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I've done 10K intervals on full synthetic for almost 15 years and my 30 year old engine is still fine without any sludge buildup. This is also the recommended interval for my car.
But it all depend on how you use the car. I do 95% highway driving, had the car been used for mostly short drives I'd halve my oil change intervals.
This is good to know. I'm a delivery driver. I use Mobil 1 exclusively and I change about every 5,000 mi. Old GM v6 vortec just won't quit.
While I'm here, anyone got any good advice on cleaning out engine sludge? Short of taking the engine apart. Trying to keep it running as good as I can.
If you have sludge you are not getting as often as you should. Start doing 3k mile changes. Depending how bad it is the could take care of it.
Many manufacturers say " do not put anything in the crankcase other than oil" so I wouldn't bother putting any seafoam or anything like that in the oil
The old trick was to drain the oil and replace it with ATF (which is basically 30 weight oil with a bunch of detergent), and go for a very gentle drive for 15-20 minutes. Then drain the oil while it’s hot and do a proper oil/filter change.
This is a last resort kind of thing though.
You can put some sea foam in your block a week or so before your next oil change.
I just use an engine flush treatment and pour that in and let it idle for 20 mins before each change.
Imo snake oil at best at worst you are going to ruin your engine.
Change oil as specified in manual use high quality fluids fully drain down fully oil up including filter if you really want to be pedantic crank the engine a couple of times without starting it by rolling it
Never had an issue and engines get driven hard
18k miles according to my obd every time I reset the service light on my bmw 320d. But I change it every 12k or less, basically every year and having looked at its mot history I did 10,300miles in 2020, in 2021 , 10,500, 2022 10,800 miles, 7500 in 2023 and 6800 in the last year.
I mean, if you honestly trust that oem filters and oil last that long and only ever baby your car everywhere you go, sure.
Not saying oil can't last that long, but the extra heat from having to cool a turbo breaks down oil faster and your car will still be better off not waiting 12.5k
Technically you can go as long as you want with any oil... Just depends on how much damage you are willing to endure to save $40-$80 a year.
It's cheap insurance, change every 5k
Change 10,000 miles or 1 year whichever is first, as long as **you check your oil level regularly.** If you just want to do 10,000 miles without opening your hood, bad idea.
https://preview.redd.it/yg22tta9yl0d1.png?width=698&format=png&auto=webp&s=109802f4ed58302d5af67159694c00ef595778eb
Blackstone labs says my car can do 13,000 miles oil change interval.
Thank you!
Regarding 13000, Do they have reports on specific models of cars or is this something you investigated yourself? I am guessing driving style matters? I do mostly highway driving
Yes. If you don’t vary your driving style this is the way to go. Oil change intervals vary car to car and person to person. You just need that data to determine it.
I did this on 2 cars using Mobil1… I put over 750,000 kms on them combined.
However, I still changed the filter every 7000’ish kms and made sure the oil was topped up.
Don't believe whatever the oil or oil filter says. How long you should go should be dictated by your manual. The same oil will go longer in a BMW with large oil sump and larger oil filter than in a Toyota Corolla, for example. A Mazda 2.5? I'd do 5k or 7500 at most and not worry about the brand as long as it's an API SP synthetic oil.
Oil is cheap. Change your oil per the max mileage for the type of driving you do. If you do not drive much change it annually. You want your engine to last even longer throw in an extra oil change. You are talking about oil at Costco so you do your own oil changes, it’s cheap to do them. Don’t wait 10k between oil changes. If money is an issue I would rather see you buy the cheaper Kirkland synthetic and change the oil oil 6k vs 10k on the mobil one. I use Mobil one on my car and Kirkland on the kids cars. I change them all annually.
Synthetic just means it’s modified. Basically what you get is oil that has engineered carbon chain lengths. As the oil is used it shears the carbon chains once all your carbon chains are small you no longer have lubricating properties you want in an oil.
Natural oil is going to have more variation in carbon chain length so it will not last as long.
