Mobil 1 20,000 mile oil change.

[Cat_Driver]

Well, why didn't you take your example out to 100 years to really make your point? My point was that many folks will spend gobs of money on stuff for their vehicles that has no appreciable use or value that makes the money spent of frequent oil changes seem pretty minor. And never once did I advocate changing oil in a vehicle every 3000 miles, and neither did many other folks in this thread.

1 year or 100 years makes no matter point still hold - money still saved.

And you did take some liberty in your numbers. Most personal vehicles do not hold 10 qt of oil, but half that, and if you are spending $8 a quart for oil, I would contend that you are wasting your money if you want to make accusations about how others "waste" their money. I never spend over $20 a gallon for even full synthetic motor oils. For blends or conventionals, even less. Most good quality motor oils can be had for $5 a quart or less, especially when there are sales and rebates going on. Same on filters. Sales all the time on various brands. It is not unrealistic for the typical individual to spend less than $30 on an oil change if they are prudent in their buying choices.

Nah not really, look up what a quart of real quality oil runs, like Amsoil or
Amazon.com: Royal Purple API-Licensed SAE 5W-2 High Performance Synthetic Motor Oil - 1 qt.: Automotive

AMSOIL Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil, Engine Oil

Amazon.com: Liqui Moly 2 Premium 5W-4 Synthetic Motor Oil - 1 Liter Bottle: Automotive

So I don't know what you conisder"quality, but REAL QUALITY oil costs from $8.00 - $11.00 a quart. I slected the lower price. Don't try and tell me Mobil one or shell is quality.


Most people spend a lot more than that just going out to eat on a Saturday night.
What does that have to do with ANYTHING? So it's better to throw money down the sewer on useless oil changes than have a dinner on Sat night..WHAT HUH?????

Of course, larger engines that hold a lot of oil, most folks with those take those oil changes out much further. No way I would change oil in my 12.7L Detroit engine at 3000 miles. It doesn't hold 10 qts, but 10 gallons of oil with 3 oil filters. And it is worth it to me to do used oil sampling on it at every oil change to monitor the quality of the oil, wear numbers, etc. to get the best oil change interval out of it since it racks up about 130,000 miles a year. For the average person and their personal vehicles, doing UOA's to determine the best oil change interval is not really practical,


cost wise, and doing more frequent oil changes doesn't change the overall cost when compared to that. If they spend $30 on an oil change, and $25 on a UOA that says they can go 10,000 miles, by changing the oil at 5000 miles they are out just about the same amount of money. Sure, they might be able to make ego claims about taking their oil changes out further, but their wallet is just as light.

Simple math. The less you change oil the more money in your pocket - sooooo?

And even claims like Amsoil's 25K or one year claim (only for their most expensive oil), they also have a caveat included. If the engine is operated in any way that falls into the severe category according to the OEM (which most do fall into the severe category per the OEM suggestions in one way or another), Amsoil drops their marketing claim of 25K miles to 15K miles. Now if one only goes to 7500 miles not using UOA's compared to someone going 15K miles with UOA's to confirm it is working, they are each spending just about the same money. And a side note: if one has engine problems, and they do not have UOA's to back up things, and they are doing oil change intervals well beyond the OEM recommendation, more than likely they will be footing the entire bill for an engine repair or replacement.

You can read legalease all you want and they need to do that to protect themselves from morons. I've proven with many many vehicles that going beyond 25K can be done with no ill effects on any engine I have ever owned. AGAIN, money in my pocket, and it doesn't matter if you spend $1.00 a quart and a dime for a filter. If you don't spent that dollar of that dime that money stays in your pocket.

And no two engines are identical. While one engine with a particular oil could go to 25K oil changes, the one right next to it could possibly grenade doing the same thing. Different engines are operated differently, have differing effects on a motor oil of even the same brand and quality. Only a used oil sample analysis can show how that is all playing out. There is marketing hype, and then there is the real world. And the two hardly every coincide.

Thanks for actually proving my point so what you are saying changing oil every 3K ro 33K makes no matter if an engine is going to go it's going to go.....the difference is for the FIFTH TIME is I would still have saved money by not changing at 3K

You are free to disagree. But at least be realistic in your presentation and not skew the numbers to make your point. I did the math.

No numbers were skewed I've proven that and if you understand math I could redo the numbers using your figures and the facts and the outcome would remain the same. The premise is the same, no matter what formula makes you happy. LESS OIL CHANGES SAVES MONEY, duhhhhhh

 

[Cat_Driver]

Funny how people ignore the manufacturer's OCI and believe what an oil company tells them. My changes cost me $12/L & $14 for my filtet. I put on 40,000km/25,000 miles per year, do 4-6 changes each year. The cost does not bother me one bit.

But I know of people that drop $3,500+ on wheels and tires and then moan about a simple LOF.

Amazing how so many people are saying I just won't buy a dinner on Sat night instead I'll change my oil, or gee I won't go out and by $3,500 wheels but I'll change my oil every week instead.

What does one have to do with the other. How about you have that dinner, but change oil less often how about you buy the wheels but change oil less often.

Or here's a real stretch, how about not change oil as often and put that C-A-S-H in a savings account?

How is saying if I DON'T DO THIS then I can change my oil more often BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH

 

[WilliamBos]

Amazing how so many people are saying I just won't buy a dinner on Sat night instead I'll change my oil, or gee I won't go out and by $3,500 wheels but I'll change my oil every week instead.

What does one have to do with the other. How about you have that dinner, but change oil less often how about you buy the wheels but change oil less often.

