I know this is a Hot Button topic, but I saw this article today online and thought I would share it.
Enjoy !
very good reading thank you
Part of the problem is saying that 10k mile oil change intervals are fine with ALL vehicles in ALL conditions. I think you’ll find that 5k mile oil change with todays conventional oil is fine for all vehicles in all conditions for vehicles that don’t require synthetic.
I do agree that the 3k mile interval is out dated. I think that MOST people here say to go by what’s in the owners manual…and no more. I follow the recommended interval for my 4runner. It’s 5k miles. Could I go farther…MAYBE…but I’m surely not going to experiment on a $40k machine to find out.
OFFTOPIC Sorry…
Hey…was just reading this…and wanted to ask GS Ragtop… Do you have a classic Buick ragtop? My brother has a gorgeous Bannana Yellow 69 Ragtop… Just wanted to chat
The manufacturers recommended oil change interval exists to keep your machine at its optimal condition…a best case scenario, trying to keep it show room new the longest…
Everything other than that is surely something you can calculate and decide for yourself.
The primary reason a dealer suggests 3K is because it gets you in their shop every once in a while so they can upsell you on other stuff you don’t need.
I change mine every 5K or so and do it myself.
@RemcoW ; Agree that the change interval should be based on the manufacturer’s recommendation, not what the dealer says or what the oil manufacturer claims.
I agree with Mike that the videos did not deal with severe conditions where 10,000-15,000 miles might be too long.
I stick with Toyota at 5000 miles; they used to have a much higher figure, 8000-9000 miles, I believe and had a lot of sludged up engines.
Agree that the dealer or lube shop wants to see you as often as possible.
Synthetic oils do not break down as fast, but the additive package gets depleted at the same rate as in conventional oils.
Having said all that, I have yet to run ito a new car with 3000 mile intervals recommended in the manuals.
Fill in the blank at the end of the question.
The oil sludging and coking complaints that occur in vast numbers are due to ____________________
I change my oil every 5,000 and don’t think twice.
For the general public, who never checks their oil level, I have to wonder how wise it is to potentially go 6 months to a year between changes. A 10,000 OCI is something that only those who check their oil at every fuel up should perform.
The above article could be disastrous for the OP of this thread!
Interestingly, no where in the article does it mention checking the oil level. I’ll stick with a 5k interval.
Ed B.
While we’ve beaten the subject to death in pasth threads, I liked the articlle you posted. It made some very good points, and I thought it did a good job of addressing the controversy. It also exposed a connection between Jiffy Lube and Shell Oil that I was unaware of.
Fill in the blank at the end of the question.
The oil sludging and coking complaints that occur in vast numbers are due to ____________________
Due to Humidity or water in the oil…Not running the engine long enough to “boil off” the moisture…thats my opinion and Im sticking to it… LOL
The other issue with these LONG intervals over 5K is the amount of soot and combustion by product residue contained in the oil…the oil also acts like an internal engine wash along with lubrication as its primary function…SO…how much crap do you want to suspend in your lubricating oil? The longer the interval the more crap…
There is a lot of danger with these long OCi intervals… For us guys who turn wrenches…we can get away with the longer durations…but the public at large who view thier vehicles as some sort of appliance who DO NOT know where the hood release is or why its there…are at serious risk… Not checking on the level of oil or its condition is absurd in my opinion… This topic has NO END so I wont attemp to end it…just offer a few words…
Blackbird
“Failing to heed the service interval in your owner’s manual wastes oil and money, while compounding the environmental impact of illicit waste-oil dumping.”
Every oil change I do or have done the oil is recycled so how is it wasted?
Wastes Money, possibly, but saving 30 bucks a year is not a budget fix.
Illicit waste oil dumping? what percentage of oil change oil is being illegally dumped?
“Households that change their own oil, dubbed do-it-yourselfers (DIYers), account for
19% of all used oil generation.3 A 1981 EPA survey revealed that 14% of DIYers
returned their used oil for reuse or recycling, usually to service stations, and 21%
disposed of it with other household wastes.4 The remaining 65% released it directly into
the environment.5 The Department of Environment estimates an even higher rate of
improper disposal by DIYers — 80%.6 DOE estimates that 348 million gallons of used oil
were improperly disposed of in the U. S. in 2004.7 Aside from DIYers, other generators
include automotive sources, transportation facilities and industrial sources, with the
latter responsible for nearly 50% of used oil generation”
I find 65% a little high, I recycle my oil, if you don’t please start!
@Barkydog I change my own oil on one of my cars. The oil gets put in a jug and taken to the local landfill where there is a recycling station for oil, antfreeze, oil filters, paint, etc.There is no charge for this, although I pay an “environmental” charge up from when I buy the stuff.
That’s what I do as well. Oils you can bring to the recycling station and keep coolant and other nasty stuff for ‘hazardous waste day’.
Europe moved to extended (10K+) oil change intervals long ago, and wide scale engine failures have not occurred there. What is causing it work there that we’re not doing here?
The metric system?
The metric system?
Sorry to mislead. In Europe the average oil change interval is more than 10,000 miles.
I know they use larger capacity oil pans, and oils with higher specs. But if those are the only two things keeping us from getting to those intervals, why aren’t we there yet?
The oil gets put in a jug and taken to the local landfill where there is a recycling station for oil, antfreeze, oil filters, paint, etc.
Our town has waste oil heaters for the DPW buildings. They LOVE people to drop of their used oil. Major savings on heating. For years we were the only town that did that. We would get used oil from other towns…but some of them are now doing it and we don’t get enough free oil now to heat all the buildings year round.