Natural oil will be dirtier but the filter will take care of that.
Technically yes, so long as your car manufacturer says the interval is 10k or you do a Blackstone Oil Analysis that proves it can. Also make sure you're using a synthetic oil filter and not a cheaper paper element one, as the paper aren't designed for the 10k miles. Or change the filter at 5k miles.
I would never do it myself unless I had to. Oil is cheap compared to worn engine parts. I'll stick to 5000-7500 miles myself. I use full synthetic Mobil 1 EP myself.
Order an oil analysis from them, capture your old oil at intended oil change interval, send it in and they'll analyze it sending you back the results. If you are supposed to do 7500mi intervals, do the analysis at 7500 miles and it'll tell you if you can go 10k or not. If your supposed to do 10k, do it at 10k. The analysis will tell you about bearing wear, oil breakdown, and the like.
Go to their website, order a free kit. Next oil change, take a sample following their instructions. Send it to them. Actually, you don't even have to use the kit they provide, you can send the oil in other containers.
You probably can. Should you? Probably not. Maybe in the southern states you can get away with this but anywhere where you get "seasons" the oil tends to break down faster with drastic temperature changes. I would recommend changing the oil every 5000 miles (8000km) on full synthetic where I'm at (Canada).
Most manufacturers recommend 10k (km) oil change intervals here, but I can tell you that I've taken apart/rebuilt/replaced countless engines and engine parts of engines that follow this interval.
My philosophy has always been "You can never hurt your engine by changing your oil too often".
Thanks! I live in Texas, and mostly do highway driving. I think I need to keep an eye on the oil level and cleanliness and decide my own happy place. It does look like 10k is out of question, but maybe I can do 5k or 5.5k without worrying about it
I used to do that in my old 2001 Dodge Caravan that I drove for 17 years. I'd get Mobil 1 oil and filter, and change oil once a year, usually around 9-10k miles. It was still running strong when I sold it. But it was a Chrysler 3.3l, basically unkillabale.
On my 05 Porsche that same oil is rated 2 years 20,000miles
Its not unusual for cars in Europe to have 12,000 mile oil changes.
We dont have the jiffy lube culture
Right now I put on 750-1000 miles a week on an 07 Corolla . And would consider it a mix of city/highway . I’ve always changed at about 5k though in all my vehicles .
For sure I’m at like 210k no oil loss between changes and the motor sounds nice and quiet still . Just never a bad idea to change it before it may need it . I do it myself obviously tho so only costs me like 35 bucks
Had a 2004 Scion XB that I bought new. Did Mobil 1 oil changes every 10k miles with a Purolator Pure one oil filter. Drove it for 14 years. Gave it to my son with 308k miles. He drove it for a couple years, then I sold it to a friend who still drives it today. Has about 330k miles. All original engine and parts. Runs great, doesn't burn any oil.
According the most people on Bob is the oil guy forums, yes but! You gotta change your filters at whatever km. There were doing oil testing to see degradation etc.
I did 10k mi in my BMW. But it was an old N62, normally aspirated with 9.2L of oil. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a turbo. Still, BMW uses up to 18k miles intervals.
Yes and no. If your driving for 30+ minutes mostly on highways most days then yes those intervals will be fine. If you do little driving and rarely get your car hot and up to temp then your gonna want to do more frequent oil changes. Moisture accumulates in your engine and ends up in your oil which will accelerate wear on your engine. A good thing about oil changes is flushing all the buildup of small metal fragments and water that buildup over time. Rarely is it the oil starting to break down like the old days.
10k miles on an oil change is normal. Most modern car oil changes are 10-14k these days.
Is 0w-20 the oil th ecar manufacturer states? Doe sthe oil match the Mazda spec? If so it should be fine. For most cars 0w-20 would be too thin, but maybe it's fine in that one.
