OCI - Is time a factor or only miles driven?

[427Z06]

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Originally posted by XS650:

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Originally posted by 427Z06:
The computer will be way more accurate than oil geeks shooting from the hip over the internet.

If you need a metaphor, think of the computer as
Obi-wan Kenobi.

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More like HAL.

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Yes...but I had brain-lock right at that moment and couldn't think of anything appropriately witty.

 

[kcryan]

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Originally posted by Ugly3:
Given that your 10,000 is not composed of 1 mile trips and you get a fair amount of time on the hiway I would not hesitate to run M1 10,000 in a year. I would run an M1 filter or a Purolator Pure One filter to help keep the oil clean.

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I concur

 

[1999nick]

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Originally posted by Mike242GT:
Just one man's opinion (and NOT to sound like a lazy hippy, which perhaps I am), but the main reasons to run a synthetic oil are if you live in a cold climate and your engine sees really cold startups, if you put on lots of miles and want to do extended mileage OCIs, and/or if your engine has a turbo. Since you live in a mild climate, don't drive lots of miles, and don't have a turbo (do you?) - I'd consider doing once a year changes (unless your annual mileage exceeds 6,000 or so) with Exxon Superflo 5W-20. It has shown excellent UOAs in Honda engines here, and a gallon container is priced about the same as a quart of Mobil 1 at my local Auto Zone.

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My opinion and recommendation exactly. Back before I retired, I routinely did yearly changes with M1, usually at 18,000 to 20,000 miles. As you old timers remember, the original formulation of M1 was stated to be good for 1 year or 25,000 miles. They dropped this claim after a few years, probably because some people were running their engines low of oil because they did not check it often enough. Anyway, I never had a problem with yearly oil changes with M1, and this new formulation should be even better.

Once a year or 10,000 mile OCI's should be a piece of cake. By the way , for my last oil change, I used Exxon Superflo 5w30 in my Nissan Maximum. I change every six months, or about 3000 miles. It is still under warranty and a change is required at least every six months.

 

[Mitch Alsup]

Milage is about the least useful thing in determining when to change the oil.

Consider driving your car on a race track at high RPMs and high oil temperatures. Under conditions such as these, you should change your oil every day (or at most two), simply because you have used up the AW part of the additive package.

Conversely, consider driving long distances on a highway at constant 70 MPH. Under conditions such as this (least possible stress on the oil with the engine turned on), oil can last for many 10s of thousands of miles.

Same oil, same car. Milage is of no help in these disparate operating conditions.

 

[427Z06]

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Originally posted by Mitch Alsup:
Milage is about the least useful thing in determining when to change the oil.

Consider driving your car on a race track at high RPMs and high oil temperatures. Under conditions such as these, you should change your oil every day (or at most two), simply because you have used up the AW part of the additive package.

Conversely, consider driving long distances on a highway at constant 70 MPH. Under conditions such as this (least possible stress on the oil with the engine turned on), oil can last for many 10s of thousands of miles.

Same oil, same car. Milage is of no help in these disparate operating conditions.

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Good point, Mitch. That's why I believe an oil-life-monitor of sufficient sophistication, will do a better job of predicting OCIs under normal to near to normal operating conditions.

 

[Lumberg]

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Originally posted by 1999nick:
By the way , for my last oil change, I used Exxon Superflo 5w30 in my Nissan Maximum.

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Never seen one of those.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Just like bathing, time (as well as activity) is a factor.

 

[427Z06]

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Originally posted by GROUCHO MARX:
Just like bathing, time (as well as activity) is a factor.

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Then it's possible your badges need more frequent bathing.

 

[jbacke]

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Originally posted by MN Driver:
The gallons burned plan for OCI is diffucult because there is no Gallonometer on cars and collecting the receipts is pretty...

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Actually, My '05 Silverado does indeed have a gallonmeter, in addition to a hour meter.