When do you change your oil?

[MuzzleFlash40]

The OLM on my Ram wants to do 10k, but I'll probably stick with 6-7k unless it happens to go off early.

My Wife's Santa Fe doesn't have a OLM, it has a counter that you can set at whatever you want up to 7.5k. I set it at 5k. This is my first direct injection engine so I'm a bit nervous to go much more than that.

 

[AmericaWestCMH]

I follow the OLM in my Civic. Anywhere from 9-12k so far.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Great question.

I like a 5,000 mile change using a top shelf conventional oil.

Stretching past that would require a top shelf synthetic.

But I'm not a member of the 10,000 mile change club.

A 10,000 mile OCI using an oil like M1EP might be the new norm here on BITOG.

But a fresh oil change just makes me feel good.

And 10,000 miles is a long time the way I drive.


If today was in 70's. Now I disagree unless your driving intervals were 2 miles or less and or the engine was terribly designed, complete lack of maintenance has been done.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've always liked the 5000-mile interval, as it's easy to remember. But my current driving would take me more than 6 months to hit 5K. So I've been changing every 5.5-6 months, which is about 4500 miles, and using synthetic blend (and now synthetic) for extra peace of mind.

 

[andrewg]

6 months...whatever the miles. Full synthetic, all my vehicles.

 

[slug_bug]

5,000 miles on conventional
7,500 miles on full synthetic

This occurs in less than 1yr on all my vehicles.

 

[blupupher]

As mentioned by others, a lot depends on how it is driven.

My truck I do a 3000 mile OCI (I have been using Valvoline NextGen for the past 2 changes, and have 2 more with it, Motorcraft or equal filter). Most driving is start up, drive 3 miles to work, then 12 hours later drive 3 miles home. Engine barely gets warmed up. I do few short trips (6-8 miles) to the store and such a week. There are weeks I drive less than 20 miles. About once a month I do drive out to my mom's (50 miles each way, mostly 55+ MPH). I think the multiple short trips count as severe duty. I probably could go to 5000 miles on it, but with me adding a qt every 1500 miles or so, 3000 miles makes more sense to me.

My wifes car has a 6 month/5000 mile OCI with syn oil and Wix or equivalent filter. She is still under warranty.
She drive 6 miles to work (twice a day, so 24 miles a day, 5 days a week). She goes to her moms (50 miles each way) 1-2 times a month, lots of errands around town. I could do 7500 miles when the warranty is up, but as said above, 5000 miles is just a nice easy number to remember.

My Elantra I would do 10,000 mile intervals (syn oil, Wix filter), but I drove 30-50 miles each way to work, all highway. Little around town driving.

 

[Gene K]

Originally Posted By: MuzzleFlash40
The OLM on my Ram wants to do 10k, but I'll probably stick with 6-7k unless it happens to go off early.

My Wife's Santa Fe doesn't have a OLM, it has a counter that you can set at whatever you want up to 7.5k. I set it at 5k. This is my first direct injection engine so I'm a bit nervous to go much more than that.


What would I do?
6,000 miles with the factory Pennzoil/Mopar Conventional unless I wanted to verify fuel percentage and TBN with UOA. If I knew the fuel percentage was okay I would follow the OLM with a Premium Synthetic.

I had a RAM with OLM but it was when they still maxed at 6000 miles and were not DI.

Edit: Sorry mistook the first post on page 4 for the OP.

 

[DavidZ28]

On the Sunfire and S10 every 5K. It's so easy to remember. The Camaro gets done once a year since it's not driven very much.

 

[Branson304]

2007 Fusion - Every 4,000-6,000 miles

2011 Fiesta - no established OCI yet, but it's been 5,000-7,000 with synthetic, oil turns dark pretty quick, questionable maintenance history

2012 Taurus - change according to the OLM, usually 8,000-10,000

2012 F-250 6.2L - every 7,000-8,000 which is usually when the OLM says to change

2015 F-250 6.2L - every 5,000 with quality synthetic since it tows constantly

Use Motorcraft or FRAM filters on all.

 

[CincyDavid]

In the interest of keeping track of oil changes, I finally broke down and bought a roll of static cling oil change reminder stickers, so I just stick the reminder sticker in the corner of the windshield.

The leased cars get changed whenever the OLM tells me to, the ones I own, that will be long term in my fleet, get changes about every 5k.

As an intellectual exercise, I am fascinated by the emphasis people on BITOG attach to oil changes, and I like indulging in mental masturbation about what my next oil and filter combination will be, but I do wonder if it really makes a difference. Does nice oil and a good filter really give me longer service life than el-cheapo oil and a jobber filter? If the engine isn't the first component to fail, it's irrelevant.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Not driving as much as we used to, so have both cars on 6-month change intervals, with varying mileages but always under 7500 miles. This works well with quality filters and synthetic oil. Change oil and filter around November 1 and May 1 for both. 2003 Impala 3.4L, 2008 Sebring 2.7L.

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

I really don't get why people try to stretch 18-20 K mileage oil change intervals. I just value my vehicles way more than the few dollars I might save. To me it's just Not worth gambling my valued vehicles engine. My local garage charges me just $14.00 to change my oil when I bring my own quality Syn oil & filter & performs a safety check on the vehicle also. Personally I've never been past 7500 on a oil change & never will.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote:
My local garage charges me just $14.00 to change my oil when I bring my own quality Syn oil & filter & performs a safety check on the vehicle also. Personally I've never been past 7500 on a oil change & never will.

A lot of people don't have a local garage they would trust to do that and instead it's an expensive trip, wasted time, and no guarantee the job is done right. I have found that typically quicky lube places will strip the drain bolt, put on the wrong filter, and put in the wrong oil even if you specify something. I have watched them through the glass start to put the wrong oil in the car, even though I specified another. My local guy just dumps in 5w30 no name oil and a filter I have never heard of. So, for many of us that change our oil ourselves there is an advantage in extended drains, though for myself I try to stay under 10k with a quality filter and synthetic oil.

 

[Stewie]

8-10K

 

[crazyoildude]

i run most of my vehicles 1 year 7000 miles and run an ultra filter to 14,000 miles which is usually 2 oil changes.

 

[blakegeo]

4000-5000 miles conventional. 7500 miles synthetic.

 

[53' Stude]

6,500-7,500 miles with synthetic

 

[pitzel]

Only when the engine needs to be taken apart for maintenance. Otherwise, its just top-ups. I even recovered the oil (in a clean container) when I changed the oil pan gasket last year and re-used.

Oil has roughly 50k miles/80k kms/7 years on it now. Last change was after I replaced the leaking lower-intake manifold gasket and ran a cheap oil to flush it for a few thousand km).

I posted some pictures of the pan off here at roughly 40k mi on the oil. No issues. Some engines just don't really need oil changes.

Thread is here: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3719052/40k_mile_OCI_pics

I have an OLM. I've probably reset it 6-8 times already.

 

[Chewie]

Originally Posted By: pitzel
Some engines just don't really need oil changes.


Have any real evidence (ie. a UOA) to back up that statement? My guess is no.