The 3,000 Mile Oil Change 'Myth'

[Sammich]

Good read, especially for people like me who do oil changes religiously @ 3,000 miles intervals

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/586/the-3000-mile-oil-change-myth/;_ylc=X3oDMTE0cnVqb3Q4BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRv ZGF5BHNsawMzMDAwLW9pbA--

cliff notes, read your owners manual to see when your actual oil change is required, it may not be required every 3,000 miles.

everyone probably already knows this, but reminders dont hurt.

[Just_CHill]

Nice article

[Motivation]

"the Board estimates that Californians alone generate about 153.5 million gallons of waste oil annually"

that's what i got out of the article. dang them californians. they affect all of us. maybe we should just go to war with them. ha

[NAIZBST]

too bad they recycle oil now....

[blackshine007]

I usually change my oil every 5k miles. One thing not alot of people don't know about is that you can extend the oil change intervals just by upgrading the size of the filter. bigger filter, longer time between oil changes and cleaner oil at the same mileage. I currently run a ZR1 oil filter and Rotella 15w40. My oil looks right now as if it may have around 2500 miles on it. It currently has 6200 miles on it. You keep your full synthetic. Rotella does fine for me.

[redrumracer]

I usually change my oil every 5k miles. One thing not alot of people don't know about is that you can extend the oil change intervals just by upgrading the size of the filter. bigger filter, longer time between oil changes and cleaner oil at the same mileage. I currently run a ZR1 oil filter and Rotella 15w40. My oil looks right now as if it may have around 2500 miles on it. It currently has 6200 miles on it. You keep your full synthetic. Rotella does fine for me.
isnt rotella what big trucks use

[Sammich]

yea but i've heard good things about rotella too..

[blackshine007]

isnt rotella what big trucks use
Yep. If that oil can hold up to the rigorous abuse of a diesel then what do you think it will do for a passenger car?

[Sammich]

indeed...

how long do u go w/o an oil change w/ using rotella?

[Sport1.3]

i change mine every 2500-3000. Mine burns quite a bit from time to time and its more advantageous to stay on top of it

[Sammich]

^thats the only reason i do it every 3k in my truck..but it dont burn that much...like 1/2quart btwn oil changes

[Nemesis]

Mobil 1 in all my cars and I change every 4500-5000 miles. Full synthetic though. Once a year I will send off a few quarts to Blackstone Labs for analysis reports.

[Kevykev]

Hondas have it on the air filter box and manual listed at 3750.

I've seen 7500 'under normal driving conditions'

[Sport1.3]

^thats the only reason i do it every 3k in my truck..but it dont burn that much...like 1/2quart btwn oil changes


mine will burn a 1/4 qt on long trips (~250 miles). I hawk eye that sh!t, until my turbo can be rebuilt. No way i'm losing a motor to negligence

[Sammich]

good lord...thats like every gas fillup for me in my truck lol

[Sport1.3]

good lord...thats like every gas fillup for me in my truck lol


400+ miles to a tank. 1/4 qt is hardly noticeable on the dipstick, but you can feel it in the engines performance. Rougher Idle, slight bit hessitation etc

[JITB]

my engine tells me when its time to add or change my oil.....yay for hydraulic lifters...lol

[Frög]

Mine are every 7000 miles..

how you guys know why..

[cactusEG]

Better to do it a little bit early, be safe then srry...

[slostang]

2750 for me. running mobil clean 5000 and a wix filter. any other oil/filter combo will make my car burn oil at around 1500 miles.

[ash7]

I must admit, i probably have more "waste" oil on here than anyone else. I change mine once a month regardless.

I run 0w20 to aviod most of the "warm up" period oil has in order to achieve it's proper lubrication state. However, if I'm going to the mountains or track (a couple times a year), i always switch to 5w30.

-jonathan

[cactusEG]

I must admit, i probably have more "waste" oil on here than anyone else. I change mine once a month regardless.

I run 0w20 to aviod most of the "warm up" period oil has in order to achieve it's proper lubrication state. However, if I'm going to the mountains or track (a couple times a year), i always switch to 5w30.

-jonathan

Damn u sound like my younger brother (Dcshoeco). But at least u take good care of ur car :goodjob:

[Double_0_Rusty]

My Talon; Royal Purple 10w30 and AC DELCO filter every 4500 miles (Depends on how I drive)

My Ram; Mobil 1 10w30 and Mopar filter every 3000.