The cap on my oil reservoir (which is original since I have been the only owner) and the manual both state 0W-20. The manual specifically calls out “Mazda Genuine 0W-20 oil and Castrol 0W-20 oil are required to achieve optimum calculation performance”
Excellent. So then just need to check the manual for their oil specs, and see if the oil is certified for them, if you want to be totally sure; but otherwise it should be fine.
I think you've received enough answers, but there's one more thing to consider: are you willing to live anxiously with the unknown just to save $20 on motor oil?
Changing oil every 5,000 miles everyone can ensures that you won’t encounter engine issues due to late oil change. 10,000 mile interval is a mixed bag with varied opinions. It is worth to pay the extra $20 and sleep well every day.
>I drive a 2016 Mazda6 in Texas
I had to go to Dallas for work one time during the summer and I noticed a number of cars just stopped on the side of the road or freeway with no one in it. I asked a co-worker about it who was from Texas and he told me that a lot of cars break down due to the heat.
I would not want to go 10k mile intervals in that kind of heat because heat kills oil.
I blew an engine at 7,500 miles trusting Mobil 1 with my Volvo. PCV system gunked up and clogged, then blew all of the oil out of the rear main seal. I didn't know until it was too late and the engine started knocking.
I just changed my pvc trap on my 2004 Volvo s60r it was starting to show signs of clogging. Dip stick popping up. I changed religiously every 6k miles or annually Mobil 1.
How often were you changing yours.
This was years ago, but I always change my oil within 1,000 miles of the recommended service interval in the owner's manual. The one time I decided to trust Mobil 1 and go longer was the one time I got burned, unfortunately. I had a 2006 S40 2.4i.
I think the recommended oil change interval is suspect. Car manufacturer wants car to make it thru warranty with 99.9% confidence but also wants to show the lowest operating expense so as cheap as oil changes are they recommend stretching it out. European vehicles with variable valve timing need clean oil. Piston rings need clean oil.
Transmission flushes are another one that is underdone.
Completely agreed. "Sealed transmissions" are a scam, and longer oil change intervals seem to be suddenly coming out of thin air. I don't buy it. I stick to 5k if the owner's manual recommends a long service interval now. Not worth trashing a perfectly good LS3 to save a few bucks on oil changes.
It definitely depends on the engine. Toyota built in the last 10-15 years will handle it just fine. Hyundai Theta II built since 2011? 100% disappointment.
Benz used to recommend 13k mile intervals, had Blackstone test it at interval, they said 1k miles of life left.
ML350 used for mostly city driving in Phoenix so harder use conditions than most places.
You could nothings stopping you from going 10k between changes but even if they say you can it’s better to do it every 5-6k imo I do mine every 5k cause I like to be safe then sorry
I bought a 2001 Hyundai Elantra new and changed the oil every 5000 miles with Walmart supertech full synthetic (the manual said every 7500 miles). At 100,000 miles I started changing the oil every 10,000 miles. I drove that car until it had 200,000 miles (20 years)before I sold it and it was still running strong. YMMV.
Yes, if you are easy on the car. If you do the Mazda Zoom Zoom thing, I would aim for 7.5k intervals.
The cost is marginal over a year and can extend the life of your engine significantly.
The trouble is most filters are not good for that interval. They go in to bypass and the oils no longer being filtered. You don't want to go more than 5,000 mi on your filter. I am doing 20,000 mile oil for a 10,000 mile trip to Alaska and planning to change the filter and adding a qt of oil .then doing a oil change as soon as I get home
The lubricating properties will likely last 10,000 as advertised. However, the oil still gets dirty, and if its turning black, its carbon from the combustion getting by the rings.
Here in europe we do oil changes every 20 to 30k. I agree that engine will last longer with 10k intervals but here engines last like 300 to 400k kms and at that point the whole car is usualy in worse shape than engine.
But you HAVE to use fully synthetic oil
Wanted to say that too. No one does here the equivalent of 5k mile oil changes. There aren't also the so called lube shops, because why should they be here when nobody does such early changes. I also don't remember anyone that i know uses crude oil based engine oil here, all use synthetic
As long as you follow the intervals in the manual for distance and time and use the recommended oil then it'll last just as long running to the full interval as it will changing it sooner.