Or here's a real stretch, how about not change oil as often and put that C-A-S-H in a savings account?

How is saying if I DON'T DO THIS then I can change my oil more often BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH

Hey, you go ahead with your 20,000 mile oil changes, you can save up for a new engine.

You are exactly why i never buy used vehicles, just not worth buying your neglect.

 

[mguitas]

Look some people like to change oil every year on the tractor , an some people every ten years. That's the way it goes. I choose once a year.

 

[kenmac]

You are exactly why i never buy used vehicles, just not worth buying your neglect.

I haven't bought a new vehicle since 1995. I like saving $$ . I always buy used.

I am only able to get about 12 K miles out of Amsoil's 25 K oil. By then , the TBN is down to about 3- 4. My oil analyst cost me 25 bucks with TBN. I have to pay a little more for the TAN. I don't get TAN on every test. I know as my TBN falls, my TAN is increasing

 

[Copperhead]

No numbers were skewed I've proven that and if you understand math I could redo the numbers using your figures and the facts and the outcome would remain the same. The premise is the same, no matter what formula makes you happy. LESS OIL CHANGES SAVES MONEY, duhhhhhh

No, I won't try to tell you M1 is high quality. I don't even use the stuff. My 2006 Cadillac CTS 3.6 calls for M1 according to GM. It gets a Pennz 10w30 conventional and it is still doing great. $15 to $16 for a 5 qt jug of the stuff from my local farm and home outlet. It meets the 6094M GM spec the engine calls for. And read how that 10w30 showed in the PQIA testing below. For most of my diesel needs, I primarily use Schaeffer brand. You know... the folks who have been in the lubrication business since 1839, was listed in the top 500 most technologically advanced companies in N. America not long ago, and developed the lubes for the Apache Attack Helicopter and the M1 Abrams tank. And I get my diesel oil from them at roughly $20 a gallon. Delivered free to my front door and they throw in oil sample kits and analysis for free. My current commercial engine is on target to get into their 1 million mile club without a major engine repair.

But you are still "wasting" money. Even Amsoil can be had for less than $8 a quart. The few times I have used Amsoil products, I have never paid over $6 a quart. And that was not their OE low end line either. And how do you determine quality? The base oil alone, or the additive package also that makes up 20% of any motor oil? Even the best synthetic base oil, without a good add pack, will grenade an engine in short order. All base oils need anti oxidation additives, extreme pressure additives, anti friction additives, acid control additives, etc. And how would you know? The oil blenders themselves do not list these additive levels in their spec sheets. And what would be the additive components that address the various needs of a motor oil? But it can be found out. The Petroleum Quality Institute of America, for one, does tests on many oils in the market place to see if they conform. Surprisingly, many of the higher cost motor oils offer nothing spectacular. If you dig into some of their testing, you will find that a Pennzoil conventional 10w30 blows the socks off many full synthetics (including several offerings from Amsoil) in both the additive package and the NOACK rating. So much so that PQIA did a retest to confirm the result. Higher price doesn't necessarily mean higher quality.

Less oil changes only save money if they can be reasonably done without degradation of the engine. And no two engines are the same and react the same even with same brand of oil. In most cases, statistically, hardly any oil will meet the needs of an engine if taken over 50% beyond the OEM recommendation. Total acid number rises as the oil is used. TBN to counter that goes down over time. Where the levels of TAN and TBN cross, the oil needs changed out, else the acids start attacking the engine internals. Without a TAN test, the industry standard is when TBN depletes to 1/3 what it started out at.

Either way, how often a person takes their oil changes is their own concern. If their comfort level is 3000, 5000, or whatever miles, then it works for them. They must not be too concerned with the cost. And we are talking about mere quarts here for most folks. Not a lot of people need 10 gallons or more at an oil change as do commercial users like me. How often someone changes their oil may only be considered a waste if someone else is paying the bills. Since you are not out any money for what someone else does, why are you even contending the issue? You may consider it stupid what someone else is doing, but if your life was fully exposed, we all could probably find something you do that others would consider a waste.

kenmac has a pretty good handle on it. At 3-4 TBN, the Amsoil he is using has hit the 1/3 level that it started out with. According to lubrication standards, that is the time to get the oil out of there, irregardless of marketing claims.

 

[moriboy]

I mark mine for a 3000 mile oil change so that I get it done by 5000 miles.

Same here.

 

[crazyal]

Back when I was just getting started in the workforce I worked for a glass company. They didn't have a formal way of tracking vehicle maintenance, just sort of winged it. After working there for several years I noted that I had never seen the GMC ever get an oil change. We just got into the habit of checking the oil each time we filled up. Most of the time no oil was needed on the other vehicles but the GMC was drinking oil like a sailor on leave. When we finally got it changed the mechanic said it was black as night and thick like tar. We guessed it went over 60k miles without a change. The mechanic cut open the filter and said the material was gone, just the screen was left. of course he had to use the parts washer to clean it up because of all the sludge. That engine went on to live for another 50k or so before rust got the better of the truck.

I have no problem going up to 10k with fully synthetic oil but I base it on conditions like temperature and how hard I drive the vehicle. I don't think I would try to push it to 20k any time soon. Just too many variables that Mobile can't control.

 

[def38]

What does an oil analysis cost?

Bruce

...

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Go here for details

 

[newbury]

...

Blackstone Labs

Go here for details

Darn, prices have for sure gone up. I had bought a bunch of "pre-paid" back in 2013 and the standard oil analysis then was only $19.