Extended oil change intervals impact on Wear

[Roberts9156]

Please help me understand. I’ve heard multiple times that a lot wear is from <15 micron particle size, which is mostly not caught by oil filters. Yet it seems like many people are confident in going extended oil change intervals just knowing the oil stays in grade and fuel dilution.

Does the wear rate not accelerate the longer oil is run, and why?

 

[GW.]

IMO the longer the oil change interval the more important filtration is. A higher efficiency filter will catch more of the smaller particles. That said I don’t do extended oil change intervals and still use high efficiency filters.

 

[bigjohn]

I'm just not doing long oil change intervals any more..... My Diesels, which are 10k... I am now changing at 7,500. My gassers that are 7-8k OCI's... I am changing at 5k.

Why???? I had a turbo failure at 9,500 on the oil change interval and my mechanic believes it was a lube issue. That was $8,000. I don't give a rip what anyone's opinions are on this matter.... I am reducing my oil change intervals.

For what it is worth, I have always run top shelf oil and expensive filters.

I have a brand new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the 2.0L Turbo and it will be changed every 5k miles.

 

[Japanese]

Please help me understand. I’ve heard multiple times that a lot wear is from <15 micron particle size, which is mostly not caught by oil filters. Yet it seems like many people are confident in going extended oil change intervals just knowing the oil stays in grade and fuel dilution.

Does the wear rate not accelerate the longer oil is run, and why?

The oil life is monitored usually by its:
Viscosity
TBN
Flash point
Accumulation of metal from the engine in it
Amount of its detergent and dispersants
Amount of water and/or coolant in it

However, you never know how the oil lubricates (does it do its job or not) even some of those are in specs on the used oil analysis.

 

[SC Maintenance]

There are lots of industrial machine studies showing it happens there. One could argue it doesn’t apply to a car ?

Most people don’t get past 200K miles anyway. A good engine will make that likely with whatever OCI and a poor one will likely blow up due to something else. So the reality is it’s seldom put to any test anyway.

I do 5000 OCI and run my cars much longer than most.

 

[charbaby]

I like 5K-6K mile OCIs for our normal-ness! But, I've also done a 4K mile OCI out of convenience and winter arriving soon.
I might do a 7K mile OCI on occasion, knowing how I used the vehicle with more highway travel than usual. I believe that I have even done ~8K miles on one particular OCI due to being gone for over a month traveling the North East(NY-FL) and back home, visiting friends in different states along the way or the way back. Oil still looked clean but changed it upon my return home.

 

[Boomer]

I agree. Both of my VWs (bought new) get oil changes with a new filter every 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first.

 

[AuthorEditor]

My changes are now mostly time based since I'm not driving as much in retirement. I like to change it around November 1 so I won't have to change it in the middle of winter on a cold driveway covered with ice. On one vehicle I them change it when the OLM warning Pops up around 7.5K, which just happened. The other vehicle gets less miles so it might go a year to next November 1. OTOH I've never had a major engine problem that could be oil related and in the past I drove a bunch of cars to the scrapyard due to rust, and they lived their whole lives on occasional cheapy lube oil changes with no-name filters and bulk oil of undetermined origin.

 

[RBT]

There are lots of industrial machine studies showing it happens there. One could argue it doesn’t apply to a car ?

Most people don’t get past 200K miles anyway. A good engine will make that likely with whatever OCI and a poor one will likely blow up due to something else. So the reality is it’s seldom put to any test anyway.

I do 5000 OCI and run my cars much longer than most.

Common sense award of the week.

For my old 1980s BMWs, the factory intervals were 7500 on the then crappy (by modern synthetic standards) Dino oil available. They all went 200k - 250k, one went 300k but by then the cars were shot. Rust issues, driver seat worn out, AC problematic, list goes on, and they were good cars. People are not realistic about automotive longevity and think there is some magic talisman that will make the car last forever. Even old Landcruisers - a good friend has a private Toyota shop and they require repair and overhaul too. And I am not knocking them - very good vehicles. There are no magic talismans - thinking oil or anything else for that matter. Biggest variables in favor of the high mileage cars are climate and where the car is stored. I would feel much better about my ability to keep a car on the longish end if I lived in a dry, sunny climate and had a garage available.

 

[skyactiv]

I've been doing every 5K on my GLI but the engine is 2.0L and holds 6.0 quarts, so I should bump it up to 6K.

 

[joekingcorvette]

The only vehicle I ever kept for a long time was my old 2012 Honda Civic which I ran up to 143,000 miles. Oil changes every 3,000 miles and oil and filter every other time. It didn't burn a drop when I sold it. It pays to change oil frequently even if the buyer gets additional benefits from it.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

1996 and 1997 Geo Metro 3 bangers got 7500 OCI's Both rotted to death at 186 and 187K miles.
2006 Chevy Aveo, 7500 OCI's. Still runs and drives like the day it came off the showroom floor at 272K miles.
2013 Kia Rio, 7500 OCI's. Still runs perfectly at 145K miles.
Mobil 1 5w-30 in all but the rio which gets 10w-30. Never did any break in changes either.

