't - don't worry, be happy. Then VW handed down a recommendation/requirement for synthetic oil that met their own specs. Then guys started arguing that no you don't have to follow their specs, any synth will do and you can extend the OCI. Then the cases of coked/sludged engines started to appear more frequently. Then when VW denied warranty coverage due to extended OCI's, a mighty wailing and gnashing of teeth was heard. Ain't gonna happen to me .
altair4, I know what you mean. I've got 2 newer vehicles and don't like Ford's 5,000 mile and 6 month intervals. I'm thinking about extending just because it makes sense in gas vehicles with a decent oil filter. None of the extended oil change studies I've seen on cars/SUVs have been diesels. In a diesel, I do wonder if the carbon buildup in the oil might just overwhelm suspension ability of the oil over time. One indication is that Mobil1 warns people NOT to use their "Truck&SUV Mobil1 5w-30" product in diesels, meaning that you need the other Mobil1 products that have special additives to handle diesel soot particles better.
I just bought an 05 tbird and I usually use Mobil 1 synth. oil in my vehicles. The owners manual calls for 5w-20. What weight of Mobil 1 should I use as I don't think it comes in 5w-20? Also, what is the best method or product for cleaning and protecting the convertible top. My top is a light blue or grey color. :confuse:
turbos should use synthetic coz of the heat..any api certified oil can go 7500 miles...people [non-permissible content removed] about the oil companies, but they do make a great product (engine oil)....the engines usually outlast the cars if they are maintained...i live in NH like shipo where rust and salt are biggest enemies of cars...old age too...we should be more worried about washing the salt off our cars from the roads...my 99 cavalier has 153 k on it and engine still runs great w/ minimal burning of oil...any new car i have bought the engine has always run well, maybe coz i do what is necessary and dont neglect it...5 new american cars over years too..25k taking my fat [non-permissible content removed] back and forth too work a year.......so maybe american cars arent that bad...i work for a mainly big 3 supplier so i hope they will start doing better... i would hate to see america lose more manufacturing jobs
It has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that modern cars can go at least 5k miles between oil changes with dino oil. The 3k rule had more to do with older cars which didn't have the sophistication that modern engines employ. And let's be honest, the quality of oil has improved dramatically since that bygone age, there really is no comparison. Check out the Synthetic Oil forum here and just read what a few of the more knowledgeable posters have said about the oil change frequency topic. It really is required reading for anyone in Edmunds. And the dealer has an alterior motive in getting you to live by the 3k change interval...more $ in his pocket. Folks, we're in the 21st century now...why rely on outdated information from 50 years ago?
"My car dealership recommends I change the engine oil every 3,000 for "maximum life and performance"."
You've never been lied to by a dealer before? Geez, some of the very worst automotive maintenance advice that I've ever heard has come from dealers. :P
I suspect I've been lied to frequently by dealerships, though it is difficult to prove as they easily come up with some excuse/reason. That's why I hang out on Edmunds... so I won't get screwed over. Changing oil every 3k miles for maximum engine life sounds reasonable to me though.
"Changing oil every 3k miles for maximum engine life sounds reasonable to me though."
Unless you're using cheap oil and driving under horrid condtions, there is no scientific evidence what-so-ever that proves that a 3K OCI will lead to a longer engine life. The flip side of course is that if you are running a good high quality synthetic oil; then all evidence available suggests that OCIs of 10,000 miles or more can be achieved with zero negative effects on the engine. Thinking about this logically, given that synthetic oil flows faster during a cold engine start event and as such starts lubricating sooner, it could be said that an engine will give a longer service life if lubricated on GroupIV synthetic oil and 10,000 mile OCIs than it will on conventional oil even with 3,000 mile OCIs.
I've got to go with jipster on this one. No meaningful harm comes from changing oil "too soon." Skip the "green" arguments! Yesterday I purchased a brand new 2007 AWD vehicle. The manual says to elect the 3000 mile route in situations such as mine (and most everyone else's!). The text is quick to remind the reader that they mean business, when it comes to warranty claims... :shades:
I don't believe that anybody has ever heard me suggest to anyone that they disregard the factory recommended OCI during the warranty period. That said, moving to a Severe Service OCI and then compounding that with using Synthetic oil is wasteful and will gain you absolutely nothing as far as engine longevity is concerned. Nothing, not even a single mile further.
