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Holy $%# I was 7k miles over for an oil change!

S

SAWYER

Lifer
Did I potentially do any damage? The guy changing my oil said the level was fine though. I kept putting it off and next thing I know I was that much over.
 
Dirty oil >>> low/no oil.

Depends on your driving environment (desert = lots of dust/dirt, etc) and how aggressive you are with the engine. 7k is nothing to worry about, especially with synthetic. Most new cars call for oil change intervals of at LEAST that.
 
no instantaneous damage is going to occur from something like that. aside from some likely increased wear on friction surfaces (probably minor), the biggest problem is the accumulation of sludge, which could stop up oil passages or your PCV system. if you typically change it every 3-4k i doubt once incident will have that much impact. consistent 10k oil changes will eventually trash a motor, though.
 
It normally gets them every 3-5k miles, and a majority of my miles are 70 mile one-way trips to work three days a week
 
So how many miles total 10 or 12k? Probably fine. MANY new cars recommend this. Especially with your miles at highway mileage it's a fact that you are simply flushing money away changing it every 3k anyway. Go with what you manual says. It doesn't say 3k.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
So how many miles total 10 or 12k? Probably fine. MANY new cars recommend this. Especially with your miles at highway mileage it's a fact that you are simply flushing money away changing it every 3k anyway. Go with what you manual says. It doesn't say 3k.
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*Qualifier : Unless you're under warranty - then do it whenever the recommended maintenance schedule says to do it.
 
Has anyone personally experienced an engine that was confirmed to be damaged by infrequent oil changes? What are the signs and symptoms?
 
Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Has anyone personally experienced an engine that was confirmed to be damaged by infrequent oil changes? What are the signs and symptoms?
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Mine spun a rod bearing at 106k. Oil wasn't changed regularly and was run hard/hot. Not by me, by the previous owner.
 
Well I'm thinking it's possible to go like 50K miles before an oil change w/o destroying the engine if you were easy on the throttle and all you did was cruise on the highway with not so frequent cold startups, had the car always perfectly tuned, etc. Most of the reason behind needing to change the oil is because of the excess carbon buildup from incomplete combustion or even complete combustion winding up in the fuel. That's why they usually say change your oil X number of miles or every 6-12 months etc. Cause one person may only drive 1000 miles in a year (unlikely) but most of their trips are less than a mile long.
 
I routinely go 10k on my beaters. All the money I have saved on maintance goes toward the next car when everything but the motor fails. I have never exceeded the 50K fluid/filter on the transmission though.
 
general question - if you do a lot of local, non-highway, driving, does synthetic hold up well or better? Should I do changes more frequently anyway? At this rate, it'll take forever to reach the mileage intervals so not sure what to really go by.
 
Originally posted by: rh71
general question - if you do a lot of local, non-highway, driving, does synthetic hold up well or better? Should I do changes more frequently anyway? At this rate, it'll take forever to reach the mileage intervals so not sure what to really go by.
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Synthetic is pretty much always better, unless you're switching to it from a high mileage engine that's been on dino juice its whole life.

Remember, most manufacturers have a mileage AND time limit for OCIs. For most modern vehicles, it's 5k miles or 6 months, whichever comes first.

It'd be a good idea to stick to this. The oil itself is no big deal after 6 months of low mileage driving, but the additives breaking down could be a problem.

As for the OP:

You won't kill anything immediately with poor oil change habits, but it will take it's toll down the road. Try to be nicer to your car.
 
Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I'm thinking it's possible to go like 50K miles before an oil change w/o destroying the engine if you were easy on the throttle and all you did was cruise on the highway with not so frequent cold startups, had the car always perfectly tuned, etc. Most of the reason behind needing to change the oil is because of the excess carbon buildup from incomplete combustion or even complete combustion winding up in the fuel. That's why they usually say change your oil X number of miles or every 6-12 months etc. Cause one person may only drive 1000 miles in a year (unlikely) but most of their trips are less than a mile long.
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My female cousin drove her new Civic for 56,000 miles before an oil change. She didn't know she had to change the oil in a car. The engine and the car was fine.
 
and i've seen a ford focus with a locked engine after 40k with no oil changes.

i guarantee you her engine wasn't 'fine.' running doesn't mean undamaged- i'd be willing to bet that thing now has more blowby than most cars with 200k and she's lucky the sludge in the bottom of the pan (it's there) wasn't enough to clog the pickup tube.
 
What if you are looking at cars that have been sitting for some time with oil? say 3 years with 3000 miles total driven in that time and no oil changes (grandma cars)? Run away no matter the deal? Can this be fixed by changing the oil regularly after something like that?
 
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
What if you are looking at cars that have been sitting for some time with oil? say 3 years with 3000 miles total driven in that time and no oil changes (grandma cars)? Run away no matter the deal? Can this be fixed by changing the oil regularly after something like that?
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Change the oil before running it? I had a newer car (2007 MY) that sat for like a year w/o driving it, and when I drove it in order to get it its oil change, it idled kind of like an old car, just felt wrong, so after driving on the highway for like 30 miles, by the time I got to the dealership and parked the car, the car idled much better but still seemed off, so I got the car its oil change and after the oil change I noticed that it finally idled normally once again.

I think one reason for wanting to change the oil for a car that has sat for a long time is because the intake and exhaust valves are open when the car is off and stuff like condensation and particulate matter can get inside the engine while the engine is sitting. Now if the engine was sealed off while it isn't running, then it probably would not have been an issue.
 
Originally posted by: Naustica
Originally posted by: fleabag
Well I'm thinking it's possible to go like 50K miles before an oil change w/o destroying the engine if you were easy on the throttle and all you did was cruise on the highway with not so frequent cold startups, had the car always perfectly tuned, etc. Most of the reason behind needing to change the oil is because of the excess carbon buildup from incomplete combustion or even complete combustion winding up in the fuel. That's why they usually say change your oil X number of miles or every 6-12 months etc. Cause one person may only drive 1000 miles in a year (unlikely) but most of their trips are less than a mile long.
Click to expand...

My female cousin drove her new Civic for 56,000 miles before an oil change. She didn't know she had to change the oil in a car. The engine and the car was fine.
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No it wasn't.
 
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