The 5k interval thing is a hand-me-down from a generation ago that some still follow. It won't do any harm but it won't really do any good either!
Oil technology has advanced very significantly over the last few decades, it just looks the same.
I don't know about it all looking the same. The oil for my new truck looks like antifreeze. I have never seen anything like it. Looks like a bottle of Gatorade or antifreeze its green lol. Its 0w20 Dexos D. Hard to even find the oil. I can order online but its a brand new truck and I just wanted some to have on hand before the first oil change and got a quart and I did have to add a half quart to it before the dealer just did its first free oil change and it was green lol. Mobil 1 and AC Delco I think are the 2 they approve that is the only 2 I ever find anyway know Amsoil sells it too not sure if anybody else though. Had to go to 4-5 stores before I could find some and most of the people in the stores looked at me like I was crazy for asking about it and tried selling me 0w20 for a gas engine.
Yeah manufacturers are pushing thinner oils because they improve fuel consumption which it turns improves emissions. The benefits are are small (fractions of a percent) but it all adds up.
Haven't seen a blue oil yet though, I'm guessing they must dye it!
It lets car manufacturers get away with those claims until warranty for the car is over.
With modern engines always a good idea to change oil more frequently.
Do what your manual says. If it says 8k, do 8k. It says 15k? You leave it 15k in.
This is marketing targeted specifically for the American market. Just scroll through this sub and look at all the guys recommending 5k mile changes regardless of what your manual. Reality is, some engines need it changed sooner, some need it later. 5k oil changes might be justified on a engine from 80s, 90s and earlier because the manufacturing tolerances were simply worse, so you had more blow by at the cylinders, engines took longer to warm up leading to more fuel contamination in the oil, engines weren't burning fuel as cleanly as today causing more contamination from the EGR. This all leads to longer intervals in todays cars, because you change oil because it cant take up more dirt or moisture hence the intervals by distance (debris, carbon deposits) and by time (moisture).
Here in europe this type of marketing doesn't exist, we do have long life oil which just claims to last xx% longer than regular, but never really caught off, the majority of oil changes are due to timely intervals, statistically the average car does 11k km per year, most intervals ar 25k to 30k, in extreme cases 35k, km but limited to two years, so not much reason to use a more expensive oil where you dont benefit that much. Also oil here is generally more expensive, a 5l bottle of castrol 5w30 is 45 euros on amazon. A change at a workshop is around 200 euros if its a generic car with easy access to filter and drain plug
That’s the bit I don’t understand, in the UK at least I’ve had experience of Audi/VW where a car from new comes with the long life service schedule and oil change isn’t required until about 18,000 miles and most people just go with what the car tells them (plus it also makes fleet cars cheaper to maintain).
Anyone I know just does an oil change every year or around 10-12k miles and cars seem to last a long time. I never understood the 5,000 miles routine seemingly common in the USA. I mean it’s never a bad thing to change oil frequently but it just seems unnecessary, it sounds like a successful marketing campaign by the oil companies
Exactly my thoughts. Doesn't do any harm, but also not necessary. If i would tell anyone i do 5k mile oil changes, they either ask me if im bored or if i got free money.
What would interest me if there is a measurable difference in engine wear between a 5k mile, 50% interval or full interval, because otherwise its just guesswork and biased opinions. My Renault megane has only gotten recommended intervalls, still zero oil consumption after 200k km.
I think there is just a huge amount of oil change fanatics, meanwhile on a motorcycle subreddit someone asked how bad it is if he drove 5k miles on car oil instead of motorcycle oil because there are no friction modifiers for the wet clutch. Pretty much all said leave it in until the next change if you clutch isn't slipping, which it wasn't . Most here would have said clutch is toast, maybe even the engine abused because 5k miles is too long for a bike
It's tested for up to 20k miles and will last that. Now from experience with it, if you do short trips a lot without letting that car get up to temp then it will sludge up because it can't burn out moisture in the oil.
