Severe OCI

[tiger862]

I run severe service as lots of idling with short trips. I also work my Caravan so as an example I had 900 lbs of bricks as well as driver and passenger doing 45 at 1100 rpm. I change mine in April and October with most miles so far are 4500 with last one at 3100. Oil is cheap and according to owners manual states 4k for my driving conditions. I have synthetic in now but also ran conventional (Syn blend) and I never worry about losing 30.00 caused I changed oil. If I had that back maybe I could take wife to McDonalds.

 

[ripcord]

Originally Posted by TrainingPolicy

With doing a 5k interval, still run full synthetic or at this point between the price point of conventional and full syn does it really matter?

I normally run Chevron Supreme conventional that I buy whenever it's on sale at my local Costco. I tend toward the "oil is oil as long as you change it often enough" side of the debate so a lot of folks will disagree with me around here.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted by Ihatetochangeoil

Nobody runs your driving conditions, your mileage and your vehicles except you. Anything that anyone says is speculation until YOU have UOA on your vehicle, driving conditions and mileage. Are you throwing away good oil? Do you really need to change so often? Could you go 10K and still have a reasonable safety factor? There are many synthetic oils on the market that the manufacturers claim will go much farther than what you're doing. Only your hairdresser knows-er, UOA. Do a UOA when YOU think it's time to change oil. Will you agree with yourself?

You are technically correct, but do keep in mind there is a wealth of knowledge, and a wealth of experience and anecdotal evidence here that posters can draw from. Not everyone has to do a UOA. If UOA's were the only answer, then all the information on BITOG is devalued. Engine maintenance does not have to be an exact science. By nature, engines have significant maintenance tolerances. For example, I would never suggest missing an oil change, but in the event just one was missed, the engine would likely still live a 100% full life span.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted by tiger862

I also work my Caravan so as an example I had 900 lbs of bricks as well as driver and passenger doing 45 at 1100 rpm.

Dang, man! A half ton of bricks in a Caravan on a regular basis? Get yourself a beater truck!

 

[tiger862]

Originally Posted by gfh77665

Originally Posted by tiger862

I also work my Caravan so as an example I had 900 lbs of bricks as well as driver and passenger doing 45 at 1100 rpm.

Dang, man! A half ton of bricks in a Caravan on a regular basis? Get yourself a beater truck!

Why get a beater when you have a great tool to use at your disposal. I tried to get my brother's truck for plywood and his comment is have it delivered cause his payload is 1100 lbs so when I told him mine was 1500 lbs I got called a liar. LOL In order to do what I have done with this van I need a truck and trailer which is not happening.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by Wolf359

Originally Posted by Cujet

I very much prefer the 5000 mile synthetic oil change for most vehicles. The exception would be engines that are known to last and don't have fuel dilution issues.

Even for cars like a Mercedes which might have 7.5-8.5 quarts of synthetic oil and the regular change interval is 10k? I usually do mine in the 8-10k range for the M272.

I agree with both of you--my cars get 5k OCI's typically (4 and 5 quart sumps) while the truck gets 10k (8qt). 5k is easy to read off the odometer, as is 10k. I can see why though some might prefer a spring/fall schedule, especially if they are less than 20k/year. For the most part, most of us are way conservative on this stuff, and "going over" for us is just getting to where the majority of people are remembering their car might need an oil change.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted by TrainingPolicy

So back to the original question.. Should i go 3,750 even though I use full synthetic.

I believe that 5000 miles is no problem for a quality synthetic. Something to consider. Oil contaminates accumulate by use. Fuel dilution can happen rapidly, and evaporate, and accumulate, and evaporate, and so on. Eventually the oil contains a good quantity of fuel by products left behind by evaporation. This does not show up in a UOA as anything other than a viscosity change. I don't use UOA results to track wear, as they are not telling you wear rates. The assumption is that the Fe is cylinder wear, cam wear, follower wear or a combo of all three. What the Fe numbers really tell you is whether or not you "might" have a catastrophic problem. However, in cases of viscosity loss with minimal fuel dilution, in a direct injected, turbocharged engine. The case above applies. The oil contains plenty of non evaporating fuel by products. It's no wonder the engine uses no oil. It's being steadily diluted. My bottom line is this: Synthetic oil is cheap enough at Walmart, solves certain problems (coked piston rings/drain holes) and frequent changes ensure a lower level of engine/timing chain damaging contaminates/particulates.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted by blufeb95

If it's the cars in your description I'd probably keep what you're doing, Hyundai GDI engines are really bad on fuel dillution and soot in the oil and isn't the VQ in G35 is known to shear oil pretty bad. The Accord, you'd probably be fine going longer on.