Like it or not, 3,000 mile oil changes with synthetic oil are silly.
I don't understand the Chrysler reference. We have two Chrysler products with a total of over 220,000 combined miles, and they've had nothing but 10,000 mile OCIs since they were practically new.
Not a jab at their reliability (or lack thereof), but as I recollect, they are one of the few manufacturers left that doggedly stick to a 3-month/3000-mile severe-service OCI.
Hmmm, we have two very similar Grand Caravans, same 3.8 liter engine, similar packages... Our 1998 stipulates 7,500 miles for the regular OCI and 3,000 for the Severe Service OCI. The 2003 is 6,000 and 3,000 respectively. The Severe Service criteria are as follows: - Frequent short trip driving less than 5 miles (8 km) - Frequent driving in dusty conditions - Excessive trailer towing - Extensive idling - More than 50% of our driving is at sustained high speeds during hot weather, above 90 F (32 C)
If ANY of these apply to you, then change your engine oil every 3,000 miles (4,800 km) or 3 months, whichever comes first.
If none of these apply toyou, then change your engine oil every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 6 months, whichever comes first.
A few thoughts:
1) For the first 7 years and 85,000 miles, our 1998 was either driven to and from the bus station or driven into the Garment District in Manhattan on virtually every trip that wasn't to the grocery store or the dry cleaners. Said another way, if the driving characteristics of any given trip didn't fall under the first severe service bullet item, it fell under the forth. 2) Since June of 2005 (over 50,000 miles ago), that same van has spent probably 75% of its operational time with the speedometer registering something well north of 65 and often north of 80. 3) I'm guessing 100,000 miles of the currently showing 136,000 miles on that van have fallen under what Chrysler would term "Severe Serivce". 4) Understanding the "Why?" as to the reasoning behind Chrysler's recommendation of 3,000 miles for an OCI means, to me at least, that given the capabilities of modern Synthetic Oil, 10,000 mile OCIs are both appropriate and conservative. 5) Used Oil Analysis proves the 10,000 mile OCI comment from #4 is indeed very accurate.
Question: While I haven't checked, the popular myth seems to be that "Everyone" recommends a 3,000 mile OCI for practically all real world driving enviornments. Is that really the case or is it just Chrysler?
Question: While I haven't checked, the popular myth seems to be that "Everyone" recommends a 3,000 mile OCI for practically all real world driving environments. Is that really the case or is it just Chrysler?
As far as automakers go, Chrysler is in the small minority (maybe a minority of one). GM cars mostly have oil life monitors, and their owner's manuals say to wait until the monitor indicates it's time to change the oil (or 1 year), whichever occurs sooner. For Toyota, it's 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. IIRC, Honda says 10,000 miles or 12 months. BMW uses oil life monitors like GM.
The people who recommend the 3000 mile OCIs are the Jiffy Lubes of the world and their ilk. And of course you have all the diehards who believe what their fathers and grandfathers told them is still true!
I go with 6 months on my current vehicles using conventional oil. None of the cars accumulates 5000 miles within 6 months. Two of the cars (both Camrys) are still under their manufacturer 5/60 powertrain warranties.
Ummm, I would prefer to say, "GM uses OLMs like BMW." My 1999 328i (which was built in 1998) came with an OLM that was nominally targeted to 15,000 miles (it typically recommended about 14,000 miles in NYC traffic). My 2002 530i seemed to operate very similarly, however, as I picked the car up in Germany and broke it in on the AutoBahns, I guess it wasn't too surprising that the OLM recommended my first oil change at 13,000 miles. Right about that time my wife and I moved from the NYC area to southern New Hampshire, however, I still had clients in the NYC area, and I spent the next couple of years commuting back and forth two to three times a month. Given the relatively steady and relatively sedate highway speeds I was driving, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that my OLM recommended my second oil change at the 32,000 mile mark, fully 19,000 miles after the previous one.
"I go with 6 months on my current vehicles using conventional oil. None of the cars accumulates 5000 miles within 6 months. Two of the cars (both Camrys) are still under their manufacturer 5/60 powertrain warranties."
