Is this Regular or Severe Duty Driving?

[shiny]

I'm running full synthetic (Pennzoil Ultra Platium 5w30 with a Wix filter). My owner's manual specs a regular duty OCI of 7500 miles or 6 months on Motorcraft semi-synthetic. For severe duty it's 5000 miles or 6 months. It describes severe duty as extensive idling or slow-speed driving, towing, driving in dusty conditions, dirt roads or offroading. I don't do any of those things. It doesn't mention short trips.

My driving habits are pretty consistent. I drive to work twice a week. It's a 60-mile round trip that's 48 miles of freeway, with 3 miles of 45mph streets at either end. Basically it's an easy 35-40 minute commute with few red lights (sometimes none) and no stop-and-go. Unless I floor it for a few seconds to blow out some crud, the car never goes above 2000 rpm, usually it drives at around 1500 rpm.

I also do some short tripping: A couple of miles out and back to get lunch at work, maybe 5 minutes each way. Less than a mile to get mail a couple of times a week. A 1-mile trip or two to the grocery store. Sometimes a couple of combined short trips, but then the nice commute a day or two later. All together about 8000 miles a year.

Should I do the OCI for regular or severe duty?

Thanks!

 

[UNC017]

If there's a duty LESS severe than "regular," this would be it. Mostly highway => minimal fuel and blow-by dilution, 48 miles means the oil always gets to full temperature.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Agreed. That's the best possible driving.

 

[shiny]

Thanks, guys. I never knew short trips were bad until I came to this forum, then I worried about it. Doesn't help that every mechanic tries to convince me that I'll destroy my engine if I don't do 3000 mile oil changes- even with full synthetic and a great filter.

Although I didn't express the math too well. The freeway trip is 30 miles each way, with 3 miles of surface streets at either end. Drive 3 miles to freeway, drive 24 miles, get off freeway, drive 3 miles, park it.

 

[Oregoonian]

Agree.....defiantly NOT severe.

Your vehicle is 2008....and the oils have been vastly improved since then. IMO, with your driving habits....you should be able to do 10K easily. Just a thought.

 

[tmorris1]

Sounds normal to me. Your trips to work will burn any moisture off which in your climate would be negligible anyway.

 

[Branson304]

Not severe duty. I would run the full 7,500 mile oil change interval on a quality synthetic.

 

[Eddie]

Sounds like the driving profile is "Super Easy Normal" Ed

 

[Rand]

Seems super easy.. although if you had a bunch of short trips in extreme cold its easy to load up the oil with moisture..
as long as at least every other day you have your regular commute I'd still call it "regular"

 

[shiny]

Originally Posted By: Rand
Seems super easy.. although if you had a bunch of short trips in extreme cold its easy to load up the oil with moisture..
as long as at least every other day you have your regular commute I'd still call it "regular"

My commutes are usually Tuesday and Friday, occasionally Mon-Wed-Fri. There's no such thing as extreme cold in Phx. Come June-Sept I wish there was, though.

 

[shiny]

Originally Posted By: Branson304
Not severe duty. I would run the full 7,500 mile oil change interval on a quality synthetic.

I'm thinking either 1 year/8000 miles on a good full synthetic like PUP, or 6 months/4000 miles on Pennzoil conventional (if I actually receive those $15 cases I ordered). Pennzoil conventional could probably go 5000 miles, but twice a year is easy to remember.

Does that sound reasonable?

 

[OneEyeJack]

In Phoenix your car might just outlast you. The one thing I would do with a car in Phoenix it to try to park it in the shade as much as possible. In fact I'd go out of my way to always find shady parking. Other than that, living where you do makes keeping a car a reasonable idea.

 

[BrocLuno]

I'd do once a year changes. But, I'd do them in early May so I had new oil in there at the start of the hot season. Heat is your enemy here, not use.

