Oil Change, How Long???
- Thread starter peter78
- Start date
TeryT
New member
Changing too earlier is problem
Now I'm reading that a cetain lab is saying that more wear is caused by changing oil too often! It must have something to do with the new oil actually needing to break in a little before it gives max protection.
Anybody else heard of this (somebody quoted this same website earlier in this thread)?
UPDATE - I found the quote:
"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."
Now I'm reading that a cetain lab is saying that more wear is caused by changing oil too often! It must have something to do with the new oil actually needing to break in a little before it gives max protection.
Anybody else heard of this (somebody quoted this same website earlier in this thread)?
UPDATE - I found the quote:
"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."
Last edited:
4RunnerLtdV84wd
New member
the 3k mile oil change is just a myth. oil companies have engrained it in the consumer's mind so that they can make hundreds of millions of dollars off of our own ignorance.
if you guys didnt know already, everyone in europe does 12-15k mile oil change intervals using synthetic oil. if you own or know anything about german cars here in the US, you would know that they do the same thing.
ive done lots of research and found that amsoil is the best synthetic oil you can buy... outperforms mobil 1 and redline synthetic and costs the same. They are the first company to EVER produce the synthetic oil and the first and only company to have a 25k mile/1yr oil change interval. I've used it and the stuff is awesome.
do some research, you may like what you find.
if you guys didnt know already, everyone in europe does 12-15k mile oil change intervals using synthetic oil. if you own or know anything about german cars here in the US, you would know that they do the same thing.
ive done lots of research and found that amsoil is the best synthetic oil you can buy... outperforms mobil 1 and redline synthetic and costs the same. They are the first company to EVER produce the synthetic oil and the first and only company to have a 25k mile/1yr oil change interval. I've used it and the stuff is awesome.
do some research, you may like what you find.
peter78
Super Moderator
Hmmm, just ask the Toyota sludge victums if it is a myth. With higher temperature, harder working engines, sludge has reared it's ugly head.4RunnerLtdV84wd said:
I would say the myth is Amsoil 25,000 mile oil. When a person got sludge in his 3.0 V6 Toyota engine, Toyota said it wouldn't pay because he exceeded the 7,500 mile oil change and Amsoil didn't cover it. If you belive in long change intervals understand Toytota won't cover 25,000 miles oil change, if your cazy enough to do that, I recommend doing after the 60,000 mile Toyota warranty.
TeryT
New member
Between 2 extremes
Until someone can show me tests where they have ran full synth & dino in two identical engines, and ran periodic particulate & other oil tests along the way, this debate will just keep going & going. In fact, I find it hard to beleive that some lab hasn't done that long ago, and I'm just not aware of it!
So for now, I think the safe thing is right between all the extremes. I now run a synth blend around 5-6k. My Pathfinder has 208k on it, but admittedly it was doing the 3k dino changes most of the time prior.
Until someone can show me tests where they have ran full synth & dino in two identical engines, and ran periodic particulate & other oil tests along the way, this debate will just keep going & going. In fact, I find it hard to beleive that some lab hasn't done that long ago, and I'm just not aware of it!
So for now, I think the safe thing is right between all the extremes. I now run a synth blend around 5-6k. My Pathfinder has 208k on it, but admittedly it was doing the 3k dino changes most of the time prior.
There is one answer that comes from 20 years of fleet use.
If you keep a car only two or three years and don't have an extreme situation, don't use synthetic.
If you have an extreme situation, weather, load or driving habits or you plan to keep your car, use synthetic.
Our oil analysis sez that 10k works for synthetic oil but not for the warranty. There is a detail in there, though, if you go 10 or 15k , have a problem and can prove that the oil was still okay than you are okay. That might be a difficult 'if'.
I have four cars, two are over 360k and never taken down. I use Mobil 1 15w-30 and change every 5k. My new 4Runner gets Mobil 1 5w-30 and my 96 Turbo Volvo gets Mobil 1 0w-40 and they are doing fine. The Volvo has 122k miles with the same compression as new.
So if the answer is, if you don't keep the car don't use synthetic.
If you keep a car only two or three years and don't have an extreme situation, don't use synthetic.
If you have an extreme situation, weather, load or driving habits or you plan to keep your car, use synthetic.
Our oil analysis sez that 10k works for synthetic oil but not for the warranty. There is a detail in there, though, if you go 10 or 15k , have a problem and can prove that the oil was still okay than you are okay. That might be a difficult 'if'.
