Another Reason to Avoid Long OCI.

[Trav]

Not just a turbo, think about how engines have changed over the last couple of decades. At one time varnish was for the most part cosmetic at worst you could end up with sticking rings and what most people recognized most was the ticking of sticking lifters. Those day are long gone!
Today's engines have so many components that are oil fed and oil pressure controlled through small valves and solenoids that sticking of these parts can cause real serious running issues and even very costly engine damage.

VVT, VCM systems, hydraulic timing components, lash adjuster/lifter needle bearings and valve train pins/shafts that rocker arms slide on and a whole host of other parts can all be negatively impacted by varnish. Low tension piston rings also appear to be more susceptible to these type of contaminate than the older ones.
The problem is by they time any of these begins to act up the engine may be very badly varnished and have deposits/sludge making cleaning it up a difficult and expensive proposition. Its easier and much cheaper to prevent it by simply running a shorter OCI, not saying 3K although there are some engines that really do need that but 5-7K is usually okay with synthetic oils.

 

[spasm3]

Not just a turbo, think about how engines have changed over the last couple of decades. At one time varnish was for the most part cosmetic at worst you could end up with sticking rings and what most people recognized most was the ticking of sticking lifters. Those day are long gone!
Today's engines have so many components that are oil fed and oil pressure controlled through small valves and solenoids that sticking of these parts can cause real serious running issues and even very costly engine damage.

VVT, VCM systems, hydraulic timing components, lash adjuster/lifter needle bearings and valve train pins/shafts that rocker arms slide on and a whole host of other parts can all be negatively impacted by varnish. Low tension piston rings also appear to be more susceptible to these type of contaminate the older ones.
The problem is by they time any of these begains to act up the engine may be very badly varnished and have deposits/sludge making cleaning it up a difficult and expensive proposition. Its easier and much cheaper to prevent it by simply running a shorter OCI, not saying 3K although there are some engines that really do need that but 5-7K is usually okay with synthetic oils.

My wife short trips the DI mazda. So I change it at 2k winter. Fuel dilution >5% by uoa.
I'm sure if I went 1 year or even 5k, I'd have varnish issues.

 

[bdcardinal]

I have never been a fan of extended OCI especially at the prices of oil in the USA. If there is varnish under the cover the OCI is too long, the oil is lower quality or both, its really that simple.
With modern engines varnish is anything but a cosmetic stain.

My theory is whatever extra you spend on oil and filters doing a 5K OCI is significantly cheaper than a new engine or major repair as a result of extending the OCI longer than you should.

 

[2EHA]

different oils affect different engines differently

the VW 1.8T used to be known as a sludge factory when ran with dino oil. with a 502\505 oil and a functional PCV system you can do 10k and still have an impeccable finish on the valvetrain

 

[Falcon_LS]

That is outrageous! At first I thought I was looking at an AC orifice tube, that is a very interesting PCV valve design! Over here, they'd clean that up with carb cleaner, stick it back together with super glue and a touch of cigarette ash or powder detergent and put it back on the car; "Good as new!" they'd say.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

different oils affect different engines differently

the VW 1.8T used to be known as a sludge factory when ran with dino oil. with a 502\505 oil and a functional PCV system you can do 10k and still have an impeccable finish on the valvetrain

I was going to respond along these lines.

Bottom line the OP likely doesn't know the history of this car (if he does, please share). There is a difference between an extended OCI using the correct oil and just straight up not doing maintenance and using whatever cheapest swill the local lube place offers.

 

[Falcon_LS]

My theory is whatever extra you spend on oil and filters doing a 5K OCI is significantly cheaper than a new engine or major repair as a result of extending the OCI longer than you should.

Couldn't agree more. I just don't push for long drain intervals, not where I'm based with the air and fuel quality. On a GM OLM equipped vehicle, my rule of thumb is a drain/refill for every 25% drop in oil life and a new air and oil filter whenever it zeros out. Otherwise it's a simple drain and refill every 2,500 kilometers (1,600 miles) with an air and oil filter (Fram Ultra) replacement every 15,000 km (9,400 miles).

Excessive? Absolutely. But seeing what comes out at 2,500 kilometers - every time without fail - I'll stick with what works for me. An average of 90 minutes idling in heavy traffic every day adds up real fast, especially when the ambient is 125°F in summer.

 

[ripcord]

Excessive? Absolutely. But seeing what comes out at 2,500 kilometers - every time without fail - I'll stick with what works for me. An average of 90 minutes idling in heavy traffic every day adds up real fast, especially when the ambient is 125°F in summer.

I'd say those conditions are the definition of severe service.

 

[JTK]

So many engines and so many variables, my advise is unless you are 100% sure the engine can handle it stick to severe service intervals at a minimum with turbo engines.
10K OCI on a 4.0T 450 HP and a $10K timing chain job is probably not far away. On a Gen I 230HP ecotec with the 4 qt pan 3K can be too long if you hammer or short trip the thing.

