3,000 Mile Oil Change Kicks the Drain Bucket
Old news to some, new news to others; but, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) the 3,000 mile oil change is a “myth
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Comments
Jeb
I was, until Warren Brown commented "Are you going to let a dealership tell you that what the manufacturer has recommended in the owner's manual is wrong?" And I thought that was a pretty tough argument to beat, not even taking into consideration the environmental factor. So, starting last summer, I basically synched up my cars' mileage to the most recent service interval in the book, and little window stickers be damned, that's what I'm following. Our Freestyle even has the oil life metering system that I'm pretty sure is just a fancy odometer, but it does the trick.
Culley
My CTS's computer tells me when to change the oil...it is synthetic and I have been averaging about every 10,000 miles or so.
Ben
I don't trust the oil service computer. I don't think it takes in to account the condition of the oil filter. When my oil starts to look a bit too dirty I get a full oil change (full synthetic - I prefer Amsoil). This usually occurs every 6,000 to 7,000 miles - about 0.5x the recommended service interval.
jason
I've been sticking to the 3,000 mile change but have been contemplating changing to a 5,000 mile interval on my '03 SVT Focus. They mention that 7,500 is now the norm with a synthetic, but what if you're using traditional motor oil? Does the same go for that? Are the improvements in engine quality alone enough to bump the interval up?
dante
I did every 10000 with synthetic on my 1990 Subaru Legacy and when I took the engine apart for a burnt exhaust valve at 247k miles the rest of the engine looked nearly new. Up until the $12 valve finally let go, the engine performed like a ringer, easily besting manufacturer's performance claims.
Otto
I change my oil every 3,000 miles, but can get away with it because I a) Do it my self and b) use the least expensive oil I can find. Total cost comes to $8 of materials.
Russ Bellinis
1. Changing oil does not generate hazardous waste if the oil is recycled. Unlike a lot of other products, used oil does not go to a land fill or hazardous waste site. It can be used as bunker fuel in diesel engines or to make asphalt. In fact, when I was in the Coast Guard, we never changed oil on the ship I was on. The main engines had 400 gallon sumps and we would run the oil through a centrifuge for 24 hours every 1500 hours to clean it up and keep using the same oil. Oil companies could take back the used oil, run it through a centrifuge to get rid of solids, and re-refine it to the same standards as new oil.
2. I change my oil every 3000 miles. My newest car is a 2000 model, and I think any future cars I buy will be even older. However I have a friend with a 1990 Camaro Rs v8 with tbi that he got from his uncle. His uncle changed the oil religously every 3000 miles and serviced the automatic trans every other oil change. When my friend got the car, it had 335,000 miles on it and never needed anything other than the oil changes and tune ups. Slightly off topic, it is the only 700R4 I've ever heard of that went beyond 125,000 miles without needing a rebuild.
jeff
3000 and nobody is going to tell me different.
Great article why, here.
Evan Brom
The real kink is the "Extreme conditions" claim Here in AZ when the temp on the road is well over 130* I think the oil may need to be changed a bit more frequently than just 7500-10k
Corco16446
3000 miles. Cars just last longer. I've tried going up to 5 with my 2002 Jeep Liberty and it just didn't feel right. It still ran and everything, but it just didn't seem to run as well
andrew
for the "3000 mile" crowd, I strongly encourage you to do a Used Oil Analysis (find out more at bobistheoilguy.com). a lab will tell you how much life your oil has left and if there appear to be any issues with your engine based on the oil sample. it costs $20-30 and is a great investment, imo.
suppose you change your oil at 3000 miles for $10, but also do a UOA for $30. they tell you the oil probably had another 2000-3000 miles left. the next time, you change at 5000 miles and do another UOA. the lab tells you the oil has a little life left, but that it's an appropriate time to change.
if you drive 15,000 miles/year, you're spending $50 on oil changes with 3k intervals. that changes to $30/year on 5k intervals with no adverse effects on your car. over the course of 3 years, you've realized a $60 savings, which basically pays for your UOAs. keep the car longer and the savings increase. substitute synthetic for conventional and your savings are even greater (5qts x $5/qt + $5 filter = $30; 3k intervals = $150/year, 5k intervals = $90/year).
of course, some people are stubborn and always go with "what works" even though there may be a better way.
andrew
note: ymmv depending on driving habits and conditions. also, butt dyno is horribly unreliable ("it just doesn't feel right")
Clint
Andrew - FYI, the US Army also uses oil analysis instead of fixed intervals for oil changes on most of its aircraft and ground vehicles. Not only does this prevent perfectly good oil from being discarded because of a fixed interval, it can also catch bad parts that are wearing prematurely.
The big picture is what's important here. An average owner may save only about $500 over the lifetime of ownership by shifting from 3,000 mile intervals to 6,000 or more, but multiply the amount of oil, money, time, and labor by the entire nation's fleet of vehicles, and you end up saving extraordinary amounts of resources.
Russ Bellinis
I forgot to mention that I retired in 2006, and no longer drive because I have to, just for fun. I'm probably going to be doing oil changes every 1500 miles or less now since virtually every manufacturer that I know of reccomends changing the oil annually at least. If I lived in the "snow belt," I might need to do the oil change twice a year; but in So Cal, out side of the mountain areas, there are no real "seasons".
chartguy
I don't drive 1,000 miles a month, so I tend to be about 3,000 miles, but it's closer to six months. I run synthetic. The issue is more condensation than wear.
jc
Adam
My mom changes the oil in her Mercedes every 3k miles, even though the manual explicitly states 7500. She just doesn't trust it, and wants the car to be reliable. That being said, after 116k miles and 13 years she's had very little in the way of trouble with it.
I tend to change the oil in my BMW between 3-5k miles,though I've never seen the computer show me a red light on the indicator bars (there are several yellow, then red- meaning, have the oil changed). Again, very few problems with the car at 122k, so, I'm a believer in frequent oil changes.
Chris Simms
I am a state certified inspector mechanic. I own an auto repair center. I grew up in the dirt track pits in the midwest. I know cars.
I also own an Amsoil synthetic lubricants distributorship. We put synthetics in our vehicles '87 Chevy Blazer 250K+, '98 Neon 175K+, '96 Cutlass 140K+. I recommend Amsoil products.
Christine Simms
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