Short oci`s/oil filter question

[aquariuscsm]

I always change my oil every 3 months,sometimes a bit sooner regardless of mileage. All my driving is short trips to and from work. Would it be lackluster to change the oil filter every other oci,and just refilling with 4 quarts of fresh oil (oil filter holds exactly 1/2 quart) and then every other oci install a new filter?

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I always change my oil every 3 months,sometimes a bit sooner regardless of mileage. All my driving is short trips to and from work. Would it be lackluster to change the oil filter every other oci,and just refilling with 4 quarts of fresh oil (oil filter holds exactly 1/2 quart) and then every other oci install a new filter?


I bought my wife a new Toyota last year and it has a very short commute (8.5 miles to work) and sees very little use on the weekends. (makes me wonder why in God's green earth she needed a new car, but I digress) I started a thread very similar to yours a couple days ago. Got some great responses and finally decided to do the following:

Use a name brand high quality conventional oil and change it ever 3 months and continue my practice of changing my filter (Mobil 1 EP) every fourth oil change or 9,000 miles.

A high quality oil filter like Amsoil, Mobil 1, or Pure One has been shown on this board to last 10,000 miles via anecdotal evidence and from UOA's.
\
I buy into the thought that air filters and oil filters actually filter better as they get loaded up a bit through use.

 

[aquariuscsm]

^^That sounds like a good plan Saturn! I know when I change my oil,the oil always comes out looking like it was fresh out of the bottle and the inside of the filter always looks new too. I just plan on keeping this car for a VERY long time and I just try to baby it the best I can :^)

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
^^That sounds like a good plan Saturn! I know when I change my oil,the oil always comes out looking like it was fresh out of the bottle and the inside of the filter always looks new too. I just plan on keeping this car for a VERY long time and I just try to baby it the best I can :^)


With all the reading and lurking here I have done, I have no doubts that short tripping is one of the worst things you can do to an oil long-term.

I feel funny about draining oil after only 3 months, but I cannot justify keeping the oil in there for 6 months with how little use it sees on a weekly basis.

 

[hate2work]

Doesn't Honda recommend changing the filter every other OCI?

I did that for many years on my 92 Toyota truck, simply because it was a PITA to get to the filter.

 

[mechtech2]

It seems imperfect to not change the oil filter at every oil change, but in reality with short OCIs, it is perfectly acceptable to leave it in.
I am a short OCIer. The realization that the filter doesn't need to be changed every time was eventually unescapable to me.
Since guys go 10,000-15,000 miles and more , what is a piddling 3-4,000?
This is especially true with modern much cleaner engines.

 

[Ken2]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
I buy into the thought that air filters and oil filters actually filter better as they get loaded up a bit through use.
I disagree. I've changed too many filters where the dirt has started to work through the filter media. The resistance to flow builds up as the passages become clogged. The passages are not exactly uniform size, and the smaller ones clog first, thus losing some filtering ability of the smallest bits of dirt.

I buy good, not expensive, oil filters and run them 10,000 miles with good lab reports. I use OE Toyota, or Purolator Pure One, or Mann OEM substitutes.

Yes, cool runs where the oil never has a chance to thoroughly warm is very hard on the oil. GM's oil life monitor runs on an algorithm that is bell shaped. The hardest runs are the short, cool runs and the hot, heavy runs. Either of these causes the OLM to click over faster toward signaling for an oil change. However, instead of guessing when you should change your oil, send a periodic sample to a testing lab. $22.50 to Blackstone or any other lab will more than pay for itself in finding when you oil needs to be changed.