One of the bigger reasons for longer oil change intervals. Older vehicles with carburetors or unsophisticated fuel injection systems would dump fuel into the crankcase of those cars and contaminate the oil, thus requiring you to change the oil more often. New direct injection and better metered fuel systems have allowed longer oil change intervals.
I agree the 3000 miles oil change is out dated, but I am not going to take the leap to 10,000 miles. 6000 is plenty for me, DIY oil changes are pretty cheap when compared to the investment you have in your vehicle.
My car's recommended oil change interval is 12500 miles, or once a year, whichever occurs first. Been sticking to the intervals, and my car is currently on 125 000 miles without any signs of engine wear. If you're wondering, it's a Duratorq 2.2 TDCi engine, and my car's specific model was first released in 2002. Oil has come a long way since then.
@@chrwl007 This is where your line of thinking is dangerous. Even the most abused car will go for 125000 miles. Hell, there are videos of people that did not change their oil from factory getting 100000 miles. The reason you change your oil early is not to affect current driving, it is to add miles onto the end of the cars life. At this point, the only way to tell if your vehicle has been unaffected by that OCI is to do a teardown and compare it to factory specs.
@@tylerh629 OK, in that case we'll talk again in another 125 000 miles. I don't see why following the manufacturer's instructions to the letter is dangerous.
@@tylerh629 you will face other issues with your car long before you face issues with your engine itself. Changing oil regularly will not prevent that.
I have to agree with Cooley here... There's just no way the OEM is going to recommend an oil-change interval that damages the engine -- they want you to come back and buy another one of their cars, and if they recommend service that turns the car into an unreliable junker, you're going to go elsewhere. That logic is, no doubt, sound. Just make *damn* sure you use the *right* kind of oil. They will tell you in the manual what specifications it must meet. Make sure you get those spec's right when you buy your oil. The best way to guarantee that you're getting the correct oil is to do your own oil changes. They're not difficult. Anyone can do an oil change in their own driveway. Then you know it's done correctly. If you absolutely cannot do your own oil changes for whatever reason, then take it to the dealer. I'm generally not a fan of the dealer, because they charge too much for service, but you know they're going to use the right oil for your car -- the oil that will last as long as the OEM says it should last, and thus you're safe using their oil-change intervals. If you have no other choice but to use a quickie-lube place (maybe you live too far away from a dealer for convenience's sake), then at least bring your own oil with you. You can buy the right oil on-line and have it shipped to your home for about the same price that you can get it at an auto-parts store. And *watch* them put *your* oil into your car. Then you'll know the oil change was done with the proper oil, not some generic crap that the quickie-lube place bought at a discount.
I have a 93 Ford explorer that is my daily driver. 285,000 miles on the odometer, why because I maintain it on a regular basis, I'm sticking with the 3,000 mile rule.
8000miles on synthetic in modern cars with a naturally aspirated motor should be just fine as long as you have a proper mix of highway and city driving. If you're doing 90-100% city driving you're putting much more wear on your car and should perform scheduled maintenance as per the severe category in your owners manual.
10000 miles should be okay if 50/50 city and freeway, but for heavy city driver should be about 6500 - 7000 miles. Some manufacturers will say 10000 miles for US driver but recommend Japan and China to do 7000 miles/10000 KM because of the city driving. At least I know Volvo does that.
I agree completely. However, oddly enough, Audi doesn't specify a severe oil change schedule. They simply say to change it more frequently. That's strangely vague for the Germans.
Ultimately those good for X amount of mile claims are tested under ideal 50/50 conditions, if you have a heavy foot and do lots of city driving then it won't last anywhere near as long as it should. I always get the 12,000 KM synthetic oil but change it depending on how it looks when I check it It usually gets changed at 8000-9000 KM. That said I'm pretty tough on the engine so it wears out quicker than it normally would.
New car, run a full synthetic especially due to those "tighter tolerances". You especially want to run a full synthetic if you live in a colder climate. The problem isn't the oil, its the oil filter pleats getting plugged up.
“Tighter tolerances” is nonsense. Engines have definitely changed with advancements over time but tolerances have nothing to do with it. Has more to do with reduced friction for increased efficiency and the more advanced vvt systems. Most have a solenoid with small screens that oil has to pass through to control oil pressure to the cam phasers to adjust timing.
