How old is the 3000 mile oil change myth?

[raytseng]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Quick lube places still tell you 3k or 3 months.

Whenever I see that sticker I want to blow a head gasket.


Meh the ones around here that I go to has switched to 5k / 6month stickers. Not all are that shady.

 

[camrydriver111]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Quick lube places still tell you 3k or 3 months.

Whenever I see that sticker I want to blow a head gasket.


Meh the ones around here that I go to has switched to 5k / 6month stickers. Not all are that shady.


If you are located in California maybe the government prohibits it to change every 3 k?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I once tried a propane powered floor buffing machine at one of my previous jobs.

Now, get a propane car, and you'll never have to see black oil again, at least not within your conceivable maintenance regimen.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Quick lube places still tell you 3k or 3 months.

Whenever I see that sticker I want to blow a head gasket.


I just chuckle. Anyone who falls for that deserves a lighter wallet. It doesn't take much effort to open a owners manual or do very light internet research to find out that the quick lube recommendations are bunk.

As far as California having any say in oil change practices, CARB has wrapped its tentacles around everyone's life in CA. Those of us in the commercial trucking community have invented a significant number of new swear words to describe the reach of CARB in folk's lives.

 

[dlundblad]

Many modern cars on severe service call for 3.75k intervals.

I just cant help but wonder if dealers and garages both over utilize that term a bit though.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: panther427
Well at least back in the day with carburetors you could have more fuel dumped into the oil via several routes. Especially with having to jet for different altitudes. Modern day motors I'm not so sure


Back in the day with carbed engines that were tuned correctly, fuel did not "dump" into the oil. Not as efficient as today's engines for sure, but not bad either. I was doing 10K OCIs with M1 5-20 in the 70's with no problems.

 

[TFB1]

From 1958 to 1959 Chevy went from a reccomended 2K mi OCI to a 4K mi...


http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Che...20Guide-27.html


http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Che...0Manual-27.html

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Quick lube places still tell you 3k or 3 months.

Whenever I see that sticker I want to blow a head gasket.


Around our area, we have plenty of garages still stick thy 3000 mile oil change. The one well known quick lube oil change place, Mister, has for several years have gone by what the owners manual says, but only on the severe service schedule, so still not a whole lot better. So of course, my 2003 Chevy Blazer will get a 3000 mile/3 month sticker.

 

[lubricatosaurus]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Kendall's "Two fingers" meant 2000 miles, way back when.

My dad's 1980 Ford Fairmont sales literature gushed over how much less maintenance it needed compared to a 1970 Fairlane.

Two things: Unleaded gas and HEI ignition helped that. It wasn't just longer OCIs, but tune ups went from 12k to 30k. It still had a carb, a non-feedback one at that.


That was the first thing I thought of too. The "2 finger salute" Kendall logo. That 2,000 mile recommendation occurred in the 20's: "Kendall initiated its first national marketing program in 1923 and placed its first full-page ad in The Saturday Evening Post in 1928. It was then, Koch introduced the slogan, “Kendall, the 2,000 Mile Oil”. At a time when automobile oil changes were made every 500 miles, the familiar Kendall logo illustrating a folded right hand with two fingers extended was a graphic reference to Kendall’s revolutionary 2,000 mile oil." from http://www.oil150.com/essays/article?article_id=165

Oils and engines were pretty awful back then, got gradually better.