Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: linksep
Are you just so cheap you're trying to save $10-$20 per year, or are you operating under the premise that the big holes in the media will be plugged resulting in a better level of filtration for small particles?
I guess the other way to ask the question is, if you're unnecessarily changing the filter at every oil change, are you just so wasteful that you'll throw away parts that still have life left in them?
Touché! Yes, I guess I am so wasteful I throw away oil and filters that still have life left in them.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
And, too, an oil filter change interval is tied to the oil change for the sake of convenience only. Just for the sake of simple numbers, there's nothing that says you can't run a "10,000 mile oil" with a "5,000 mile filter", and replace the filter in the middle of an oil change interval. Likewise, there's nothing that says you can't run a "5,000 mile oil" with a "10,000 mile filter" and change the oil in the middle of a filter change interval.
We've become conditioned to changing the oil and the filter at the same time, and there's really little reason to do that other than convenience.
Question answered. I've never thought of it like that, probably because I've never owned a vehicle where changing the oil filter was a major PITA or made a huge mess (I'm lookin' at you 3rd generation Toyota 4Runner--my least favorite oil/filter change when I worked in a lube shop as a teenager).
Old habits are hard to break. I've always used "premium" oil and changed it too early. I figure as long as I already have the car lifted I might as well change the filter because it only takes a minute, I'm already dirty, and it only costs a few dollars (that convenience thing you were talking about).
I'm getting less wasteful. I will continue to use "premium" oils and "premium" filters, I will continue to change them both at the same time, and I will continue to change them too early. I am getting better about how much too early I change the oil though, in this car I was doing 5k OCI with synthetic, even though the OLM usually goes off around 7,800 and is calibrated for conventional. I'm trying to get on the 10k OCI bandwagon. Yes, I know I could probably go 15k OCI/FCI (with makeup oil added) but I'm just not going to go there.
I'm generally pretty frugal but I can't bring myself to do the bare minimum my owner's manual asks for. Just for fun (because I've never done the math before):
$18 for minimum specs oil and filter / 7,800 miles = $0.0023/mile
$35 for premium oil and filter / 5,000 miles = $0.007/mile (old me)
$35 for premium oil and filter / 10,000 miles = $0.0035/mile (new me)
$40 for premium oil and filter (+ 1qt makeup oil) / 15,000 miles = $0.0027/mile
It's interesting to learn that "old me" was spending 300% of the minimum on oil/filters, "new me" has cut that in half to 150% of the minimum (not factoring in rebates).