[blackshine007]

indeed...

how long do u go w/o an oil change w/ using rotella?
I typically go 5000 miles. That's just being on the safe side. Rotella is inexpensive and plentiful. I could go farther, but I don't.

[Sammich]

I typically go 5000 miles. That's just being on the safe side. Rotella is inexpensive and plentiful. I could go farther, but I don't.

yea my bro in law was telling me you could actually go like 20k miles on rotella if u wanted to.

when i went to school..i put 3k miles on my truck every month for two years straight...so yea i know about doing oil changes every month regardless lol..got so good at it that it only took me 10mins to do that chit lol

[cactusEG]

My Talon; Royal Purple 10w30 and AC DELCO filter every 4500 miles (Depends on how I drive)

My Ram; Mobil 1 10w30 and Mopar filter every 3000.

Damn to rich for my blood...

[slostang]

yea my bro in law was telling me you could actually go like 20k miles on rotella if u wanted to.

when i went to school..i put 3k miles on my truck every month for two years straight...so yea i know about doing oil changes every month regardless lol..got so good at it that it only took me 10mins to do that chit lol



my dad is currently a trucker and the normal oil change interval is around 25k miles. this is due to having a 5 GALLON oil capacity, extreme duty oils such as rotella, and gigantic extreme duty oil filters. so yes under the correct conditions a 20,000mi+ oil change interval is possible.

[slostang]

Damn to rich for my blood...


x2 $8.50 per quart for teh lewse.

[Sammich]

i think i'm going to switch to rotella in my truck because my timing chain is 'ticking'...i'm going to try the lucas oil stabilizer again first, then if that dont work, rotella, then if that dont work...go back to castrol, then wait for the motor to blow then....1jz engine time lol

[ATK_Designs]

AMSoil Full Synthetic, - Change every 10-15K miles (specified at 30K miles intervals). Been working fine for all my cars.

[DieselNuts]

x2 $8.50 per quart for teh lewse.
8.50? WHERE ARE YOU PAYING THAT? I GET IT FOR $7.20 @ OREILYS

[Sammich]

thats still high lol

[DieselNuts]

lol, yeah it is

[blackshine007]

i think i'm going to switch to rotella in my truck because my timing chain is 'ticking'...i'm going to try the lucas oil stabilizer again first, then if that dont work, rotella, then if that dont work...go back to castrol, then wait for the motor to blow then....1jz engine time lolYou won't be disappointed with the rotella. My buddy runs it in his 2.3L turbo spitfire. Actually, quite a few of my buddies run it from a couple of my volvo buddies to like one of my honda buddies. Really good stuff.

[Sammich]

yea, it needs thicker oil i think to prolong the life of the timing chain for right now...i mean...i wont be hurting too much...$800 for a 1jz complete swap...:D

[IndianStig]

what car is this 1j going in?


also, imma have to check this rotella out. how do i know which oil filter to upgrade to?

h22a4 1999 Prelude Motor

[03RCode]

The main reason to change it every 3,000 miles isnt because the oil is bad, oil will protect long over that, time is worse on oil then mileage. Its the filter that makes it good to change at 3,000. Most filters have about done all they can do by 3,000 and start to break down. It is possible for small parts of the filter to get circulating through your engine after this point.

I use Mobil 1 10w30 in my SN-95 with a Motorcraft filter and plan to change every 2,500. Heck, every vehicle I've owned has had Mobil 1, and a good quality filter changed at every 2,500. I'd rather be safe than sorry personally.

[03RCode]

My Ram; Mobil 1 10w30 and Mopar filter every 3000.

Fram actually makes a majority of the Mopar filters... esspecially the truck/van/suv ones. They all use the same filter (Equivilent to a Havoline T-35, Champ PH235, Napa 2035, etc.). I recommend switching to a Wix, Purolator, etc. to everyone I change who asks for them. Ends up being cheaper as well. I'm not a big fram fan.

[Sammich]

what car is this 1j going in?




in my 88 toyota pickup

[scottyb]

i think it would do alot of people some good to just go ahead and get your oil analyzed by an oil lab like Blackstone.

they will be able to give you a very educated opinion on how far you can take your oil change or if you need to pull back. for the few dollars it costs to do the test it may save you alot in the end with the information you'll gain -- either because you're saving engine wear or money by not having to change your oil as much.

