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Kathianne
01-20-2013, 02:29 AM
Perhaps too often?

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/stop-changing-your-oil.html?mktcat=maintenance-article&kw=stop+changing+your+oil&mktid=ob61762858&msite=w

The article may be old, but the salient points aren't:


Breaking the 3,000-Mile Habit
Published: 08/24/2010

Oil chemistry and engine technology have evolved tremendously in recent years, but you'd never know it from the quick-change behavior of American car owners. Driven by an outdated 3,000-mile oil change commandment, they are unnecessarily spending millions of dollars and spilling an ocean of contaminated waste oil.


Although the average car's oil change interval is around 7,800 miles — and as high as 20,000 miles in some cars — this wasteful cycle continues largely because the automotive service industry, while fully aware of the technological advances, continues to preach the 3,000-mile gospel as a way to keep the service bays busy. As a result, even the most cautious owners are dumping their engine oil twice as often as their service manuals recommend.


After interviews with oil experts, mechanics and automakers, one thing is clear: The 3,000-mile oil change is a myth that should be laid to rest. Failing to heed the service interval in your owner's manual wastes oil and money, while compounding the environmental impact of illicit waste-oil dumping.


Scared Into Needless Service

Part of the blame for this over-servicing lies in our insecurities about increasingly complicated engines that are all but inaccessible to the average driver. Pop open the hood of a modern car, and a mass of plastic covers wall off the engine. On some vehicles, the only thing an owner can easily access is the oil cap.

"Vehicles are so sophisticated that oil is one of the last things that customers can have a direct influence over," said Matt Snider, project engineer in GM's Fuels and Lubricants Group. "There's maybe some feeling that they're taking care of their vehicle if they change their oil more often."


The 3,000-mile myth is also promoted by the quick lube industry's "convenient reminder" windshield sticker. It is a surprisingly effective tool that prompts us to continue following a dictate that our fathers (or grandfathers) drummed into our heads: It's your duty to change your oil every 3,000 miles — or your car will pay the price. But as former service advisor David Langness put it, the 3,000-mile oil change is "a marketing tactic that dealers use to get you into the service bay on a regular basis. Unless you go to the drag strip on weekends, you don't need it."


Because busy car owners seldom read their owner's manuals, most have no idea of the actual oil change interval for their cars. And so they blindly follow the windshield reminder sticker, whether it's an accurate indicator of the need for an oil change or not. "I just go by the sticker in the windshield," one well-to-do, educated Denver Lexus owner said. "Otherwise, how would I know when to change it?"

...

ConHog
01-20-2013, 02:41 AM
Perhaps too often?

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/stop-changing-your-oil.html?mktcat=maintenance-article&kw=stop+changing+your+oil&mktid=ob61762858&msite=w

The article may be old, but the salient points aren't:

Every 6,000 miles as per taught by my dad who's only been working on cars for 40 years. He might know some thing or two. 3,000 certainly is unnecessary with today's cars.

logroller
01-20-2013, 04:13 AM
You're supposed to change the oil??? It's got a filter; so I just add a quart when the oil light comes on.:coffee:

tailfins
01-20-2013, 09:18 AM
You're supposed to change the oil??? It's got a filter; so I just add a quart when the oil light comes on.:coffee:


No silly, you're supposed to buy 5 quarts of oil and a filter, find an abandoned parking lot, remove filter and oil plug (save the oil plug), push the vehicle forward 20 feet [make sure you don't push it to the spot you used last time] so you don't get oil on your clothes when you get back underneath the car, re-install the oil plug, screw on the new filter (unless you have a pre-1965 canister type, in which case you remove then re-install the two long bolts), dump in the 5 quarts of oil and drive off. :2up:

Thunderknuckles
01-20-2013, 11:23 AM
Every 5,000 miles for me. But yeah, most of the time my dealership, where I get my vehicle serviced, still puts a sticker on the window with a 3,000 mile mark for the next oil change.

Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
01-20-2013, 11:37 AM
Car repair far, far, far too costly. I change my car's oil every 3500 miles. I've slipped before and done it on 4,000 a few times..OK, maybe more than a few times.-;)
Cheaper and safer to change it around the 3 to 4 thousand mile range. I've been doing that since 1972. Never had a major engine repair bill in all that time. In those 40 years I've bought at least 16/17 vehicles and 5 motorcycles.-- Tyr

ConHog
01-20-2013, 11:58 AM
Car repair far, far, far too costly. I change my car's oil every 3500 miles. I've slipped before and done it on 4,000 a few times..OK, maybe more than a few times.-;)
Cheaper and safer to change it around the 3 to 4 thousand mile range. I've been doing that since 1972. Never had a major engine repair bill in all that time. In those 40 years I've bought at least 16/17 vehicles and 5 motorcycles.-- Tyr

In older cars that is good advice. In the newer vehicles the tolerances are so much tighter that the engines run so much cleaner that it is perfectly acceptable to go 6K miles between oil changes. Particularly if you are running synthetic oil which doesn't break down as fast as conventional oil.

