Oil Change Interval Question

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Oil Change Interval Question

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Oil Change Interval Question - 5/18/2007 11:29:16 AM

UrbanmanUSA

Posts: 556
Joined: 2/19/2007
Status: offline

My question is about oil change interval. Same question to synthetic and conventional oil users (and I don't want to do another debate on that subject, so I would appreciate it if you could avoid getting on your soapbox about your choice).

Suppose you check your oil level, the level is fine, but you notice the oil is looking less than new ... a little discolored. But its still another 1200 miles until you are scheduled for another change.

In response to seeing the oil is a little discolored, do you shorten your interval?

Post #: 1

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/18/2007 8:21:01 PM

Mr. Mojo

Posts: 5
Joined: 4/11/2007
Status: offline

Dino's every 3000
Synth's every 5000

I wouldn't worry about a little discoloring after 1800 miles.

My 2 cents

< Message edited by Mr. Mojo -- 5/18/2007 8:22:28 PM >

(in reply to UrbanmanUSA)

Post #: 2

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/18/2007 8:39:19 PM

j2theflo

Posts: 30
Joined: 4/27/2007
Status: offline

i would agree wit the guy above me. a lil discoloration isnt bad. wen its dirt black the u took to long.lol. o and i got a ques. does royal purple really add 9hp. that would b awsome.

(in reply to Mr. Mojo)

Post #: 3

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/18/2007 8:49:45 PM

wsoape281

Posts: 1016
Joined: 3/1/2007
Status: offline

one of the major oil companies came out and said last year that the oil actually doesn't ever need to be changed, only the filter. you do need to top it off. this will not put me off of oil changes though. you should be fine on the 3000 dino and 5000 synth rythym

(in reply to j2theflo)

Post #: 4

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 5:47:17 AM

virgin1

Posts: 4970
Joined: 3/15/2007
Status: offline

I'm running 10K w/5w-30 Mobil 1, w/a filter change @ 5.
I would find it hard to believe that any oil will add 9hp... certainly not in a street engine. 'Sounds like ad hype to me.
Oh, and after seeing and rebuilding a 3 yr old engine that developed and leak early on, and the owner just adding fresh oil to top it off, I wouldn't recommend trying that either. There wasn't much left to rebuild, and the gunk in the bottom of the pan all but choked off the oil pickup. The cylinders where badly worn and scored, and there was enough varnish on everything to clog the smaller oil passageways off too.
Don't Do It!!

< Message edited by virgin1 -- 5/19/2007 1:16:31 PM >

_____________________________

"There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe

(in reply to wsoape281)

Post #: 5

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 5:50:59 AM

UrbanmanUSA

Posts: 556
Joined: 2/19/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: wsoape281

one of the major oil companies came out and said last year that the oil actually doesn't ever need to be changed, only the filter. you do need to top it off. this will not put me off of oil changes though. you should be fine on the 3000 dino and 5000 synth rythym

Do you have a link that shows where a major oil company said the above? Even the best oil filter (doesn't matter how new) allows between 1-3% of fine particulate to get through - this is the dirt that builds up, causing your oil to discolor. Nothing except doing a change removes that dirt.

(in reply to wsoape281)

Post #: 6

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 9:42:31 AM

TMR Net Shark

Posts: 58
Joined: 4/29/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1

I'm running 10K w/5w-30 Mobil 1, w/a filter change @ 5.
I would find it hard to believe that any oil will add 9hp... certainly not in a street engine. 'Sounds like ad hype to me.
Oh, and after seeing and rebuilding a 3 yr old engine that developed and leak early on, and the owner just adding fresh oil to top it off, I wouldn't recommend trying that either. There wasn't much left to rebuild, and the gunk in the bottom of the pan all but choked off the oil pickup. The cylinders where badly worn and scored, and there was enough varnish on everything to clog the smaller oil passageways off too.
Don't Do It!!

BAD experience with that myself and some of my buds. Even on newer cars (this was a Ford Focus), we dropped in a 2.5 boxster engine in the car and we ran it at high rpm on the dyno (mosting in the 7500-8000 range). After a while, the engine oil got low and we topped it off. The engine never performed again.

(in reply to virgin1)

Post #: 7

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 11:27:24 AM

wsoape281

Posts: 1016
Joined: 3/1/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: UrbanmanUSA

quote:

ORIGINAL: wsoape281

one of the major oil companies came out and said last year that the oil actually doesn't ever need to be changed, only the filter. you do need to top it off. this will not put me off of oil changes though. you should be fine on the 3000 dino and 5000 synth rythym

Do you have a link that shows where a major oil company said the above? Even the best oil filter (doesn't matter how new) allows between 1-3% of fine particulate to get through - this is the dirt that builds up, causing your oil to discolor. Nothing except doing a change removes that dirt.

don't have a link, i read it in popular science.

(in reply to UrbanmanUSA)

Post #: 8

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 12:46:27 PM

UrbanmanUSA

Posts: 556
Joined: 2/19/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: TMR Net Shark

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1

Oh, and after seeing and rebuilding a 3 yr old engine that developed and leak early on, and the owner just adding fresh oil to top it off, I wouldn't recommend trying that either. There wasn't much left to rebuild, and the gunk in the bottom of the pan all but choked off the oil pickup. The cylinders where badly worn and scored, and there was enough varnish on everything to clog the smaller oil passageways off too.
Don't Do It!!

BAD experience with that myself and some of my buds. Even on newer cars (this was a Ford Focus), we dropped in a 2.5 boxster engine in the car and we ran it at high rpm on the dyno (mosting in the 7500-8000 range). After a while, the engine oil got low and we topped it off. The engine never performed again.

Re: V1's sludge build up story, you didn't say if all he did was top up (did he stop doing changes?). If he did changes, and still got the sludge, sounds like the leak was substantial enough to change the circulation dynamics within the engine.

Re: The 2.5 story. The 2.5 gives max hp at 6500 rpm, max torque at 4500, with redline being 6700. Of course the engine is going to burn oil and eventually blow something if you rev it to 7500-8000.

(in reply to TMR Net Shark)

Post #: 9

RE: Oil Change Interval Question - 5/19/2007 1:11:49 PM

virgin1

Posts: 4970
Joined: 3/15/2007
Status: offline

Yeah. They stopped doing oil changes because of the size of the leak.
What I never understood was that the car was new enough @ the time (it was a Volvo sedan... 1977 or78. We got it around 1981-2) that they should've simply taken it back to the dealer for repair. Instead they decided that since the car was going through so much oil that it was one in the same... as changing the oil that is.
Some ppl just shouldn't own or operate an automobile, y'know?

_____________________________

"There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe

(in reply to UrbanmanUSA)