How long can i likely push my oil?

[Bart_9]

I drive a 2005 Toyota Echo, and have been using synthetic since the first oil change, Royal Purple till they switched to SN and Mobil 1 full synthetic since then.
I also use the Mobil 1 Extended performance oil filters.

I have been following the 6 month/8k interval (usually hitting 6 months) but since i usually do my own changes and the next 6 month will hit at the end of January and i have no garage i am not wanting to change my oil in the middle of winter weather.

I drive very few short trips (average trip length is probably 20km), but only about 1000km/month (probably half that in the winter). I live near Toronto, Ontario Canada so the weather is about to get pretty bad which probably wears oil faster. An oil analysis would cost a lot, shipping it to the US would probably cost 50% more, plus our dollar crashing would add another 50%, so more then doubling the cost

What are your thoughts?

 

[Colt45ws]

How much warmup do you do?

 

[901Memphis]

Without a used oil analysis it would be a total guess but I'm going to guess you easily could go 1 year 15k knowing that you've used synthetic the entire life it's going to be spotless and also you rack us up miles very fast on top of the fact that those Toyota 4 cylinder engines are very easy on TBN.


Edit, you're talking kilometers I was talking miles your a walk in the park at 16,000 KM which is under 10k miles. 10k miles is normal intervals for that engine+oil combo

 

[Fsharp]

Royal Purple says their oil is good for 12months/12,000 miles and you're using a good oil filter so I bet it could do that easily.

 

[bbhero]

+1 Memphis is spot on here with his analysis. No surprise though

 

[69GTX]

I'd pick the first seasonally "warm" day in January and change the oil, if it's required. A hot engine compartment will help keep you warm. If I had to, I'd put a standard cover over the car, then a 20x30 tarp. I'd have my own heated "tent." Anything 15 deg F or warmer and I'd be fine.

 

[Bart_9]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
How much warmup do you do?

10C or engine temp of 25C, whichever is higher (viewed by scangauge), it usually works out to 15-45 secs. I also use a block heater most of the time in winter.


Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Without a used oil analysis it would be a total guess but I'm going to guess you easily could go 1 year 15k knowing that you've used synthetic the entire life it's going to be spotless and also you rack us up miles very fast on top of the fact that those Toyota 4 cylinder engines are very easy on TBN.


Edit, you're talking kilometers I was talking miles your a walk in the park at 16,000 KM which is under 10k miles. 10k miles is normal intervals for that engine+oil combo

8-9 months would be nice, but your right without an analysis its shooting in the dark. So far i have done 5k on this oil change.
If there are a few used oils analyses on this forum with my engine (1NZ-FE) it might make for useful data.

Originally Posted By: Fsharp
Royal Purple says their oil is good for 12months/12,000 miles and you're using a good oil filter so I bet it could do that easily.

I use Mobil 1 synthetic now, i stopped using Royal purple maybe 2 years ago.

 

[901Memphis]

Mobil 1 has very good TBN retention.

 

[Fsharp]

Originally Posted By: Bart_9
I use Mobil 1 synthetic now, i stopped using Royal purple maybe 2 years ago.


I see that now upon closer reading of your original post

Still, like the other people here, I think it would be fine for the additional miles. If you're worried about low TBN swap out the oil filter for one of those Frams with the goo in it. HM4967 is the right one for your application.

 

[Bart_9]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Mobil 1 has very good TBN retention.

Thats good to know, how much more quickly does winter trips use up TBN?


If anyone knows of any used oil analysis companies in Canada that would be nice

 

[ajchien]

I'll defer to those who know more about how long you can push the oil in that car.

However, if all the reassurance here does not help your mind set, why not just change the oil now when it's not too cold yet? You said the weather is about to get bad - not bad yet. Maybe get yourself on a twice a year April/May-October/November schedule so you can avoid the snow monthsand keep your sanity.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: Bart_9
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Mobil 1 has very good TBN retention.

Thats good to know, how much more quickly does winter trips use up TBN?


If anyone knows of any used oil analysis companies in Canada that would be nice



I can't put a number on it but i know the TBN does drop faster in the winter usually.

I believe Wearcheck does Canada.

 

[bigt61]

Keep it topped off and just change it in the spring. That's a walk in the park for M1. Likely you'd be fine just changing it once a year anyway. A 10 yr old Echo is already happy just not being another SuperTech beater.