My wife and I are the exact opposite of you. We are currently driving two Dodge Grand Caravans, and both of our work places have moved/are moving this year. When the second move is complete, we will be commuting in opposite directions from our house, and our annual combined mileage will be somewhere north of 90,000 miles. If I was to adhere to the 3,000 mile OCI thing, I'd be needing to do more than 30 oil changes per year! Yikes! I can't tell you how glad I am that the UOAs on our vans have proven that Mobil 1 0W-40 is good for an easy 10,000 miles (with a comfortable margin of error of at least an additional 2,000 miles).
My (approximately) 3000 mile oil changes are strictly with mineral based lubricants. Years ago I delved into the realm of synthetic lubricants, only to eventually go back to mineral products. My philosophy has been that the small, small investment in "excessive" oil changes is a bargain in engine insurance. And I like clean oil lubing those pristine surfaces... :surprise:
No offense intended for wdt44, but there is a guy in the Camry forums who just bought a new 2007 model. He drives an incredible number of miles per year, but is insisting on changing his oil every 2500 miles (half of Toyota's recommended interval). With the mileage he racks up, he's going in for an oil change every 3-4 weeks!
He bought the prepaid maintenance package, which includes the oil changes at 5000-mile intervals, but he's paying out of pocket for the "in between" ones. Some of us tried to talk him out of it, but you know what conversing with a wall is like!
People who use the car for their livelihood (directly I mean, as in delivery, repair service, etc) tend to be pretty cautious. I know I am. I drive maybe 20K a year and my car takes a beating, so I'm very indulgent with it. Best oils, best service, and when the car is on the rack, I'm under it looking everything over.
I totally agree with you. I change my own oil every 6 months, which is always under 5000 miles in each of my 3 vehicles. Like you, when they're on the lift (at work, which my employer allows after hours), I look over the chassis very carefully.
But any way you cut it, 3-week, 2500-mile oil changes are obsessive. One reason he gives is fear of sludge. Well, that problem is 5 years in the past regarding Toyota. I hope this guy doesn't use synthetic!
If they're driving that many miles per week/month, they must be doing a lot of trip driving longer than 20 minutes and the car's thoroughly warming up and purging the condensates out of the engine. They should be looking at 7500 mile changes except if they have cold weather like here in Ohio part of the year. For sludge use a top brand oil or use synthetic. They would benefit from smaller size filtering oil filters to keep the oil cleaner longer since there is long trip driving to circulate the oil through the filter.
We tried -- no use. Personally on these forums, once I've had my say trying to convince someone to change their ways, I'm done. I don't even see a real need for synthetic with such high mileage use, since the oil will get changed every 6 weeks anyway. The only exception would be if he's in a very hot or very cold place.
Imidazol - he has to keep to 5K mileage intervals to maintain his Toyota warranty coverage, but I agree with you otherwise.
Do you use dino oil and, if so, what kind? I am trying to determine what dino oil that I should use. I want a good quality oil but not a synthetic. So far, I have been using QS.
In this day and age, it is hard to go wrong on selecting an oil if you are choosing among the "name brand" companies. And as the oil change interval controversy seems to surely indicate, you can pick an interval that suits your needs within reasonable limits. I have a friend who changed oil and filter every 7500 miles on a Chevette he bought new. He ran it out to 210,000+ miles. He proved that such an interval works for very busy cars! In my case, I have too many vehicles, and therefore only average around 5000 miles per year on each, even getting help from family drivers. I change oil and filter on each vehicle at least every seven months or so. :confuse: I use 3000 miles as my basic interval, although it gets out near 4000 from time to time. I disregard the "every three months" alternative.
Comments
The Sandman
Amsoil dealers just remind me of the guys that used to sell the Franz oil filters. Anyone remember those?
I never went that long when I used amsoil although I know people who did. I was doing 15,000 miles with a filter change at about 7,500 miles.
These days, you're not even supposed to throw ordinary oil filters in the trash, what with all the oil still trapped in them. (I change my oil at work, where we have Safety-Kleen come in to take the recycled oil as well as the used oil filters.)
I really don't understand the OLM actually. I do about 80% city driving with a 19 mile round trip to work. I've always considered this a "severe change interval" and have never gone more than 4.5k miles. With this kind of driving, will synthetic just be a waste for me or should I just stick with 5W20 dino juice?
I know you just sell cars, but maybe one of your trusted mechanics could give me some clarity here. If not, that's o k too.
The Sandman
(My son's home from college and he's racking up lots of miles, so I should be at 15% by the time he leaves in 2 weeks.)