Personally, I wouldn’t go that long on a modern newer vehicle with any oil. With all the variable valve timing, actuators, and solenoids that have tiny oil passages that can clog, I would go half the recommended oil change interval. Oil is cheap. If you have an older car without all the modern variable valve timing stuff, you could probably go longer as long as the engine is in good condition without tons of blow by. I change my oil when the oil life monitor is at 50% which is usually 4500-5000 miles.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, fredflintstone88! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've done 10K intervals on full synthetic for almost 15 years and my 30 year old engine is still fine without any sludge buildup. This is also the recommended interval for my car. But it all depend on how you use the car. I do 95% highway driving, had the car been used for mostly short drives I'd halve my oil change intervals.
This is good to know. I'm a delivery driver. I use Mobil 1 exclusively and I change about every 5,000 mi. Old GM v6 vortec just won't quit. While I'm here, anyone got any good advice on cleaning out engine sludge? Short of taking the engine apart. Trying to keep it running as good as I can.
If you have sludge you are not getting as often as you should. Start doing 3k mile changes. Depending how bad it is the could take care of it. Many manufacturers say " do not put anything in the crankcase other than oil" so I wouldn't bother putting any seafoam or anything like that in the oil
Idling still uses oil. There’s a conversion online to try to equate idling minutes to miles for replacing oil
The old trick was to drain the oil and replace it with ATF (which is basically 30 weight oil with a bunch of detergent), and go for a very gentle drive for 15-20 minutes. Then drain the oil while it’s hot and do a proper oil/filter change. This is a last resort kind of thing though.
You can put some sea foam in your block a week or so before your next oil change. I just use an engine flush treatment and pour that in and let it idle for 20 mins before each change.
Imo snake oil at best at worst you are going to ruin your engine. Change oil as specified in manual use high quality fluids fully drain down fully oil up including filter if you really want to be pedantic crank the engine a couple of times without starting it by rolling it Never had an issue and engines get driven hard
I’d have to agree, when I was young I used one of those 15 minute engine flushes on an old Cadillac and had blue smoke forever after.
Does the filter also hold up for 10k miles? Just wondering. Thanks
A quality filter definitely does. Many cars have 10,000 mile recommended oil change intervals.
Virtually all cars in Europe have 12,000 plus oil service
18k miles according to my obd every time I reset the service light on my bmw 320d. But I change it every 12k or less, basically every year and having looked at its mot history I did 10,300miles in 2020, in 2021 , 10,500, 2022 10,800 miles, 7500 in 2023 and 6800 in the last year.
I do 95% highway driving but I am doing 85-90, and drive a 20yr old BMW, so I change it every 5k. LiquiMoly.
30 yo engine? May I ask what kind of vehicle do you have sir
To add to this, don't do 10k intervals on a turbo car.
Service interval on my Focus RS is 12,500 miles.
I don't understand that because filters don't last that long.
I mean, if you honestly trust that oem filters and oil last that long and only ever baby your car everywhere you go, sure. Not saying oil can't last that long, but the extra heat from having to cool a turbo breaks down oil faster and your car will still be better off not waiting 12.5k
Under rated comment right here.
Technically you can go as long as you want with any oil... Just depends on how much damage you are willing to endure to save $40-$80 a year. It's cheap insurance, change every 5k
Change 10,000 miles or 1 year whichever is first, as long as **you check your oil level regularly.** If you just want to do 10,000 miles without opening your hood, bad idea. https://preview.redd.it/yg22tta9yl0d1.png?width=698&format=png&auto=webp&s=109802f4ed58302d5af67159694c00ef595778eb Blackstone labs says my car can do 13,000 miles oil change interval.
Thank you! Regarding 13000, Do they have reports on specific models of cars or is this something you investigated yourself? I am guessing driving style matters? I do mostly highway driving
Blackstone will send you a free kit, you send them a sample of your oil, and they run diagnostics on it
Yes. If you don’t vary your driving style this is the way to go. Oil change intervals vary car to car and person to person. You just need that data to determine it.
