Synthetic oil change interval poll (1 Viewer)

[firetruck41]

Okay here is where you can make a difference, and tell everyone how often you change your synthetic oil. As you can see I have carefully worded this poll so there can be no allegations of bias on the part of the pollster, in fact I would be suprised if anyone could hazard a guess at what my answer to the poll might be Apologies if your particular interval is not listed.

 

[Jonathan_Ferguson]

1996 Service Book Says every 6 months or 10,000km, Or every 3 months or 5,000km under servere operating conditions. - Which ever is first.

Dad has been changing Castrol GTX 2 20W/50 every 15,000km(9,375 miles), But currenlty the Z418 is on it's second 15,000km interval.

 

[cruiserdan]

Well,

I'm a fold ucker and I can't operate an engine past 3k miles without changing the oil. Since I have this "issue" and I'm cheap, I run Dino oil only..........

 

[IdahoDoug]

"Bessie" has been mine since new, and I keep an extensive log on her. Since around 3500 miles, she has had nothing but Mobil 1 and I recall adding it all up and the average oil change was about 6300 miles. We tow heavy (6000+lbs) and long (over 13,000 miles logged towing), so sometimes she gets early changes vs the 7500 mile recommended interval for non-towing. I've also never used anything but Toyota filters, have personally done each change, and have never added any type of additive (teflon, slick 50, etc). She's a peach and has defended her spot in the garage, watching 2 Monteros, a Supra, an A6 Quattro wagon, and now a Subaru wagon come and go.

I would not be surprised to find negligible internal wear at her current 130k miles, and will be disappointed if my now 2 year old son and I are not 'wheeling her together when he's 18 and she has 300k on her. Yowza, I'll be 58 then!! 8)

IdahoDoug

 

[cruiserdan]

Shiznit Doug,

Yer just a kid......

 

[MTNRAT]

It has always been 3000 mi for me. always will be. On everything I have ever owned. My mom beat that into my brain when I was 16.
Cheers,
Sean

 

[IdahoDoug]

...And like you, I'll always be one....

 

[Brentbba]

Shoot - I've only done every 7500 with dino. Considering the switch to Mobil 1 when I take her in for her 120,000 checkup in a few months. Only question is viscosity. She's currently running 10W-30 dino. From all the spirited debates recently on the 'thinness' of that weight M1, I'm considering thicker, even up to 20W50, since I'm in SoCal only, with occasional trips to Tahoe or local mtns for skiing.

 

[Gumby]

I just finished the unit on oil changes with my students. I have told them that with the advent of fuel injection and improved engine tolerances from the factory, 5,000 maximum rather than 3,000 as in the bad old days. Carbs used to dump fuel in the oil and create a lot more carbon. Also pour point depressants have improved significantly eliminating wax build up almost completely. Detergants and dispersants have increased in quality and quantity resulting in cleaner engines. Oil is better than it ever has been. With highway miles, you could probably go to 7,500, but I wouldn't.
The additives in synths are the same. However, synths don't have to deal with parrafin chrysals in the oil, so they don't have to worry about the pour point depressants wearing out. Synths get dirty at the same rate. Realistically, you still should change synths at the same rate as dino because of the contamination and the additives.
If you change the dino at the required rate you should never have a problem with it.
So why use synth? It makes me feel better to spend the money on my baby. In reality, it leaks more and burns more synth than it ever did with the dino. I really oughtta switch back. We'll see how I feel at the next oil change.
If you don't change your oil regularly, you are a fool, or you have way more money than me. The last guy that hit 1,000,000 miles did it in a Chevy pick up and credits changing the oil every weekend.

All the proceding is my own opinion. You should not feel the need to dispute it as you probably will not change anybodies mind. If, you have real data, feel free to post, or send me a link and I will include that info in next years oil change lesson.

 

[Beowulf]

>> The last guy that hit 1,000,000 miles did it in a Chevy pick up <<
>> and credits changing the oil every weekend. <<

Approx 8 qts of M1 @ $5/qt = $40
20004 Toyota Filter approx...... $8
gaskets & paper towels.......... $2
...................Total............... $50/wk or about $215/mo ($2,600/yr)

I'd say he would have been much better off trading for a new Chevy truck every couple of years.

-B-

(Yes, I know he didn't need that much oil and didn't use M1 and didn't buy Totota filters and drain plug gaskets... but you get my drift.)

 

[cruiserdan]

I agree with Gumby. If you are the type who changes oil at a 3000 mile interval all the time and you don't live in a deepfreeze or an oven, synthetics are completely unnecessary.(let alone cost effective).

 

[Gumby]

I looked for the story this afternoon. I want to say he did it in 10 years or so. He drove a ridiculous amount of miles every day. I had the article a coule of years ago and now I can't find find it.
I remember GM gave him a new truck at 1,000,000.

Here it is and it was Pennzoil that gave him the new truck.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2001/09/10/tidbits.html

 

[Beowulf]

Even worse... he changed the oil every 4 days according to the article and drove 800 miles a day. If he averaged 60 mph (quite hard to do) that's over 13 hrs every day. Lousy job.

-B-

 

[Junk]

Uh, we're supposed to change our oil? ??? :'( :-X

 

[Gumby]

And the truth of the three blown motors finally shows itself...

 

[Junk]

Hey now, it was only 2

 

[Gumby]

Wait a minute....

 

[Junk]

[quote author=Gumby link=board=2;threadid=5428;start=msg43372#msg43372 date=1064114629]
Wait a minute.... [/quote]

Actually Gum, your momma changes it for me. Says the 20004 and the Amspoil all included in the $1.99 .... every 5k

 

[thorvald]

only just switched to mobil 1 so wont be changing it for a while