When do you change your oil?

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: 3800Series
I change mine every 5k, my old Chevy 1500 got it every 7.5k but it had close to 400k miles and it never hurt a thing.

It really depends on a few factors.
-The type of oil used (I did see you mentioned it this is just in general)
-The type of engine (some are easy on oil some are not)
-Your driving habit/driving condition (5k highway miles is a lot easier on the oil then 5k city)

Personally I think 5k is a good number for conventional oil. Depending on where you drive and your average trip distance there may be life left there may not be. Just depends on the factors listed above.


+1 on this. If you are doing a lot of short trips then 4500MI is probably ok. If you are doing more HWY runs, then you could get up to 6K miles.

 

[Lolvoguy]

5k miles on cheapest conventional i can find...
usually works out to twice a year oci's

 

[Bgallagher]

I use the OLM on all my GMs. Never had an issues. Usually it is between 6-9k. I started using Pennzoil conventional and switched over to HM the last few years ago. Both higher mileage cars are running great and I am about due for my first change in the terrain.

If you are changing Castrol High Mileage at 4-5k I wouldn't bother with an ultra. You can get just as good of results with a fram TG. The Ultra is better suited for longer drain intervals with a synthetic. Save you a couple bucks..

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Spring and fall. 0w-20 and 0w30 Mobil I AFE and Denso oil filter. It's overkill but I have been doing it for sixty years and can't/don't want to change.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Every 3/3k like clockwork per Nissan.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: rickmeseke
My jeep gets about 2k miles at most due to lots of high rev offroading on conventional

Bmw goes 7500ish i run it hard all city driving

Kia goes 5000-6000 on conventional city and hwy mix


I really should pull a used oil analysis to see how high the Aluminum and Iron are on this run. I only have 2000 miles on the oil but I was playing around on a motocross track over the weekend (had permission to do so - not doing it illegally). There were 3 or 4 runs where the engine spent 10 minutes or so at 4000+RPM.

I usually do yearly changes on mine. So 4000-6000 miles. That involves off roading, towing ... Jeep stuff.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: rickmeseke
My jeep gets about 2k miles at most due to lots of high rev offroading on conventional

Bmw goes 7500ish i run it hard all city driving

Kia goes 5000-6000 on conventional city and hwy mix


I really should pull a used oil analysis to see how high the Aluminum and Iron are on this run. I only have 2000 miles on the oil but I was playing around on a motocross track over the weekend (had permission to do so - not doing it illegally). There were 3 or 4 runs where the engine spent 10 minutes or so at 4000+RPM.

I usually do yearly changes on mine. So 4000-6000 miles. That involves off roading, towing ... Jeep stuff.


When you have those sustained 4,000+ rpm runs do you use any oil? Or more oil than normal? Thanks.

 

[K20FA5]

My 2010 Nissan Frontier, Pennzoil Platinum 5w30, every 6,000 to 7,000 miles
Wife's 2009 Honda Pilot, Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20, every 5,000 (Don't follow the MM on this one)
Daughter's 2012 Honda Civic, Pennzoil Platinum 0w20, when the MM tells me to (around 7,000 miles or so).

 

[Torrid]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Every 3/3k like clockwork per Nissan.


Does your OM read like the later Nissans? I had a 2005 Spec V and the severe service schedule was 3,750mi/3 months. Standard schedule was 7,500mi/6 months. I did use the severe schedule since conventional changes were cheap at the dealer and I regularly drove the car hard at high speeds(young idiot with open highways). It's the only car I've ever taken somewhere in the last 10 years for an oil change.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

I change my M1 synthetic every 5000 miles, and I put 20k on the car per year like clockwork so 4 times a year.
Subaru turbo engines are tough on oil (heat and fuel dilution) and the owner's manual recommendation for normal duty was only 6k (and only synthetic recommended). I decided on 5k since I do some short tripping, I believe Subie now recommends 5k intervals since the 2015 model year of the FXT.

 

[Rolla07]

I change it when I get bored...usually 3-4k miles...

 

[Bryanccfshr]

Once a year or 10k miles on my personal vehicles. 6 months 5k on the oilfield truck.

 

[Merkava_4]

I factor in 4 things to make my decision on when to change:

1. Oil Life Monitor Percentage
2. Oil Color
3. Mileage
4. Time

In that order.

 

[53' Stude]

Once a year; currently have Pennzoil Ultra 10w30 and some Quaker State Conventional 5w20 in the focus for a 7,500 run with a FRAM ULTRA that will stay on for 15k. I try to change once a year as owners manual states 7,500 miles or 1 year

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: jxthomps
. Am I throwing money away changing it to soon?
Maybe yes maybe no. There are many factors.The Fram ultra is an unneeded expense. You are doing fine with a conventional and it is better to be conservative .

 

[Nick1994]

On my Camry, 5,000 miles on conventional, 7,500 on synthetic.

I might go further on synthetic in the future, have to go 7,500 with the PP for Pennzoil's test run in my car.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Torrid
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Every 3/3k like clockwork per Nissan.


Does your OM read like the later Nissans? I had a 2005 Spec V and the severe service schedule was 3,750mi/3 months. Standard schedule was 7,500mi/6 months. I did use the severe schedule since conventional changes were cheap at the dealer and I regularly drove the car hard at high speeds(young idiot with open highways). It's the only car I've ever taken somewhere in the last 10 years for an oil change.

 

[gabriel9766]

I follow the OLM with synthetic oil (Pennzoil Platinum 0w20) on my Malibu.

 

[BrocLuno]

The State of California Office of Fleet Management determined some time back the 6,000 miles was the best all around trade off for wear protection, safety margin with TBN, fuel dilution, etc. BUT, that was starting with new cars and light trucks and not going out beyond 150,000.

Since that initial finding in trials with the majors (mostly Chevron and Shell), synthetics and syn-blends have become much more common. But the fleet average mileage has increased as vehicles do not go to auction based solely on mileage anymore, but on condition assessments. Many now go out with over 250,000 on the ODO.

So, the same mileage OCI was/is maintained for the fleet because of older somewhat more worn engines. Still makes sense to me.

As for the OP's question, I change when either I have reached the mileage limit I have determined for that vehicle (it varies), or when I'm under there anyway doing some other work... If I have it laid up and I'm under the chassis, time to change the oil and lube is sensible unless it was done very recently.

It's a labor management time thing, not an oil cost thing...

 

[K23Turbo]

4-5K. Sometimes 6-8K using synthetic 5W30.