Stop the old oil change arguments...here's the scoop

I am the world's top authority on oil changes. Call me
Mr. Motor Oil.

Here's the bottom line on oil changes: The 3,000 mile interval is
a myth that the oil companies and oil change places have perpetuated.

It certainly wouldn't HURT to change your oil every 100 miles, but
even the most thick-headed can see that this would be overkill.

I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
many quality brands will do.

In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.

Methinks p'raps the top priority shouldn't be changing oil
by the odometer, but rather -checking- the oil religiously
at reasonable intervals.

So I try to check my oil at least every 500 mi. If it had
lots more miles on it or I thought there might be a problem,
I'd check more often.

If your oil is up to level, is reasonably clear (not too dirty),
is properly viscous, free of foreign substances, and doesn't
smell "burnt" etc, chances are you don't need an oil change.
Eh?

Cheers,
Puddin'

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:48:39 -0400, "twotone" > wrote:

>I am the world's top authority on oil changes. Call me
>Mr. Motor Oil.
>
>Here's the bottom line on oil changes: The 3,000 mile interval is
>a myth that the oil companies and oil change places have perpetuated.
>
>It certainly wouldn't HURT to change your oil every 100 miles, but
>even the most thick-headed can see that this would be overkill.
>
>I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
>and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
>STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
>required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
>and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
>many quality brands will do.
>
>In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
>the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
>and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
>I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
>the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.
>
>

"Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather
than the victim."
- Bertrand Russell

On Mar 28, 11:17 am, Puddin' Man > wrote:
> Methinks p'raps the top priority shouldn't be changing oil
> by the odometer, but rather -checking- the oil religiously
> at reasonable intervals.
>
> So I try to check my oil at least every 500 mi. If it had
> lots more miles on it or I thought there might be a problem,
> I'd check more often.
>
> If your oil is up to level, is reasonably clear (not too dirty),
> is properly viscous, free of foreign substances, and doesn't
> smell "burnt" etc, chances are you don't need an oil change.
> Eh?
>
> Cheers,
> Puddin'
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:48:39 -0400, "twotone" > wrote:
> >I am the world's top authority on oil changes. Call me
> >Mr. Motor Oil.
>
> >Here's the bottom line on oil changes: The 3,000 mile interval is
> >a myth that the oil companies and oil change places have perpetuated.
>
> >It certainly wouldn't HURT to change your oil every 100 miles, but
> >even the most thick-headed can see that this would be overkill.
>
> >I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
> >and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
> >STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
> >required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
> >and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
> >many quality brands will do.
>
> >In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
> >the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
> >and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
> >I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
> >the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.
>
> "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather
> than the victim."
> - Bertrand Russell

The military approach is probably the most environmentally friendly.
At certain intervals oil samples are taken from the vehicles and sent
for analysis. The actual need for a full oil change is dictated by
the lab results. Vehicles in need of oil changes are sent to an
organizational maintenance shop for the process. I doubt that the
interval is as often as 3,000 miles.

Look at the figures below to see how approximately how much oil changes cost
you at various intervals and how much oil you actually save. Also look at
how
much gasoline your car will use over the same 100,000 mile period, and how
much
you save. No science. Just reasonable mathematical estimates., gas assumed
to be
US2.75 per American gallon, and oil at $2.29 per quart. Filter estimated at
$5.



MPG
Miles
Gallons
Value (2.75)









12
100,000
8333.333
22916.67



18

5555.556
15277.78



24

4166.667
11458.33



30

3333.333
9166.667



42

2380.952
6547.619









Oil changes at
3000
5000
7500
10000

Changes

33.33333
20
13.33333
10

Cost

548.3333
329
219.3333
164.5

Gallons used
41.66667
25
16.66667
12.5

twotone wrote:

> In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
> the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
> and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
> I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
> the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.

Recreational oil changing probably doesn't harm the environment all that
much, provided that the oil is recycled. The oil is filtered, the acid
and water are removed, and it is sold very cheaply for use in diesel
truck engines. In fact, all the unnecessary recreational oil changing
probably helps normal people, because it lowers the expenses of trucking
firms that buy the perfectly good oil.

