Synthetic Oil Change - How Often??

[thomasugenius]

So, I know my first problem is that i don't drive my 4Runner often enough...I put 6000 miles on it a year. I run Mobil 1 Synthetic and am unsure if I should change the oil every 6 months or every year? Normally, I would change the oil with Mobil 1 very 6000 miles, but TIME is the question here? Not Distance.


Thanks!

 

[Jeff Kleb]

I would do it every 3k - or every six months in your case - just to have peace of mind. After all, six quarts of Mobil-1 will run you only about $25 or so.

$50 worth of oil for an entire year is a mere pittance for a vehicle that costs almost thirty grand!

I change my oil every 3k to 4k in my 4Runner and always use synthetic oil (Mobil-1). I also change the filter (Toyota OEM) each time.

 

[Casper]

Dont know how old this thread is...but

Used Oil Anaylsis will tell you how long you can run oil for..instead of guessing.

 

[Light_Mania]

In my old Isuzu Trooper, I gave it a fill of Mobil 1. Added a quart every 3000 miles or so, and changed the filter once a year. A yearly used oil analysis always showed the oil was still good, and I ran that truck to 90,000 miles with no engine problems.

Was that a good idea had I wanted to keep it until 200,000 miles? Maybe so, maybe not.

I can't do that with my T4R, because it simply does not seem to burn oil, so no opportunity to replenish the additives with a fresh quart!

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I think time is more of a big deal if you don't rack up 20k a year on your vehicle. I run M1 syn and I change it about 8-9k miles which works out to about every 10 months which is about as long as I like to go.

 

[thomasugenius]

OK. In that case I'm safe at changinig it every 6 months and could probably go for 9 months or so total time to conserve without increasing wear. Thanks