With all these cars getting turbos now I think set oil changes are needed. I did my Prius every 10k and my turbo Buick every 5k. You can never change your oil often enough.
I check my oil every week and when it get dark brown i change it that tell me that it is starting to get dirty and before it get too dirty and start clogging in the engine i remove it
Well balanced, cool headed, informed, impartial, commonsense logic, zero hyperbole and most importantly honest. That’s Cooley giving an opinion about any issue to do with cars.
Yes, 3000 miles oil change was the norm.... back in 1985. My 2006 BMW E90 330i with a naturally aspirated engine had its oil changed every 12,000 km and I drove that car for 11 trouble free years until I sold it last year with 242,000 km on the odometer.
Great information, love your videos! I have a problem with the oil change interval on our Kia Sedona. The owner's manual says every 12000 km or 6000 km for severe Duty. I believe 12000 km oil change intervals are good for our driving conditions. However, our dealer insists that we change the oil every 6000 km because we have winter and that it's considered severe Duty. I haven't had a vehicle that needed this many oil changes in a long time until we purchased this new Kia. My 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 will do 9,000 kilometers before the oil change light comes on and my wife's previous GM van would do in excess of 12000 km before the oil change light would come on. I think 6000 km oil changes in modern vehicles even in Northern climates is excessive, expensive and scandalous!
My manual recommends every 6k. I do every 5k to make the numbers easy. I figure I'm saving 50% by doing the change myself anyway. Personally, I'd only go 10k in any car if I was doing mostly highway driving.
My dad's 82 Corolla never over heated until we owned it till 2012. Even when we went to Saudi driving @ 200+ km/h (120+ m/h). These Toyotas are reliable beasts.
I do want my car to last 300,000 miles so I do change every 3000 miles. I put 50,000 miles a year, Im an uber driver. and I think having burnt dirty oil in your engine for long creates sludge.
Check ur dip stick and use synthetic oil than u can go for longer interval but still have to check ur oil level after 3k miles. Most car even new one burn a little oil espically on cold start. And most oil change interval light on car are mileage count unless is high-end vehicle which use sensor. Most German car that advertise long oil change intervals have a lot more oil in them over 7 qts. Yes go for longer oil change intervals if u are stupid enough not to check it.
I have a 99 expedition. Both my wife and I still love this truck. We got 347,000+ in it now. We will keep driving it as long as we dont have any major trouble, and we havent.
Why i love my 2001 GMC YUKON XL, it actually measures the cycle of the oil & tells me when it should be replaced. At first i thought it was just telling me to change it on account of how many miles i had driven but when i read the manual found that the computer actually measures the viscosity & how long the oil takes to circulate through the engine or some sensor that gm crammed in their. Either way i almost always get more than that golden 3000 mile mark. I am gna test this on my next oil up with synthetic. Just to see if it gives me 5k or better.
My 2004 V8 4runner has 208,000 miles, runs perfect. I only use Amsoil and change it every 8,000 to 10,000 miles. I will never sell it and yes still love it! Original transmission, too (new fluid every 25,000 to 30,000 miles) Thanks for all of your wisdom.
5000 miles religiously on regular dino oil. I've never had an engine failure. I have had a car I babied get in a fenderbender at 136,000 miles and declared totaled by insurance. "Why did I spend all that money on maintenance, nooo!"
Pretty much agree with everything except the 200,000 and 300000 mile comment. I'm sorry but that's just asinine. I got a 2008 Toyota with 220k on it, I have a friend with a 2014 Accord with 90,000 on it. I can promise you he's expecting 300K because he's gotten out of every car he's own since 1997. The other factor is I don't buy new cars so I tend to buy a car with 150 k on itperiod and expected to go another hundred and fifty k
Yeah his point stands, but I think he should have used years instead of miles. A 25-year-old car, for example, might fit his description, due to the technology advancements that have occurred since 25 years ago.
*shrug* I have a 93 Ford Explorer with just over 300k on it (original engine). Runs good, but at 13-14 mpg it's not my daily except during snowy winters.
I've been putting that Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil in my Camry for over 7 years and haven't had any issues. Oil color and level is good and yes 9 to 10,000 miles I wait to change my oil lol its going strong!!!
I've been putting regular name brand (Valvoline, Quaker State, Castrol, etc.) oil in my 2007 Ford for 16 years and haven't had any engine issues. Of course, I do change it every 5k miles.