[Sammich]

where the flip is blackstone?

[.blank cd]

where the flip is blackstone?

x74

[scottyb]

where the flip is blackstone?

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/gas_engines.html

there are others, just google "oil analysis."

they tell you exactly what to do and what to expect on their website. i will likely use them on my next oilchange to see if i can take my oil change interval out to 6k or 7k miles.

[Axon360]

I usually change the oil in my bike every 3k miles, cars every 5k miles...my dad had an 89' Camaro he bought when it had 120k mi on it and never changed the fluids, just refilled them as needed.. it got 320k and threw a rod!

[green91]

Oil is contaminated by the combustion process and is further contaminated on worn engines with alot of blowby. I change mine every 3-4k with mobil 5w30 fossil oil. i see TONS of 200k+ cars & trucks that have never had anything but 5w30 fossil oil and still run good.

[slostang]

8.50? WHERE ARE YOU PAYING THAT? I GET IT FOR $7.20 @ OREILYS


at oreilys

[cactusEG]

x2 $8.50 per quart for teh lewse.

I know right ? I'll stick to me castrol 10-40. till I get a swap or boost...

[OTG Signs]

5,000 at the dealer with free wash = $32 :)

Bought it there, might as well maintain it there too.

[koukis14]

3-5k Mobile One full synthetic no matter what.

[southside]

I typically go 5000 miles. That's just being on the safe side. Rotella is inexpensive and plentiful. I could go farther, but I don't.Where can you find Rotella and how do you know what kind to get.If you use like 5w30 what kind of Rotella should you get?I never heard of them before.And what about fossil oils whats good about that?

[southside]

But for now Ill be running Supertech (break-in) and after that Ill be running mobil 5000

[Ch0psticks11]

nice find on the article....i always just stuck to the 3000 mile rule. castrol 5w-30 plus a wix filter. but i think i'm gonna go back to the fram tough guard. it's just easier to take off a fram filter with the grip, lol

[sikfricks]

fram sucks balls dont do it

[slostang]

fram sucks balls dont do it


x2, just use a filter wrench.

[BanginJimmy]

truck valvoline high milage full synthetic 10w-30 twice a year, spring break, then again around labor day. I have about 5k miles in that time.

crapalier whatever is on sale, whenever I decide to change it. I have gone more than 10k miles before on <$2.00 a quart oil.

Vue Castrol GTX 10w-30 in summer and 5w-30 in winter. 3-4k miles as most of the driving is city.

[03RCode]

Where can you find Rotella and how do you know what kind to get.If you use like 5w30 what kind of Rotella should you get?I never heard of them before.And what about fossil oils whats good about that?


Rotella is all 15/40. Its designed for diesels mainly, I've never run it in any gas burning vehicle except my 500,000 mile F150. Wal Mart seems to be the cheapest place to buy it.

[03RCode]

nice find on the article....i always just stuck to the 3000 mile rule. castrol 5w-30 plus a wix filter. but i think i'm gonna go back to the fram tough guard. it's just easier to take off a fram filter with the grip, lol


Stick with the Wix filter. IMO Wix are the best generic filter out there. Dana-Spicer Corp. makes them, the Napa brand filters are also rebranded Wix filters.

I DO NOT like Fram. They lack an anti-drainback valve, the metal they use in them rusts on the inside, and they lack the extra filtration of a good filter. I used to take filters off cars after the oil change, and cut them in 2 to see how the inside looks after 3,000 miles and the Fram was enough to literally make you worry about running it on your vehicle. From pieces of the filter itself breaking loose and circulating with your oil, to the whole inside of the canister covered in rust.

[Sammich]

i have seen two grades of rotella...

edit:

now i see why fram is talked bad about...i guess i will change from fram now

[03RCode]

See my above post. And really? I've only seen the one, but then again thats all I've ever looked for was 15/40.

[Sammich]

yea, i saw 15w 40 and another weight in advance just the other day, because i was going to get some for my truck since its got high mileage and i need to thicken the oil anyway

[AnthonyF]

2k-2500 miles ONLY for me.

-Ant.

