oil change... time vs mileage

Gotcha, the Slick 50 was probably late 80s or early 90s IIRC

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4UtqglOubk

 

I was checking Mobil 1 prices at Rural King yesterday and they had the "truck & suv" brand on sale. I've only used the original and am at 210K now.
Has anyone used the truck & suv, or is it the same formualtion, different sticker?

 

Interesting, I thought my guess was close but in the commercial there it said something about 1979.

 

I change my oil the first week of any month that begins with the letter "A".

 

Yes but do you also pre-fill the filter with oil before installing it?

 

Absolutely not. Pre-filling the oil filter runs the risk of induced non-laminar cavitation in the oil pump inlet.

 

I had that problem too until I switched to 65w-90 Amsoil with anti-cavitation additive. Only $17.95 per quart with a coupon

 

If you change it so much, then you wear out the dip stick and could cross the threads on the filter or the pan.

 

I change when its dark brown to blackies.

 

Don't know about the dip stick wearing out lol. As far as cross threading never had a issue... allways thread on by hand and just snug up the drain bolt/gasket (never use a torque wrench on it) & hand tight on the filter... going on 18 years and haven't dripped a drop yet. Awaiting the Blackstone results... plan on going from 1,000 mile changes to once a year.

 

every 5k. Once a year. Maybe twice. Depends on location.

In places without weather, maybe once a year.
In places with weather, some people change it every season.

Use might not matter. A tow trip or not, the thing is not being launched at a drag strip.

 

Yeah, it’s mostly marketing. The “Truck/SUV” oils just test a little higher on things like detergents, anti-wear, dispersants, that kind of stuff. Basically a touch more heavy-duty, but nothing magic. As long as you’re running the right weight from a decent brand, your motor’s not gonna know the difference.

 

Yeah. Well every 1000 sounds like a lot. Maybe there is special oil you can put in that will stay good.

 

I cant go through the 5 pages nor do I want to but this is wrong.
Theres additives in oil & they lose their effectiveness as time goes on,
Also acidic imperities from fuel, combustion, etc.....

engine oil can become acidic over time. This acidity typically results from the breakdown of oil and the accumulation of contaminants such as fuel, water, and combustion byproducts. Here are some key points to consider:

Causes of Acidity

• Oxidation: As oil ages, it oxidizes, leading to the formation of acidic compounds.
• Contaminants: Fuel dilution and moisture can contribute to increased acidity levels.

Effects of Acidic Oil

• Corrosion: Acidic oil can corrode engine components, leading to premature wear.
• Reduced Performance: It can affect lubrication properties, resulting in decreased engine efficiency.

Prevention

• Regular Oil Changes: Changing oil at recommended intervals helps minimize acidity.
• Quality Oil: Using high-quality oil with additives can help resist oxidation and acidity.

 

For the Tacoma, I’ve been doing 6 months, never make 5k miles before 6 months, otherwise I would do it more often.

Last time, due to a combination of laziness and I felt like I was changing it too often, I extended it to 9 months. It was at 3900 miles. The world didn’t come to an end, the engine didn’t blow. It didn’t really look much dirtier.

For a customer vehicle, I can almost always pull up history. Then base a recommended interval for how often. If they’re guilty of short trips and it comes out milky, I’ll recommend an increased interval.

Some simple math. In my case 3900 divided 9 = 433 miles per month. Divide 5000 = 11.5 months, I’m not gonna extend mine that far.

 

FWIW, these days I fall under the 6-months or 5,000 miles plan and it's always the time/months that expire. About 50% are short trips.
The last four oil changes on that schedule have all been between within a few hundred miles of 4,500 total and within the fourth month somewhere.

I still go with full-synthetic 5W30 and of course a new OEM filter.

 

I'm the 10K, or once a year sort of guy. (and I'm old) Was a 6 K guy 20 years ago.

I've never had an engine lube related issue or failure on any vehicle (and I've had a LOT over the years)

Most folks who "send out oil samples for analysis" indicate that the lube oil could go much longer!

Has anyone got HARD REAL EXPERIENCE with "worn out oil" related issues that didn't include LOW OIL LEVELS!

I don't think so.

eta

The motorbikes get changed every other year, I don't ride enough.....;-(

 

I’m pretty obsessive about oil, I check levels religiously and send samples to Blackstone every 20k miles. I also stick to 5k oil change intervals. Like I mentioned before, Blackstone found noticeable oil shearing before 10k and recommended I stay under 7k miles using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w30 High-Mileage FS for my driving conditions. On my old ’06 WRX that I autocrossed, I ran Amsoil 5w30 FS and had to keep it even shorter.

One thing I want to point out: low oil level and worn-out oil are two completely different issues. For example, if you only filled to the “low” mark on the dipstick, the pickup tube still has enough margin to feed the pump. It’s a bad idea, sure, but you’d have to be seriously negligent before low oil alone caused damage.

That said, once you start looking at oil analysis results, you see how much the oil degrades as it ages, even if you’d never notice issues in normal driving. To me, that’s cheap insurance. Fresh oil means the additives (detergents, dispersants, anti-wear, viscosity improvers, corrosion inhibitors, antioxidants, friction modifiers, etc.) are actually doing their job. Personally, I’d rather give my vehicles the best shot at longevity, and the data shows that means not stretching oil to10k.

Blackstone will send you a kit for free, send one in for the hell of it, you might be surprised...