I change the oil on my vw Golf tdi every 6000 km. I also do an engine flush every oil change. Reason: I do a lot of short journeys and sludge builds up inside the engine. The car runs like new with 425000 km on the clock
My BMW 750Li (e66) has a 12 month / 12k mile oil change interval. People tell me I'm stupid all the time for waiting that long, but I always do... Plus the oil leaks ever so slightly, so at 6 months I end up adding a fresh quart anyway. Not worried at all about the engine breaking down.
so if i have a car that is only driven for 2-3K miles a year, do i need to change out the oil every year or so? or do I wait till the mileage interval?
The toyota dealeship that I took my car to said it had to be changed every 5,000 miles so I took it in to change the oil. However, they were scamming me. All they would do was reset the "maintenance required" light and charge me for an oil change that never happend. When confronted with the proof they just said the car needed it every 10k miles. Now I change my own oil.
I wonder if the longer oil intervals have anything to do with manufacturers putting out bulletins that increased oil burning is normal, I vehicles with tighter tolerances? Or the increased market for products to stop burning oil and engine flushes?
Cooley was right about almost everything except oxidation causes an increase in viscosity not a decrease. Oil doesn't get thinner as it ages, it get thicker. Thank you, Cooley for a really excellent video.
A high end motor oil actually can go about 20K miles. The problem is that contaminates have built up in it during that time. So, while the oil may still be good, you need to change the oil filter every 6K. You therefore may also need to change the oil at that time.
Nice logical explanation for Engine oil intervals arguments you will see in the community some will change oil every 3000 miles and some will change it once a year or never so final message is to use your car manual recommendations better for the car and for your money as well not only for engine oil but for all the things in the car
My owners manual states that I do an oil change every 8,000 kms. I follow that number only during the late fall to end of winter (have to use full synthetic during this period). Whenever I do an oil change after winter, I do an oil change every 5,000 kms. regardless if I use full synthetic or conventional oils.
Wait I have a 02 Honda Civic with over 400,000 Km and it drives perfectly fine. I don't feel like I'm driving a ticking time bomb. It doesn't even blow smoke and ya it's not new but it drives great!
I do mine every 5k. I own a 09 Camry, with 190k. I use 10w-30 , Royal Blue, Synthetic. My son has a 1997Camry Le, I have the LE to. My son's Camry has 305k on it and it still runs great. He still has the original engine.
My 2016 Mazda CX-9 AWD 30k miles, it has a turbo, the oil change recommendations is 5000 or 7,500. It came with regular oil. When I heard the 2017 and 2018 recommendations fully synthetic oil, I asked if I could convent. They said yes I could but to make sure where ever I take it to always tell them to put synthetic because the 2016 recommendations regular oil and you can’t go back. Also I drive Uber/Juno/Private client in NYC. They said I could do 5000 but 7500-9000 is fine depending on how I drive. Since I drive with a lead foot I try not to go pass the 5000 mark by to much.
rangergun That’s a silly myth. You can always go back to the spec oil of its manufacture. Those three companies listed do not design automobiles. Do you think they know more than Mazda about a Mazda. Lastly you’re vehicle was factory filled with a synthetic blend.
My two Mitsubishi's a 1,6 L petrol ASX (Outlander Sport) and my 1,2 L petrol Space Star (Mirage) has both an OEM motor oil and filter service at 20000 km (12500 miles). However, I change the oil's at 10000 km and the filter's at 20000 km. In both car's I use either Gulf or Valvoline 5w40 oil all year around and Wix oil filter's. Best regards from Denmark. -Btw, my sister in law has an Hyundai i30 1,6 Diesel and the OEM oil and filter change is at 30000 km (18600 miles)
lol my 98 gmc 5.7 has 200k miles, buddy has a 02 chevy 5.3 with 235k, we use 2 chevy 06 6.0ls for work trucks..one has 200k the other has 340k, my local mechanic has worked on chevy 6.0l from 400k-700k, ive seen people on youtube with over a million miles on their cummins. proper maint. will go a long way
Jesus, my 2000 VW asked for 10,000 miles and I’ve always done 20,000-25,000 miles. Well over 300,000 miles on it. Only engine issue so far has been blown head gasket which I would call not oil related.
