Hi, first post. Back in the early 80's a magazine (VW & Porche, I think) was really pushing this synthetic oil, where you didn't need to do oil changes, just change the oil filters every 5000 miles. I bought into this and starting using it in my 84' GTI early in it's engines life. I ran my car fairly hard, so I added an oil cooler (early GTI's ran high oil temps). The car consumed a quart every 5000 miles, so I would change the filter an top it off at that time. I sold the car with a 135,000 and never had one problem with the engine, with the exception of a water pump. I changed out the cam around 80,000, looking for more performance, but ended up changing back to the OEM unit, but didn't notice any build up of sludge at that time. It still burned a quart every 5000 miles and compression was well within specs when it was sold. Friend of mine, who bought it and drove it until he totaled it 2 years later, didn't have any issues, as far as I know. I think he did normal oil changes though. I don't subscribe to that OCI philosophy any longer, but it didn't seem to negetively impact (at least enough that I could tell) the engine in that VW. I don't remember what the oil's name was, but it came in tall white gear oil type containers and you had to mail order it. $10/quart.
62,000 miles without an oil change
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I think that's what got my sister's 79 Mustang started using oil...the fact that she never seemed to think it was necessary to change it. I'd be willing to bet that if I had been the origial owner of that car instead of her, it'd still be running today. Unfortunately, she traded it off in 1984, anda girl in my high school bought it. She got t-boned at an intersection 2 months later. So, I never got to see the car die an honorable death. :-(
Perhaps SynLube™ Lube-4-Life®?
Link us to the artical.
I can't link you to the article. It is in German, and was written in the 1980's. I've been reading Auto, Motor und Sport since the 1960's (I'm originally from Austria), and this article left a deep impression on me at the time. Now I am writing an article about OCI, and I wanted to see what folks on this post thought about the subject. My slant in the article is not to tell folks to drive 62,000 miles without an oil change, but to put in question the perpetual mantra that one hears in newspaper articles, radio shows, tv, forums, etc. that the gospel of St. JiffyLube (3,000 mile OCI) is necessary to "prevent damage to your engine". I encounter this line so much, I am questioning it. Does you doctor prescribe an angioplasty for you every 3 years "just to be safe"? Can anyone show how the 3,000 mile OCI will really benefit the average consumer, or is it a waste of money and time? Why would manufacturers recommend anything but a very conservative OCI, since their warranties and reputations are on the line. Should a consumer feel guilty if he doesnt keep his date with St. JiffuLube as per the sticker?
Patman
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It truly is a waste of time and money, as modern conventional oils can last 5k in just about any new engine. (with the exception of a sludge prone engine, but those are rare cases)
I applaud you for helping "the cause" here. I've been on a mission myself, to try to convince people to break out of the 3000 mile oil change. In my case, the people I'm convincing are even worse offenders, as they are doing 3k changes with synthetic oil! In some cases some of these people are doing 2k oil changes, and I know at least one person who changes his synthetic oil every 1000 miles!! These people are not prolonging the life of their engine one single bit compared to someone doing longer oil changes.
3000 mi OCI is a waist to the AVERAGE consumer. A 5000 mi OCI is about as short as I would recommend for someone who doesnt have extreme conditions. ie 1 mi trips to work and back every day, extended idle or Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, or Extreme Dirt (Sand Storms). However if you have dirt ingestion or a minor internal coolant leak the frequent changes will help the engine last longer.
Modern Dino Oils can be good for 10,000 mi+ OCI in a car that consumes no oil IF the engine in question is easy on oil, in good condition, and primarily highway driven under reasonable temperatures.
Modern Dino Oils can be good for 10,000 mi+ OCI in a car that consumes no oil IF the engine in question is easy on oil, in good condition, and primarily highway driven under reasonable temperatures.
It was Syn ...something?? I started thinking about it after I posted. The GTI only had a 4 quart oil pan. By the time I was a quart down, and I was replacing a quart and a half with filter, which meant half the oil was new. Vehicles with larger oil pans may not have done as well.
I recall a Crown Vic P/I that was a take-home car. The deputy was a female, and a lazy one at that. Combined, with a computer glitch that took the car off the garage's radar, 17,211 miles later, the motor was toast.
When the garage techs received the tow, the first thing they did was check the dipstick. Well, they tried. It felt like it was welded to the tube. I believe they said there was about a quart & a quarter, of something that looked like black taffy in the motor.
IIRC, Ford advised that using a quart of oil, every 1K could be considered normal, even in a newer engine.
When the garage techs received the tow, the first thing they did was check the dipstick. Well, they tried. It felt like it was welded to the tube. I believe they said there was about a quart & a quarter, of something that looked like black taffy in the motor.
IIRC, Ford advised that using a quart of oil, every 1K could be considered normal, even in a newer engine.
This is the reason the IL State Police had to eliminate the 15,000 mi OCI with Mobil 1 5W-30. After transitioning from the Chevy LT-1 5.7L to the Ford SOHC 4.6L they kept blowing engines because the officers didnt check the oil level and they averaged using 1 Qt / 2700 mi.
Some people will believe anything if they see it in print in a publication. Why on earth would anyone want to run ANY vehicle for 62,000 miles on one change of ANY oil, synthetic or dino? I personally saw a new 6 cyl. Toyota truck seize up and the engine destroyed by a guy who ran it for 70,000 miles, after buying it new, without changing the oil. The truck wasn't even 3 years old. It made me sick.
Here's what an oil filter looks like after a +40,000 mile oil change interval:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...ge=3#Post734427
The vehicle has an oil leak so it was topped off regularly.
http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...ge=3#Post734427
The vehicle has an oil leak so it was topped off regularly.
Is that a broad generalization or a generalization about broads?
My Dad just ran a 91 Voyager for 27,000 miles 11 mths on amsoil 5-30 ASL with a fram Tough gard filter. The engine seemed OK, I was tempted to cut open the filter. This was not intentional to run this long.
My Daughters 96 Taurus ran for 12,000 mile 1.5 years Motorcraft filter. Again not intentional.
I was up his was during Christmas and did not have a lot of time do what I wanted.
My Daughters 96 Taurus ran for 12,000 mile 1.5 years Motorcraft filter. Again not intentional.
I was up his was during Christmas and did not have a lot of time do what I wanted.
Sorry rushed my post and made it hard to read..........Meant to say up his way, north.
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