But, that's me. I know I tend to over maintain my cars especially when it comes to oil changes.
It probably makes little difference if I change my oil every 4000 miles or every 8000 miles but I just feel better doing it more often.
Maybe some of this comes from some of the sludged up engines I have seen.
I know I "just sell cars" but in one of my former lives I managed a large shop.
John,
http://www.dripslipper.com/
Thats a waste of time and money, and does extra environmental damage. The real reason synthetic oil is great is to provide one-year oil changes, and the filters (Mobil1's EP line or Amsoil's EAO line) are up to the task as well. Just look for an oil with the tougher ACEA test ratings along with the GF-4 and SM ratings, such as Mobil1 EP oils or Amsoil's 0w-30, for example.
Give me a break. I recycle my oil.
If you choose to use a particular oil and pattern for yourself, that's fine. Please don't critique other's like myself. I change my oil to remove contaminants collected from starts and short trips. In winter especially that means I change at 3000-3500, depending on the mix of driving the car has had.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Also, a little bit of small solid particles in your oil have also been shown to lower the wear rate on internal engine parts. This has been shown by SAE engineering study tests and other oil-analysis tests, as well as tests in the 70's by Arco, the makers of Arco Graphite motor oil back then, which put graphite carbon particles in the oil and it lowered the wear rate.
BTW graphite is a soft form of carbon (C).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Personally, I believe Arco Graphite, the Mobil company taxi tests, the SAE paper, and the oil analysis guys results. Taken together, they are all strong evidence that you don't need to constantly change your oil. 10,000 miles would be plenty conservative with a good synthetic. 15,000 miles would usually be fine. If the conditions are very dusty (lots of dirt road, Mojave/Sonoran desert, etc.) then 8,000 might be enough since the filter has to trap a lot of silica in that case, to be cautious.
30,000 miles is too much for the acid-neutralizing chemicals added to modern oils. With too much acid, metal begins to etch away, increasing metal loss (wear). Also, oil will thicken a bit with age, so you don't want to push it past 15,000 or so with a good synthetic. One should change a good quality oil filter at every 15,000 miles or so (Amsoil EAO filter or Mobil1 EP filter) to keep it from being clogged.
You just said you changed your oil at 6,000 or less. You worried enough to change your oil too often, wasting time/money. A lot of other people have been duped into these irrational habits, too, so I'm not just picking on you.
A side note: Before I bought my VW, I joined several forums that addressed that particular car. The debate back in 2002 was did the 1.8T need to run on synthetic. Guys argued up and down that no it didn't - don't worry, be happy. Then VW handed down a recommendation/requirement for synthetic oil that met their own specs. Then guys started arguing that no you don't have to follow their specs, any synth will do and you can extend the OCI. Then the cases of coked/sludged engines started to appear more frequently. Then when VW denied warranty coverage due to extended OCI's, a mighty wailing and gnashing of teeth was heard. Ain't gonna happen to me
Thanks
It's superior to 5W-20 (even Mobil 1 5W-20) as it flows quicker following a cold start.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Now, THAT is just plain funny! :shades:
Check out the Synthetic Oil forum here and just read what a few of the more knowledgeable posters have said about the oil change frequency topic. It really is required reading for anyone in Edmunds. And the dealer has an alterior motive in getting you to live by the 3k change interval...more $ in his pocket.
Folks, we're in the 21st century now...why rely on outdated information from 50 years ago?
The Sandman
You've never been lied to by a dealer before? Geez, some of the very worst automotive maintenance advice that I've ever heard has come from dealers. :P
Best Regards,
Shipo
Unless you're using cheap oil and driving under horrid condtions, there is no scientific evidence what-so-ever that proves that a 3K OCI will lead to a longer engine life. The flip side of course is that if you are running a good high quality synthetic oil; then all evidence available suggests that OCIs of 10,000 miles or more can be achieved with zero negative effects on the engine. Thinking about this logically, given that synthetic oil flows faster during a cold engine start event and as such starts lubricating sooner, it could be said that an engine will give a longer service life if lubricated on GroupIV synthetic oil and 10,000 mile OCIs than it will on conventional oil even with 3,000 mile OCIs.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Like it or not, 3,000 mile oil changes with synthetic oil are silly.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
- Frequent short trip driving less than 5 miles (8 km)
- Frequent driving in dusty conditions
- Excessive trailer towing
- Extensive idling
- More than 50% of our driving is at sustained high speeds during hot weather, above 90 F (32 C)
If ANY of these apply to you, then change your engine oil every 3,000 miles (4,800 km) or 3 months, whichever comes first.
