Any other short changers out there?

[GSCJR]

Both vehicles are short trippers so I keep them at 5000kms changes but, if I don't get to it I don't stress because I know there's a buffer. I've gone as far as 10000kms after learning here on BITOG, that it's not a problem. Currently synthetic in both vehicles but I may switch back to conventional in the VQ because it seems like a bit of a waste. I don't change based on time, distance travelled only.

 

[doublebase]

Double:
Some data would help understand. This is Good information ! thouh I am sorry for your result.

What oil and engine?

Also commute length and average speed?

BTW I live just a bit North of Haverhill Mass.

That's funny, we probably are neighbors then.

The car was a 2007 Lexus LS460. Purchased in great condition with 70,000 miles off a Lexus technician I knew.

I initially did 5,000 mile oil changes using Mobil 1 synthetic 5w20 for 5,000 mile intervals. I swear to god that car didn't use a drop of oil. Then at 90,000 miles I began trying extended drains (because of recommendations from people that were doing the 10,000 mile oil changes suggested by Toyota).

So I went ahead and did 7,500 mile oil changes at first, using Mobil 1...I noticed that the car would not use a drop up until 4,500-5,000 miles, but after that it would (might use a quart between 5,000-7,500). Thought that was strange.

Then I switched to Toyota Genuine Synthetic 0w20, same thing happened.

Then I tried the Mobil 1 Extended performance oil, and tried to go 10,000 miles...added around 2 quarts. At this time I'm nearing the 120,000 mile mark of ownership. I decide to switch to a 0w30 Mobil 1 oil, but there's no improvement, it's gradually getting worse (using around 2 quarts in 7,500 miles now). Then I switched to a Napa house synthetic (5w30), started using more oil. At 150,000 miles or so I switched back to 5,000 mile intervals and was using around 2 quarts in between. Then at around 160,000 miles I began using Castrol Magnetic 5w20. Used maybe only a quart in 5,000 miles, but the next time I used it it was 2 quarts. By the time I reached 170,000 miles it was drinking oil. A quart or more every 1,000.

Inside the intake manifold you could see the oil tracking. The spark plugs I pulled were soaked with oil, not the threads but the plugs themselves. If I stepped on the gas hard, there would be a big puff of smoke.

My driving style/commute, was basically a piece of cake...easy up and down 495 or 93, commuting, going between 65-75 mph. Very little stop and go traffic. No city driving. All easy highway....600 miles a week, every week. But like I said, maybe it wasn't the extended drains? I don't really know, but I suspect it was.

 

[doublebase]

I do 3000 on everything except the 2017 Camry which gets 5,000 since it takes synthetic. I don’t fall for that 10,000 miles oil change stuff that is because the manufacturer doesn’t care once it’s out of warranty. I’ll never change my habits for that. Now I might extend to 6 months or a year if I haven’t reached that mileage yet which I don’t in my truck or our Van. In the beetle well I do that about every 1000-2000 because it doesn’t have a filter and those things are easy to blow up if you run it a drop low.

You're a tech, right? You even notice that the techs you know and work with, most of them only go 3,000 miles on oil changes? All the techs I know think I'm crazy for going even 5,000 miles, lol. I'm like, guys, you realize it's 2021, right? No one does 3,000 mile oil changes anymore using synthetic....but a lot of techs do.

 

[The Critic]

You're a tech, right? You even notice that the techs you know and work with, most of them only go 3,000 miles on oil changes? All the techs I know think I'm crazy for going even 5,000 miles, lol. I'm like, guys, you realize it's 2021, right? No one does 3,000 mile oil changes anymore using synthetic....but a lot of techs do.

They're usually the same ones who also fix the slightest oil seep or suspension wear issue, but never replace any of their fluids because they are considered "wallet flushes."

 

[AutoMechanic]

You're a tech, right? You even notice that the techs you know and work with, most of them only go 3,000 miles on oil changes? All the techs I know think I'm crazy for going even 5,000 miles, lol. I'm like, guys, you realize it's 2021, right? No one does 3,000 mile oil changes anymore using synthetic....but a lot of techs do.

Yes I was working at a dealership and you had some of the young ones who liked their 10k but me and all the old guys were 3,000 type. Now I’m at an independent shop and we are all 3,000 people and always recommend that on customers cars sometimes we will stretch to 5,000 for synthetic though unless customers request something different. People think we are crazy but honestly I could care less lol.

 

[rummy]

5k/6months mile OCI whichever comes first because i like to get my hands dirty.