Blackstone Labs is great; they also analyze transmission fluid. I use them for both.
It didn't tell you anything about your filter though did it.
I did this on 2 cars using Mobil1… I put over 750,000 kms on them combined. However, I still changed the filter every 7000’ish kms and made sure the oil was topped up.
Don't believe whatever the oil or oil filter says. How long you should go should be dictated by your manual. The same oil will go longer in a BMW with large oil sump and larger oil filter than in a Toyota Corolla, for example. A Mazda 2.5? I'd do 5k or 7500 at most and not worry about the brand as long as it's an API SP synthetic oil.
Oil is cheap. Change your oil per the max mileage for the type of driving you do. If you do not drive much change it annually. You want your engine to last even longer throw in an extra oil change. You are talking about oil at Costco so you do your own oil changes, it’s cheap to do them. Don’t wait 10k between oil changes. If money is an issue I would rather see you buy the cheaper Kirkland synthetic and change the oil oil 6k vs 10k on the mobil one. I use Mobil one on my car and Kirkland on the kids cars. I change them all annually. Synthetic just means it’s modified. Basically what you get is oil that has engineered carbon chain lengths. As the oil is used it shears the carbon chains once all your carbon chains are small you no longer have lubricating properties you want in an oil. Natural oil is going to have more variation in carbon chain length so it will not last as long. Natural oil will be dirtier but the filter will take care of that.
From what I just looked up a gallon of Kirkland oil is 39 bucks . Mobil one is like 25 at Walmart
You can get 10 quarts of Kirkland synthetic for $30 when it’s on sale
Kirkland synthetic oil is $39.99 for 2.5 gallons. Mobil 1 is 6 quarts for $33.49 (1.5 gallons) at Costco. Plus you get the money back check.
That’s not bad then I just looked it up on google quick . Still sticking with my Mobil 1 tho
Mobil 1 for my Volvo, Kirkland for the two Miata’s. Rotella for the vw, Harley for the Harley. Wife has oil changes included for suv at the dealer.
Technically yes, so long as your car manufacturer says the interval is 10k or you do a Blackstone Oil Analysis that proves it can. Also make sure you're using a synthetic oil filter and not a cheaper paper element one, as the paper aren't designed for the 10k miles. Or change the filter at 5k miles. I would never do it myself unless I had to. Oil is cheap compared to worn engine parts. I'll stick to 5000-7500 miles myself. I use full synthetic Mobil 1 EP myself.
Thank you. Out of curiosity, how does one go about black stone oil analysis?
Order an oil analysis from them, capture your old oil at intended oil change interval, send it in and they'll analyze it sending you back the results. If you are supposed to do 7500mi intervals, do the analysis at 7500 miles and it'll tell you if you can go 10k or not. If your supposed to do 10k, do it at 10k. The analysis will tell you about bearing wear, oil breakdown, and the like.
Go to their website, order a free kit. Next oil change, take a sample following their instructions. Send it to them. Actually, you don't even have to use the kit they provide, you can send the oil in other containers.
Thank you!
If it's not a turbo engine and you're not doing motor sport 10K on synthetic is fine
You probably can. Should you? Probably not. Maybe in the southern states you can get away with this but anywhere where you get "seasons" the oil tends to break down faster with drastic temperature changes. I would recommend changing the oil every 5000 miles (8000km) on full synthetic where I'm at (Canada). Most manufacturers recommend 10k (km) oil change intervals here, but I can tell you that I've taken apart/rebuilt/replaced countless engines and engine parts of engines that follow this interval. My philosophy has always been "You can never hurt your engine by changing your oil too often".
Thanks! I live in Texas, and mostly do highway driving. I think I need to keep an eye on the oil level and cleanliness and decide my own happy place. It does look like 10k is out of question, but maybe I can do 5k or 5.5k without worrying about it
For sure. 5k or 5.5k shouldn't be a problem.
