Oil Change Interval in Months (truck, driver, motor, problems)

[Tominftl]

Synthetic can go for a year so says the Lexus dealer....

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Our dealer, with a vested interest, has told us on two cars that 10,000 miles or one year is the maximum, otherwise when the car tells us with the oil change due light.

Some automobiles turn the Engine Check light for oil and filter change by or a little over 3,000 miles. For example, the 2001 Silverado. The 2009 Forester with the normally aspirated motor does that too.

To the OP: Don't push any synthetic motor toward the 10,00 miles, unless you have to oil analyzed. That's the only thing that will tell you the condition of the oil in the motor. Since you don't drive your cars very much, replace the oil, if you use synthetic, every six months or 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. That's probably with the your vehicle manuals show. Replacing oil and filter twice a year is not expensive at all.

[StealthRabbit]

I assume you are in the cold climate of NY,

If garaged and run till warm during winter... I would use synthetic and change oil and filter once / yr, end of Oct.

If most of driving is city, and vehicles are NOT garaged, I would change end of Oct and end of March.

(winter condensation / cold starts are rough in New England)
Summer heat / city traffic is rough in southern AZ

Towing (heat) and dusty conditions warrant more frequent changes.

I have used Synthetic and changed 1/ yr for 30 yrs (3 million fleet miles, never an engine failure or an emergency break-down tow, never darkened the door of a fix-it shop / dealer. Just my own... very few repairs required.

[Amelie90]

I never meet the mileage rule, so I do it every 6 months. I've had my current car for almost 6 months and I have about 1600 miles on it.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Some automobiles turn the Engine Check light for oil and filter change by or a little over 3,000 miles. For example, the 2001 Silverado. The 2009 Forester with the normally aspirated motor does that too.

To the OP: Don't push any synthetic motor toward the 10,00 miles, unless you have to oil analyzed. That's the only thing that will tell you the condition of the oil in the motor. Since you don't drive your cars very much, replace the oil, if you use synthetic, every six months or 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. That's probably with the your vehicle manuals show. Replacing oil and filter twice a year is not expensive at all.

That's typical of a 2001, bit even my 2007 manual shows 7,500. The 2013 and 2014 manuals both show 10,000 unless severe conditions, and the ECM takes that into account when triggering the light or running a vehicle health report.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by nyc2020

We put on low miles relatively speaking on our two vehicles: 2008 crv, 2016 mdx. Both cars have the oil life indicator which could take a year or over a year for it to reach under 20%

The question then is, if i don't reach 5,000 or 7,500 miles in 6 months, how many months should i go before i change the oil. I've been using conventional in the crv and ow20 in the mdx. Should i go 12 months? 10 months? 6 months?

The cars are driven 75% city, 25% highway.

Look in your manual, but my Honda (Fit) is a 12 month max, if you don't get to <20% oil life indicator.

[notnamed]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

both show 10,000 unless severe conditions

And the severe conditions definition usually includes 90% of people.

[MadManofBethesda]

The manufacturer's recommended interval for my Jaguar is 15,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by notnamed

And the severe conditions definition usually includes 90% of people.

Agree. That's what my Saab manual said. I used to paraphrase:
"Every 10,000 miles, or if you actually drive your car, every 5,000".

[vision33r]

I will do 1 change before winter, 1 change in the spring pre-summer. Running 2 different types of oils, pre-winter I run a thinner oil and in the spring I run a thicker viscosity oil before it gets hot.