At risk of harping:
The engineers that designed my engine say to follow the advice of their oil monitoring system The oil monitoring system on my car usually tells me to change at
7000-7500 miles. I'm a typical driver whose driving includes some of the items on the so-called "severe service" listIn effect, the engineers who designed my engine are telling me that, for my driving, 7000-7500 miles is appropriate.
...and that has to do with JR's second-guessing, how?
My bad; it was meant as a question... speculation - not a statement of fact :-) There does seem to be a discrepancy between the recommended frequency of changes in the US and some other countries though, and yet surely the formulation of the oil is the same - as are engineering tolerances, the quality of parts etc.
I suppose the US climate is extremely diverse - often in contrast to other countries - but I'm not sure that could account for it, as if that were the sole reason I'd think the auto makers could regionalize their recommendations.
I never said that I knew better, just that I'd ask if he knew what the 'official' reason was (because it might be he's just doing what he's told, after all).
I change the oil on the Chevy van at 3000mi, as per factory recommendation. The Toyota usually gets done around 4000mi. Interestingly, the Ford is 6000mi though (I had it in my head that it was
3000) - that's a 1967 build, so it seems that in the last 40-something years things have gone backward...cheers
Jules
The manufacturers are, in effect, saying your car will last through warranty with 7000 to 7500 mile oil change intervals. It will most likely last as long as the average new car owner owns the vehicle. They are not saying anything else.
European oils are different than american oils. There are more specs - some significantly higher - and BMW, Mercedes, Peugot, etc all specify exactly what oil is required for their long change intervals. Many of those oil specifications can not be met by the oils sold in America.
Also - as far as "going backwards" - except for the removal of lead and the associated purge chemicals and bwetter fuel mixture control, todays engines are more highly stressed (generally speaking) than the engines of 1967.
The "formulation of the oil" is NOT the same. Emission standards are NOT the same. And even if you have a VW, BMW or Mercedes here in the U.S. a European spec (ACEA) oil will probably be recommended. And most likely synthetic. It's not like a Chevy or Toyota owner just grabbing the recommended weight of the cheapest API spec brand. So surely you're not Shirley.
--Vic
"Vic Smith" wrote
Nor do I at 7500 miles or so.
Just as it is financial interest the overriding reason the oil change places slap that 3000 mile sticker on the windshield. They don't care how you drive, they just want the money. Best to read the manual, assess your driving conditions and make an informed decision.
As for cost, I drive 25000 miles a year and get maybe 4 changes versus 8 at
3000 miles.
All my cars for the last 20 years or so went over 200,000 miles with
6000 mile oil change intervals. My 78 Chevy pickup with original 350 small block V8 was around 270,000 when I finally got rid of it, and the engine still ran fine. Current 96 Jeep Cherokee has 166,000.
I was talking about people here flatly saying that it's okay to do
6-8000 mile oil changes without knowing the driving circumstances. I change my own oil and jot down miles. When my work schedule had me at the lube places their stickers worked for me. Nobody is forced to follow their schedule. Extended oil changes are a marketing tool as much as 3000 mile stickers. It's not unusual to see people plunking down +$30 for a car, including $thousands for a trim package, then crowing about how they only have to change the oil every 10k miles for a huge savings of what - 30-80 bucks a year? And some cars are now requiring synthetic. In some of their cars Toyota requires synthetic and still wants 5000 mile oil changes!
My car is driven 12 miles round trip a day, 5 days a week for commuting. That's 3120 miles a year, max speed is 40, mostly 35, all stop and go. Average about another 25 per weekend for shopping and visits.
1300 miles a year, 90% max speed is 40, mostly 35, all stop and go. Once a year I put on about 2500 highway miles on vacation. At my destination I drive about another 200, stop and go. This year I'll add a 1000 mile trip for a wedding to that. That's a bit over 8000 miles this year.This car is a 1997 Lumina with a 3.1 and 160k miles on it. I agree about reading the manual. Mine says that this qualifies for the short trip schedule.
"Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km). This is particularly important when outside temperatures are below freezing."
I live north of Chicago and we have freezing winters.
"Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km): Engine Oil and Filter Change (or 3 months, whichever occurs first)."
So I'm following the manual pretty close. I change more like every 4 months. BTW, for mostly highway driving the manual recommends the 7500 mile changes you do. So that's at least 15 years GM has been recommending this. My next car will probably be a Chevy or Buick with the oil sensor and no schedule. It'll be interesting to see how that works.
--Viic
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