vB Easy Archive - How often do you change your synthetic oil?

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How often do you change your synthetic oil?
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Posted by: mplswaltar

I use full synthetic mobil 1 5w-30 oil. I havent changed my oil for about 10k miles and heard it can last till 15k. How often do you guys change your fully synthetic oil? I also change just the filter every 6k miles, and top off the oil

Posted by: buhdussy

Quote:

Originally Posted by mplswaltar

I use full synthetic mobil 1 5w-30 oil. I havent changed my oil for about 10k miles and heard it can last till 15k. How often do you guys change your fully synthetic oil? I also change just the filter every 6k miles, and top off the oil

Sounds good to me, although i would probably change the filter every 3-4,000 miles, just to make sure i got the 15,000 out of the oil.

Posted by: phuviano

Amsoil 5w20 and I change my oil and filter every 4,000 kms. I don't know what that is in miles, maybe 3,000 miles I guess.

Yes I know its overkill, but I don't care. I got a crap load of oil filters in my room, and I get the oil direct from amsoil.

Posted by: 455olds

If I used synthetic I would still change it every 3k. The oil filter doesent catch everythinge like unburned fuel and other contamanants.
Old oil can become acidic and can pitt your bearings but I think mostly if you leave the car sitting.
I saw a motor apart after the person used synthedic and did not change it and it was loaded with sluge. I don't know how long thay went without a oil change or how thay drove but it was the worst I have ever seen.
I like synthedic the best but I think you are better off changing it more often no matter what oil you use.

Posted by: Jeenyus

I agree, I change mine every 2,500-3,000 miles even with synthetic. Better to pay a few dollars here and there than a whole lot in one lump sum.

Posted by: Bonka

If you want to get the most out of your syn oil get an used oil analysis done at Blackstone. Their results will tell you exactly how well (or not) your oil is lubricating your engine.

I change mine every 5,000kms or 6 months, whichever comes first. Syn. Been a garage queen for the last year, unfortunately.

My other car same thing. Dino.

Posted by: Donkey

MY car is 20 years old so I change it every 3-4,000 miles depending on how busy I am. I use castrol 5/50 syth.

Posted by: daniel6l

I change mine @ around 12000-13000 miles along with the filter. It depends on how I accumulate the miles though. If I accrued them with short trips and stop and go driving I would change it more often. I use Castrol TWS 10W-60.

For those of you changing at every 2-3000 miles with synthetic, you're just throwing money away. If you're gonna do it that often, just use dino oil.

Of course, it really depends on what type of vehicle you have. If you have an older vehicle, it'd be wise to change it more often because the oil will get contaminated faster. However, on modern vehicles, it is a waste of money to change the oil so often, especially if you're using synthetics. Reputable manufacturers such as Mercedes and BMW would not recommend 15000 oil change intervals if they thought it was unsafe. If anything, they would want you to come in for service more often because service is where good profit margins are made.

Posted by: Jeenyus

It is a horrbile idea to go 10-15K miles without changing at least your filter. Even then, like an above poster said, other things get in your oil that you can't filter out. Oil is cheap. Of all the places you want to be skimping on is engine protection. Just because synthetic oil can go to 15K miles doesn't mean you need to take it all the way.

Posted by: SuperCM

My on-board computer thingy tells me when to change my oil; how accurate is it?

Posted by: Zeta_G

normally oils like moblil 1 can last u 10,000km or 3 months which ever comes first

Posted by: c^2

Mobil1 every 8000km.

Posted by: WoNGsTeR

mobile 1 every 3000 miles.. my car is 8 years old now... so i would prefer to change it that often .. and man when it comes out.. its really black!!!!...

Posted by: Lagos

dealer dino oil every 6000km(3700miles). whats 40 bucks every 3 months?

Posted by: daniel6l

Show me one case of an engine related failure directly caused by not changing oil often enough. I've never heard of it. If anything, we should all be worrying about the fluids we put through our transmission because there are way more transmission problems than engine problems.

The overly frequent oil changes don't hurt the car but it's like putting high octane (premium) gas in your car when it only requires normal octane gas. It's just throwing money away.

Posted by: Zeta_G

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoNGsTeR

mobile 1 every 3000 miles.. my car is 8 years old now... so i would prefer to change it that often .. and man when it comes out.. its really black!!!!...

even if u change it every 1000km w/ mobile 1 it still will be black....
it is black cuz it is doing wat it suppose to do...

Posted by: 455olds

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel6l

Show me one case of an engine related failure directly caused by not changing oil often enough. I've never heard of it. If anything, we should all be worrying about the fluids we put through our transmission because there are way more transmission problems than engine problems.

The overly frequent oil changes don't hurt the car but it's like putting high octane (premium) gas in your car when it only requires normal octane gas. It's just throwing money away.

Its true the car might not die right away or the motor might run for a lot of years without changing oil but from what I have seen its the kind of thing that can add to a car being ratty. I will give you some examples of what I mean.
A car might not pass emissions becouse of worn rings.
Unbearned fuel and other contamanants in the oil can deteriorate seals and gaskits causing oil leaks.
Worn bearings can cause the rear main seal to leak and even if you have the seal replaced it can still leak becouse there is play in the crankshaft.
The motor can just be noisy becouse of worn lifters or piston slap.
The motor can shake becouse its worn and out of balance.
It could lead haveing a dead cylinder(s) like the guy in the other thread.(not saying low compression caused his misfire but it does happen)http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=878216

When you are in a car and it feels like a junkbox but you can't really put on it finger on why. Those are some of the reasons.

Posted by: [bisheadking]

I use mobil1 too, i change between 5-7k.

Posted by: bembol

I use German Castrol 0W-30 with K&N/Valvoline High Mileage filters...I change it every 5-7k/kms...depends how much I pushed her

Posted by: plumers

I'm using Pennzoil Synthetic for the first time. Plan to change it every 6K miles but filters every 3K miles.

How do you guys change your filters? DIY? Do I need special tools to remove it?

Posted by: mplswaltar

I have a civic, i just reach around my Intake manifold, and unscrew it using an oil filter wrench, then just slap a new one on there, also change the PCV valve while im at it. The PCV is one of the most important things, and its only like 2 bucks! I can change my oil without jacking my car up, takes about 15 minutes.

Posted by: WoNGsTeR

how do u change ur oil with our jacking up your car?

Posted by: mplswaltar

just unscrew the oil cap, duck under the car just enough to unscrew the drain bolt. The after its drained, i reach around the intake manifold with my oil filter wrench and unscrew that. Unplug the PCV valve, then run about 1 qt of mobil 1 through it just to get all the junk out. Reach around the IM, put the PCV back in, the screw the filter in. Lean back under the car and screw in the new bolt and washer. And I have a body kit on mine.....really takes about 15 minutes, im just lazy and i get dirty in the winter.

Posted by: WoNGsTeR

i see. i see.. for my car i have to jack it up.. i can fit under my car to do that lol.. oh well...