With your summer air temps over 100* and the A/C going full blast, the under-hood temps will be high. Synthetics were designed for high heat, so your good there, but the oil will still slowly oxidize over time with high heat cycles.

By the time it has done some of that, fall will be approaching and your good to run through the fall/winter/spring on somewhat used oil. This way you get the most benefit out of your oil vs the outside conditions

 

[shiny]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
In Phoenix your car might just outlast you. The one thing I would do with a car in Phoenix it to try to park it in the shade as much as possible. In fact I'd go out of my way to always find shady parking. Other than that, living where you do makes keeping a car a reasonable idea.

It's amazing to me, but most parking lots here have no shade. When they do and it's way at the far end, you have to decide if you want to park far away and walk through a 130* parking lot with heat rebounding off the asphalt, or park as close as you can to get inside as soon as possible. You also learn to keep a towel draped over the steering wheel and anything metal, like seatbelt buckles.

I recently heard of a Safeway here that built a covered parking lot and covered it with solar panels which provide enough electricity to run the store. I hope this catches on.

 

[BrocLuno]

Originally Posted By: shiny


I recently heard of a Safeway here that built a covered parking lot and covered it with solar panels which provide enough electricity to run the store. I hope this catches on.


That's the way to make Phx a real nice place to shop. Covered parking and electricity. Win-Win

 

[shiny]

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
I'd do once a year changes. But, I'd do them in early May so I had new oil in there at the start of the hot season. Heat is your enemy here, not use.

That's my thinking, too. Will get this oil changed out at the end of October. Then since I just got a great deal on PYB, I'll be using that for a few years and change it May 1 and Nov 1, just before and after summer.

Quote:
With your summer air temps over 100* and the A/C going full blast, the under-hood temps will be high. Synthetics were designed for high heat, so your good there, but the oil will still slowly oxidize over time with high heat cycles.

By the time it has done some of that, fall will be approaching and your good to run through the fall/winter/spring on somewhat used oil. This way you get the most benefit out of your oil vs the outside conditions

Thinking of getting hood louvers to let some of that heat out. Thanks so much for the helpful input.

 

[Branson304]

Originally Posted By: shiny
Originally Posted By: Branson304
Not severe duty. I would run the full 7,500 mile oil change interval on a quality synthetic.

I'm thinking either 1 year/8000 miles on a good full synthetic like PUP, or 6 months/4000 miles on Pennzoil conventional (if I actually receive those $15 cases I ordered). Pennzoil conventional could probably go 5000 miles, but twice a year is easy to remember.

Does that sound reasonable?


Yes, very reasonable. I wouldn't worry about using the higher priced Pennzoil Ultra Platinum versus Pennzoil Platinum. I see no advantage & all Pennzoil can say is that "it keeps your engine cleaner." Just seems like marketing mumbo-jumbo to get more of your money. I've ran Pennzoil Platinum to 10,000 miles & it performs well.

 

[shiny]

Thanks, Branson.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: shiny
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
In Phoenix your car might just outlast you. The one thing I would do with a car in Phoenix it to try to park it in the shade as much as possible. In fact I'd go out of my way to always find shady parking. Other than that, living where you do makes keeping a car a reasonable idea.

It's amazing to me, but most parking lots here have no shade. When they do and it's way at the far end, you have to decide if you want to park far away and walk through a 130* parking lot with heat rebounding off the asphalt, or park as close as you can to get inside as soon as possible. You also learn to keep a towel draped over the steering wheel and anything metal, like seatbelt buckles.

I recently heard of a Safeway here that built a covered parking lot and covered it with solar panels which provide enough electricity to run the store. I hope this catches on.

Windshield and rear glass sunshades, and window tinting, will help too. I often have to decide whether to seize a shady parking space and take a long walk in steamy heat, and I plump for the walk. I cool off a lot faster than does the interior of my car after a few minutes in full sun.

 

[2KBMW]

Short trip driving in Phoenix is not a problem. Driving short trips in the North is another story. No need to worry.