18000 mile oil filter changes

[BeerLube]

I too was considering doing this on my Mazdaspeed 3 after the powertrain warranty expires. Sorry to thread-jack, but had a separate thread on this a few months back and didn't get much interest.

I'm in a warm climate, plan on changing oil via Pela extractor every 5k miles, and I use PP 5W-30. Also will be installing a spin-on filter conversion and hopefully using an oversized version of the Mobil M1-102 (M1-209 or Pure One PL20241), assuming the longer filter will clear my under-carriage tray.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Funny how every thread jack is justified by "I am sorry to thread jack, but..."

Just giving ya a hard time BeerLube.

 

[GMBoy]

With the costs of filters now a days, why run the risk? You never can tell what the filter has in it (until you cut it open) so it could be full and running in by-pass offering no filtration for thousands of miles and you'd never know - just replace the filter and be sure. If you are bent on doing every other oil change so be it, but keep it under 12k I'd say. My engine is worth the small cost of a filter change at each oli change vs a new engine.

 

[BeerLube]

No prob SatFan, it's funny. People b!tch when you threadjack, but then you see people do the same when someone starts a thread that's been covered before. Can't please everybody...

Agreed, filters represent a relatively small cost. I'm mainly looking to avoid the hassle of getting under the car as much as possible, while still providing exceptional wear protection; it's not an easy task with the tools I've got. So if I can go 3 OCI's at 5k a piece, that'd be wonderful. I'll probably go 10k at 2 OCI's first and see if the filter looks visibly loaded. If I had more room under the hood, I maybe would have done a bypass system.

I drive a 400 miler round trip 3 weekends a month, and commute about 17 miles each way during the week, plus being in a temperate climate... I'm betting/hoping the filter sees relatively benign conditions.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

It took me quite awhile of lurking and listening to oil filter talk to finally bite the bullet and run Amsoil EA and Mobil 1 EP filters to 10K. Now, without fussing with a filter change and having the Fumoto valve installed on both cars, oil changes really aren't as fun anymore. Heck, on the Corolla, I don't even get the pleasure of jacking up the car to do one.

As my comfort level increases, I will take the filters to 15K as by most accounts they often filter better over miles.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
With the costs of filters now a days, why run the risk? You never can tell what the filter has in it (until you cut it open) so it could be full and running in by-pass offering no filtration for thousands of miles and you'd never know - just replace the filter and be sure. If you are bent on doing every other oil change so be it, but keep it under 12k I'd say. My engine is worth the small cost of a filter change at each oli change vs a new engine.



Hmm ...I see you objected here ..when GM owners were using the OLM ..and dealers were trying to get customers to do the 3k thing.

How can all of those people taken the risk of following the OLM with (potentially) the Orange Can?

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
With the costs of filters now a days, why run the risk? You never can tell what the filter has in it (until you cut it open) so it could be full and running in by-pass offering no filtration for thousands of miles and you'd never know - just replace the filter and be sure. If you are bent on doing every other oil change so be it, but keep it under 12k I'd say. My engine is worth the small cost of a filter change at each oli change vs a new engine.



Hmm ...I see you objected here ..when GM owners were using the OLM ..and dealers were trying to get customers to do the 3k thing.

How can all of those people taken the risk of following the OLM with (potentially) the Orange Can?



You know Gary, you are right! I never even thought about that simple fact right out there in the open. Maybe it's because I don't go by the OLM - can't seem to make it past 6k and I'm itching to change the oil. My dad's a little more brave and will goto 10k. But still I wonder....is that filter in bypass?? And lastly, even though I work for GM, I know all this extended maintenace stuff is for sales purposes and not necessarily for the good of the car. I know most oils can handle the extended drains, but the filters I wonder about.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, I reason it that on the short end (lower mileage or time managed OCI) you're either doing a lot more work over the short haul (taxi, etc.) ..so the fuel you're using is equivalent to much higher mileage. OTOH, if you're really only doing short trip stuff (time) ..then you're loading the filter at a much higher rate. Now the taxi may be more akin to a highway cruiser in terms of hours of operation (all warmed up - no fuel enrichment) ..but it doesn't go anywhere.

What I'm saying is that sometimes the filter and the oil fatigue at the same rate ..like when using the OLM. Where the filter and oil differ is in something like..hmmmm...where the mileage is fixed (let's say 7500 to cover all the bases without an OLM) ..but you're doing 15k+ a year. There they can have you change it every other time since they put a time component on the filter AT that mileage.

You're sorta stuck in a pickle as the manufacturer. While you know that (probably) anyone doing 20k a year is fine for 2 10k OCI's ..that might stretch the filter life beyond functional. It would get a bit confusing if they said "If you do 10k in 6 months change the filter every time, but if you only do 7500 every 6 months, change it every other time. It would just get too confusing for the consumer.

The OLM is a real jewel of a tool for interval indication.