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True or false
- Thread starter ToSlow
- Start date
I change my car and truck around 15000 kms when the oil life monitor says to the 5000k oil change was created by quick lube shops. Alot of used oil ends up as form oil (concrete forms) which gets dumped in the ground.
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invictus43
Well-known member
Why risk it? I mean, oil's cheap right? Besides, the manufacturers just tell you to change it less often so your vehicle wears out sooner so you'll buy another one..
Great article. I can certainly see the truth in it. My 11 Equinox with the 'oil life' indicator is what I go by (dealer recommended). 45,000 km in and I have had 2 oil changes with 28% remaining on the second oil change.
my 10 Grand Caravan oil change feature activates every 5,000 km but that link in the article suggests every 10000km. Handy feature.
my 10 Grand Caravan oil change feature activates every 5,000 km but that link in the article suggests every 10000km. Handy feature.
Why risk it? I mean, oil's cheap right? Besides, the manufacturers just tell you to change it less often so your vehicle wears out sooner so you'll buy another one..
Thats why I do my own oil test and get the truth myself
Good logic BTW
Oil colour doesn't indicate condition of the oil. Love your scientific approach
Neither does mileage, really. Recommended oil change interval is 12K, or 6K for severe service. No middle ground. And according to the manual a car driven in Seattle under regularly conditions would be considered severe service under the same conditions in Vancouver. Obviously there are huge assumptions and ballpark guesstimates involved in designating an oil change interval.
Oil life sensors in newer cars are awesome though, if I had one I would ignore colour.
I've done about 8000km (mostly hwy) since my last change and just went out to have a look at the colour now. It's not quite dark brown yet but I'm gonna go and change it soon just because I don't want to have to do it in the dead of winter (unheated garage).
So oil colour is a better indication of usage than mileage?
I don't know. Gauging colour just feels less arbitrary to me.
Neither of the two is "better" than the other. They can both be useful diagnostic indicators of lube oil condition.
For example, mileage wouldn't tell you if you had a fuel dilution problem because of a bad 02 sensor, bad t-stat, etc.
Similiarly, oil colour on a diesel rig would be black after 20 minutes of operation.
Here is another one to think about - how do you identify lube oil condition with respect to aeration? Percent aeration is related to grade, base oil chemistry, additive package chemistry, miles/hours on oil, engine oiling circuit (belt vs chain, roller vs solid) etc. The short answer is you cannot outside of a lab with a lot of dedicated (and very expensive) equipment.
Using the manufacturer specified interval with a lube oil that meets the manufacturers recommendation is the safest route. If you have an understanding of all the factors that influence degredation of lube oil - you can make educated adjustments to the intervals that suit your individual needs.
For the OP: On a modern FI, close loop control automobile in good mechanical condition -3k miles is way overkill and is a gross waste of resource.
It's true that maintaining the "3000 mile oil change" interval for the average person who doesn't know anything about cars (or bikes) may end up saving their engine. Even if it turns into a quart-every-1000-mile oil-burner, most of them will still survive. (I have a few friends who are mechanics, and they ALL have stories about the cars in which they took the drain plug out, and only sludge dribbles out.)
But it's far better for the environment AND for their cars, for people to keep an eye on the oil level themselves and change it at the manufacturer's specified intervals.
My car gets an oil change every 16,000 km as per the owner's book. 354,000 km and counting on it. Caveat: it's important to use an oil that is suitable for the application. If the book requires the use of synthetic oil or to conform to a particular standard, you had better do that, because generic 5w30 the cheapest stuff that the oil change place sells may not be good enough. (I'm using a 5w40 synthetic diesel-rated oil in my case. 5w30 will destroy the camshaft and lifters if used in an engine of the type that my car has, and plenty of people HAVE learned this the hard way, despite the big warning sticker under the hood and in the owner's manual)
With a diesel (like mine), the oil turns black the moment the engine starts after you have just finished changing the oil. The colour is not a good indication of the ability of the oil to do its job. Just follow the schedule ...
i change my oil when I feel i want it changed.
To those that think that 3 or 5 k might be too early to change it, think about this...
changing your oil often is not detrimental to the life of an engine. Not changing it often enough is. simple fact.
another thing to think about, are the people who use synthetic oils... if you bought your bike used, and the previous owner didnt use synthetic oil, and didnt change it regularly, then the damage has already been done, and you're just wasting your money.
To those that think that 3 or 5 k might be too early to change it, think about this...
changing your oil often is not detrimental to the life of an engine. Not changing it often enough is. simple fact.
another thing to think about, are the people who use synthetic oils... if you bought your bike used, and the previous owner didnt use synthetic oil, and didnt change it regularly, then the damage has already been done, and you're just wasting your money.
Wow, so much fail..
There are a few higher end brand cars that have no dipsticks for the owners to check.
More and more vehicles are coming equipped with an on board maintenance reminder systems, so the 3,000 mile or 3 month sales pitch will eventually vanish.
Nitrogen air..........
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