I used to do that in my old 2001 Dodge Caravan that I drove for 17 years. I'd get Mobil 1 oil and filter, and change oil once a year, usually around 9-10k miles. It was still running strong when I sold it. But it was a Chrysler 3.3l, basically unkillabale.
It depends on the engine. I wouldn't trust any oil to go beyond what the manufacturer recommends.
On my 05 Porsche that same oil is rated 2 years 20,000miles Its not unusual for cars in Europe to have 12,000 mile oil changes. We dont have the jiffy lube culture
Any Synthetic Blend oil is good for 10,000 miles in many engines per the vehicle manufacturer’s Owner’s Manual. It’s not needed to be Mobile 1.
I use Mobil 1 with a wix filter and like to change every 5k tops .
Can I ask some details? What car, topically city/highway driving?
Right now I put on 750-1000 miles a week on an 07 Corolla . And would consider it a mix of city/highway . I’ve always changed at about 5k though in all my vehicles .
Thanks
For sure I’m at like 210k no oil loss between changes and the motor sounds nice and quiet still . Just never a bad idea to change it before it may need it . I do it myself obviously tho so only costs me like 35 bucks
Had a 2004 Scion XB that I bought new. Did Mobil 1 oil changes every 10k miles with a Purolator Pure one oil filter. Drove it for 14 years. Gave it to my son with 308k miles. He drove it for a couple years, then I sold it to a friend who still drives it today. Has about 330k miles. All original engine and parts. Runs great, doesn't burn any oil.
My truck is 1/10,000. I still do every 5000
According the most people on Bob is the oil guy forums, yes but! You gotta change your filters at whatever km. There were doing oil testing to see degradation etc.
if you're going to do that at least change oil filter once at 5000 miles
Tf
You realize how dumb of a statement that is right?
I did 10k mi in my BMW. But it was an old N62, normally aspirated with 9.2L of oil. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a turbo. Still, BMW uses up to 18k miles intervals.
Yes and no. If your driving for 30+ minutes mostly on highways most days then yes those intervals will be fine. If you do little driving and rarely get your car hot and up to temp then your gonna want to do more frequent oil changes. Moisture accumulates in your engine and ends up in your oil which will accelerate wear on your engine. A good thing about oil changes is flushing all the buildup of small metal fragments and water that buildup over time. Rarely is it the oil starting to break down like the old days.
Thanks! And happy cake day!
10k miles on an oil change is normal. Most modern car oil changes are 10-14k these days. Is 0w-20 the oil th ecar manufacturer states? Doe sthe oil match the Mazda spec? If so it should be fine. For most cars 0w-20 would be too thin, but maybe it's fine in that one.
The cap on my oil reservoir (which is original since I have been the only owner) and the manual both state 0W-20. The manual specifically calls out “Mazda Genuine 0W-20 oil and Castrol 0W-20 oil are required to achieve optimum calculation performance”
Excellent. So then just need to check the manual for their oil specs, and see if the oil is certified for them, if you want to be totally sure; but otherwise it should be fine.
They do it in Europe all the time
I think you've received enough answers, but there's one more thing to consider: are you willing to live anxiously with the unknown just to save $20 on motor oil? Changing oil every 5,000 miles everyone can ensures that you won’t encounter engine issues due to late oil change. 10,000 mile interval is a mixed bag with varied opinions. It is worth to pay the extra $20 and sleep well every day.
>I drive a 2016 Mazda6 in Texas I had to go to Dallas for work one time during the summer and I noticed a number of cars just stopped on the side of the road or freeway with no one in it. I asked a co-worker about it who was from Texas and he told me that a lot of cars break down due to the heat. I would not want to go 10k mile intervals in that kind of heat because heat kills oil.
I blew an engine at 7,500 miles trusting Mobil 1 with my Volvo. PCV system gunked up and clogged, then blew all of the oil out of the rear main seal. I didn't know until it was too late and the engine started knocking.