Everyone thinks of oil changes in terms of miles, few ever mention _engine_ 'mileage'. Idling in traffic is considered 'harsh' driving conditions - do that a lot and it greatly affects oil life. That one hit home when I saw a vid about buying used police cars - those things rack up TONs of engine wear just idling, so the odometer is virtually meaningless. I change my oil every six months - period.
I have a 2000 Dodge Durango that just rolled over 300,000 miles. It’s not dangerous and the engine is going to outlast the body work if we continue to maintain it. It’s needed very little outside of regular maintenance. If I replace some ball joints it’ll be good to go.
You can go 10k miles IF you don't put the car under "extreme driving conditions", such as idling for an extended period or being in stop-and-go traffic.
Cooley you did a Top 5 last year on half baked car tech. I'd really like to see a top 5 most useful car tech, The ones that made the most difference in our daily lives
Well I got almost 665,000 km on my car(Audi A3 TDI from 1997) that is over 400,000 miles and hope to go to at least 800,000 miles, so I busted the 300,000 miles myth...
I change my oil twice a year, with the tire change and maybe just do the oil filter a couple of times during the year (my oil filter is in the top of the engine and its not a messy job)
Hey Brian, i have a 2008 nissan 350z, i drive it about 2000 miles per seaon. I store it for about 6 months for the winter. I change the engine oil only AFTER taking it out of storage, not before storage. I only use full synthetic oil. People say change the engine oil before you store the car and then change it again after taking it out. It doesnt make sense to me, i think thats just wasting perfectly good synthetic oil. Any harm in what i'm doing? Are those people just neurotic? Would love your take on this oil myth!
Storing a vehicle after only 2000 miles on a true synthetic formula should be fine as long as it is changed afterwards as you mentioned. You can rest easier if your 350Z is stored in a climate controlled environment.
I always thought the change oil indicator light on my 02 escalade was programmed to come on every 3k miles until I drove from MN to CA round trip about 3600 mi on the same oil. I have been back to MN and driving another 1500 mi or so and still no indicator light to change the oil. I guess it's true all those highway miles did nothing to the oil and I probably won't see the light come on until about 3k miles of city driving which is the norm. For reference I strictly use Mobil 1 5w30 and K&N oil filter. My 2 cents..
@OK Boomer That may be true but one being "better" than another doesn't make the other a bad filter. I like K&N because of the nut on the bottom that makes it easy to remove in my particular application here on this Escalade. I no longer own this vehicle but still use K&N on my Infiniti G35 for the reason mentioned above.
I change to synthetic and go 2 cycles on the oil computer which is roughly 20-25k miles. No problems and the oil can take it. This is a real engineering fact from oil and engine testing at OEMs (vs shop lore): modern conventional oils newer than API SH grade or so will go 10k miles at least.
Agree with everything except the "no one drives their car to 300k and it would be dangerous or outdated". I have a 2004 F150 with 225k. It's not anywhere near outdated nor dangerous. If you take care of your vehicles, they will last that long and longer with little fuss.
@Chris K yeah 5 years later I’m watching this and i would definitely want to keep a car for 300,000 miles. You can tell when someone is pushin’ new cars, and buying them every couple years. I’m planning to get my 2006 Toyota Matrix to last to 300,000 miles, it’s got 153,000 now and it runs like new still. It’s all about preventative maintenance and keeping everything in good shape.
I change every 3000 or 3 months what ever comes first. My truck runs up un paved gravel roads all summer for camping and eats dust. It also is pulling my 7000 pound camper and both are loaded tot he max weight. If my truck is 2000 miles but has 4 months on the oil it gets changed! Period and at the dealeship my Ram 1500 4x4 hemi cost 30.00 for oil change big deal you can't even get a good steak dinner for that anymore.
my 1992 s10 2.8l 5 speed has 240k (daily driver)on it and my 1998 suzuki sidekick 1.8l 4 speed auto (used to be daily driver) has 239k both run strong all original engines and transmissions etc i prefer 3.5 to 5k mile oil changes depending on how i drive and what speeds. highway mileage usually makes the oil dirty slower than in city driving ive been a tech for 7 years now i dont really follow mileage i usually go off of dates and how the fluid looks and smells.
But I deliver pizza and drive uber my 2016 kia soul has 186k miles what is the deal with the 300k plus Thing and what about my transmission oil. I have never changed it it's 2 years old ....
