I cant help my self 3000- 5000 mile max is all I can go after that I feel bad about it even on my 7.3 diesel 15w40 convention in that. Good syn. in everything else not allways the best Amsoil XL or Mobil one, but it would be be a real waste for say amsoil ss good for 25000. Oil is the most easy maintenance to do and maybe the most important. I like it clean and full. I remember in the 80s amsoil did the 25000 thing just change the filter more often I new a few that where doing that didn't work out so great your under there drop that dirty oil. I can see oil analyst on big truck marine engines they 10-20 gals or more of oil change when needed $$$. So you have a engine with 4 oil changes in 100,000 miles doesnt make much sense for 5-6 qts, of oil. Just a note may be a good idea to look over a car for problems before every 25000 miles. I was a mechanic for over 35 years and draining dirty oil always gave me at least a little feeling of doing something good for the car its easy dont forget the few grease fittings out there is not many out there any more but on the bigger stuff. I was board just my 2 cents
So if you dont like changing oil at least a little bit why are you here ?
- Thread starter Slick Rick
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5K or 6 mos is my limit, not a fan of extended oil changes and multi oil changes on one filter, fresh oil, fresh filter.
I'm also from the days of the standard 3000 mile oil change. I'm up to between 5 and six thousand miles. I always change the filter a!so. Old habits die hard.
I don't have a problem with extended drains at all IF oil analysis is used. However I am a member of the "one OCI, one filter" crowd. The PACCAR engines I worked on are at 40,000 miles on an OCI in a linehaul application from the factory.
An oil change is $35 if I use M1 and a Fram ultra, $18 if I use super tech and an ecore. Even with having to do monthly oil changes on a 3-5k interval I will never save enough money extending my oil changes to pay for an engine failure. At 12 changes a year that's $420. If I put 500,000 miles on my car that's a total of $3500 in oil changes. Last I checked, a used engine swap with labor can easily cost 4 grand.
My DIY changes are also quick. Less than 30 minutes even if I fool around and go slow, if I were really pressed for time I could probably be done in 10.
There are other things that a UOA will not necessarily show that can be causing wear to your engine like small micron particulates building up in oil (especially soot in a GDI engine).
I also like having "oil headroom", if for some reason I can't get around to it, no big deal, it's probably still got life left. I just don't see a reason to push it.
My DIY changes are also quick. Less than 30 minutes even if I fool around and go slow, if I were really pressed for time I could probably be done in 10.
There are other things that a UOA will not necessarily show that can be causing wear to your engine like small micron particulates building up in oil (especially soot in a GDI engine).
I also like having "oil headroom", if for some reason I can't get around to it, no big deal, it's probably still got life left. I just don't see a reason to push it.
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I do not like it one bit.
However, I like it better than losing time coming and going, and watching, and wondering (and continuing to wonder).
I can do it and clean up faster than I can get there, much less ANY wait.
I keep the little gloves, punch good, careful holes in pans, mark car stickers with tool sizes, drive up on homemade (but warehouse construction grade) ramps, have a pour off station set up, filters by the decade or dozen, Costco M1 for next 4 changes.
I do my light duty stuff to the warranty max (miles or time) with factory filters and M1 - the filter is the cheap part, never re-used..
My truck every 2 years or so, maybe 5K, M1 and Wix - so far, a bit p*ssed at Mann.
A few years back I changed the valve cover gaskets on a Mark VII I owned for 125K - rockers were sparkly - indicates M1 was right choice.
(I do think 'service types' promote sludge (deficient) owners rather than sludge engines - my experience has been some engines are just sludgers - maybe inadequate PVC system from get go? )
I do read here for the range of pretty good to experts we run across - oil is a strange LCD!
However, I like it better than losing time coming and going, and watching, and wondering (and continuing to wonder).
I can do it and clean up faster than I can get there, much less ANY wait.
I keep the little gloves, punch good, careful holes in pans, mark car stickers with tool sizes, drive up on homemade (but warehouse construction grade) ramps, have a pour off station set up, filters by the decade or dozen, Costco M1 for next 4 changes.
I do my light duty stuff to the warranty max (miles or time) with factory filters and M1 - the filter is the cheap part, never re-used..
My truck every 2 years or so, maybe 5K, M1 and Wix - so far, a bit p*ssed at Mann.
A few years back I changed the valve cover gaskets on a Mark VII I owned for 125K - rockers were sparkly - indicates M1 was right choice.
(I do think 'service types' promote sludge (deficient) owners rather than sludge engines - my experience has been some engines are just sludgers - maybe inadequate PVC system from get go? )
I do read here for the range of pretty good to experts we run across - oil is a strange LCD!
