How long do you go between oil changes?

[Dargo]

No, I'm not trying to open up a can of rotten worms. I'm not looking for a "right" or "wrong" answer. I'm just curious how many different intervals people on here use between oil changes. I'll even go first. Again, remember, I'm not looking for any "right" or "wrong" answers and I'm definitely not implying what I do is the "right" method.

It took me years and years and years to break away from my 3 month or 3000 mile oil change. In my case, it was almost always 3000 miles. I'd sometimes go as far as 6 months to 9 months on oil if it only had a 1000 miles on it. I stayed with this strategy with all of my on road vehicles no matter what type of oil I used. Due to some personal experiences and my own "look see" inside Fram oil filters, I quit using them on anything about 10 years ago. I use Baldwin, Fleet Guard, Wix, Donaldson etc. filters and everything from Amsoil, Red Line, Royal Purple, Mobil 1, Delvac and even Rotella oil. Anyway, I've now moved to change intervals of about 5000 miles or so on most vehicles and on my vehicles that have the oil life percentage shown in the instruments, I go to when I'm down to 20% of the oil life left. That seems to equate to about 5000 to 7500 miles in general.

Again, I'm not endorsing my intervals or my product choices. I'm just interested in what intervals you guys use. From what I've heard by talking to people, I seem to fall about in the middle now. About half of the people I talk to change more frequently (like 3/3) and about half go longer. Heck, one of my employees religiously changes her oil and filter with only synthetics every 2500 to 3000 miles even though about 95% of her driving is all highway. So, what's your change interval?

 

[nmu98]

I go 5,000 on my Diesel and I am using Delo. That is not a synthetic.

I go 3,000 to 3,500 on the wifes Denali. I run Mobil 1 syn. That vehicle is 90percent city driving and it only gets 6,000 -8,000 miles a year on it. So its changed every 6 months or so.

Both cars use AC delco filters and I do my own oil changes.

 

[radioman]

with 3 cars averging 20k a year for 2 cars and 10k for third, I tend to change the 2 cars with 20k a year every 3k miles due to harsh driving we do. The third vehicle I drive 10k a year I change only twice a year, fall and spring due to it is a backup vehicle and towing only. I always use synthenic oil and use the 7k filters instead of normal filters with the exception of kia van where its a paper filter instead of a screw on type. It seems to fit out lifestyle of driving based on color of oil. I don't use the oil consumption rate yet as when to change since it haven't burned any oil yet and 2 vehicles is already over 140k miles and one at 50k miles.

 

[Will_C]

I am still a 3,000 mile guy. We put about that much driving on our truck and car every three months. Now that we have another car (third vehicle), I probably will be putting much less on my truck. I'll probably let that go to 3,000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. I am using Castrol GTX oil and Toyota filters.

Will

 

[20 20]

vehicles are 3000, lot of start stop operation. diesel machinery{tractor etc} 100hrs.

 

[Patches]

Since I purchased my Tundra I've adhered to Toyotas' recommended 5000 mi. maintinance schedule and will until it's out of warranty, another 30,000mi. I will then use my usual 7500/8000 mi. oil/filter change interval, which has served me well for the last 15 or 20 years. I've used Mobil 1 for the past 20 or so years, and never had a vehicle use oil. Having said that, the oil level on some of my past vehicles was in the " add oil" range at change time, but never below the quart range. This Tundra takes 7.5 qts with the filter, so there is room for extending the intervals some.

 

[dodge man]

I have 3 Chrysler products, two with the 5.7 Hemi, and I go about 5000 miles on oil and filter changes and use Penzoil and Fram oil filters. The hemis are recommened for a oil change interval that is a little more often than normal, 5000 miles as I recall, so I'm pushing the limit on the two hemi vehicles.

 

[Mike120]

Sometime back I worked for GM International in Europe (Great job, terrible company). All cars in Europe are delivered from the factory with synthetic oil. Your first oil change and all after are at 10,000 mile intervals. I used to trade my company car in at 9,000 miles so I didn't have to go through the hassle.

