Oil change?

[Big5]

I change my oil every 3000 miles on all of my vehicles. However, my buddy that I grew up with has insisted that changing your oil this often is some kind of conspiracy between the oil companies and the car manufactures to get us to spend . My buddy is the original owner of a 1995 1500 series Silverado with 206,000 miles on it. He changes the oil every 15,000 to 20,000 miles and uses the cheapest brand 5W-30 he can find . He has done a transmission flush one time, and has never changed any other fluids (front/rear dif, transfer case, brake fluid, engine coolant). We work on our trucks together pretty often so I know he is being truthful. I am quite honestly amazed that his engine hasn't seized up on him since he so rarely changes his oil. I am constantly harrassing him about waiting so long in between oil changes. For the past 20 years he has been telling me that the public is being duped into spending money on maintenance they don't need. I'm sure that many of you must be cringing (as I do) at the thought of only changing your oil 15,000 - 20,000 miles. I can't figure out how he gets away with this. Any ideas how this is possible?

 

 

My own truck (2000 Sierra 1500, 5.3) is getting near 100,000. The dealer recommended that I switch to synthetic oil. Not sure if this is neccassary especially since I change my oil regularly every 3000 miles. Is switching to synthetic really neccassary?

[dukbludvl]

no need to switch if you change your oil every 3K. Do you do the changes yourself or take it to the dealer?

[lrymal]

I sorta cringe but not too much. Basically, I agree with your dealer, that is, on the duping part. The part I cringe on is that the statement is too vague. If one is doing a lot of stop-n-go city type driving, with only a few miles of commute, then condensation in the pan hasn't had a chance to burn off properly. In that case, I wouldn't want to have such a motor go through extended oil changes with cheap oil.

 

However, my cringe sorta mellows if that truck was on a long highway commute on a regular basis, provided the oil filter is changed every 6,000 miles or so.

 

Synthetics are certainly "better", but I'd feel better changing at about 7,000 - 10,000 miles rather than what your dealer is saying. I maintain that a high-premium dino oil changed when the change oil light comes on is more than sufficient. If you were to change anything, it would be this way.

 

Finally, here are a couple of links you need to read:

 

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article105.html

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

 

And for what it is worth, I've been using Mobil 1 since 1978 and put high miles on my vehicles. Never had an oil smoker, yet.

[MS3DALE]

I would keep on doing what your doing...changing it every 3,000 miles with conventional oil

[dougmac]

US manufacturers a fairly conservative when it comes to oil change intervals. The recommended change intervals will work under the worst case scenario. I don’t think there is a conspiracy. If you extend your changes you are working in the safety margin. You may be ok, you may not.

 

Before I moved into a training position I was running the oil analysis program for our fleet of over 500 vehicles. I found that the factory intervals provide good protection. We generally seen more wear evidence if the oil was extended past the service interval. I could even spot a missed oil change by looking at the analysis data.

 

I have seen no advantage to running synthetic engine oil. We have tested just about every specialty oil under the sun and have seen no advantage over a standard API certified oil. We run low bid oil off of the state bid list. The brand changes every couple of years. We have never had an oil related engine failure in the 15 years that I have worked in the maintenance department.

 

I feel another Amsoil thread coming on.........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............ I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........................

 

Doug

[Tucson_02Silverado]

People in Europe seem to be changing their oil every 15-20K miles. Europe apperantly only uses synthetic oil. One reason cost at about $25US per quart.

Most of the cars are 4-bangers with high reving engines. The general claim is that there does not appear to be any great significant engine wear/repairs because of the interval.

 

Hard to say if this is an absolute fact or proaganda of their view that America is an extremely wastefull/ungratefull nation.

[100R1]

If your going to change the oil every 3,000 miles then keep running Non-synthetic oil.

 

The true benifits of synthetic are extended oil change intervals while maintaining minimum required properties throughout the extended millage.

 

What is a extended oil change interval ?

 

This will vary depending on many factors such as

*engine design

*engine condition

*driving conditions

*driving style

*oil properties

 

If you are intending on running extended oil change intervals. The best protection is to run Oil analaysis (such as BLACKSTONE LABS)

 

This will keep you aware of wear of metal parts, oil condition (breakdown & oil life).

 

Running non-synthetic oils for extended intervals can cause excessive sludge build up.

 

Not all oils are created equal. Even synthetic oils are different. What many think are synthetic are not true synthetic oils. Compare The NEW Mobil 1 EP to the old M1 big difference, Compare Castrol Synthetic to Castrol GC (German Castrol Synthetic) Big difference. There ARE TRUE Synthetics and there are Semi Synthetics (I'm not talking about "blends")

 

Look at Bob Is The Oil Guy web site (posted by lrymal a few post above) and you can learn a lot about oils and the different manufactures claim to fame.

[dougmac]

People in Europe seem to be changing their oil every 15-20K miles.  Europe apperantly only uses synthetic oil. 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

True...... except for the synthetic part. They have always had longer change intervals than American manufacturers. Those that sell them hugely overstate the advantage of synthetics. There is no advantage to running a synthetic in an internal combustion engine. If you are running them you have bought into the sales pitch.

