Why and where did change every 3000 miles come from?

[Jimbo]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kestas:
20 years ago I personally knew every engineer in Chrysler Engine Design and Development Group. When the issue of oil came up they told me there was a very noticeable difference between engines with a 3000 mile oil change schedule and engines with a 6000 mile oil change schedule. These guys are intimately familiar with engine internals. I need no higher authority. Ever since then I've changed oil every 3000 mile for each car I take care of.

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Twenty years ago Chrysler vehicles all had carbs with oil-diluting automatic chokes and non-shear stable 10W-40 conventional oils were the most popular.

 

[Ray H]

quote:

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Originally posted by CAtedster:
My 1985 honda says every 7500 mi or 6 mos. Nothing about severe service.

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Apparently Honda changed their tune. My old '96 Accord's owner's manual, in two seperate charts, stated 7,500 (12 months) miles for normal conditions and 3,750 (6 months) for severe conditions defined as:
>Driving less than 5 miles per trip
>Driving in extremely hot conditions [over 90 F.]
>Extensive idling or stop-and-go driving
>Trailer towing, driving with a car-top carrier, or driving in mountanous conditions
>Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-iced roads

 

[UncleS2]

Up through the late 1960's, the 2,000 mile oil change was alive & well here in NE Texas, especially on older vehicles. The 3K oil change was probably a good policy for that era, given the motor oils & engines of the day. Now, most vehicles are probably safe to go a good deal farther between changes.

 

[Mystic]

A lot depends on where you are driving, weather conditions, vehicle type, etc. If you are just driving around town all the time, short trips especially in cold weather, 3000 miles/three months makes sense. If you are driving on the highway a lot and long trips-6000 miles or six months makes sense. What kind of oil are you using-Valvoline conventional or Amsoil synthetic? Do you have a bypass oil filter? What is the oil capacity of the car? The Toyota Tercel I once owned had an oil capacity of three quarts. Using Amsoil you could probably go a year on one oil change, changing the oil filter at six months, if you did not exceed say 15,000 miles.

 

[wtd]

I don't know when the 3month/3,000 mile oil change started. My 1970 Monte Carlo's owner's manual says 4 months or 6,000 miles on oil changes. The 1972 Monte Carlo owner's manual that I have says the same thing. My previous truck, 93 S-10 4x4, was 3 months/3,000 miles and so is my 98 chevy fullsize.

Wayne