Is there ANY Truth to OC's Too Often?

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chubbs1

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I looked for this topic on here and could not find anything.
I heard a rumor that changing too often can damage your engine. I was wondering if anyone subscribes to this view and has some good reasoning for it. I know it is a waste but had to ask. I have Amsoil XL in my Altima w/ about 2K on it and my car is so rough I'm getting worried about it. Now I am not sure if it is something else. I am changing the filter to see if that may be a prob. If it isn't that I'll change the oil, it will be my 4th one since FF. I have 14K. Keeping the receipts JIC. i have only used 'syns". Merry CHRITmas BITOG!!
 
I wouldn't say it would "damage" your engine, but it can accelerate wear. I'll try to find some links...
 
I don't see any reason why it would accelerate wear. Your draining whats in the pan and refilling it with new oil. The new oil is going to get back on the engine just like the old oil would and if theres any left on the engine that didn't fall to the pan its either going to be there or not.

If you forgot to put oil in the filter i could see how it might have a little extra wear from the time the oil needs to fill the filter, but if the filter is full of oil and soaked in you shouldn't have that much of a gap in lubrication to accelerate wear. At least thats what my brain thinks.

Either way what are your intervals (mileage/months) for your oil changes? You can easily go 5k on that Amsoil and still have people telling you your changing too often.
 
Hi.

Draining too often...damaging engine?

Absolutely not. Fresh oil, fresh additives. What more could your engine ask for? haha.

It's just synthetics were formulated for usage in extreme conditions and for extended oil drains. Changing it too often for your amount of usage, and it's simply a waste of resources. But by all means, if it makes you feel good...do it!
 
I have heard this numerous times and my only guess is that the dirt in the oil, as it suspends it, would serve to polish the moving surfaces more. I change my oil often, around 3000 miles. Am not a big believer of extended oil changes and synthetics. Although, I use synthetics when I get them on sale or clearance. I would think this is total bogus, especially when yoy hear that the super high milelage cars, million or more get 3000 mile oil changes and the new cars put so much more deposits then the older autos did in the oil. Changing often would be a Great idea, certainly would not harm anything, just a waste of oil.
 
I remember seeing, years ago, a story on the Internet by someone who put new oil in an engine and ran a number of successive UOAs out to something like 15,000 miles and concluded that changing oil too often increased wear. They found that wear metals rose quickly with new oil and then tended to level off afterward and saw that as evidence that oil protected better once it had some metal in it - and should be left in instead of changed.

I was not converted to 15,000 mile oil changes by this study, but I wondered what was going on. I think it was maybe 10 - 15 years ago before BITOG got started and I don't know if it can still be found online. I wish I remembered more details, but I do not.


Could this be what you are talking about?
 
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If new oil wasn't better, race teams wouldn't be changing it before every race. The guys I autocross with change their oil before every event so they run fresh oil, and there are at times 2 events a month. Some of the guys out there have Old Miatas with 20k track miles on them going strong, and I doubt any have put over 500 miles on the oil unless they drive to the track in the car they race.
 
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Just how is the oil filter connected to a running rough issue? Thats really out there.Oil also.It would have to be something really off for oil to cause a rough run.Put your energy elsewhere hunting for a rough run issue or see a counselor.LOL
 
I honestly believe there is really no truth to it at all. I feel that wear metals and junk are being freed up after an oil change because of the better cleaning abilities of the fresh oil vs the old oil. I would rather have clean fresh oil in a sump than used dirty oil. If oil needs to be seasoned then a true fanatic that buys into that whole thinking process should take fresh oil run it for 2000-3000 miles in a less loved vehicle, drain it and then add it to his treasured ride. So far no one here is doing that, if/when that starts to happen then we have some real believers, and it might be worth exploring further. JMO

Merry Christmas!
 
Originally Posted By: cryption
If new oil wasn't better, race teams wouldn't be changing it before every race. The guys I autocross with change their oil before every event so they run fresh oil, and there are at times 2 events a month. Some of the guys out there have Old Miatas with 20k track miles on them going strong, and I doubt any have put over 500 miles on the oil unless they drive to the track in the car they race.


I dont think that really provides evidence that changing oil every 1k has the potential to damage an engine.
 
Originally Posted By: infecto
Originally Posted By: cryption
If new oil wasn't better, race teams wouldn't be changing it before every race. The guys I autocross with change their oil before every event so they run fresh oil, and there are at times 2 events a month. Some of the guys out there have Old Miatas with 20k track miles on them going strong, and I doubt any have put over 500 miles on the oil unless they drive to the track in the car they race.


I dont think that really provides evidence that changing oil every 1k has the potential to damage an engine.


True to a point. With the money that race teams have if they thought used oil protected an engine better than fresh clean oil, they'd season their oil first and then fill their engines with the seasoned oil. Just another way to look at it.
smile.gif


Merry Christmas!
 
Originally Posted By: hounddog
Just how is the oil filter connected to a running rough issue? Thats really out there.Oil also.It would have to be something really off for oil to cause a rough run.Put your energy elsewhere hunting for a rough run issue or see a counselor.LOL


You're off base here. There have been many accounts on this site where changing the oil filter made a difference in the way the engine ran.
 
The thought goes like this and well I have my doubts that there would be any life related significant wear attributable to frequent oil changes:

Some of the AW adds (and EP adds in gear oil) are heat and pressure activated, and therefor don't become fully beneficial until the NEW oil cycles at least once.

I don't think problem is related to the oil. Check all the simple stuff first.
 
wow!!!
first i learned its cool to go thousands of miles over conventional standards of oil changing, and now im learning if you change oil too soon it hurts your engine.

what will i "learn" next?


maybe ill just start using used oil if its better, forget spending money on new oil that causes wear.
crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: electrolover


maybe ill just start using used oil if its better, forget spending money on new oil that causes wear.
crackmeup2.gif



LOL- When you put it that way it doesn't sound very good, does it? I'm still waiting on seasoning oil in the black sheep vehicle and then pouring into the Gem.

Merry Christmas
 
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