How often to change oil on older/newer cars?

[Maverick2002]

I drive a 2001 Civic and I've been used to changing my oil about every 3k, sometimes goes a little higher.

My friend just got a 2010 Accord (I guess it monitors oil life) and didn't have to take it in until 7k. The Honda mechanic told him a lot of them go up to 10k (at least for the first change). Are newer cars better at handling oil or is the 3k oil change wisdom just a way to get your $$?

 

[onza]

5-7k Depending on driving style, non-synthetic conventional oil.

Basically when my car pc tells me.

 

[Zap]

is the 3k oil change wisdom just a way to get your $$?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3,000_mile_myth

car manufacturers include a manual with recommendations for how often the oil should be changed

 

[cprince]

in my old car, I used to take the middle ground of 5k miles. My new car has an oil life indicator, so I'll change the oil when it tells me to. If you really want to be scientific about it, you can send your oil to a lab for analysis and they'll tell you how much life is left and you can adjust your millage from there. The lab will also tell you a lot more info about the condition of your engine by testing the oil. I found this by doing a quick google search:

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

[mmntech]

5-7k Depending on driving style, non-synthetic conventional oil.

Basically when my car pc tells me.

I'd personally go with the middle of that road. The company I work for takes there fleet every 7500 miles. Works for them but it's a tad too much IMO.

 

[SearchMaster]

The manuals for my last two cars (spanning ~10 years) have both indicated 7500 mile intervals for non-severe driving, and that's about how long I generally go. I've never had any engine problems whatsoever with >400K miles cumulative on the two cars' engines.

I used to buy into the 3,000 mile myth, but then I used to drive my cars much harder and had much shorter commutes, etc.

 

[superccs]

Changing the oil sooner rather than later on new vehicles is recommended, despite break in is recommended. If you have an old beater car, then don't bother changing it at all the frequent topping off with fresh oil will likely get you from A to B.

 

[iGas]

I change the engine oil every 7500~8000 KM, and manufacture recommend 8000 KM for my vehicles.

PS. I don't wait for the MAINT REQD light to go on before I change the oil.

 

[BUTCH1]

I change the engine oil every 7500~8000 KM, and manufacture recommend 8000 KM for my vehicles.

PS. I don't wait for the MAINT REQD light to go on before I change the oil.

LOL, I don't completely "trust" my cars computer either, when it's telling me oil life is 25% I change it then.

 

[Vette73]

Most cars today can do 5k or more with Regular oil.

I run my Corvette and CTS to around 10k on Syn and change. My truck is once a year as I don;t think I hit 6k on it in a year now.

When I worked for one shop we had the phone company account and changed theirs around every 7-8k with regular oil and never had any engine problems or sludge. This was everything from a Cavilars, Chevy/Ford/Dodge vans, bucket trucks, etc...

People change their oil more often then it needs to. Unless you have a older turbo or custom built engine, etc... either go by the owners manual or 5k regular or 10k syn, give or take.

 

[Jumpem]

For my two most recent cars:

2007 Fit: This had a an oil change light that lit up on the dash. Usually every 7-8k miles.
2010 Outback: the owners manual says every 3750.

 

[skyking]

I average 4500 on fleet. I don't like the looks of the oil when taken out at 7500.

 

[HarryLui]

Depends on how the car is used.

Lots of short trips where the engine can't warm up properly in between, you'd want to change your oil more often than a car that is primary used for the highway.

It's not always the oil that goes bad first. By product of combustion is water, if the engine doesn't get hot enough to burn the water off, it'll stay in your engine.

Change oil often doesn't hurt your engine, it'll only make your wallet lighter.

 

[Gillbot]

5k or whenever the oil change light comes on

 

[Rezist]

I was getting 10,000 km out of my 06 civic on standard and synthetic (well semi-synthetic advertised as full syn mobil-1 5-20) so I'm positive my cars computer is pretty much just based on KM alone and not oil quality. I'm trying 0-20 synthetic to see how that lasts.

 

[Jdawg84]

Every 5K miles with Royal Purple. Best stuff i have ever used.

 

[Vette73]

Every 5K miles with Royal Purple. Best stuff i have ever used.

If its so good then why do you change it at 5k?

 

[Kaervak]

My opinion if you're under warranty, go by whatever the manual recommends. On my Saturn it's 3000 miles. On the Subaru we just bought 7500 normal service, 3750 severe service.

Oils today are MUCH better than they used to be and can easily go beyond the old 3000 miles/3 months OCI of days gone by. If you really want to know how far you can go, get a used oil analysis done.

 

[punjabiplaya]

7500 with synthetic - manual says 7500, i could probably do 10k, but I don't.

+1 for 3k myth

 

[Jdawg84]

If its so good then why do you change it at 5k?

Habit and i beat on my car on a daily basis.

 

[Vette73]

Habit and i beat on my car on a daily basis.

So its not the best stuff as even you don;t trust it past 5k. Heck even the cheapest name brand oil should do 5k easy.

And driving a car hard on the street should have little effect on the oil if your engine is running proper.

 

[jlee]

My opinion if you're under warranty, go by whatever the manual recommends. On my Saturn it's 3000 miles. On the Subaru we just bought 7500 normal service, 3750 severe service.

Oils today are MUCH better than they used to be and can easily go beyond the old 3000 miles/3 months OCI of days gone by. If you really want to know how far you can go, get a used oil analysis done.

Just a note - Subaru considers turbocharged motors to be 'severe service', so if it's turbo you have a 3750 interval (unless things have changed since my '04).

 

[Vette73]

Just a note - Subaru considers turbocharged motors to be 'severe service', so if it's turbo you have a 3750 interval (unless things have changed since my '04).

Yea it looks like, at least through 2010, they still call for 3750. That was based on regular oil as far as I can find. They recommend syn now but left the change time in place. So maybe that will be changed in the future but I am thinking they are worried people will do 7500 on regular oil with a turbo.

So if under warranty I would do the 3750, but if not then go longer IMO with syn. I did every 5k on my Turbo Saab with Syn oil.

That and WTF is up with Subaru putting the fuel filter in the gas tank but saying it should be replaced every 60k?
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/subaru_maintenance1.html

 

[jlee]

Yea it looks like, at least through 2010, they still call for 3750. That was based on regular oil as far as I can find. They recommend syn now but left the change time in place. So maybe that will be changed in the future but I am thinking they are worried people will do 7500 on regular oil with a turbo.

So if under warranty I would do the 3750, but if not then go longer IMO with syn. I did every 5k on my Turbo Saab with Syn oil.

That and WTF is up with Subaru putting the fuel filter in the gas tank but saying it should be replaced every 60k?
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/subaru_maintenance1.html

Looks like every 30k to me...I have that coming up in 12,200 miles, along with plugs & trans/diff fluids. They also say to change oil immediately before and after an autocross..which seems silly.

 

[simonizor]

Most cars today can do 5k or more with Regular oil.

I run my Corvette and CTS to around 10k on Syn and change. My truck is once a year as I don;t think I hit 6k on it in a year now.

When I worked for one shop we had the phone company account and changed theirs around every 7-8k with regular oil and never had any engine problems or sludge. This was everything from a Cavilars, Chevy/Ford/Dodge vans, bucket trucks, etc...

People change their oil more often then it needs to. Unless you have a older turbo or custom built engine, etc... either go by the owners manual or 5k regular or 10k syn, give or take.

You should change your oil every 3 months regardless of how many miles you put on your vehicle. The additives in the oil only last that long.