Oil changes

[Steve M]

Hope my link works.

http://autos.sympatico.ca/maintenance-g ... r-your-car

I put a lot of miles/kilometers on my van and only change the oil and filter in spring and fall of the year. I've been doing it that way for years. Now I hear quality synthetic oils are better and black oil isn't always bad oil. Read some the comments below the article if you like. What do you folks do. One of my friends changes his oil every 3000 kl religiously, his Diesel engine holds 16 quarts. I thought that was a bit excessive myself. Mines a gasoline V8 that tops off with 6 Litres with a new filter.

[machineman9]

The car that I am currently insured to drive on is usually quite oil-happy, and it only gets looked at during its annual MOT test. That would roughly relate to 12000-15000 miles a year.

I know my father's car is slightly less friendly and requires top-ups every so often. But once again, it gets looked at as part of its annual service and MOT. I suppose that's one of the major benefits of the test; as a driver, the problems are gradual and you may not notice them... To a mechanic who is testing your vehicle for safety and reliability, any issues become obvious.

[Steve M]

The car that I am currently insured to drive on is usually quite oil-happy, and it only gets looked at during its annual MOT test. That would roughly relate to 12000-15000 miles a year.

I know my father's car is slightly less friendly and requires top-ups every so often. But once again, it gets looked at as part of its annual service and MOT. I suppose that's one of the major benefits of the test; as a driver, the problems are gradual and you may not notice them... To a mechanic who is testing your vehicle for safety and reliability, any issues become obvious.

Our MOT* here requires emissions test every two years after your vehicle is x amount of years old. And yes, that is another time I change my oil. Speaking of fathers, my dad had this odd way of sniffing the oil and he said he could tell when it was time to change the oil by the way it smelled. 




*(Ministry of Transport) 

[expat]

My BMW (3L diesel) has the all singing, all dancing oil monitoring system. It lifes the oil after servicing at 30,000 km. This comes down depending on how hard you drive and the acidity in the oil to name couple of the many analysis points . I also have to have fully synthetic oil and seven litres of it, so the longer I can hold on to it the better $$$$$$.

I think at the end of the day, as long as you do what the manufacturer says should be done, then you should have no worries. Also bearing in mind outside of a few diehards who will always try to push a car's life to the max, the average life of a car in Europe is 11 years and around 160,000 miles before it is scrapped, it really does not matter what you put in to it as it will be recycled long before it is even close to being worn out. Which them brings a new question. Do we really need all this technology and electronic monitoring, not to mention gadgets for something that has such a short life span??

Matt

[Hagar]

The car that I am currently insured to drive on is usually quite oil-happy, and it only gets looked at during its annual MOT test.

Checking/changing engine oil is not part of the MoT test. Unless you have the car serviced or do it yourself it will not be checked.

[machineman9]

The car that I am currently insured to drive on is usually quite oil-happy, and it only gets looked at during its annual MOT test.

Checking/changing engine oil is not part of the MoT test. Unless you have the car serviced or do it yourself it will not be checked.

Yeah, they usually do a service at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

[Strategic Retreat]

In my old BMW, I changed oil and oil filter every 5000Km on average, and the only reason the engine left me around 200.000Km is that it was an old one, born to be used with 98 octanes leaded gasoline but used in a world of green 95 octanes green gasoline. :-/

I learned how NOT to do it from my father, who, on the other hand, bought a FIAT 127 in 1977 and for the ten years that followed NEVER changed its oil not filter (when asked he said he did it, ONCE, but I suspect he is lying, and even if he actually DID, that one time is hardly enough), only adding fresher oil (and of a bad quality too) when its level dropped, and the poor car's engine gave up the ghost before 120.000Km total.

I always knew that's always a good idea to plan regular oil's and filter's change intervals because the "black oil" gets this coloring by its own exhaustion and microscopic impurities that aren't blocked by the filter and cannot be healthy for the mechanical parts, and looking at my father's old blunder only reinforced my conviction.

