Anyone use full synthetic and still change at 3k oci's?

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I know that's considered wasteful, but I have a hunch a few people do it.

At the 6 month period I'll only have about 4k miles and I'll be changing. Most of my driving is very short trips often in bumper to bumper traffic so I can't imagine shooting for extended oci's.
 
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At the 6 month period I'll only have about 4k miles and I'll be changing. Most of my driving is very short trips often in bumper to bumper traffic so I can't imagine shooting for extended oci's.

I only put 7-8K miles on my '05 Explorer a year and change Mobil 1 and Wix filter every 6 months anyway.
The wife's Toyota goes 15K a year and the Mobil 1 and Wix filter is changed every 6 months also.
 
If it's city miles with alot of short trips, then every six months. If not -- meaning fewer, longer trips, then you can go one year without changing that oil.
 
Something to be considered is your local climate. Here in Charlotte, we have about 30 days/year where temps are lower then +32F, less the 10 days with less then +20F, OTOH, we have 60 or more days where temps are above 90F. Severe service driving under these conditions is not nearly the strain on the oil as where I grew up in northern Michigan where temps down to -30F were not un-common, while summer temps could easily top 100F in late July through mid Augest.

I have found that around here, a 10W30 oil year around is just fine for most cars, while high mileage cars can do well year around with most any xW40. The newest car requiring 5W20 should be very happy around here.
 
boxcartommie22,

what would you charge to ship your used oil across the country. At 2K oil changes, I might be in the market for used oil.
 
I change the oil in my car every 2500 miles or so and I use synthetic. It works out to 4 or 5 months or so.

In my wife's car, I usually go 6 months and up to 4500 miles. It's usually around 3500 miles.
 
im guilty of 3k synthetic oil changes!
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im still under warranty and that crap too though. but that doesnt really matter, i wouldnt be able to stand leaving it in there more than 3k.
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the wifes car doesnt usually see oil longer than 2500 miles. but then again thats more than 3 months, plus her little car only takes 3.5qts to fill! might as well keep er fresh. i currently run syn blend in her car, but im switchin to full syn next change...which happens to be the next warm day we get around these parts, probably next week.
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im one of those 3k/3mo. traditionalists...

plus i like to change oil

-Bo
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There's no reason you can't go a year. Mobil did tests 15 years ago where a vehicle was run for several years and minimum miles'day. Never getting close to a warmup cycle. Engine was torn down and although irons (UOA) were in the hundreds. There was very little wear in the engine.
 
I did it in my 1997 honda civic with castrol 10W30 for what i thought was a full synthetic till i found this site im glad i didnt go any further but now i dont do that in my truck.
 
when i first bought the new used truck (7000 miles on the odometer) i did it for a few oil changes with mobil 1 5w30 (dodge's schedule b requires a 3k change).

after about 3-4 changes, i switched to pennzoil 5w30. it was just too costly.
 
Guilty.
I just can't go longer, and in my motorcycles, it's 2k miles.
I just love those engine shots of guys like me take showing "new" engines after 150k!

I recycle my fluids, so IMHO, it's only MY money I'm playing with, and that's my choice
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IN 29 years of owning/driving all sorts of internal combustion monsters, I've never paid for any sort of non-maintenance engine repair...fingers crossed.

Scott
 
Guilty, but I buy used cars cheap so I guess I feel I'm compensating for any previous neglect (since no one is as anal about care care as me).
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I have tried a few dinos lately...
 
Shame on all of you, switching to blend would save you more money though.

No sense running a full syn when you never are using the full potential of it. I see a blend being much better in this regard.

I run my fiance's Accent on 5k OCI's which turns out to be every 6 months. If she has a longer commute when we move then I may up it to 7500.

I run my TDI at 5k now only because of the excessive short trips. If I ever get a longer commute then 10k OCI's is a no brainer. I would only run 3k for a regular oil and short trips. 5k for the long run.

No need wasting money but if your like ScottB and recycle your oil in heating or some other use then ya I can see why. The more you use the more heat you get! I can only assume he has a waste oil burner of some sort.
 
I've tried to find out more on waste oil heaters but I don't wanna go out of my way looking for a used hot water heater. I like the idea of using it in my mower but geesh. A one hp Briggs and Stratton doesn't use much oil! I've been thinking about building some sort of bypass filter like contraption to remove as much gunk as possible and then maybe...well, I don't know!
 
I'm a convert to 3K OCIs with synthetic. In my Land Rover, others have found it difficult to go past about 3K with good results. I did a 5K run on Red Line and, expecting a great UOA and plenty of oil use left, nearly collapsed when Blackstone reported that the Red Line was all used up, TBN down to 1.7(if memory serves me). Anyway, I've taken to following the Rover heard with this one. Land Rover guys much smarter than me change their oil at 3K with synthetic......and I will too.


Something about 1962 Oldsmobile aluminum V8 technology that makes this engine hard on oil. Yes the Land Rover V8 produced until 2004 was an exact copy from a 1962 Oldsmobile all-aluminum V8. Land Rover bought the rights to produce it in the 60s and just never looked for a replacement until 2005. Kinda astonishing really.
 
Huh, I thought it was a BUICK! That's a shocker that your redline was used up at 3k! Uh, where in town did you get it, by the way?
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