With improved technology, does the old mantra of 'every 3,000 miles' still apply?

Most of us already know that regularly scheduled oil and filter changes are a vital part of routine car maintenance that is necessary for engine longevity.
During the miles between changes, the oil in your vehicle's engine gradually becomes contaminated with soot, metal particles, gasoline and other impurities. As mileage accumulates, so do the contaminants in the oil. Eventually, enough impurities accumulate that the filter cannot remove them and the oil cannot keep them in suspension.

When this happens, the resulting sludge can dramatically shorten engine life.

Even though modern technology has vastly improved engines and the oils that lubricate them, regularly scheduled oil and filter changes are still a vital part of regular, preventative auto maintenance. The question is: Just how often does the oil need to be changed?

At regular intervals
The old mantra of responsible motorists that said, "Change your oil every 3,000 miles!" is being replaced. Today car manufacturers' recommendations for oil changes range from 5,000 to 7,500, or even 10,000 miles for many cars when operated under "normal" driving conditions—more often if conditions are "severe."

Before you relax, let me point out that the way most of us drive is listed as severe by the automotive experts. According to the owner's manuals of many new cars and trucks, normal operation of a vehicle is at least 20 minutes, at a medium speed with a steady throttle, and in a clean environment.

According to one car maker's owner's manual, the oil change interval is seven months or 7,500 miles under normal driving conditions, three months or 3,000 miles under severe conditions. This is how severe is defined in the manual:


Repeated, short distance driving.
Extended periods of idling or low speed operation.
Extensive use of brakes.
More than 50 percent driving in heavy city traffic during hot weather above 90 degrees F.
Driving for a prolonged period of time in cold temperatures and/or extremely humid climates.
Driving in dusty conditions or sandy areas.
Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used.
Driving on rough or muddy roads.
Driving in mountainous areas.
Well, it looks like the old mantra about oil changes isn't out of date after all. But what about synthetic oils, don't they extend oil change intervals?

Several car manufacturers do recommend synthetic oil for their high-performance models because of the superior protection from friction and extreme temperatures. The protection comes from the processing required to manufacture the base stock and the different additive packages they require.

Despite this better performance, synthetic additives wear out just as they do in conventional motor oils, and need to be changed. The key is driving conditions — normal or severe.

How about just changing the oil filter, can a car be driven farther between oil changes?

Changing the filter is great, but the oil must be changed along with it, given that the oil's additives wear out and contaminants get into the oil itself. The filter can only capture the bigger particles suspended in the oil, not replenish spent additives.

Pinching pennies
From an economic point of view, it would appear that waiting an extra few thousand miles between changes will save money. For example, based on $25 oil changes every 5,000 miles instead of 3,000 miles, more than $300 is saved per 100,000 miles. Sounds pretty good, but if you drive the average of 17,000 miles a year, it will take you almost six years to reach that mileage — or $50 per year savings.

Extending the oil change interval beyond what the manufacturer recommends can seriously shorten the useful life of your engine, and cost you several times that $300 savings. Just ask a professional service technician how often he or she changes the oil and filter on their personal vehicle. Chances are the answer will be 3,000 miles.

That's the answer given by Don Beyer, automotive services director for AAA's Washington/Inland chapter. Beyer, an ASE master technician and former repair-shop owner, says that it is imperative to change the engine oil and filter every three months or 3,000 miles. "I'm doubtful that anyone, regardless of where they live, drives under the normal conditions defined in owner's manuals."

Bottom line: Don't push the limits of motor oil and flirt with damaging your car's engine, especially when chump change is all it takes for an oil change.

http://autos.msn.com/volvo/article.a...22672&GT1=6251

 

holy thats-a-long-ass-post batman.

in my performance cars, i used mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic every 1500-1800 miles, give or take. in my daily drivers, between 3000-3500 w/ factory oil changes and filters.

 

Did you seriously just post a article word for word? Why? I can find news sites just fine, why don't you at least offer your opinion?

I think the 3,000 mile oil change is BS. The oil companies stand to lose money if you change oil less often.

Think of why they even created "synthetic blends." Same change interval as regular oil, and priced between regular and synthetic. Because all it is is 50% regular, 50% synthetic. Despite this, some people STILL think that you can't mix synthetic in a car with regular oil. If they don't know that that hasn't been true for 30 years, how can they bring themselves to deny the 3,000 mile interval?

If I had a new car, it would get synthetic. I have old cars though, and am doing fine with my 5,000+ mile intervals. I've yet to have a car outright DIE on me. Except the RX-7 that already had 228,000 miles on it at the time.

 

Due to having 15 quarts of oil the recommended oil change period for the 930 is around 9K miles.

That being said since my car was a bit souped up and driven hard I changed it every 3-5K miles.

There are some engines out there, such as the toyota 3L V6 and the chrysler 2.7 that have oil sludging problems due to oil stagnating on the hottest area of the heads.

In many cases of sludged up motors this is the cause instead of lack of maintenance.

 

Akit of the newer hondas are 5K intervals.

 

Hey, how 'bout this? The cleaner the oil, the better. If it looks like shit, shell out 8 dollars (Okay, like 20 if its synthetic), and change your goddamned oil and filter. And if any of the peopel on this board take their cars to a service staiton to have their oil changed with them and don't make at least 6 digits a year...just...tsk.

I change my oil every 3k, but I don't use synthetic. By the time I change it, it looks like shit. Nuff said.

 

i change mine every 2000-2500...i guess it really depends on how you drive the car, on how often you should change your oil.

 

What about these new mobil synthetic oils?

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...rformance.aspx
15,000 miles reccomended by the oil manufacturer

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/..._Warranty.aspx
7500 miles

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...lean_5000.aspx
5000 miles


These 3 oils are marketed by the oil companies to last longer... I wanna know what their deal is.


Here is the listing of severe according to mobil.

 

Damn! Run that rotary till the apex seals go through the hood!

On topic: I change mine every 3000 miles, Dinosaur juice every time... i dont want my crap to carbon lock... maybe i'll run synthetics if i dump in some 2-stroke pre-mix

 

I usually never hit 3k miles on a change, but I tend to change it every 3-4 months.