Question about oil change frequency in a car you plan to drive to 250,000 miles (vehicles, 2011)
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I've read a bunch of posts on this topic, but no one seems to get into the details of why you might follow the manufacturers oil schedule vs. doing it more frequently. I'm not finding a lot of useful information out there and I'd like to understand the reason's for either doing it more often or less often.
Most used 2011+ Accords and Camrys being sold had oil changes on average 8-10,000 miles. The dealers all stated that this is fine so long as you change the oil when the indicator light comes on.
My mechanic says this is wrong and its a conspiracy by the dealers to drive more frequent sales. He says if you want to have a high miles / +15 year car, then stick to a 3000 mile/3 mo schedule.
When I press dealers about this point, I do get some agreement that dealership mechanics who have high miles cars all stick to the 3000/3 mo schedule. BUT, those cars will all have been made prior to 2010, so I'm not sure it counts.
I'm don't know who to believe in this debate. My mechanic stands to make money in more frequent oil changes or the dealer stands to make money in more frequent sales. The idea that it may be bad to change it every 8-10K miles has shied me away from buying used at all--that and the fact that used cars seem to be over-priced in the market at the moment.
Last question: if I should change it every 3000/3 mo, do I switch to regular oil from synthetic.
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I'd say every 3,000/3 mo is from the days when oils was no where near as good as it is today and nether was the metallurgy of engines, and in the days of carburetors fuel metering was no where near as precise as it is today allowing some excess fuel to wind up in the oil, particularly during cold starts.
I'm very comfortable with 6,000/6 mo changes and in today's environment, especially with mostly highway mileage, even that is probably overkill.
If 3,000/3 mo changes make you more comfortable, do it, I doubt your engine would last any longer than going to 6/6 or following the manufacturer's recommendations. And synthetic changed every 3K would keep the oil vendors happy but do little else that dino wouldn't do.
It depends on your driving habits. If you hit the freeway every day and drive an hour to your destination in overdrive the whole way, you go way more miles between oil changes than if you drive 5 miles and your car never gets out of 2nd gear. High mileage cars are usually freeway cars because that kind of driving puts less wear on everything than city street driving.
3 mo 3000 miles if you drive city streets. I drive freeways everywhere, and try to stick to 7500 mile intervals, and 50,000 miles on the the transmission and gear boxes. 25,000 miles on the brake fluid.
I'd say every 3,000/3 mo is from the days when oils was no where near as good as it is today and nether was the metallurgy of engines, and in the days of carburetors fuel metering was no where near as precise as it is today allowing some excess fuel to wind up in the oil, particularly during cold starts.
I'm very comfortable with 6,000/6 mo changes and in today's environment, especially with mostly highway mileage, even that is probably overkill.
If 3,000/3 mo changes make you more comfortable, do it, I doubt your engine would last any longer than going to 6/6 or following the manufacturer's recommendations. And synthetic changed every 3K would keep the oil vendors happy but do little else that dino wouldn't do.
this is correct. 3months/3000 miles was the standard up through the mid 80s when oil and metal technology changed for the better. with modern oils, even when being used in 50s technology cars, you can get away with changing the oil on average every 5000-7500 miles without issue. for most people that will be about three times per year.
I've read a bunch of posts on this topic, but no one seems to get into the details of why you might follow the manufacturers oil schedule vs. doing it more frequently. I'm not finding a lot of useful information out there and I'd like to understand the reason's for either doing it more often or less often.
Most used 2011+ Accords and Camrys being sold had oil changes on average 8-10,000 miles. The dealers all stated that this is fine so long as you change the oil when the indicator light comes on.
My mechanic says this is wrong and its a conspiracy by the dealers to drive more frequent sales. He says if you want to have a high miles / +15 year car, then stick to a 3000 mile/3 mo schedule.
When I press dealers about this point, I do get some agreement that dealership mechanics who have high miles cars all stick to the 3000/3 mo schedule. BUT, those cars will all have been made prior to 2010, so I'm not sure it counts.
I'm don't know who to believe in this debate. My mechanic stands to make money in more frequent oil changes or the dealer stands to make money in more frequent sales. The idea that it may be bad to change it every 8-10K miles has shied me away from buying used at all--that and the fact that used cars seem to be over-priced in the market at the moment.
Last question: if I should change it every 3000/3 mo, do I switch to regular oil from synthetic.
When I worked in the dealership, I had a manager who was a bit of a nerd about these things. He jumped on the synthetic bandwagon early, early enough that I don't know if his Avalon required synthetic oil. Rather than trust people who had a vested interest in his belief on oil changes, he actually tested the pH of the oil, on the grounds that "Railroads did it to determine when to change oil on Locomotives." He said that with Synthetic Oil, in HIS car for HIS mostly city driving, the oil began to break down around 7,500 miles, at which point he would change it.
I think that for most driving, even with regular old dinosaur bone oil, 3 months/3K miles should go down with "good to the very last drop" or "The King of Beers" or "You're in good hands with Allstate" for great advertising taglines.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry about the oil changes at 8-10K miles, but I would make sure that I maybe changed it every 5-6K. I think that its overkill, but then again, you don't want to step over dollars to pick up dimes.
I wouldn't go to regular oil if Synthetic were prescribed. There are real differences, mainly that synthetic oil isn't oil, technically, but a lubricant.
As always its not the oil that wears out. Its the additives and the contamination do change because of. Synthetics real advantage is dealing with over heating. Today vehicles run hotter by design for efficiency.
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