[Steve M]

In my old BMW, I changed oil and oil filter every 5000Km on average, and the only reason the engine left me around 200.000Km is that it was an old one, born to be used with 98 octanes leaded gasoline but used in a world of green 95 octanes green gasoline. :-/

I learned how NOT to do it from my father, who, on the other hand, bought a FIAT 127 in 1977 and for the ten years that followed NEVER changed its oil not filter (when asked he said he did it, ONCE, but I suspect he is lying, and even if he actually DID, that one time is hardly enough), only adding fresher oil (and of a bad quality too) when its level dropped, and the poor car's engine gave up the ghost before 120.000Km total.

I always knew that's always a good idea to plan regular oil's and filter's change intervals because the "black oil" gets this coloring by its own exhaustion and microscopic impurities that aren't blocked by the filter and cannot be healthy for the mechanical parts, and looking at my father's old blunder only reinforced my conviction.

I put 480,000 Km on my last van and rarely changed the oil. The van finally met the crusher when the fuel injectors fouled up at age 14. Replacement of the injectors was more than the vans value.  8-)   

[Steve M]

My BMW (3L diesel) has the all singing, all dancing oil monitoring system. It lifes the oil after servicing at 30,000 km. This comes down depending on how hard you drive and the acidity in the oil to name couple of the many analysis points . I also have to have fully synthetic oil and seven litres of it, so the longer I can hold on to it the better $$$$$$.

I think at the end of the day, as long as you do what the manufacturer says should be done, then you should have no worries. Also bearing in mind outside of a few diehards who will always try to push a car's life to the max, the average life of a car in Europe is 11 years and around 160,000 miles before it is scrapped, it really does not matter what you put in to it as it will be recycled long before it is even close to being worn out. Which them brings a new question. Do we really need all this technology and electronic monitoring, not to mention gadgets for something that has such a short life span??

Matt

I'm one of those diehards I guess. I drive them until the last lugnut falls off. Lucky for me though, I have some mechanical background and a good selection of tools on hand, so I can nurse them along in their final years. (cheaply)
  Now days cars are made with more sensors than a brain surgeon uses. The last trip to the mechanic for my girls car was 240$ because it needed a new sensor to make the irritating yellow warning light turn off.     

[Apex]

For me, every 5,000 miles at least, or once a year, since I don't drive over 5k/year.  Even if the viscosity holds, dirt can build up.  Best to be sure. 

[gtirob01]

Oil change for me every 4-5k miles with full synthetic 0w-40 Mobil1. I've seen too many customer cars all sludged up, so I like to keep fresh oil in there. May cost a little more, but Im ok with that!

A few years back my timing belt and water pump went out unexpectedly (Thanks VW!). Luckily my car had a 10yr/100k mile powertrain warranty (Thanks VW!!) And what could have been thousands of dollars in repairs were covered. At the time I knew the mechanic working on my car and he noted how the camshafts and bearings looked brand new. This was due to my good upkeep with the oil changes! 

[expat]

Oil change for me every 4-5k miles with full synthetic 0w-40 Mobil1. I've seen too many customer cars all sludged up, so I like to keep fresh oil in there. May cost a little more, but Im ok with that!

If you are going to change fully synthetic oil every 4-5k miles, can you box it up and send it to me. I will happily put another 25k miles on to it for you............and save a huge amount of money at the same time

Matt

[Strategic Retreat]

[quote]I put 480,000 Km on my last van and rarely changed the oil. The van finally met the crusher when the fuel injectors fouled up at age 14. Replacement of the injectors was more than the vans value.

[gtirob01]

Oil change for me every 4-5k miles with full synthetic 0w-40 Mobil1. I've seen too many customer cars all sludged up, so I like to keep fresh oil in there. May cost a little more, but Im ok with that!

If you are going to change fully synthetic oil every 4-5k miles, can you box it up and send it to me. I will happily put another 25k miles on to it for you............and save a huge amount of money at the same time

Matt

Haha, well my car is turbo... so I want good oil constantly running through that turbo. Running 18psi of boost on the original turbo for 160,000 miles isnt too bad!

[Ivan]

Having it changed every year... as the exhaust system makes the oil pan too hot... typical Saab 9-3 problem.

Had 2 oil changes this year in just 2 days time... one day after major service the turbo decided to die