oops .... forgot to change the oil

I've always understood that changing the oil filter is what is important. Oil can last for a LOT of miles, especially synthetic. But if you are changing the oil filter, you may as well change the oil while there.

I've said to many people that the constant oil changes are fine, but that is not the only thing that makes a vehicle last. When you change the oil, you also inevitably look over the engine for other maintenance items - air filters, fluids, loose wires, clean things, etc. That's why vehicles that "backyard mechanics" have changed the oil on regularly are also generally in such good shape.

And this is why I never buy a used vehicle!

As for the Honda comments....having owned four of them, I can say they are no better or worse than any other typical vehicle out there. Well, my wife’s 2003 v6 accord gave her lots of transmission problems despite always maintaining it by the book. It was a known problem, and Honda did nothing.

Oh yeah, then there was my 2008 Civic with the peeling paint. There was an extended warrantee on the paint because of it. When I brought it in to the dealer, it was one month beyond that warranted period. Despite the fact the paint was peeling for quite some time, Honda would do nothing.

Maybe oil changes are overrated? :B

Some vehicles are up to 15000 miles (not KM) and you know there is a generous margin for error built in.

I think the days when you could clearly point to oil changes are the direct cause of engine failure are gone. Doesn't mean it's good for the engine but not likely to be clear cut that it was the oil change that was the problem.

PS - I do 100,000 fluid intervals on the 4r100 in my van. Power steering fluid is still factory!

I got 5 work vans on the road 5 days a week and sometimes I don't get them serviced as often as I should and I can still get 250,000 to 300,000 miles out of the vans before replacing them, some of them do about 25,000 miles before I get the oil change but yet they just keep right on going, never lost a motor due to lack of oil change, I keep my personal autos up to service.


My take on oil changes every 3 months/3000 miles is not necessary with todays modern oils and motors, I now use Mobile One 20,000 mile or 1 x per year oil change on my personal autos and my motorhome, oil still looks good even after 6 months, thinking of using the same thing on my work vans since they never see a oil change but maybe once a year or longer.


I think old habits are hard to die and some still thinks that oil changes every 3000-5000 miles is a must do or you will damage the motor, well I guess if you plan on keeping it for a million miles than OK, but over the years with my business and work vans that some only see a oil change at 20,000 to 25,000 miles and still run good and not smoke all the way to 300,000 miles is proof you wont damage the motor, the main reason for replacement of vans is all the other stuff is wore out but always the motors still run good and every Craigslist buyer drives it away..


My mix of vans over the past 20 years are Ford, Chevy and Dodge, Ford seems to last the longest with the least repairs over all, but the Dodge transmissions seem to last the longest.

If only Honda made a HD truck with that kind of Japanese durability!

My sister did 35,000 mile oil changes on her '99 Mercury Cougar with the 2.5L Duratech V6. Or should I say, we were only able to commandeer her car once a year to do service on it, and that's how much she drove in a year. It did fine on that schedule for 4 years!

It's a Honda