 

[JoelB]

She needs to get a plug in E car or to walk to work. That's not a commute, and thats killer on the car.
How does she end up being so close to work? My Nice works at 1211 6th Ave at 30 Rock for FOX and use to walk to work from her apartment - but she moved out of NYC to Ct and takes the Rail now.

Well my wife purchased and paid off her car with her own money so I'm not about to tell her she has to walk to work. Especially considering it was -26F this morning.

Electric cars are to expensive to be worth it for her at this point. The only problems I expect to have are potentially replacing and exhaust prematurely due to moisture build up causing corrosion. And probably new batteries every 3 years.

 

[Deamos]

On my Sorento I did 5-7k mile changes depending on how many highway miles I was doing. Never a problem since I was always using a good synthetic blend. Was told by the indy shop I used (when the engine had about 120k miles on it) that from what they could tell the vehicle was in fantastic condition for its age and mileage from a mechanical standpoint. Preventative/regular scheduled maintenance is good for a vehicle I guess.

For the CX-5, it'll be 5-6k for the life of the vehicle due to it having a DI engine. Haven't seen what the "flexible" maintenance schedule looks like yet, if it doesn't end up being excessive I'll use whatever the onboard computer says. Otherwise, I'll just go back to 5k intervals and call it done. Feels short given Mazda calls for 0w-20, but I am sure the engineers know what they're about.

 

[4WD]

Ya'll are wild. 2k, 3k is ridiculous.

I do 5k/1yr and I recognize that even that is too short.

Right on … wonder how many formula changes have taken place in the 40 years Tig has done 10k with Mobil 1 ? Same results. Granted he does avoid TDI … but my newest engine is PI so they are still around too …
Not much out there that can’t do between 5k-10k on a name brand synthetic …

 

[Accent Abuser]

Don't think I've ever gone over 6k on an oil change. I usually do 5k OCI but if I've done a lot of "severe" driving (driving slow speed through a snow storm, lots of idling etc) I'll dump it at 3-4k. Oil always comes out black and sooty thanks to my GDI engine. I could probably do 10k intervals on full synthetic but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing so without a UOA. Fully synthetic name brand oil is $25 a jug, that's chump change to me.

 

[tolian21]

some people drive 2-5 miles per trip, in winter their engine never fully warms up. The other extreme is excessive idling in traffic jams(lots of motor hours but not many miles). For these conditions,3-5k OCI is appropriate.

 

[Malo83]

5K or 6 mo also on all my vehicles.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Spring and fall. Been doing it so long I can't stop.

 

[cb_13]

By todays standards I am definitely a short changer. 5k on my 12 F150 and the wife's 17 Explorer. Still do 3k on my 99 (extra)F150. I did 7500 with conventional Pennzoil on my 02 Escort when I had it but it was 90% highway miles on that car.

 

[Govtman]

I had an 04 Colorado. Mobile 1 and Napa full synthetic. Run 5k, change filter and top off, run 5k, change filter and top of, run 5k and change all 6 qts. Truck had 356k on it when wrecked. Sold to a friend who now drives it daily. Did not use any oil. It is over 400k miles now.

 

[bigdawglanecreek]

Toyota Tacoma. 2.7. Started doing every 2500 miles with Super tech and filter change at 5000 miles

 

[ejes]

Used to do 3k OCI's with conventional, but now I do 5k or 1 year with synthetic. I don't think I've ever had to change oil based on the 1 yr mark though. Both my wife and I are consistent short trippers and I'd be lying if I said I had not considered 3k OCI's with cheaper good synthetic oils like ST or Havoline ProDS, but haven't had any problems with doing 5k OCI's for 20 yrs now.

 

[MRtv]

I'm a 3K guy. Both my 97 F150 and the 2014 Nissan Versa Note get changed at 3K. I do a severe service schedule. I use blend or full synthetics. Whatever goes in comes out in 3K. I promise I won't make anybody pay for my oil. I pay for it myself so have no worries. Right now the F150 has some 5w20 Napa blend. The Nissan has some ST 5w30 full synthetic.

 

[Dallasmale1970]

These responses are surprising. The maintenance minder on my 2017 Accord calls for approximately 9,500 mile intervals at around 11 months, probably because I have an easy commute.
Looks like that would make me an extreme outlier in this thread. I admit, I'm considering changing it at 8,000 miles or so.

 

[snowshew]

Enjoy working on vehicle + can't really do anything but change the oil on a new vehicle + like changing oil + oil is cheap = I change the oil far, far too early. For the hundreds of gallons of gas I am not using I don't give a second thought to the 6 qts I drain and recycle. If it is a vice, well, there are far worse. Enjoying a beer in my garage doing something that I enjoy is worth far more than the $25 I spend.