 

Here we go......... if you are running them, to justify the cost, you have to be addressing an operational problem that using synthetic solves. What is the operational problem that you are atempting to solve by using a synthetic????

 

I can’t help myself.........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............ I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........................

 

Doug

[Black02Silverado]

People in Europe seem to be changing their oil every 15-20K miles.  Europe apperantly only uses synthetic oil. 

 

 

 

 

True...... except for the synthetic part. They have always had longer change intervals than American manufacturers. Those that sell them hugely overstate the advantage of synthetics. There is no advantage to running a synthetic in an internal combustion engine. If you are running them you have bought into the sales pitch.

 

Here we go......... if you are running them, to justify the cost, you have to be addressing an operational problem that using synthetic solves. What is the operational problem that you are atempting to solve by using a synthetic????

 

I can’t help myself.........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............ I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ............I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........I will not argue with the Amsoil salesman ...........................

 

Doug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You also have to look at the vehicles over in Europe as well as their driving habits, compaired to ours. More diesel owners over there as well. Not saying they don't drive long distances, just their driving habits I would think would be different then here not to mention their weather. For some reason their longer oil change interval seems to work well for them. At least that is how it seems.

 

No arguement here! To each his own and use what ever oil brand and change interval one wants. Seems AMSOIL bashing will be around for a long long time. Just one of those things.

[Wingnut]

I change my oil every 3000 miles on all of my vehicles.  However, my buddy that I grew up with has insisted that changing your oil this often is some kind of conspiracy between the oil companies and the car manufactures to get us to spend .  My buddy is the original owner of a 1995 1500 series Silverado with 206,000 miles on it.  He changes the oil every 15,000 to 20,000 miles and uses the cheapest brand 5W-30 he can find  .  He has done a transmission flush one time, and has never changed any other fluids (front/rear dif, transfer case, brake fluid, engine coolant). We work on our trucks together pretty often so I know he is being truthful.  I am quite honestly amazed that his engine hasn't seized up on him since he so rarely changes his oil.  I am constantly harrassing him about waiting so long in between oil changes.  For the past 20 years he has been telling me that the public is being duped into spending money on maintenance they don't need.  I'm sure that  many of you must be cringing (as I do) at the thought of only changing your oil 15,000 - 20,000 miles.  I can't figure out how he gets away with this.  Any ideas how this is possible?     

 

 

My own truck (2000 Sierra 1500, 5.3) is getting near 100,000. The dealer recommended  that I switch to synthetic oil.  Not sure if this is neccassary especially since I change my oil regularly every 3000 miles.  Is switching to synthetic really neccassary?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

So, your friend is only averaging what...2000 miles per year at most? If he's only tooling around on Sundays with it, and not really using it, I'm not surprised it's lasting that long.

 

I worked in the "service" *snicker* industry a few years back, and had the opportunity to change the oil in a few cars that had gone 15-20k miles since the last service. That stuff came in looking like black congealed milk with big lumps of black cottage cheese in it. Not one of those cars made it to 80k on the odometer either.

 

I'm not saying that you're making this up, or that he is. But if he used his truck very regularly, or with any type of load on it....It most likely would have popped by now.

 

As to your question, if you change it every 3000 miles, I don't see why you would switch to synthetic.

 

But then again, I'm no mechanic.

 

But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[2000 GMC]

A few months back I read an article on oil changes. Some guy had purchased a new BMW and had a few questions. He was told by the dealer to take the vehicle in when his oil life indicator came on, 3500 to 5500 miles. The first year of oil changes were free. After the first year he was to take the vehicle in every 3 months or 3000 miles for his charged oil changes, the oil used was synthetic. The mechanic that was writing was saying that the new BMW owner was getting doped and that the oil life indicators on all late model vehicles give a good idea as to when the oil needs changing.

 

I personally go by the oil life indicator on my vehicle, I use synthetic oil. The indicator comes on at about 5k or so.

[Roostman]

 

So, your friend is only averaging what...2000 miles per year at most? If he's only tooling around on Sundays with it, and not really using it, I'm not surprised it's lasting that long.

 

 

But then again, I'm no mechanic.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

And no math wiz either! LOL 200,000 in 10 years = 20,000 mi. per year! LOL

Just bustin your ballls, you mighta had a typo

 

I change my oil between 3-4000 miles and have switched to synthetic cause I DONT CARE ABOUT A COST DIFFERENCE OF $15 TO CHANGE MY OIL WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE OIL! When you go to buy a used vehicle, would you rather buy off the guy that used the cheapest oil cause there is no difference (in his mind) or the guy that used synthetics cause he/she cared about their rig enough to spend some extra dough come oil time? Thats what I thought.....

 

If someone cuts corners with oil (that costs peanuts in a truck that exceeds 40K [at least in my case]), where else do they cut corners? I wouldnt want to find out down the road (literally)!

[Wingnut]

El Eye Bee.

 

I divided by 100, instead of 10.

[black&grayHD]

I run synthetic in mine, and change oil and filter when the computer tells me.

[IDGBZ71]

I change my oil about every 4,000 with Mobil1 5w30, 5000 miles the light comes on and I'm about 1/2qt low. I do alot of city driving, stop an go