I have four cars, two are over 360k and never taken down. I use Mobil 1 15w-30 and change every 5k. My new 4Runner gets Mobil 1 5w-30 and my 96 Turbo Volvo gets Mobil 1 0w-40 and they are doing fine. The Volvo has 122k miles with the same compression as new.
So if the answer is, if you don't keep the car don't use synthetic.
mikes4runner
New member
Re: Between 2 extremes
I heard of mobile one doing the test on a BMW engine.
His name was Gus( something) from Road & Track.
One used regular oil the other synthetic ran like 100K
then tore down the engines and you could still see the honing marks in the piston cylinders of the synthetic oil engine.
In other words there was no wear on the syn. engine.
TeryT said:
I heard of mobile one doing the test on a BMW engine.
His name was Gus( something) from Road & Track.
One used regular oil the other synthetic ran like 100K
then tore down the engines and you could still see the honing marks in the piston cylinders of the synthetic oil engine.
In other words there was no wear on the syn. engine.
I love the whole idea of if your gonna keep the car treat it well but if your not who cares, oil changes are BS, why else do you think the Prince who owns the Persian Gulf makes like 90 billion in profit a year, car manurfactures want consumers wearing their cars out and oil companies don't care if the water in the oceans turns sludge brown, they want to brain wash us into believing that if you go 1 mile over the 3k mark your engine will blow up, ever watch any automotive event on TV, they advertise dino oil and tell you to change the oil every 3k but when the advertise M1 synthetic in a Mercedes which has virtually no wear after 100,000 miles but they never tell you to extend the intervals, just imagine Mobil1 running commercials telling people they can change their oil every 15k
As far as it goes for synthetic, I would only do the max miles allowed til the powertrain warranty runs out then exceed it, and as for Amsoil not backing up their claims when the guys engine needed to be replaced, sucks for him but the same thing with oil filter companies, the filter is bad and kills your engine, they will give you a new filter
I've taken plenty of engines apart for fun, but all engines are different
Another thing with the Germans with extended intervals, their cars hold more oil, at least MB vehicles hold a minimum of 8 quarts, my friends 528i holds over 8
As far as it goes for synthetic, I would only do the max miles allowed til the powertrain warranty runs out then exceed it, and as for Amsoil not backing up their claims when the guys engine needed to be replaced, sucks for him but the same thing with oil filter companies, the filter is bad and kills your engine, they will give you a new filter
I've taken plenty of engines apart for fun, but all engines are different
Another thing with the Germans with extended intervals, their cars hold more oil, at least MB vehicles hold a minimum of 8 quarts, my friends 528i holds over 8
Interesting discussion. I have run all of my Toyota's on a 10k change schedule and I got 212,000 miles out of my 87 4Runner and so far my 1991 4x4 Extended Cab has about 132,000 without any oil related problems.
I truely believe that a good engine will not pollute the oil as quickly has a loosely/poor tolerance motor.
This is just my 2 cents. I run regular Castrol 10w-30 and change it every 10k. I don't really believe that I am risking anything with a good Toyota motor. Past history with my other vehicles has proven it to me.
I do believe that we are wasting resources with 3k changes.
I truely believe that a good engine will not pollute the oil as quickly has a loosely/poor tolerance motor.
This is just my 2 cents. I run regular Castrol 10w-30 and change it every 10k. I don't really believe that I am risking anything with a good Toyota motor. Past history with my other vehicles has proven it to me.
I do believe that we are wasting resources with 3k changes.
What do you guys make of Castrols warranty that if you change your oil/filter using Castrol GTX every 4K miles they will warrant your engine agains't any lube failure for 400K miles (got to sign-up and start before you hit 35K miles on your car) If you do this with their Castrol Syntec (synthetic) they will warrant you for 600K miles. Sounds to me like Castrol thinks that 4K miles is the magic number for oil changes. What do you think???
Nah, just sounds like a marketing gimmick to me. What does lube failure mean? With any modern oil you could go 10,000 miles between changes without any fear of the lubricant failing. 10,000 mile intervals wouldn't be good for wear on the engine but the lubricant wouldn't fail.
Pitbull said:
2 things come to mind when I read that, 1 is an oil company is not gonna say 10k changes cause noone else is advertising 10k changes so they obviously want more money from the customer for as long as possible and 2, 4k on dino is fine but they did not even extend it to 6k or 8k for the syntec, so they have me believing that in order to actually offer a warranty for that many miles the oil has to be good, they aslo probably figure who is really gonna keep their vehicles for that many miles and why do they start at 35k, what if the thing never had an oil change and then you start with the castrol, you have a worn out engine holding on by a thread.
