Those who do long OCI's(>7500 miles)

[ADFD1]

I don't run oil quite that long. What I do notice is if I add MMO lets say 1000 miles before I plan on draining the oil the engine runs better with the MMO in it. I've exchanged PM's with some guys on the board that also notice an improvement in the way the car runs with MMO added to the oil.

AD

 

[oilyriser]

I have noticed a change in idle speed vibration with a fresh oil change most times, except when using synthetics, which give a smooth idle all of the time.

 

[Silber Igel]

Seventy-five hundred OCIs on my '04 Sienna since day one. Now 47,000 + miles. Using 0W-30 Syntec and now 0W-30 M1 AFE for 2K. No issues. No worries.

 

[fsskier]

I have done 20K mile oil changes (Mobil 1 0W20 usually) for the past 15 years. I cannot tell any difference of any kind after an oil change except: The clean oil is a lot harder to read on the dipstick!

I also suspect most of the difference is the placebo effect.

On a side note, in the early days of hydraulic lifters (1950's)
the lifters in many cars would "hang up" and clatter loudly toward the end of an oil change cycle. This would often happen after a quick run to the redline, and would sometimes continue for 5 minutes or longer.
After an oil change the problem would totally disappear for 2K miles or so. Our 55 Chevy 6 Cyl would not have needed an oil change reminder, the herd of woodpeckers that seemed to arrive under the hood provided all the incentive that was needed!

Huge improvements in our oils seems to have made this problem nearly unknown now.

 

[Carbuff]

Originally Posted By: fsskier
I
On a side note, in the early days of hydraulic lifters (1950's)
the lifters in many cars would "hang up" and clatter loudly toward the end of an oil change cycle.
.


1950s huh?

My 81, 82 K-Cars and 84 Caravan would clatter loudly at startup when the OCI got "up there". That's how I knew it was time to change the oil.

Back then, "up there" meant 2800 - 3000 miles BTW.

 

[soldierman]

I nor my wife either notice a difference in her car. Hers gets what ever syn I have in my stash. And is changed at 8000-10000 miles. My old car gets changed at 3000-3500 only because it holds less that 4qts and by that time its nearing a qt low. To me it doesn't make much sense to top off when I have plenty of conventinal that was bought at sub $1.

 

[meep]

Here's a twist, same car, same OCI of 7500, but *different oils*. The oils behaved differently in the Honda 2.3L.

Dino 5w-20 (think it was exxon superflo): Noticeable difference
Valv. SS 5w-20: some difference
M1 5w-20 and Syntec 5w-20: almost zero difference.

This suggested to me that M1 and Syntec remained more consistent through its age than the others.

M

 

[SuperDave456]

I can see how a difference could be felt on some really cheap dino in a engine that is tough on oil (dont try it in your turbo charged engine). Or an engine that is run over the time interval of a Severe OCI.

Whereas a Synthetic, any Synthetic, there would be less noticable difference due to its inherent robustness towards shear and better base stocks.

You guys make me want to go out and buy a car just to experiment on it.

 

[D189379]

I know I feel better after an oil change.

 

[ChiTDI]

"Old" oil would have some fuel in it, may explain the slight difference in feel.

And yes, "I know I feel bettter after an oil change" is really true here also. Could be the BITOG mantra.

 

[rodinator1234]

I don't notice any difference. 10k oil changes on Pontiac GTP 160k miles now M1 10w30 since new, Chevy HHR depends on OLM out to 12k M1 5w30.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: rodinator1234
I don't notice any difference. 10k oil changes on Pontiac GTP 160k miles now M1 10w30 since new, Chevy HHR depends on OLM out to 12k M1 5w30.


At 12,000 miles how did the M1 5-30 look?

 

[rodinator1234]

At 12k the oil looked fine, now worries. I have done 10k oil changes on the GTP since it was new, I've only changed it 17 times in 7 years I did a short change with convintional Mobil at 5k, M1 went in at 10k. I had to change the intake gaskets (upper supercharger and lower intake due to Dexcool) and pulled the front valve cover for grins at 140k and the engine was spotless inside, lifter valley and valve springs spotless. I have cut the oil filters open on that car and felt bad about not useing it again. The OLM on the GTP usually reads 0 at 6.5-7k miles. That car hauls butt, still makes me smile. I have never done a oil anyalsis, never added any make up oil I guess we got a good one. The HHR has a cartridge filter so it's easy to see and at 12k the filter was not bad at all. I've used the OLM on that car since new with M1. I brought this car home and changed the oil with 25 miles on it. I’ve never added any make up oil in this car either it now has 56k on it. I'm a many year user of M1, die hard one might say, it's never done me wrong, so bash it if you want.

 

[lexrx3]

Yes definitely but then again my car seems to run better after washing it too!

 

[mstrjon32]

Change the oil in my car by the OLM, typically around 7,500 mile intervals. Last interval was almost a year in the making. Didn't notice any difference, using M1 5w-30 or M1 EP 5w-30 (but still the same interval, only got the EP because of a sale) and M1 filters.

On my last oil change on the Jeep, however, I did notice a difference. It got much louder and rougher on the cheap-o Quaker State 10w-30 over the GTX HM 10w-30 that I drained out of there. Looking forward to draining that QS oil.

 

[The Critic]

I've never noticed a difference.

I change the oil every 7500 miles (sometimes as long as 9k) on the Toyota van and the Saturn using 5w-30 conventional oil that I find on sale.