 

[bluestream]

Not sure for your car need UOA

Several years ago I bought a used Grand Am for my wife. The PO did 70,000 KM OCI with Conventional oil. This was over one year as he was a salesman and all highway. Car was leased so the owner didn't care much. Car ran fine, and we used it 2 years then sold it for more than we paid.

 

[Joel_MD]

Unless there is something particularly bad about the Echo engine, of which I am unfamiliar, you should be able to extend your change interval to upwards of 16k kilometers. As long as you don't do a lot of short trips in the winter months, which cause more condensation and acid formation, which depletes the TBN.

 

[WobblyElvis]

I live in the same climate. 22,000km on the oil in my car at the moment. Bart will be fine. Just wait until the spring to change it.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: Bart_9
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
How much warmup do you do?

10C or engine temp of 25C, whichever is higher (viewed by scangauge), it usually works out to 15-45 secs. I also use a block heater most of the time in winter.


Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Without a used oil analysis it would be a total guess but I'm going to guess you easily could go 1 year 15k knowing that you've used synthetic the entire life it's going to be spotless and also you rack us up miles very fast on top of the fact that those Toyota 4 cylinder engines are very easy on TBN.


Edit, you're talking kilometers I was talking miles your a walk in the park at 16,000 KM which is under 10k miles. 10k miles is normal intervals for that engine+oil combo

8-9 months would be nice, but your right without an analysis its shooting in the dark. So far i have done 5k on this oil change.
If there are a few used oils analyses on this forum with my engine (1NZ-FE) it might make for useful data.

Originally Posted By: Fsharp
Royal Purple says their oil is good for 12months/12,000 miles and you're using a good oil filter so I bet it could do that easily.

I use Mobil 1 synthetic now, i stopped using Royal purple maybe 2 years ago.
If you look under my username, there are 2 used oil analysis on my xB, both with M1. The one with Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30 sheared the oil pretty seriously in 7K, the one with 5W30 EP showed the oil was still decent at 10K. One advantage of the 1NZFE is it warms up faster than any engine I've ever seen, mine warms above 180F on my code scanner in about a mile, even in freezing temps.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX
I'd pick the first seasonally "warm" day in January and change the oil, if it's required. A hot engine compartment will help keep you warm. If I had to, I'd put a standard cover over the car, then a 20x30 tarp. I'd have my own heated "tent." Anything 15 deg F or warmer and I'd be fine.


Why are we tenting the car?

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
Keep it topped off and just change it in the spring. That's a walk in the park for M1. Likely you'd be fine just changing it once a year anyway. A 10 yr old Echo is already happy just not being another SuperTech beater.
Dunning-Kruger Syndrome. ^

 

[Bart_9]

Thanks for all the great posts everybody, a few replies

Originally Posted By: ajchien
I'll defer to those who know more about how long you can push the oil in that car.

However, if all the reassurance here does not help your mind set, why not just change the oil now when it's not too cold yet? You said the weather is about to get bad - not bad yet. Maybe get yourself on a twice a year April/May-October/November schedule so you can avoid the snow monthsand keep your sanity.

I used to be on October - April but extra kms derailed it. I'm a numbers person, i find it difficult to go by reassurance, but i am working on it

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I can't put a number on it but i know the TBN does drop faster in the winter usually.

I believe Wearcheck does Canada.

Thanks, i will look into them

Originally Posted By: Joel_MD
Unless there is something particularly bad about the Echo engine, of which I am unfamiliar, you should be able to extend your change interval to upwards of 16k kilometers. As long as you don't do a lot of short trips in the winter months, which cause more condensation and acid formation, which depletes the TBN.

I walk to the local grocery store, i rarely drive trips under 10km, and i try to always use the block heater, so i'm hoping its causing minimal oil wear.

Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I live in the same climate. 22,000km on the oil in my car at the moment. Bart will be fine. Just wait until the spring to change it.

LOL @ same climate, How did you come up with 22k?


Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
If you look under my username, there are 2 used oil analysis on my xB, both with M1. The one with Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30 sheared the oil pretty seriously in 7K, the one with 5W30 EP showed the oil was still decent at 10K. One advantage of the 1NZFE is it warms up faster than any engine I've ever seen, mine warms above 180F on my code scanner in about a mile, even in freezing temps.

I find mine does not warm up that fast, takes about 2-3kms to get to operating temperature and uses 0.2(summer)-0.5(winter)L of gas to heat up.
If your car is like my Echo and has no water temp meter and just the blue light, it goes off at 60ºC, and operating temp takes about twice as long to get to at 83ºC