Oil Change interval based on time
Hi everyone. I did a search for oil changes based on time and not mileage and didn't find much so I thought I'd ask. I'd like to get some opinions on how often to get an oil change based on time. ...
Forum Discussion
Anyone who changes their oil at the old 3/3 service interval, with the possible exception of Manhattan taxi fleets, is simply throwing away perfectly good, and expensive, oil.
Motor oil formulations have improved by leaps and bounds in the last 15 years or so, to the extent that even average-grade conventional oils, in a typical usage pattern, will perform perfectly well for 7500 to 10,000 miles, if not more.
An RV sitting for 4 months of the year doesn't age the oil at all. Sitting oil does not degrade.
The same holds true, gasoline or diesel. I deliver products to several large commercial shops, including diesel repair and maintenance shops, some with quite large fleets. They do analysis every now and then, but the consensus seems to be a year of SERVICE, not a calendar year, is their measuring stick. And one guy changes out his Cat's oil every 25000 miles. He's done it 10 times so far. :)
A good filter is a necessity. Don't get the cheap one, go for the best grade available in your favorite brand.
Short trips, as noted, can be killer - the oil doesn't get hot enough to boil off the moisture that's accumulated. If it's SITTING, let it SIT! Don't start the engine up and let it run for 10 minutes - that's simply not doing any good whatsoever.
A good synthetic like Mobil-1 or Quaker State in a gas engine, and the old standby Rotella in a diesel is good stuff. But don't drain that stuff every 3 thousand miles or three months, or you're throwing money away.
Motor oil formulations have improved by leaps and bounds in the last 15 years or so, to the extent that even average-grade conventional oils, in a typical usage pattern, will perform perfectly well for 7500 to 10,000 miles, if not more.
An RV sitting for 4 months of the year doesn't age the oil at all. Sitting oil does not degrade.
The same holds true, gasoline or diesel. I deliver products to several large commercial shops, including diesel repair and maintenance shops, some with quite large fleets. They do analysis every now and then, but the consensus seems to be a year of SERVICE, not a calendar year, is their measuring stick. And one guy changes out his Cat's oil every 25000 miles. He's done it 10 times so far. :)
A good filter is a necessity. Don't get the cheap one, go for the best grade available in your favorite brand.
Short trips, as noted, can be killer - the oil doesn't get hot enough to boil off the moisture that's accumulated. If it's SITTING, let it SIT! Don't start the engine up and let it run for 10 minutes - that's simply not doing any good whatsoever.
A good synthetic like Mobil-1 or Quaker State in a gas engine, and the old standby Rotella in a diesel is good stuff. But don't drain that stuff every 3 thousand miles or three months, or you're throwing money away.
