whaddya think?

[chad8]

I let the wife's car , a 2003 taurus, go almost 1.5 years and about 7500 miles on pp and a motor craft fl400s filter. This is not unusual for me. I have let cars go up to 15000 miles on synthetic and a couple filter changes.
The oil really looked very good. I know you all say that you can not tell oil condition without a uoa but i think you can. I have been changing oil for 40 years and i know when it is time. The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy when its worn out. This oil still had a bit of life left. I am very impressed with pp for a first time use. It held up very well and the inside of the oil fill hole is spotless. Mind you the car only has 32000 miles.
I changed it out tonight with 4+ quarts of pp and 1 of coastal with a champ fl400 (champ labs old style)filter.This is what i had lying around. I write these just to let others know that not all us bitog's are oil fanatics and snobs. I don't need Czechoslovakian castrol , ams(over priced)oil, or even the 31 flavors of m-1 unless someone gives me a bunch.
I change oil by good old fashioned feel and use common sense that fits both my engines and my pockets. As always I say that 2 of my cars have 200000+ and I have never had an engine failure in 40 years of owning hundreds of engines. whaddya think bout that???

 

[tinmanSC]

Quote:
or even the 31 flavors of m-1

If i recall correctly, there are only 29 flavors of Mobil 1. I'm waiting for apple cinnamon.

 

[musicmanbass]

I think he's taking a bit of poetic liberty and referencing Baskin Robins' "31 Flavors" ad slogan. (ya know... the ice cream guys)

 

[tinmanSC]

Originally Posted By: musicmanbass
I think he's taking a bit of poetic liberty and referencing Baskin Robins' "31 Flavors" ad slogan. (ya know... the ice cream guys)


You know, it's really not that funny when you take the wind out of a joke like this. besides, Cold stone is better.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: chad8
I write these just to let others know that not all us bitog's are oil fanatics and snobs.


Well, I'm a fanatic and a snob, but you are right. Many approaches work, and you're getting your money out of your PP. I'm guessing you have run a lot of miles on conventional, too, with great results.

I'm a fan of synthetics (and I always differentiate that from a proponent, since synthetics have their purposes, and I don't fall into a lot of categories that make a synthetic essential, or even nice to have), but most of my miles have been on conventional with excellent results.

I'm a Mobil 1 fan, but my taxi test beat theirs, hands down, if you ask me. 6,000 mile OCIs on QS conventional 10w-30 year round (in the reputed sludge years) for millions of miles, with no lube related failures. The engines always outlasted the rest of the vehicles.

I once mentioned switching to synthetic to my dad. He asked why, of course. I repeated the oft told myth of it making the engines last longer. He reminded me they already outlasted everything else, including the transmission and the body.

 

[HARTZSKY]

Whatever method it takes to get the job done, sounds like your method works, stick to it.

 

[daves87rs]

So true....


The more you know, the more you understand...

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: chad8
I let the wife's car , a 2003 taurus, go almost 1.5 years and about 7500 miles on pp and a motor craft fl400s filter. This is not unusual for me. I have let cars go up to 15000 miles on synthetic and a couple filter changes.
The oil really looked very good. I know you all say that you can not tell oil condition without a uoa but i think you can. I have been changing oil for 40 years and i know when it is time. The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy when its worn out. This oil still had a bit of life left. I am very impressed with pp for a first time use. It held up very well and the inside of the oil fill hole is spotless. Mind you the car only has 32000 miles.
I changed it out tonight with 4+ quarts of pp and 1 of coastal with a champ fl400 (champ labs old style)filter.This is what i had lying around. I write these just to let others know that not all us bitog's are oil fanatics and snobs. I don't need Czechoslovakian castrol , ams(over priced)oil, or even the 31 flavors of m-1 unless someone gives me a bunch.
I change oil by good old fashioned feel and use common sense that fits both my engines and my pockets. As always I say that 2 of my cars have 200000+ and I have never had an engine failure in 40 years of owning hundreds of engines. whaddya think bout that???

When you see "The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy" it passed its usefulness some miles before.

Oil is cheap, specially when you buy it on sale and with rebate(s), I would not go over 1 year with syn oil when the cost of a quart of PP is no more than $2.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Another thumbs up for Pennzoil Platinum!!

 

[pidster]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: chad8
I let the wife's car , a 2003 taurus, go almost 1.5 years and about 7500 miles on pp and a motor craft fl400s filter. This is not unusual for me. I have let cars go up to 15000 miles on synthetic and a couple filter changes.
The oil really looked very good. I know you all say that you can not tell oil condition without a uoa but i think you can. I have been changing oil for 40 years and i know when it is time. The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy when its worn out. This oil still had a bit of life left. I am very impressed with pp for a first time use. It held up very well and the inside of the oil fill hole is spotless. Mind you the car only has 32000 miles.
I changed it out tonight with 4+ quarts of pp and 1 of coastal with a champ fl400 (champ labs old style)filter.This is what i had lying around. I write these just to let others know that not all us bitog's are oil fanatics and snobs. I don't need Czechoslovakian castrol , ams(over priced)oil, or even the 31 flavors of m-1 unless someone gives me a bunch.
I change oil by good old fashioned feel and use common sense that fits both my engines and my pockets. As always I say that 2 of my cars have 200000+ and I have never had an engine failure in 40 years of owning hundreds of engines. whaddya think bout that???

When you see "The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy" it passed its usefulness some miles before.

Oil is cheap, specially when you buy it on sale and with rebate(s), I would not go over 1 year with syn oil when the cost of a quart of PP is no more than $2.


Yep, any motor that ever has thick and gummy oil is horribly neglected. When I see oil that is opaque black on the rag used to wipe the dipstick I become a little concerned. The only time I recall seeing "thick and gummy" oil on the dipstick is when I volunteered to do maintenance on my ex gf's mom's van. "Thick and gummy" 30k+ on dino was the explanation, that along with other found problems I thought it was smart to backpedal and said I would not touch it (last guy to mess with it broke it) unless they were stranded, which BTW I said would prob happen with that van. Sure enough the tranny died due to similar neglect and on to another used van to destroy. It amazes me neglected vehicles last as long as they do.

 

[mechtech2]

Some engines and driving conditions would not allow such long OCIs.
But you are actually in line with many modern OCIs.

 

[Jakegday]

like others have stated, if your oil has gotten thick and gummy/gritty, it is WAAAY past due for an oil change. you may wanna come up with a new "method" of determining oil life...

 

[demarpaint]

Quote: The oil gets thick and almost gritty and gummy when its worn out.

I get it out long before that happens, gritty feeling oil means it has the ability to do damage. I'll waste a few $$ drain earlier and make sure I never find my oil in that condition. But I do agree with the OP, a UOA is not necessary in determining the condition of oil. And with all the mistakes I've seen reading UOA reports there is no guarantee in their accuracy either. JMO

 

[SteveSRT8]

How many here are still judging their oil's condition by feel, smell, color, taste, etc?

I find it hard to endorse any method that relies on such a subjective analysis.

But I do support the OP's right to change his oil any time he likes with whatever he wants!

 

[4ever4d]

I have just settled with a nice safe 5k/6mth. oci(with exception to the Trailblazer witch has the olm)with PYB or QSGB if PYB is not avaliable in the proper grade.