3k oil changes HURT engines not HELP!

[lsdeater]

Are you one that changes your synthetic oil every 3k miles? you are actually hurting the engine. By 3000 miles, your oil is just getting broken in.

"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."

Dino oil breaks in before 3k miles, but under good driving conditions, shouldn't need to be changed but every 6k-8k miles.

Read this link very carefully. I tried the test my self using Blackstone, and at 7k miles on Mobil 1 and NO CHANGING FILTER OR OIL, am seeing less wear readings now. Its true.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

I will, according to Blackstone, hold out on changing the oil until 20,000 miles pass. I will HOWEVER change to a new mobil 1 filter at about 13,000 if everything is OK until then.

 

[girth]

The full title of SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3199 is "Antiwear Performance of Low Phosphorus Engine Oils on Tappet Inserts in Motored Sliding Valvetrain Test". I have this paper and have read it. The results and conclusions have absolutely, completely, and utterly nothing to do with oil change frequency. You cannot change your oil too frequently (within reason) and this paper does not contradict this.

The primary purpose of this paper was to study the wear characteristics of low Phosphorous oils. New federal regulations for emissions require stonger catalytic converters and P reduces catalytic efficiency ("poisoning"). The paper was trying to determine if we were now going to take a step back in terms of wear in order to save the ecology. That answer, by the way, is no. The current low P oils have enough new additives to provide good wear characteristics.

A secondary purpose was to evaluate wear characteristics in fleet vehicles using low P oils. For this test they used fresh oil first, then drained the oil, and then refilled the system with used oil. This simulates what most fleet environments do. They found that the used oil provided better wear characteristics than fresh oil, perhaps because the additives have broken in.

So, if you clean the oil you drain from your car yourself, by all means put that oil back in. It's better. However, this has nothing to do with frequency of oil change. If you change the oil every day you might have more wear because it takes some time for the anti-wear films to form. But if you changed your oil every 500 miles, you would be doing your vehicle a favor.

 

[GrandBelialKey]

the MSP's oil should be changed every 2,000 miles... period.

 

[lsdeater]

did you read the full link? The article was just a small part of it...

i suggest reading the whole 18,000 mile mobil1 test.

 

[low_psi]

the MSP's oil should be changed every 2,000 miles... period.

right.......

 

[RenzoMSP]

the MSP's oil should be changed every 2,000 miles... period.

Ha

 

[03MzdSpdSTP]

about 8k using synth is good. just change the filter every 4k miles.

 

[AzMz6]

uh, do ahead, only change your oil every 20k, but i tell you what, there is no way in hell i will ever go that long on my oil. no chance. my car means far to much to me to neglect her like that.

 

[lsdeater]

if you'd read the article, you'd see its less "neglect" than you think

but for me, I will change it when blackstone reccomends me to.

 

[AzMz6]

well, coming from an automotive background, and having an associates degree in automotive/auto tech, changing your oil at 20k miles is considered neglect.

 

[lsdeater]

did you read the article?

The OEM have BURNED into your brain that oil change is necessary every 3000 miles. ITS A WASTE. they also have burned into your mind that anything ANYTHING HIGHER than 3k is NEGLECT.

(rlaugh)

 

[tallrd]

taken from the Mazdaspeed manual/adendum: they recommend it be changes every 5K miles actually (just fyi, not trying to argue with anyone). Knowing these cars, everyone's recomendation probably changes from manual to manual too

 

[paranoidxe]

I think 3K is ridicilous, esp. with the technology we have now, I'm sure OIL is much better than it was 50 years ago. Synthetic especially. I think you can be safe going 5K-6K per oil change without it being considered neglect, but driving 20,000 miles on the same oil isn't right.

 

[AzMz6]

yea, i can agree with 4-6k, as i normally do that, just because i want to think my 35 bucks for oil and filter should last a little bit longer..

 

[santisurf]

I think 3K is ridicilous, esp. with the technology we have now, I'm sure OIL is much better than it was 50 years ago. Synthetic especially. I think you can be safe going 5K-6K per oil change without it being considered neglect, but driving 20,000 miles on the same oil isn't right.

5K to 7k is good for me, but then again my engine had a problem with a loose part but doubt it has to do with oil.... car runs GGGRRRREEEEEAAAT!

 

[terbow]

was this test run on a turbocharged car? I believe our oil takes a lil more abuse than NA considering its spun to a froth, and needs to be changed at the 3k interval to prevent cokeing (close to 3k at least, im guilty of the 4k oil change).

 

[MSPRO]

My oil was in for almost 10k miles one time. I used to have the dealership change it for me b.c I got a free change every 5k miles. One time I went in for a few things including an oil change and they forgot to do it and never told me until I went for the next one. Needless to say once my warrenty was up I decided to do them myself. I usually change them anywehere between 4-6k miles but i check it often and add some if it gets low at all. Yes I know that may be considered neglect to some of you ,but there arent that many MSP's on this board that have made it to 91k miles in 2 years on the original motor, or any motor really. It hasnt been stock since 6k miles either, in fact it has run betwen 10-12 daily except for winter, and the occasional 15psi for the track. I havent had any problems mechanically with the motor, just the LSD and a wheel bearing, so I must be doing something right.

 

[twilightprotege]

changing oil depends on the use of the engine. if you're making considerably more power than stock, changes are you oil is getting far hotter than it should. oil getting hot means it starts to break down. therefore you change oil often.

if you drive like a granny and never go over 3000rpm and it probably never gets hot enough to even do proper lubricating anyway, so go ahead and leave the oil alone for 50k

 

[MSPRO]

if you drive like a granny and never go over 3000rpm and it probably never gets hot enough to even do proper lubricating anyway, so go ahead and leave the oil alone for 50k

hahaha the granny part is definantly not my case, i may be a girl but i dont drive like one hehe

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

did you read the article?

The OEM have BURNED into your brain that oil change is necessary every 3000 miles. ITS A WASTE. they also have burned into your mind that anything ANYTHING HIGHER than 3k is NEGLECT.

(rlaugh)

Dude, you are an idiot. If I put an article on the internet saying that running a 5% mix of water in your gas will give you 20% better gas mileage you would do it. If you want to go 20k on your oil go for it. I garuntee if you try that you will not have any oil left, And more than likely have no motor left. I could give you so many examples of idiots like you killing their motors that come in crying when it isn't warrantied. Go tell that to anyone that owns a 1.8T Vw to not change their oil just once. The motor will not survive. Even the 2.3l Mazda motors are very touchy about this.