My Oil Experience since 1971

[My442]

I am a life long oil changer and back yard mechanic.

I have owned more than 30 cars...some new, some used, and some really used.

My oil change philosophy on cars is to change the oil and filter every 3 months with quality stuff.

On yard equipment, it is twice a year.

In over a million miles of driving, I have NEVER had a lubrication failure in anything I have ever owned.

I have used almost every oil brand, as well as filter brands.

I have mixed and matched brands, viscosities, synthetics, dinos, you name it.

I guess the common thread is to keep your oil and filter clean.

Just my .02

 

[Audi Junkie]

3000 miles would be ten oil changes a year for me plus all the other cars I service.

 

[tig1]

Clean is the name of the game. Good advise. A clean engine is usually a long lasting engine.

 

[StevieC]

10.5 Oil changes for me a year is what this would add up to. I use a synthetic and do 5 instead.

Good advice though, as this is a fail safe approach.

Twice a year for the yard equipment is overkill IMO.

 

[tig1]

17 year old Honda lawn mower. Large lawn to mow so a lot of hours on the mower. I change once a year with synt. 10-30.

 

[Zaedock]

My Kubota mower was bought in 1986. One or two pull start. She gets an oil change every spring (SAE30) and fuel stab. for winter storage.

 

[FastSUV]

Yes, you can use "On Sale" dino & a Fram filter for that matter and as long as you change it every 3k, it will last darn near forever...people overlook this on this site more than any other site I have been to because nobody wants to change their oil.

I know that it is best to get the most for your money, but if we folowed the old way of doing things and did dino every 3-4k (unless we drove a Vette), then we would not need to spend so much time on this site beating ourselves up mentally.

As for the lawn equip...I change once a year w/ 30w Briggs oil...more than the avg Joe does I'm sure...

 

[R2d2]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
3000 miles would be ten oil changes a year for me plus all the other cars I service.


The OP said every 3 months, he didn't mention mileage.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I thought I was getting an epic story. I got the Cliff notes.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Twice a year for the yard equipment is overkill IMO


I put an average of 150 hours a season on a John Deere 425 AWS. These are all "at home" hours, I don't mow for a living.

150 hours at 95% WOT is asking a lot of oil. I change every late fall when the equipment goes to bed for the winter, and a second time around the 4th of July.

 

[StevieC]

We have a 27 year old B&S engine that has only had the oil changed 3 or 4 times in its life and was used like a commercial unit and it's fine other than some blue smoke at start-up so IMO you can change it at yearly intervals and be more than 100% in the clear!

 

[nthach]

I've done once a year OCIs on our old Honda-powered mower before we gave it away. Chevron 10w30.

 

[Audi Junkie]

One member got this result on 10k intervals.

So much for the "cleanliness" argument.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
One member


Why do you keep referring to me as a member? Are you calling me a [censored]?

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
We have a 27 year old B&S engine that has only had the oil changed 3 or 4 times in its life and was used like a commercial unit and it's fine other than some blue smoke at start-up so IMO you can change it at yearly intervals and be more than 100% in the clear!


Is this how you service your Kia with the nasty sludge?

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
One member


Why do you keep referring to me as a member? Are you calling me a [censored]?

If the member fits... ;o)

 

[moribundman]

It takes one to know one!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: My442
My oil change philosophy on cars is to change the oil and filter every 3 months with quality stuff.


^^Right on!

Same here!

 

[sparkplug]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
One member got this result on 10k intervals.

So much for the "cleanliness" argument.


Wow, what motor and oil?

 

[The Critic]

I change the oil in the Saturn twice a year and the Toyota van once-a-year.

That works out to about every 8,000 miles on average. Always conventional oil, always the cheapest filters.

No sludge or heavy varnish. I guess I'm just lucky.