Hell my wife's one year old Lexus tells us when it needs an oil change. As do a lot of modern cars. They don't even have suggested oil changes. The car's computer continually analyzes the oil and sends an email when the oil indicates a change is needed. I think the last one was at 8K miles , roughly.

Little-Acorn
01-20-2013, 12:06 PM
How Often Do You Change The Oil In Your Car?


Every 5,000 with synthetic oil.

Expensive, but my 8-1/2 year old minivan (that I bought new in 2004) runs like it's new.

And 5,000 is a really easy interval to spot on the odometer. That's important for someone who doesn't live for his car, but expects the car to live for him instead.

ConHog
01-20-2013, 12:13 PM
How Often Do You Change The Oil In Your Car?


Every 5,000 with synthetic oil.

Expensive, but my 8-1/2 year old minivan (that I bought new in 2004) runs like it's new.

And 5,000 is a really easy interval to spot on the odometer. That's important for someone who doesn't live for his car, but expects the car to live for him instead.


that's definitely one advantage to the newer systems. Oil needs changed? Light comes on on dash or email sent or both. No need to try to keep track. The car does it for you.

Abbey Marie
01-20-2013, 12:30 PM
Does anyone know if failure to follow the dealer's oil change requirements voids the warranty when something goes wrong?

aboutime
01-20-2013, 12:33 PM
You're supposed to change the oil??? It's got a filter; so I just add a quart when the oil light comes on.:coffee:


Or you can use the 710 cap......4364

ConHog
01-20-2013, 12:33 PM
Does anyone know if failure to follow the dealer's oil change requirements voids the warranty when something goes wrong?

Absolutely it does. I mean they would have to prove you didn't follow the oil change recommendations, but chemically analyzing the oil can determine that.

Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
01-20-2013, 12:45 PM
In older cars that is good advice. In the newer vehicles the tolerances are so much tighter that the engines run so much cleaner that it is perfectly acceptable to go 6K miles between oil changes. Particularly if you are running synthetic oil which doesn't break down as fast as conventional oil.

Hell my wife's one year old Lexus tells us when it needs an oil change. As do a lot of modern cars. They don't even have suggested oil changes. The car's computer continually analyzes the oil and sends an email when the oil indicates a change is needed. I think the last one was at 8K miles , roughly.

I never use synthetic but yes it gives a much longer life and about 6k or even 7k is ok when using synthetic.
Back in the early 70's my boss ran his work truck 35,000 miles without an oil change. He had just added a quart when it got low. Then when it hit 70,000 miles he did the second oil change, true. Never had an engine problem that I ever knew of. Damn thing was running fine when he sold it having over 150,000 miles on it.

ConHog
01-20-2013, 12:49 PM
I never use synthetic but yes it gives a much longer life and about 6k or even 7k is ok when using synthetic.
Back in the early 70's my boss ran his work truck 35,000 miles without an oil change. He had just added a quart when it got low. Then when it hit 70,000 miles he did the second oil change, true. Never had an engine problem that I ever knew of. Damn thing was running fine when he sold it having over 150,000 miles on it.

and so you shouldn't run synthetic. That's one thing that gets a lot of people in trouble. If your car didn't come from the factory with synthetic you shouldn't change over, and vice versa never change a synthetic over to natural oil.

follow manufacturer's recommendations.

Little-Acorn
01-20-2013, 12:56 PM
and so you shouldn't run synthetic. That's one thing that gets a lot of people in trouble. If your car didn't come from the factory with synthetic you shouldn't change over,
Why?


and vice versa never change a synthetic over to natural oil.
Why?

Mine came with dino juice. I switched to synthetic after the first oil change.

What harm will come to my engine as a result, and when will it start?

And why have I had zero trouble in eight years, 127,000 miles?

ConHog
01-20-2013, 01:02 PM
Why?


Why?

Mine came with dino juice. I switched to synthetic after the first oil change.

What harm will come to my engine as a result, and when will it start?

And why have I had zero trouble in eight years, 127,000 miles?

You would have to ask a chemical engineer that question LA. All I know is they recommend not switching.

SassyLady
01-21-2013, 03:33 AM
Every time the computer on my dash says that my oil life is down to 5%. Sometimes it's less than 5,000 and sometimes it is around 8,000 .... depending upon how hard I've been driving the vehicle between oil changes.

red states rule
01-21-2013, 03:50 AM
Perhaps too often?

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/stop-changing-your-oil.html?mktcat=maintenance-article&kw=stop+changing+your+oil&mktid=ob61762858&msite=w

The article may be old, but the salient points aren't:

Every 3000 miles and I request the High Mileage oil. Knock on wood, my 2001 Echo has over 260,000 miles and going strong