I've got a 2001 Ford F-150 that I've had synthetic in since new. It's got 209,000 miles, I change the oil every 10,000 miles, and it doesn't use a drop.

Most car companies recommend change intervals between 5 and 7,000 miles. It's only people like Juffy Lube and others that make a living selling you overpriced real oil that recommend the 3,000 mile interval. It's a terrible waste of a petroleum product that could be better used some other way; like bringing down the cost of diesel.

 

[QueBota]

2001 Dodge Cummins 5W-40 synthetic, change oil and filter every 10K. Oil analysis indicates it could go longer. I change the filter (Fleetguard Stratapore) and add one quart at 5K. Approx 130K on the engine, fuel mileage still improving slightly (avg about 20 mpg per tank) and oil consumption still decreasing slightly.

Rest of the vehicles. Mobil1 of various types, change at approx. 5K miles (Motorcraft or ACDelco filters). I am sure they could go longer but 5K intervals are easier to remember. Our GM's with the oil monitors normally asked to be changed in the 6K to 7K range.

Kubota B2910 Rotella 5W-40 synthetic, Kubota or Wix filter, change yearly every November.

Dave

 

[buckle97]

Mercury Montego, avg 12k miles per year, change oil every 5k miles, synthetic blend.
Dodge Ram, avg 6k miles per year, change oil every 3k miles, non-synthetic.
Honda Accord, avg 40k miles per year, change oil every 10k miles, full synthetic.

 

[Ryan03]

I go 5k on the wifes Trailblazer, always synthetic, always Mobil 1 5w30, 75k and no problems. On the DMax, 8k-10k, always 5w40 synthetic Mobil Delvac or more recently, synthetic Rotella T, I will spin a new filter on the DMax every 4 or 5k. I always run Wix or Hastins filters. I am closing in on 100k with the DMax, no problems.


On my equipment, I run mineral base pennzoil or Rotella for the diesels, and change the oil and filter every 100hrs.

 

[thatguy]

On my wifes old 2002 Honda CRV we changed it every 5k using non-synthetic. The manual called for about 10k changes though..

On my wifes new 2009 Subaru Forester I am going to 7500 miles using Amsoil 5w30. I was going to go for 10k, but decided to stick with the mfg intervals..

On my 2002 Dodge/cummins Ram - I was going 4 to 5k depending on my mood (manual called for 3750 for severe, which was anything but 100% highway miles).. After some research I am now going toward 7500ish or once a year. I am using Rotella 15w40 (non-synthetic).

brian

 

[Diamondpilot]

I take care of about 75 engines, mainly in boats. They all get 15W40 Pennzoil and a Fram oil filter once a year.

I also take care of some lawn care equipment and the owners Dmax. All his equipment gets 50 hour oil changes with standard 10W30 and a Quaker State oil filter. His Dmax gets 7,500 mile changes using Rotella Synthetic 5W40 and a Fram Filter, the better one that is silver.

On my stuff my boats get a change once a year again using 15W40 Pennzoil and Fram oil filters. My tractor goes every 50 hours using 15W40 Rotella and a Fram oil filter. My small engines on my lawn mower and generator gets a change once a year using 10W30 what ever is on sell and Quaker State oil filters.

My 2 Diesel trucks get 15W40 Dello or Delvac and Quaker State oil filters every 5,000 miles. They could go longer but I work them hard. My Nissan Titan gets 5,000 mile changes using 5W30 Valvoline Synthetic and a Quaker State oil filter. My Saturn gets 3,000 mile changes using 10W40 and whatever is on sell and a Quaker State oil filter.

Chris

 

[BOBBYROGERS]

2000 chevy 3/4 ton with 350 every 5500miles since new rotella 15-40 got over 100,000 miles on it don't use a drop.

