Long change interval...replace?

[SilverSnake]

Originally Posted By: KL31
Change it out. UOA were designed more for work vehicles and trucks that do so many thousands of miles per year and cost a heap of money to repair. Situations like this I'd only UOA if I had lots of spare cash and was just plain interested. 2 years is plenty and I'd change it.


Now here is a man that gets it.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud

3) > So the claim that dark oil on the drop tests is oxidation is mostly false.



Dont think that is the usual claim. The explanations I've seen mostly suggest oxidation based on dispersion pattern rather than simple pigmentation level, though the interpretation is subjective.

In any case, if the pigmentation is due to metal accumulation, as you suggest, that doesn't necessarily seem a bad basis for changing the oil.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
If you value the vehicle, the cost of an oil change at this point is justified. Don't waste the money on a UOA, spend it on new oil and a filter.


So... are you saying there's no value to the OP's desire to make sure he's not draining good oil?

Or perhaps you're saying there's no value to a UOA...that will help OP make sure he's not draining good oil?

Or are you saying something else here? Please elaborate.

I think one could be useful to establish a baseline. Doing one after every oil change would seem to be excessive when it costs almost as much as the oil change.

Still - a lot of people do this stuff as a hobby. When you're going fishing, how can you really put a price on the value of a piece of fish vs the satisfaction of doing something because it provides a certain amount of enjoyment?

 

[bbhero]

Excellent point y_p_w.

 

[fdcg27]

Two years seems like a long enough interval, especially since M1 and Ford both recommend a year max.
You might as well go ahead and change it.
I would if it were my engine.
Could the oil go longer?
Probably, but why worry about twenty bucks worth of oil and filter, probably less with the M1 MIR.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
If you value the vehicle, the cost of an oil change at this point is justified. Don't waste the money on a UOA, spend it on new oil and a filter.
So... are you saying there's no value to the OP's desire to make sure he's not draining good oil? Or perhaps you're saying there's no value to a UOA...that will help OP make sure he's not draining good oil? Or are you saying something else here? Please elaborate.


What I am saying is that balanced against the cost of the car it makes good sense to spend the money to change the oil if in doubt.

You are correct in saying that I see no value in a UOA and I never have. Instead of spending money on UOAs trying to stretch out the last mile or day from an oil change, my view is the "UOA Money" is better spent on extra oil and filter changes. Your engine with thank you for that. Mine do so every day.

No, I am not saying anything else.


Thanks for the clarification. While many would be fine changing it by the calendar, OP is concerned about draining perfectly good oil. He has his reasons and I respect them, whatever they are.

That's why I answered as I did; the ONLY way to be certain about the condition of your engine oil is to have a UOA performed. Color, oil dot test, smell, and any other such method cannot tell you how much active additive remains nor can those methods tell you the TAN or any other important characteristics of the oil in your sump. Calendar time in the sump only tells you calendar time in the sump; there are too many variables in play.

There are people on here that have done UOAs with more than 3 years on the oil, in an infrequently driven vehicle, and their oil was in good condition.

You're saying it makes sense to spend the money to change the oil if in doubt....I'm saying that a UOA will remove doubt. I'm not saying that OP should use his oil until the very last possible bit of additive is used up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that just like many on here, he is striving for an interval that he is comfortable with that also gets good usage of his oil.

 

[SilverSnake]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Thanks for the clarification. While many would be fine changing it by the calendar, OP is concerned about draining perfectly good oil. He has his reasons and I respect them, whatever they are.

That's why I answered as I did; the ONLY way to be certain about the condition of your engine oil is to have a UOA performed. Color, oil dot test, smell, and any other such method cannot tell you how much active additive remains nor can those methods tell you the TAN or any other important characteristics of the oil in your sump. Calendar time in the sump only tells you calendar time in the sump; there are too many variables in play.

There are people on here that have done UOAs with more than 3 years on the oil, in an infrequently driven vehicle, and their oil was in good condition.

You're saying it makes sense to spend the money to change the oil if in doubt....I'm saying that a UOA will remove doubt. I'm not saying that OP should use his oil until the very last possible bit of additive is used up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that just like many on here, he is striving for an interval that he is comfortable with that also gets good usage of his oil.


I am with you on respecting whatever it is others wish to do regarding oil changes. That is why I stopped buying used cars decades ago.

As I already noted, I prefer spending "UOA Money" on oil and filter changes. I never speculate on oil condition. I change it at the manufacturers recommended intervals, or as indicated on the oil life monitor or more frequently than required (usually every 6 months or 5,000 miles whichever comes first). I only use oils specified by the manufacturer and OEM filters. I believe that this approach eliminates any need for UOAs.

There was a serious classic car collector on another car forum I used to frequent. He said that on several occasions he ran UOAs on the engine oil on "barn finds" that had been sitting for over 25 years. Oil checked out OK. He, off course, was smart enough not to use the oil. That pretty much sums up my opinion of the value of UOAs for most situations. I can, however, see the value in high volume commercial fleet applications.