What happened to the 3,000 Mile OCI?

[y_p_w]

Well - I recall that part of the premise of early oil changes was that various abrasive particles such as metal shavings and dirt getting past the air filter and rings would create faster wear. Changing oil more often was supposed to reduce the average level of these abrasive particles. I think these days any engine designer or engine testing lab would say it's not an issue with modern engines and lubricants, as well as good filtration.

 

[pezzy669]

My '10 Mazda3 GT 2.5 was the most rigid when it came to service - I fell in the severe category (3 months or 3750 miles) based on the owners manual so I had fresh dino 5W20 every 3750 miles. Mazda did not change their owners manual when they started requiring 0W-20 synthetic the very next year - bet they make a killing on that even to this day.

When I went from my '99 Neon (3750 intervals that I took in every 3k) to my '03 Golf TDI (1 year or 10k miles) it honestly felt weird going that long between changes but I adapted and the 1 year/10k is a new norm for me as that is what my Mercedes and all my previous Volkswagen's called for. Makes it extremely easy to remember when to get an oil change.

 

[roadrunner1]

I have an original shop manual for my '49 F1. I was going through the manual and came across Fords original OCI for the flathead V8 in '49, 2,000 mi., and 4,000-5,000 mi. for the filter.
I don't know when manufacturers went from 2,000 mi. to 3,000 mi., but guessing sometime during the 50's, and then to 5,000 mi. during the 60's.

 

[SeaJay]

Doctor's used to advertise cigarette smoking as good for you back a long time ago

Now they know better. Unless you take your car to the local dirt racing track and beat the heck out if it every weekend, 6,000 oci is likely all that is needed.

Unless you are an obsessed bitog member. In that case change it once a month, or less. And keep telling us that it is cheap insurance.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Not many years ago the recommended maintenance interval for many vehicles and touted by oil change businesses was 3 months 3000 miles. In a few short years we are seeing factory intervals of 10k miles and one year. Is the oil that much better? Is the engineering of engines better? Combination of both? How about with direct injected gasoline engines? Are we heading back towards shorter OCI's? I even see in Europe some intervals of 30000 kilometers. I do notice that on my newer vehicles the oil capacity is almost uniformly 6 liters as opposed to the 4- 5 quarts with filter from a few years back. Will we see a time the engine oil becomes like the transmission fluid and becomes "Lifetime" fluid?



When was this? I had two vehicles manufactured in 1989 and the recommended OCI was 5K miles.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by dave1251
Originally Posted by sloinker
Not many years ago the recommended maintenance interval for many vehicles and touted by oil change businesses was 3 months 3000 miles. In a few short years we are seeing factory intervals of 10k miles and one year. Is the oil that much better? Is the engineering of engines better? Combination of both? How about with direct injected gasoline engines? Are we heading back towards shorter OCI's? I even see in Europe some intervals of 30000 kilometers. I do notice that on my newer vehicles the oil capacity is almost uniformly 6 liters as opposed to the 4- 5 quarts with filter from a few years back. Will we see a time the engine oil becomes like the transmission fluid and becomes "Lifetime" fluid?



When was this? I had two vehicles manufactured in 1989 and the recommended OCI was 5K miles.

I thought that 7500 miles was already the norm by then. I remember that for the 1989 Integra that my parents got me during college and for the 1990 Chevy that they got. I found this owner's manual for a 1993 Oldmobile Cutlass Supreme. I can't find anything older than that though. That was pretty the GM standard, I think even as far as 1982 since my dad drove a 1982 Oldmobile where I looked through the owners manual. 7500 miles normal and 3000 miles severe on API SF motor oil.

https://my.gm.com/content/dam/gmown...93_oldsmobile_cutlass_supreme_owners.pdf

 

[A_Harman]

My go-to-college car from '80-85 was a '75 Chevy Vega.
I did annual oil changes, which was ~10,000 miles, using Arco Graphite 10w40.
So even though I was doing everything wrong by current BITOG standards, somehow it ran fine.