If none of these apply toyou, then change your engine oil every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 6 months, whichever comes first.
A few thoughts:
1) For the first 7 years and 85,000 miles, our 1998 was either driven to and from the bus station or driven into the Garment District in Manhattan on virtually every trip that wasn't to the grocery store or the dry cleaners. Said another way, if the driving characteristics of any given trip didn't fall under the first severe service bullet item, it fell under the forth.
2) Since June of 2005 (over 50,000 miles ago), that same van has spent probably 75% of its operational time with the speedometer registering something well north of 65 and often north of 80.
3) I'm guessing 100,000 miles of the currently showing 136,000 miles on that van have fallen under what Chrysler would term "Severe Serivce".
4) Understanding the "Why?" as to the reasoning behind Chrysler's recommendation of 3,000 miles for an OCI means, to me at least, that given the capabilities of modern Synthetic Oil, 10,000 mile OCIs are both appropriate and conservative.
5) Used Oil Analysis proves the 10,000 mile OCI comment from #4 is indeed very accurate.
Question: While I haven't checked, the popular myth seems to be that "Everyone" recommends a 3,000 mile OCI for practically all real world driving enviornments. Is that really the case or is it just Chrysler?
Best Regards,
Shipo
As far as automakers go, Chrysler is in the small minority (maybe a minority of one). GM cars mostly have oil life monitors, and their owner's manuals say to wait until the monitor indicates it's time to change the oil (or 1 year), whichever occurs sooner. For Toyota, it's 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. IIRC, Honda says 10,000 miles or 12 months. BMW uses oil life monitors like GM.
The people who recommend the 3000 mile OCIs are the Jiffy Lubes of the world and their ilk. And of course you have all the diehards who believe what their fathers and grandfathers told them is still true!
I go with 6 months on my current vehicles using conventional oil. None of the cars accumulates 5000 miles within 6 months. Two of the cars (both Camrys) are still under their manufacturer 5/60 powertrain warranties.
Ummm, I would prefer to say, "GM uses OLMs like BMW." My 1999 328i (which was built in 1998) came with an OLM that was nominally targeted to 15,000 miles (it typically recommended about 14,000 miles in NYC traffic). My 2002 530i seemed to operate very similarly, however, as I picked the car up in Germany and broke it in on the AutoBahns, I guess it wasn't too surprising that the OLM recommended my first oil change at 13,000 miles. Right about that time my wife and I moved from the NYC area to southern New Hampshire, however, I still had clients in the NYC area, and I spent the next couple of years commuting back and forth two to three times a month. Given the relatively steady and relatively sedate highway speeds I was driving, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that my OLM recommended my second oil change at the 32,000 mile mark, fully 19,000 miles after the previous one.
"I go with 6 months on my current vehicles using conventional oil. None of the cars accumulates 5000 miles within 6 months. Two of the cars (both Camrys) are still under their manufacturer 5/60 powertrain warranties."
My wife and I are the exact opposite of you. We are currently driving two Dodge Grand Caravans, and both of our work places have moved/are moving this year. When the second move is complete, we will be commuting in opposite directions from our house, and our annual combined mileage will be somewhere north of 90,000 miles. If I was to adhere to the 3,000 mile OCI thing, I'd be needing to do more than 30 oil changes per year! Yikes! I can't tell you how glad I am that the UOAs on our vans have proven that Mobil 1 0W-40 is good for an easy 10,000 miles (with a comfortable margin of error of at least an additional 2,000 miles).
Best Regards,
Shipo
He bought the prepaid maintenance package, which includes the oil changes at 5000-mile intervals, but he's paying out of pocket for the "in between" ones. Some of us tried to talk him out of it, but you know what conversing with a wall is like!
But any way you cut it, 3-week, 2500-mile oil changes are obsessive. One reason he gives is fear of sludge. Well, that problem is 5 years in the past regarding Toyota. I hope this guy doesn't use synthetic!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Imidazol - he has to keep to 5K mileage intervals to maintain his Toyota warranty coverage, but I agree with you otherwise.
it should not be enough