Why you should change your oil every 5k

I quoted my own post. I've reread it several times. I can't see where I said a 3k oil change was best, or better than 5k, or better than a damned thing. I simply posted what I have done in the past and will continue to do as it has served me quite well.

 

As long as the oil is clean I'm happy.

 

There's a difference between someone recommending a wasteful practice and someone saying they do it. Amsoil promoters, like the conversation you just mentioned, tend to fall into the first class especially when they try to state it's better empirically than other oils. Someone stating they use a 3K change interval falls into the second category. I didn't read the poster as trying to advocate using a 3K change interval so I didn't think he should be up for your ridicule of his 3K interval. I found it dickish and called it as such.

Anyways, considering how much stuff on here "drives you nuts", I'm not sure why you feel the need to continue to read on and comment. Maybe the misery is your pleasure?

Well I've said enough. Hopefully you are all good and can go back to calling for the poster to show you more data on 3K versus 5K oil changes so you can show him the light of 5K changes with the passion of a 15th century Jesuit bringing chirst to the natives of a foreign land.

 

Thanks, my feeling are fine too I should add that I've had my Taco since the 1st of this year. I've changed the fluids once, and I may, may, go longer between changes. The oil I changed looked dirty at 4500 miles. That in itself is not an analysis and I know that. I'm using a different brand of oil than the previous owner so I will change it again at 3k and decide then if I want to go longer.

If I don't, well it's my money isn't it? Cheap insurance if'n ya ask me...

 

Wow, that blew up quick. Never knew such an argument over oil change intervals could exist. Wonder when the air filter debate will begin?

 

Life is like a box of tampons

 

F U OILED FILTERS

YOU ARE RETARDED IF YOU USE ONE!

Just kidding .

 

You can buy more at Costco?

 

I'm thinking about dunking some tampons in my used 3K oil and ducting taping them to a cut out old air filter. Will that be a better filter than stock?

 

Haha, but it gives me 10+ more horsepower! ALL WHILE LETTING DUST PARTICLES IN!!! Those particles clean the engine so I've heard.

 

I change my tamp... I mean my air filter every 28 days.

 

Shit, don't forget about those decals that give you extra air intake!

 

Engine temps to hot or to cold, driving conditions, driving habits ( short trips are really bad ) type of oil and filter, air filter, maintenance schedule all play a factor. Something as inocuious as a thermostat not closing fully can lead to build up ( engine temps don't get as high as they need to )

While buildup looks bad it isn't nessesarilly detrimental, just an indication something isn't "right", after all, in most cases the engine ran fine until the condition was found.
Trying to clean it might invite more problems than it solves. Those same solvents that might melt/dissolve the buildup may also do the same to rings and ring lands where it's actually part of the aging process and aids in higher mileage engine sealing.

Mostly it's a boogie man we have been taught to be afraid of by mass marketing. Just like the 3k oil change interval, marketing hype by Jiffy Lube to sell oil changes.

EVERY engine will have some sort of build up over its lifetime

One that I don't like, the 10k oil change. 15k on some Euro trash. Ever notice how ragged out a lot of BMW and Merc's are once they're off lease, or traded after the warranty ? Because little to anything was done to them between services, and they suffer for it.

Our 2011 Camry SE had a factory recommended 10k oil change interval, that meant in the 4 years we owned it I would have changed the oil twice. ( we put 25k on the car) by my records it was coming due for its fifth oil change when we sold it today ( maint light did start flashing when we left the house this morning)
Many folks don't open the hood unless they need too, I do it weekly, on everything. I saved myself a set of heads on my '97 Runner last fall because I do this. Noticed the coolant had dropped, and investigated, head gasket had just started to let go. My wife drives that truck every day. 209k on the truck. She loves it.

 

I can't be the only one who's itching to take a pressure washer to that. Yikes.

 

There probably is, I don't recall what it is at this time.

 

I didn't mean to start a oil change war. Just wanted to know what could have caused all that sludge!

 

Yes, probably more than OCI.

 

If your engine is clean inside, there's no reason you can't go 10k oil change intervals using a quality synthetic oil and extended drain filter. I run mine 7500 mile changes using Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 synthetic with WIX filters. The oil is darkened after that long, but is still pretty clean and I can still see through it fine. If you use synthetic and change at short intervals like 3-5k, you are wasting your money buying expensive oil. Regular conventional oil is more than capable of handling 3-5k OCI's.

Running synthetic will also clean up a dirty engine. Pennzoil synthetics are known for their superior cleaning abilities which is why I use Platinum. Although Pennzoil Ultra is the best at cleaning out a dirty engine, but is hard as hell to find. None of my parts stores carry it so Platinum works for me. They claim it keeps engines cleaner than Mobil 1 by 8% and the Pennzoil Ultra keeps them 25% cleaner. I thought that was all BS when I read it until I headed over to bob is the oil guy and started reading UOA's (used oil analysis) from Blackstone labs and the results showed that PP and PU are the best synthetics on the shelves today. Many of the tests showed even better results than Amsoil which is supposed to be the best of the best. But I think the reason behind Pennzoil's success with their synthetics is they are made of natural gas which comes out of the ground as clear as water where other oils are made from crude and it's black as tar when it comes out of the ground.

 

Also when I used to run Mobil 1, I'd use about half a quart of oil every change. Now I am sitting at 5k on my second round with Pennzoil Platinum and it hasn't burned a single drop. They are doing something right with this oil and it made a believer out of me! Mobil 1 used to be one of the best, but it has really slipped in quality the past 10 years it seems.