Who's Overdue For An Oil Change?

[The Critic]

Yesterday, I peeked into my dad's van and noticed that it's odometer was at 86,XXX. Then, I remembered that I haven't checked the oil or even looked at the maintenance log for more than six months.

As it turns out, it has more than 9500 miles on its current fill of oil. The recommended service interval is 7500 miles, so it's more than 2000 miles overdue. The oil is Quaker State 10w-30.

So, who else is overdue for an oil change? Who else here is brave enough to admit that they are sometimes a big negligent?

 

[crinkles]

i would bet my sister is but i won't even ask about it. "the garage does it"

 

[Superbuick96]

IM never overdue! Wouldnt sleep good If I was, plus I really enjoy changing my oil so its not an issue.

 

[eljefino]

Am also over a quart low even after adding a quart of supertech HD 30 weight to get home.

Was not my neglect that I'm correcting, however.

 

[demarpaint]

I'm one of those never overdue guys. To me overdue would be 100 miles over, or if I go by the 6 month time limit, I'm usually within a week to 10 days.

OCD it's a killer!

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: The Critic


As it turns out, it has more than 9500 miles on its current fill of oil. The recommended service interval is 7500 miles, so it's more than 2000 miles overdue. The oil is Quaker State 10w-30.

You are going to send in a sample for us..........right?

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: The Critic


So, who else is overdue for an oil change? Who else here is brave enough to admit that they are sometimes a big negligent?

Well seeing how I'm going to press the OLM reset sequence for the second time on the Ody and keep on driving, you could say I'm purposely "big negligent".

 

[Whimsey]

It depends on how you define "overdue"

. I'm currently at about 8,000+++ miles and 22 months into my OCI. I'm using Schaeffer's Supreme Blend 7000 5W-30 SL plus LC20 and FP60 as directed. My oil filter is a Napa Gold filter. The oil is darker but still translucent and golden. Looking in the oil fill the cam area is spotless with no visable varnish. The car is garaged in the winter in a heated garage. All my trips are at least 10 miles each way with many of the miles being highway.

This is in my 1996 2.0L Zetec Contour which specs 5,000 mile/6 month OCI's. And yes, I'm sending the oil for an UOA when I reach 10,000 miles or 24 months, which ever comes first

.

Whimsey

 

[buster]

Critic you are slipping. You should have thrown in M1 EP and gone 1 year. You wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

[panthermike]

I can't let my cars get "overdue", it just bugs me too much. Until recently, I had a really hard time with 5K intervals. Now I use syn oils and am aiming for 7K(still hard, even though longer is possible).

I did however change the oil on my brother's cars this weekend. His 2002 Lancer had 9K miles on the oil, and his 07' F150 had 8K miles on the oil. But....... luckily I always service them and the Lancer had Schaeffer's 7000 and the F150 had PP, so I think they were fine

 

[sciphi]

Stories like the above are why I enjoy using synthetics. I'm at 5k miles right now on a run of Q-TorquePower, and will go another 2-3k miles on this fill. Right to 6 months, imagine that...

 

[Epic_]

Lulz last oil change I did was somewhere between 800-1200 miles (RP).

Yesterday I had 0 miles on my oil. Today I have 1000 (GC). I'll be dropping it in a couple days.

 

[Greggy_D]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: The Critic


So, who else is overdue for an oil change? Who else here is brave enough to admit that they are sometimes a big negligent?

Well seeing how I'm going to press the OLM reset sequence for the second time on the Ody and keep on driving, you could say I'm purposely "big negligent".


Which flavor of Amsoil is in the crankcase?

 

[Paul56]

A couple of days ago I checked on the oil change... I was 7,200 kilometers on the oil but usually change at the 5,000 kilometer mark on an oil change.

Am I worried... no. Previous analysis of the oil indicated it could go much longer. The oil was no where near anything black.

Got the oil changed yesterday. This morning I do my routine checks, pull the dipstick... NO OIL. WTH!

I wipe the stick off, put it back in, pull it out and have a read again... oh phew there IS oil it is just so clear that it is hard to see on the stick.

I have the heebie jeebies since watching how quickly an engine can be destroyed from the "Cash for Clunker" videos.

 

[Pablo]

SSO this go around, before that RD-20, ASM, XLM.

 

[Nickdfresh]

I'm almost always underdue...

 

[XS650]

I'm about 2 weeks overdue by the 12 month criteria on my Corvette. Not there on the OLM yet but I'll change it soon to keep the warranty deities appeased.

 

[The Critic]

Just checked the oil today. It's still medium brown and only 1/3 quart low.

On the other hand, the air filter is dirty, the ATF looks like used oil, the coolant is rusty with a ton of sediment in it and the fuel filter is overdue.

I think I'll just change the oil and pretend that I never noticed the other items.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Not lately, but my '00 MB E430 was overdue by 1k miles/1mo with the very first oil change back in 2001. The car has OLM and it showed 1k miles overdue when I had a chance to make an appointment for free oil change at MB dealer. The car had factory fill for more than 13k miles without any ill effect.

 

[tom slick]

I check mileage about every month or whenever remember to check to see if it's due, usually within 500 miles of being over. not because I am lazy or inattentive but because I don't think it really matters from paying attention to the information presented at BITOG. It also helps that I run synthetics that claim to be good for more miles than I use them. The UOAs others have done here prove my philosophy.
I love working on cars but don't find oil changes "fun" and they don't stroke any OCD needs for me like they do some people. In my younger years I was an oil change nut (along with points and plugs) but got over it, maybe doing similar tasks for a living gave me my fill.