How often do you change your oil?

[userfriendly]

As engine oils age in use, the fuel economy slips a couple of percent, which is allowed.
The question was asked; "Would you trade engine wear for fuel efficiency?"
As per BITOG usual, the discussion went thick vs thin engine oil within a few posts.

For fleet owners, down-time means money, so choosing an engine oil and OCI may differ from individual motorists,
that may only have one or two vehicles to look after, and are maintained at their leisure.

For three season engine oil, I'm starting to buy 20L pails of no-name brands that display the API donut,
carry the certifications and grade I'm comfortable with, all for $3.00 a liter or less.

I'm spending less money while changing the oil with the olm's reading anywhere between 25-40% life remaining.

In the last seven days, I changed the oil in five vehicles that took a total of 32 liters which cost under $100.00 plus filters.

Instead of telling me what I could or should do different, post your oil change program.

 

[tenderloin]

Every 5,000 miles regardless of the oil I use....

 

[Oscar_Ruitt]

Every 6 months for my wife's short trip car, every 10k miles for my car, which gets 30k a year and very few short trips, all on "lower tier" synthetics like napa brand or Quaker State Ultimate Durability.

 

[bdcardinal]

5K regardless of time. It is a lot easier for me to remember that way. Also do a tire rotation at the same time.

 

[oldhp]

2014 RAM 3.6/8 speed, was doing free 5000 mile OCI's. Tech said to drop it back to 4000 mile OCI's, "you get 3 free oil changes a year anyway and 5000 miles is a little too far with the heat and the syn-blend they use."
Wife's 'Nox 2.4, too many short trips, every 2000 miles no matter what the OLM says.

 

[turtlevette]

I'm not consistent. Every 2 to 4 years. No more than 15k miles though.

I'm going to put redline racing in the old vette and won't change that for at least 5 years.

 

[Kuato]

88 Dodge 318(5.2) with 176k, less than 3k per year: annual change with inexpensive oil. Driven in warm temps only.

04 Jeep Wrangler 2.4L with 190k, less than 7k per year, mostly extreme short tripper; first OCI after move to town was 6 months, doing used oil analysis with intent to extend to 1 year. AMSOIL Signature Series, considering less expensive oil if UOA requires 6 months or less.

13 F150, 5.0 with 27k, on first oil change. Debating to keep with OLM under warranty or extend beyond 10k. Mostly highway. AMSOIL Signature Series

 

[901Memphis]

3-5k miles with whatever I get my hands on

 

[Eosyn]

7k miles on both Toys. using PP/Quaker State Ultimate Durability/Maxlife/Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy.

 

[userfriendly]

New record; We have gone an hour and twenty minutes without an impolite post.

 

[901Memphis]

All the grumpy ones are sleeping

 

[bbhero]

Well said

3k to 3500 in both my lady's Camry and the Altima. Pennzoil Conventional in the Camry and now Pennzoil Synthetic blend in the Altima. Camry took three months and the Altima every two and a half months. Lots of short trips for both around town.

 

[marc1]

Originally Posted By: used_0il
post your oil change program.


1) 2006 GMC - mint, garage stored, nary a mark on it, goes to Costco twice per month, gym 5 times per week, rare long highway trips (only when I need a truck i.e. dirt bike trip or moving something big somewhere far). Operated year round. I use the lowest cost conventional 5w30 oil available. Right now that is Shell Formula that I paid $3 / litre for. I have used 0w30 and 10w30 to use up a stash in which these oils were approaching 10 years in age. Interval is decided by the OLM and the last 3 have been to the nearest thousand; 10k, 10k and 12k. No make up oil is required and there is maybe 2-3mm movement on the dipstick.

2) 2011 Shelby - mint, garage stored, no marks on it, goes on a road trip vacation (2-3 thousand kms) once or twice per year and maybe 5 day trips per year. Operated from June to October. I am currently using Mobil 1 0w40 that I get on sale for about $6 / litre. I am of strong opinion that the Mobil 1 0w40 is perfectly suitable for my light duty use and also would be fine for heavy duty use. Interval is decided currently by time and I have to ignore the iOLM in this car as it goes off every 6 months regardless of the mileage. I simply change once per year in the Fall regardless of the mileage. As the car ages I will extend this to 2 years as long as I don't exceed 12k (kms) in 2 years which will be tough to do. No make up oil is required and there is zero movement on the dipstick.

3) 1970 LS6 Chevelle - original low mileage muscle car from "back in the day", garage stored, lots of character marks on it, goes to the drive-in car show about twice per month, the odd highway road trip and a modest amount of Saturday night stop light to stop light action. Operated from June to October. I really worry the least about what oil to use in this car. It is 45 years old, the owner's manual gives tremendous latitude in oil viscosity choices and despite all the ZDDP hype Internet blah blah blah this engine is probably the least sensitive to what oil I use than anything I own. Right now I am using Shell T5 10w30 that I paid $3.50 / litre for. Interval is once every 2 years. About 1 litre of make up oil is generally required per year depending on how I drive it. One obvious thing to note, if I use a heavier grade oil, consumption decreases... as expected.

 

[RedOakRanch]

2005 Silverado 5.3 150k, 2004 Explorer 4.6 157k. 10k mile oci any synthetic, any synthetic filter, I look for clearance items.

 

[3800Series]

5k-7.5k mostly conventional. Regardless of vehicle.

 

[Merkava_4]

3500 miles with full synthetic. . . . just so I can keep the oil companies in business.

 

[alcyon]

Before i joined bitog,5000 miles with grp3 synthethics. After joining bitog and a few used oil analysis done..8000 to 10000miles.

 

[Bigdaddyeasy]

5k Dino 7.5k syn these days. Extending intervals is to involved. I push filters above their suggested fci usually. No problem running 2 or more ocis on a filter

 

[Dave Hess]

20K miles on the oil filter, but I do 3 OCI's.

 

[demarpaint]

What is currently working well for me is a one year OCI in my Jeep, a one year OCI in my van, and every 5,000 miles in my 00 Century which is now in California. All intervals are easy to remember.