Sorry if I missed it, but was this engine also direct injected?

To me, same goes with DI gas engines. Follow the severe service interval.

 

[Trav]

I was going to respond along these lines.

Bottom line the OP likely doesn't know the history of this car (if he does, please share). There is a difference between an extended OCI using the correct oil and just straight up not doing maintenance and using whatever cheapest swill the local lube place offers.

Bottom line is the OP does know the history of this car (if I didn't know I wouldn't post it or I would say I didn't know). Mobil 1 5w30 10K OCI from day 1, mostly short trip (home to the hospital where she works 2 miles away and back) one owner. It was serviced at a local garage.
I have done a few of these with 120K or more that were not this bad.

 

[Trav]

Sorry if I missed it, but was this engine also direct injected?

To me, same goes with DI gas engines. Follow the severe service interval.

No, port injected.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Bottom line is the OP does know the history of this car (if I didn't know I wouldn't post it or I would say I didn't know). Mobil 1 5w30 10K OCI from day 1, mostly short trip (home to the hospital where she works 2 miles away and back) one owner. It was serviced at a local garage.
I have done a few of these with 120K or more that were not this bad.

The car came from the factory with Mobil 1? In Germany?

I'm sure the OCI calls for one year maximum, no? 10k in under one year with a 2 mile commute? How many of these 10k intervals became 12-13k intervals?

If all of the above is true I am pointing my finger at short trips... Not at OCI. 10k on the freeway for example is a walk in the park.

 

[loneryder]

Yeah, that doesn’t look good. I don’t recommend long oil change intervals to anyone.

That's Blasphemy on this site.

 

[surfstar]

YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE!!!

500 MILE OCIs ON SYNTHETIC OIL.

CHEAPER THAN A NEW ENGINE!!!

 

[surfstar]

Bottom line is the OP does know the history of this car (if I didn't know I wouldn't post it or I would say I didn't know). Mobil 1 5w30 10K OCI from day 1, mostly short trip (home to the hospital where she works 2 miles away and back) one owner. It was serviced at a local garage.
I have done a few of these with 120K or more that were not this bad.

Huh. 2 mile commute. 10k OCI.
Lets say 5k miles per year, that is 13.7 miles per day and would be a two-year OCI.

I think you're burying the lead in order to have a sensationalistic headline. The truth is 2 mi short trips are bad for you vehicle. If the owner took the vehicle out for a longer drive each weekend, I don't think this issue would exist and you wouldn't be pushing an anti-extended OCI on here. You should be anti-short tripping instead.

Best bet - the owners should purchase a used Nissan Leaf and have no oil changes at all.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I've changed PCV valves in engines where the oil was changed religiously every 3 months or 3k miles that looked worse than that. One of which was on my mother-in-law's Buick. I regularly go 15-25k miles in my Tahoe and the PCV (and under the valve covers) is nice and clean.

The MIL's Buick is short-tripped (1.75 mile commute). The Tahoe rarely sees short trips as we live 20+ minutes out of town.

 

[Trav]

Huh. 2 mile commute. 10k OCI.
Lets say 5k miles per year, that is 13.7 miles per day and would be a two-year OCI.

I think you're burying the lead in order to have a sensationalistic headline. The truth is 2 mi short trips are bad for you vehicle. If the owner took the vehicle out for a longer drive each weekend, I don't think this issue would exist and you wouldn't be pushing an anti-extended OCI on here. You should be anti-short tripping instead.

Best bet - the owners should purchase a used Nissan Leaf and have no oil changes at all.

Which I have also said. Extended oil changes are a fools errand IMO, such cheap maintenance vs very expensive repairs, but hey if someone wants to squeeze every mile out of cheap oil have at it, I was just showing what the result can be.

 

[RDY4WAR]

Which I have also said. Extended oil changes are a fools errand IMO, such cheap maintenance vs very expensive repairs, but hey if someone wants to squeeze every mile out of cheap oil have at it, I was just showing what the result can be.

All you showed was a bad PCV with most likely no correlation to OCIs.

 

[Trav]

The car came from the factory with Mobil 1? In Germany?

I'm sure the OCI calls for one year maximum, no? 10k in under one year with a 2 mile commute? How many of these 10k intervals became 12-13k intervals?

If all of the above is true I am pointing my finger at short trips... Not at OCI. 10k on the freeway for example is a walk in the park.

Since when did Saab come from Germany? But yes OE fill and Mobil 1 in Germany too, factory fill on Porsche and others for many years.
10K freeway may well be easy for some engine but not all by a long shot. Care to try again? She even did shorter time and miles than the owners manual specified. The fact is even that was too long for the conditions it operated under.

 

[Trav]

All you showed was a bad PCV with most likely no correlation to OCIs.

It certainly does, the point is why the PCV went bad. If the engine was well maintained it would not have those deposits in the head area.
What is it with you guys? Someone shows why too long a OCI for the conditions it was operating under can have a negative effect on an engine and you loose it.