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I like changing my oil, don’t really know what it is but it’s kind of therapeutic...I feel I’m doing a little something to make my car last longer. Like I have a part in THAT. And I probably am.
It’s also a good time to give it a once over, take a look at things and discover if you have a bad ball joint, or torn axle boot, or leaking transmission pan, broken sway bar link, worn inner tire shoulder (that you didn’t notice). These are all things I’ve seen while performing my oil changes in the past.
I only go 5,000 miles on my intervals. I use whatever synthetic I can get on sale or rebate at Walmart. I’m too particular on filters either, because I figure...hey, I’m only going 5,000 miles. It seems to be working - I’ve taken some engines close to 300,000 miles - but I know others have gone much further...some by doing extended drains. But like I said, it’s therapeutic for me.
It’s also a good time to give it a once over, take a look at things and discover if you have a bad ball joint, or torn axle boot, or leaking transmission pan, broken sway bar link, worn inner tire shoulder (that you didn’t notice). These are all things I’ve seen while performing my oil changes in the past.
I only go 5,000 miles on my intervals. I use whatever synthetic I can get on sale or rebate at Walmart. I’m too particular on filters either, because I figure...hey, I’m only going 5,000 miles. It seems to be working - I’ve taken some engines close to 300,000 miles - but I know others have gone much further...some by doing extended drains. But like I said, it’s therapeutic for me.
^^^"Therapeutic!" That's a good way of putting it.
I like changing my own oil. Been doing it for >50 years and have only had others do it for me in a pinch such as when I got out of the hospital and couldn't do it myself or I was away from home for months and needed it done. Even as I get older and will likely keep my vehicles for less time(than trying to keep them forever), I will still change my own oil as long as I still crawl.
I like changing my own oil. Been doing it for >50 years and have only had others do it for me in a pinch such as when I got out of the hospital and couldn't do it myself or I was away from home for months and needed it done. Even as I get older and will likely keep my vehicles for less time(than trying to keep them forever), I will still change my own oil as long as I still crawl.
My feelings exactly!^^^"Therapeutic!" That's a good way of putting it.
I like changing my own oil. Been doing it for >50 years and have only had others do it for me in a pinch such as when I got out of the hospital and couldn't do it myself or I was away from home for months and needed it done. Even as I get older and will likely keep my vehicles for less time(than trying to keep them forever), I will still change my own oil as long as I still crawl.
Me too!
I like to look over(and under) my vehicles when changing the oil, rotating the tires and doing brakes etc. And even when checking oil level and other fluids, to look under the hood for anything that doesn't look right. Maybe even rodent deposits. I've found problems or what could have been, and fixed them pronto.
I like to look over(and under) my vehicles when changing the oil, rotating the tires and doing brakes etc. And even when checking oil level and other fluids, to look under the hood for anything that doesn't look right. Maybe even rodent deposits. I've found problems or what could have been, and fixed them pronto.
I believe I'm at a year and a week on the Nissan for the OCI! Only at 2500 miles, so it'll stay in until fall. I can't bring myself to drain such low mileage oil, even if it is going to find it's way into my pickup as makeup oil.
DIY oil changes are a time and money saver, and I feel like it's done correctly when I do it. I don't enjoy it as much as I get satisfaction from it.
I don’t mind it, but it’s work, and these days I don’t enjoy working on cars all that often. Not when I “have to” anyhow. It’s been easy on most of my models but our new Camry looks like it might be a bit of a job, what with the belly pan in the way—but the more complicated it is, the less I want to give to a cheap shop, since they have “incentive” to not be gentile with the various plastic bits in the way.
Not a fan of changing my oil. I am here because it provided me with facts to indicate extending my changes was doable with my vehicles and plenty of documentation instead of relying on emotion and "feelings" of what might be best as apparently you might be doing
And in 1970's mobil did the same "thing"
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3/3K here. Always have been, always will be. Take care of our machines and they will take care of us. Think about the role our cars play in our lives. Treat them good!
Do you always make arbitrary decisions? Why not 2K? Treat 'm good lol. j/k
I take comfort in knowing the right oil & filter was used, the right quantity of oil was used, the filter was put on right, the plug is secure without being over-tightened, and nothing is leaking. All these things are a mystery when I let someone else take my car out of my sight and do it.
I’ve been taking my vehicles to a rural father/son shop near me for a few years. I take my own oil and filters and have them rotate my tires and grease any fittings while on the lift, all for $20. No charge for the coffee, political discussions, advice on any subject or friendly banter from the locals that wander in and out. I changed my own oil for 50 years but I don’t crawl as well as I used to.
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