Change to 5000 miles on the Japanese car, because as you stated, the
4000 is overkill.

SMS wrote:

> twotone wrote:
>
>> In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
>> the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
>> and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
>> I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
>> the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.
>
>
> Recreational oil changing probably doesn't harm the environment all that
> much, provided that the oil is recycled. The oil is filtered, the acid
> and water are removed, and it is sold very cheaply for use in diesel
> truck engines. In fact, all the unnecessary recreational oil changing
> probably helps normal people, because it lowers the expenses of trucking
> firms that buy the perfectly good oil.
>
> Change to 5000 miles on the Japanese car, because as you stated, the
> 4000 is overkill.


In Europe, people routinely change their oil at 12K to 15K miles or at
one year. This is in an area of the world where people keep their
purchased new cars for an average of 13 years; here in the USA, it's
less than SEVEN years. Personally, I change oil every 10K miles and the
filter at 5K miles, with zero adverse affects for the past 30 years or
so, since the introduction of synthetic oils. According to THIS article,
I'm probably STILL changing the oil more often than necessary:
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

My vehicles:
1990 Mark VII, 159K miles - owned for 12 years
1994 Mark VIII, 111K miles - owned for 7 years
1990 Toyota truck, 233K miles (and I drive it HARD) - owned for 17 years

All three vehicles start and run very well, with no smoking, not even on
startup, and NEVER any engine work done on any of them.

twotone wrote:
> I am the world's top authority on oil changes. Call me
> Mr. Motor Oil.
>
> Here's the bottom line on oil changes: The 3,000 mile interval is
> a myth that the oil companies and oil change places have perpetuated.
>
> It certainly wouldn't HURT to change your oil every 100 miles, but
> even the most thick-headed can see that this would be overkill.
>
> I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
> and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
> STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
> required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
> and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
> many quality brands will do.
>
> In my BMW, I change my oil about every 8,500 miles (if I followed
> the "computer" it would be more like every 12,000 miles or so),
> and use Mobile 1 Synthetic, which is overkill, but I do it anyway.
> I just enjoy changing my oil I guess. But, you hard heads, do
> the environment a favor and stop the unecessary oil changing.
>
>
>

What is this motor oil that you are all arguing about?

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY

Sharon Cooke wrote:

>> Change to 5000 miles on the Japanese car, because as you stated, the
>> 4000 is overkill.
>
>
> In Europe, people routinely change their oil at 12K to 15K miles or at
> one year.

Yes, 5K is really still overkill, but at least you can be absolutely
sure that you're not causing even the slightest iota of extra wear. 3K
achieves the same result, as does 2K, 1K, 500 miles etc., but anything
under 5K is unquestionably throwing money away, even with non-synthetic.

twotone wrote:

>
> I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
> and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
> STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
> required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
> and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
> many quality brands will do.

I suspect you are a slow driver too. Not just slow in the sense of not
speeding but also slow as in no hard acceleration. Acceleration kills
engines.

"Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" > wrote in
message ink.net...
> twotone wrote:
>
>>
>> I change my oil and filter in my Japanese car every 4,000 miles
>> and always have---and this is lots of city driving, and it is
>> STILL overkill. The car has over 180,000 miles on it, has never
>> required anything more than basic maintenance (no engine work)
>> and is still going like new. I've always used Castrol GTX dino, but
>> many quality brands will do.
>
> I suspect you are a slow driver too. Not just slow in the sense of not
> speeding but also slow as in no hard acceleration. Acceleration kills
> engines.

Hard to answer because "slow" is a relative term. If "slow" to
you means driving like old grampa, then NO, I am not a slow
driver. But if it means not jackrabbiting from stops at stoplights,
only to hit the brakes hard for the next stop, herky-jerky style
like some people, then YES, I guess I would be considered
"slow." BTW, I'm still on the original clutch with my
5-speed manual Japanese car.