I was reading on Bob the oil guy and several people have had the Castrol GTX dino analyzed and with 6-7k on the oil it was still good but suggested it be changed soon, they had V6 Tacomas
:Edge, I hear you. I guess the smart thing to do is let my dealer do the Castrol GTX for $28, which includes a 21 pt. inspection and top off of all fluids (covers all the warranty crap). Figure if I do it every 4K miles it will be good enough, plus the dealer charges something like $68 to do the samething with the Castrol Syntec, they must think that syntec is made of gold??? I think the GTX is about as good as the syntec, based on used oil analysis on BITOG. Plus I don't tow anything and I live in the country so it takes me 12-15 miles to get to any place I am going so no short trips or rush hour traffic. If it gets too cold out or too hot I stay at home and the 4runner stays in the garage. Dino Castrol GTX should do the trick for me, what do you think???
I think you will be more then fine with 4k changes, I like the Castrol GTX more then any oil I have ever used, only reason I bought Mobil Drive Clean cause they had it in BJ's and where out of Castrol so I bought 10 cases but Im slowly using it up.
In my 2000 Pathfinder with the 3.3L V6 on highway trips running 75mph I got 24-26mpg and doing 90 could get 18-20, maybe the truck was extra special but the only thing I did was change the oil and put Castrol GTX in it:
In my 2000 Pathfinder with the 3.3L V6 on highway trips running 75mph I got 24-26mpg and doing 90 could get 18-20, maybe the truck was extra special but the only thing I did was change the oil and put Castrol GTX in it
:EDGE said:I think you will be more then fine with 4k changes, I like the Castrol GTX more then any oil I have ever used, only reason I bought Mobil Drive Clean cause they had it in BJ's and where out of Castrol so I bought 10 cases but Im slowly using it up.
In my 2000 Pathfinder with the 3.3L V6 on highway trips running 75mph I got 24-26mpg and doing 90 could get 18-20, maybe the truck was extra special but the only thing I did was change the oil and put Castrol GTX in it
The Nissan dealer uses the Mobil drive clean, I do a 3000 mile OCI on the 350Z. I figure that since the 4.7 Toyota engine is really easy on oil per all of the UOA's on BITOG site that I will be great with the 4000 mile OCI with the 4runner. I think that Castrol GTX is one of the best dino's and the Nissan site for owners of the VQ35DE engine I have in my Z recommend Mobil drive clean for that engine.
TeryT, I've read the same thing about the 3K mile oil change on BITOG site, but it does not sound logical. I don't believe things that are not logical. JMHO
TeryT
New member
3k Oil Changes
Pitbull - I've actually read that on another site a while back, but forget where it was. Maybe it was citing the same study.
If synthetics don't wear out, provide a lower level of engine wear, and suspend contaminants better, why would you change it at 3K? Really seems a waste of time, money & resources.
Pitbull - I've actually read that on another site a while back, but forget where it was. Maybe it was citing the same study.
If synthetics don't wear out, provide a lower level of engine wear, and suspend contaminants better, why would you change it at 3K? Really seems a waste of time, money & resources.
Re: 3k Oil Changes
The Z can go to 7500 and still be within warranty, the 4runner's manual calls for 5K mile changes, so synthetic seems like a waste at that interval. So I will do 4K with the Castrol GTX. I might go to 7500 with Mobil 1 5w30 on the Z after a few more miles. The Z does not recommend synthetic but a lot of owners use it. Guess part of the 3K mile changes are lazyness on my part. Dealer only uses dino so for the Z I won't go more than 3K on dino and if I go to synthetic I have to go to the independant garage and supply them with the filter and Mobil 1 and the cost ends up being close to the same over the OCI.
TeryT said:
The Z can go to 7500 and still be within warranty, the 4runner's manual calls for 5K mile changes, so synthetic seems like a waste at that interval. So I will do 4K with the Castrol GTX. I might go to 7500 with Mobil 1 5w30 on the Z after a few more miles. The Z does not recommend synthetic but a lot of owners use it. Guess part of the 3K mile changes are lazyness on my part. Dealer only uses dino so for the Z I won't go more than 3K on dino and if I go to synthetic I have to go to the independant garage and supply them with the filter and Mobil 1 and the cost ends up being close to the same over the OCI.
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