2010 Santa Fe was port, not direct injection. OP, i'd stay the course.

 

[Gebo]

I

Originally Posted by Bryanccfshr

Originally Posted by TrainingPolicy

Originally Posted by DGXR

Change it every 7500 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Change it more often if you encounter any of these conditions: -- extensive idling on a regular basis -- severely dusty driving conditions -- mostly stop/go city driving (70% or more of miles) -- frequent short trips (less than 2 miles/5 minutes) -- hauling, towing or other severe service

So if you read my post then I check majority of those boxes. So back to the original question.. Should i go 3,750 even though I use full synthetic.

Yes, the problem is fuel dilution and soot. Synthetic doesn't help that.

THIS. +1 I'm going out on my limb. I'd change it just like the severe service recommendation in your owner's manual. 3750 miles. Actually, I'd do a nice round 3k OCI. I don't get the logic behind someone (not talking about you) trying to save $25-50 a year on a $5,000-$40,000 car/truck by stretching out an OCI. If you don't have the money that's one thing. Maybe I was an alcoholic for too long and I lost too many brain cells. IDK??? My wife's current car has about the same pattern of use and I change it with synthetic every 3k. Her last car, which we just sold at 199k, starting using oil, dripping oil, etc at 145k. I changed her oil every 5k which was about once a year. I am convinced I should have changed it more often. I guess time will tell as I have adjusted my future OCI's. IF you are someone that doesn't keep cars too long, it probably won't matter as it may be someone else's problem.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Spring and fall oil & filter change.

 

[mahanddeem]

Originally Posted by Gebo

I

Originally Posted by Bryanccfshr

Originally Posted by TrainingPolicy

Originally Posted by DGXR

Change it every 7500 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Change it more often if you encounter any of these conditions: -- extensive idling on a regular basis -- severely dusty driving conditions -- mostly stop/go city driving (70% or more of miles) -- frequent short trips (less than 2 miles/5 minutes) -- hauling, towing or other severe service

So if you read my post then I check majority of those boxes. So back to the original question.. Should i go 3,750 even though I use full synthetic.

Yes, the problem is fuel dilution and soot. Synthetic doesn't help that.

THIS. +1 I'm going out on my limb. I'd change it just like the severe service recommendation in your owner's manual. 3750 miles. Actually, I'd do a nice round 3k OCI. I don't get the logic behind someone (not talking about you) trying to save $25-50 a year on a $5,000-$40,000 car/truck by stretching out an OCI. If you don't have the money that's one thing. Maybe I was an alcoholic for too long and I lost too many brain cells. IDK??? My wife's current car has about the same pattern of use and I change it with synthetic every 3k. Her last car, which we just sold at 199k, starting using oil, dripping oil, etc at 145k. I changed her oil every 5k which was about once a year. I am convinced I should have changed it more often. I guess time will tell as I have adjusted my future OCI's. IF you are someone that doesn't keep cars too long, it probably won't matter as it may be someone else's problem.

I definitely agree with your logic Gebo, if someone flips cars at 20k to 30k miles he/she won't care 3k vs 5k vs 7k OCIs. They'll tell you you're wasting good oil ...·

 

[circuitsmith]

Originally Posted by tiger862

Why get a beater when you have a great tool to use at your disposal.

Word. (Wood!)

 

[wolf_06]

5000 miles or 6 months with syn, 3000 miles on regular oil.

 

[gfh77665]

A beater truck would be WAY easier to load and unload multiple heavy objects!

 

[GMguy84]

I run both my trucks hard in Dallas traffic and do avg 50 miles a day driving. Maybe a tad less due to you know what . But I do 4-5K OCI's cause i like piece of mind and I have like 500qts?? of oil in my stash And some REALLY good deals on Syn oil out there to take advantage of also. Chevron Supreme case @ Costco $10 case of 6 ??, TSC Mobil 1 truck/Suv $15 and shell rotella truck and gas for $10 5qt jug at autozone Dave

 

[ChrisD46]

Without an UOA running a D1 / Gen 2 SN+ synthetic oil for 5000 miles / 6 months (which ever comes first) is a good , safe starting place for most people doing mixed driving conditions with PFI or DI gas engines in a 5 quart sump . For DI engines 5,000 miles is max I would run (non - turbo) while a DI turbo is 4,000 miles / 4 months . The UOA on my 2017 Sonata 2.4L non - turbo doing easy suburban runs came back indicating 4,000 mile / 4 month run OCI's was optimum while I could probably squeeze out a 5,000 mile OCI with a TBN nearing towards 1.0 to 1.5 (instead of 2.0) .