Haven't decided on OCI's for the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage or the 2026 Toyota Tacoma yet. Probably will go less than the factory spec'd 10K on the Toyota at least. Being a turbo. Did do a 1000 mile break in change on both just to get that factory fill dinosaur wizz out of the sump. No 0 weight/ water weight oils. I don't live in the arctic.

 

[Rand]

To answer your question if it is even answerable.
We would need basic information at least the vehicle and what your consider regular and extended intervals for it.

Some vehicles are not great candidates extended intervals from design and/or usage.

The general question its not very answerable imo.

 

[UNC196]

I have a 22 F150 with the ecoboost. It’s at about 112k miles and has mostly been on the ford 10k mile oci. Ford gave me a free maintenance plan for 10 changes or 100k miles because they didn’t install some things that were part of a package due to the chip shortage.

I’ve done a few changes on my own…but mostly it’s had Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5w30 and a Motorcraft FL500s filter on a 10k interval.

It hasn’t had any engine failures and it uses less than 1/2 qt over 10k miles.

 

[Roberts9156]

To answer your question if it is even answerable.
We would need basic information at least the vehicle and what your consider regular and extended intervals for it.

Some vehicles are not great candidates extended intervals from design and/or usage.

The general question its not very answerable imo.

Thanks. I wasn’t really trying to debate extended OCIs directly. I am trying to understand if the wear rate accelerates the more miles you run on an oil because it builds with <15 micron particles not filtered out.

 

[tmorris1]

I have a 22 F150 with the ecoboost. It’s at about 112k miles and has mostly been on the ford 10k mile oci. Ford gave me a free maintenance plan for 10 changes or 100k miles because they didn’t install some things that were part of a package due to the chip shortage.

I’ve done a few changes on my own…but mostly it’s had Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5w30 and a Motorcraft FL500s filter on a 10k interval.

It hasn’t had any engine failures and it uses less than 1/2 qt over 10k miles.

Don't worry your timing chains will get you back in there by 150k. Hopefully not, but likely.

 

[Rand]

Thanks. I wasn’t really trying to debate extended OCIs directly. I am trying to understand if the wear rate accelerates the more miles you run on an oil because it builds with <15 micron particles not filtered out.

Thank you for the clarification.

The answer could still be vehicle and usage dependent. a port injected engine running 5w30
could be more tolerant than a turbocharged DI 300hp engine running 0w20 that is even thinner from fuel dilution etc.

 

[tmorris1]

I think it is vehicle and driving style dependent mostly. I have a 2006 Focus 2.0 with no turbos or variable timing bs on it. Just a gas engine with not a ton of power that gets driven almost 100% highway/freeway on an hour commute to work. It now has 320k on it and I change the oil at 10k with 0w20 Mobil 1 EP. I bought it with 94k on it. Have done that since about 100k and the oil is right at the full mark when I change it and still smells like oil for the most part. No direct injection or turbos hence the reason I do this. I also did a few oil analysis tests when I first started this and they consistently said I could go longer than 10k, but I really wasn't interested in going longer just didn't want to be doing oil changes every month and a half in the winter.

 

[brandon9715]

My opinion on OCIs in the past few years has changed to 5k miles for 99% of use cases, regardless of oil brand used (boutique or not). Even my 2015 F150 with the 5.0 and 8qt sump gets changed every 5-6k, and that engine is easy on oils. I used to run Amsoil SS and change annually, but I have found that most modern engines burn some amount of oil, so it’s not worth running boutique oils anymore. Boutique oils are great oils, just not worth it when you have to top it up with 2+ qts every OCI. Might as well just run off the shelf and change every 5k. Fuel dilution is also mitigated changing every 5k.

 

[tmorris1]

My opinion on OCIs in the past few years has changed to 5k miles for 99% of use cases, regardless of oil brand used (boutique or not). Even my 2015 F150 with the 5.0 and 8qt sump gets changed every 5-6k, and that engine is easy on oils. I used to run Amsoil SS and change annually, but I have found that most modern engines burn some amount of oil, so it’s not worth running boutique oils anymore. Boutique oils are great oils, just not worth it when you have to top it up with 2+ qts every OCI. Might as well just run off the shelf and change every 5k. Fuel dilution is also mitigated changing every 5k.

I have a 2019 F-150 5.0 and I do the same thing with Mobil 1 EP. I started with 0w20 and lately have been running 5w30. Mine uses about a 1/2 qt in 5k. I had the engine changed under warranty at 16k for excessive oil consumption , but this one is better. I have been debating on switching my Focus to 5w30 as well but figured I don't want to change up what works with 320k on it.