[Sammich]

if i did that...i'd be changing every 2-3weeks

[mushroom_toy]

i think i'm going to switch to rotella in my truck because my timing chain is 'ticking'...i'm going to try the lucas oil stabilizer again first, then if that dont work, rotella, then if that dont work...go back to castrol, then wait for the motor to blow then....1jz engine time lol

You know its probably just the timing chain guides. Toyota for whatever reason used plastic guides for our trucks back in the day, and these usually break, then the timing chain starts slapping against the walls, so If I were you I would just get some metal ones and be done with it. Mine has metal ones, they were replaces years ago lol.

[mushroom_toy]

I run Havoline 10w40 in my 86 Accord, 406,000 mile Honda, with a bosch or wix filter. :) I usually change my oil every 3-6k depending on whenever I get around to it. The Honda has always had 10w30 ran in it, but then I switched to 10w40, since my small oil burning on highway.

I use Shell 10w40 in my 79' Kawasaki 400, with a kawi filter. I have only changed the oil once since Ive had it since ive only driven it about 20+- miles.

I run Mobil 1 full synthetic 10w30 in my 91 Toyota pickup, with a bosch filter.

To me the best filters are either the Bosch or Wix filters.

[Sammich]

i just went into the head when i blew my headgasket(dumb me). i dont think i replaced the guides though...

[Sammich]

I run Havoline 10w40 in my 86 Accord, 406,000 mile Honda, with a bosch or wix filter. :) I usually change my oil every 3-6k depending on whenever I get around to it. The Honda has always had 10w30 ran in it, but then I switched to 10w40, since my small oil burning on highway.

I use Shell 10w40 in my 79' Kawasaki 400, with a kawi filter. I have only changed the oil once since Ive had it since ive only driven it about 20+- miles.

I run Mobil 1 full synthetic 10w30 in my 91 Toyota pickup, with a bosch filter.

To me the best filters are either the Bosch or Wix filters.

u run synthetic in the p/u? how many miles did you have on the motor before u started using synthetic?

[03RCode]

You know its probably just the timing chain guides. Toyota for whatever reason used plastic guides for our trucks back in the day, and these usually break, then the timing chain starts slapping against the walls, so If I were you I would just get some metal ones and be done with it. Mine has metal ones, they were replaces years ago lol.

He speaks the truth, things get ugly when the guides break. Seen many a 22R with a busted timing cover.

[mushroom_toy]

i just went into the head when i blew my headgasket(dumb me). i dont think i replaced the guides though...

You should definitely do it. Also you might just need to adjust the valves, and of course you know the toyota tick is usually just the loud injectors. Ever 22r/22re Ive heard around here either has a little valve adjustment problem or the loud ass fuel injector tick, like mine. :)

[mushroom_toy]

u run synthetic in the p/u? how many miles did you have on the motor before u started using synthetic?

234k before the switch, and im noticing a small leak now that I use the synthetic, but I think its just the oil pan gasket that hasnt ever been replaced, but I dont drive the truck right now anyway, so it may just be from sitting so long.

[Sammich]

dang...i maybe able to do the switch especially since i redid my seals on my truck i should be fine

[blackshine007]

Where can you find Rotella and how do you know what kind to get.If you use like 5w30 what kind of Rotella should you get?I never heard of them before.And what about fossil oils whats good about that?Shell Rotella can be found @ walmart for $9.27 for a gallon. I just found out that they do Full synthetic too.


234k before the switch, and im noticing a small leak now that I use the synthetic, but I think its just the oil pan gasket that hasnt ever been replaced, but I dont drive the truck right now anyway, so it may just be from sitting so long.
SYnthetic is a micro lubricator and most of the time will create leaks on older vehicles or at least on vehicles with higher mileage.

[Sammich]

the whole top end(head) on my truck has been redone...so i figure i should be fine...

[ironchef]

Just letting the dealership take care of it. Got the car with 0 miles, they changed it at 5k, 15k, and 25k. Synthetic everytime.

[Sammich]

what do u have...vdub?

[ironchef]

Sorta, Audi.

[Sammich]

vdub makes audi right

[ironchef]

Vdub owns Audi, but they make their own stuff, however there is parts sharing between the two.

[Sammich]

gotcha...i always see vw on both under the hood, thats why i asked