 

[mlauk]

Every 4000 miles on gas vehicles, brand name oil 10W40 with Fram filter.
Every 5000 miles on the diesel, Shell rotella 15W40 with Fram filter.

 

[Dargo]

I figured we'd have seen a really long interval guy by now. You know, something like 25k to 30k between changes. I do have a relative or two who I know never change their oil because they do 3 year leases. I seriously doubt that they have ever raised the hood on a vehicle in the last ten years! I will admit that I consider their method as "wrong".

On my diesel equipment I do change the oil and filters every 100 hours. I can't believe that my JD tractor only calls for an oil and filter change every 500 hours if using JD50 oil and JD filters, which I do use. Still, as expensive as equipment is, I don't ever go over 100 hours between changes. Other than using ...now I forgot...either Donaldson or Baldwin air filter (which is what JD uses anyway for their factory air filter), I do use factory oil filters on my equipment. I'm sure Kubota and JD etc. don't make their own filters, but when I've cut open used ones they look pretty good and have 3X or 4X the size of the filter media than what I saw when I cut open the Fram filters I used to use.

On a side note, my father in law (who passed away in 1993) used to use whatever the cheapest oil he could find and Hastings filters on everything. He changed oil every 5k in his stuff and worked as a mechanic and millwright. He probably changed the oil and filters for several dozen others on the same schedule with the same products, cheapest oil and Hastings filters, and none ever had an oil related engine failure. I can recall seeing some of the oddest name oil cans in his trash and he'd just smile at me and tell me "it don't matter, it'll be just fine for 5000 miles with a good filter". I dunno, maybe he was on to something a long time ago...

 

[Bird]

For many years, I did my own oil & filter changes every 3k miles using Quaker State 10W-30 oil and Fram filters. When I bought a tractor, I used the factory Kubota filters and Delo 400 15W-40 oil. All the car dealers I ever dealt with in the Dallas area recommended the 3k mile frequency. But when I moved back to town about 6.5 years ago, I started just letting the Ford dealer service my vehicles, and until this year year, they were still recommending the 3k mile frequency. However, this year they changed their recommendation to a 5k mile frequency and when I asked about it, the service writer said they had changed to a synthetic oil, recommend 5k miles on my old 2001 Ranger and 2002 Crown Victoria, but 7.5k miles on the new vehicles.

And like you, Dargo, I certainly don't know that my choice is better than any other choice, but I do know my vehicles don't need any oil added between changes, and I've never had any oil related problems so far.

 

[Diamondpilot]

A ex girlfriend of mines father was the Pennzoil rep for a large 3-4 state area. He was telling me way back when to go 5,000 miles but I always did 3,000 miles. He was using terms I never heard of until a few years ago like "green" and "carbon footprint". He said the government was on the oil companies and manufactures to stretch the change intervals out to reduce the carbon foot print. Guess he knew what he was talking about.

Chris

 

[Dargo]

I have seen quite a few Chrysler 2.7 liter and Toyota 3.0 liter engines fail due to oil related issues; way too many. However, I would argue that they really aren't "oil related" but rather poor engine design related. Both of those engines have plenty of documentation where people have had 3mo/3000mi oil changes performed at their selling dealer and had the engines fail due to sludge. It's pretty well proven that some oil journals and passages are too small in those engines and the engine oil gets heated far too much inside certain passages. Those problems where fixed with replaced engines and the requirement of synthetic oil. I don't see any way to place blame on any brand of oil that may be mentioned as "failing" in those engines. I feel that I need to take the side of the oil companies in those disputes; regardless of the brand of oil.

Interestingly enough, I just looked in owner's manual of my Acura (Honda), and it recommends 10k oil changes and definitely doesn't mention using synthetic oil for the 10k changes.

 

[Dargo]

And like you, Dargo, I certainly don't know that my choice is better than any other choice, but I do know my vehicles don't need any oil added between changes, and I've never had any oil related problems so far.

I quoted this just for an "amen" for not, by any means, implying what I do is the correct or right way and even wanted to add that I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night!