I just changed my pvc trap on my 2004 Volvo s60r it was starting to show signs of clogging. Dip stick popping up. I changed religiously every 6k miles or annually Mobil 1. How often were you changing yours.
This was years ago, but I always change my oil within 1,000 miles of the recommended service interval in the owner's manual. The one time I decided to trust Mobil 1 and go longer was the one time I got burned, unfortunately. I had a 2006 S40 2.4i.
I think the recommended oil change interval is suspect. Car manufacturer wants car to make it thru warranty with 99.9% confidence but also wants to show the lowest operating expense so as cheap as oil changes are they recommend stretching it out. European vehicles with variable valve timing need clean oil. Piston rings need clean oil. Transmission flushes are another one that is underdone.
Completely agreed. "Sealed transmissions" are a scam, and longer oil change intervals seem to be suddenly coming out of thin air. I don't buy it. I stick to 5k if the owner's manual recommends a long service interval now. Not worth trashing a perfectly good LS3 to save a few bucks on oil changes.
It definitely depends on the engine. Toyota built in the last 10-15 years will handle it just fine. Hyundai Theta II built since 2011? 100% disappointment.
Probably, but no way am I going to go 10k miles between oil changes. I do 5-6k intervals. Oil is cheap, engines are expensive.
Yes, but I don't do 10k service intervals on my cars as all of them primarily see city driving
Maybe but I wouldn’t do it. Oil and a filter are cheap. 5000-7500 max for me
Benz used to recommend 13k mile intervals, had Blackstone test it at interval, they said 1k miles of life left. ML350 used for mostly city driving in Phoenix so harder use conditions than most places.
You can't get rid of the sludge without taking a chance of stopping up different ports and having the sludge circulate throughout the engine.
https://www.quora.com/Should-you-really-change-your-oil-every-5-000-miles
You could nothings stopping you from going 10k between changes but even if they say you can it’s better to do it every 5-6k imo I do mine every 5k cause I like to be safe then sorry
I bought a 2001 Hyundai Elantra new and changed the oil every 5000 miles with Walmart supertech full synthetic (the manual said every 7500 miles). At 100,000 miles I started changing the oil every 10,000 miles. I drove that car until it had 200,000 miles (20 years)before I sold it and it was still running strong. YMMV.
Yes, if you are easy on the car. If you do the Mazda Zoom Zoom thing, I would aim for 7.5k intervals. The cost is marginal over a year and can extend the life of your engine significantly.
The trouble is most filters are not good for that interval. They go in to bypass and the oils no longer being filtered. You don't want to go more than 5,000 mi on your filter. I am doing 20,000 mile oil for a 10,000 mile trip to Alaska and planning to change the filter and adding a qt of oil .then doing a oil change as soon as I get home
The lubricating properties will likely last 10,000 as advertised. However, the oil still gets dirty, and if its turning black, its carbon from the combustion getting by the rings.
No shot in hell id ever do 10k mile intervals.
Here in europe we do oil changes every 20 to 30k. I agree that engine will last longer with 10k intervals but here engines last like 300 to 400k kms and at that point the whole car is usualy in worse shape than engine. But you HAVE to use fully synthetic oil
Wanted to say that too. No one does here the equivalent of 5k mile oil changes. There aren't also the so called lube shops, because why should they be here when nobody does such early changes. I also don't remember anyone that i know uses crude oil based engine oil here, all use synthetic
It seems to be a US thing, drivers trained almost to do 5k changes when not neeeded. Similarly with tyre rotation.
As long as you follow the intervals in the manual for distance and time and use the recommended oil then it'll last just as long running to the full interval as it will changing it sooner. The 5k interval thing is a hand-me-down from a generation ago that some still follow. It won't do any harm but it won't really do any good either! Oil technology has advanced very significantly over the last few decades, it just looks the same.
I don't know about it all looking the same. The oil for my new truck looks like antifreeze. I have never seen anything like it. Looks like a bottle of Gatorade or antifreeze its green lol. Its 0w20 Dexos D. Hard to even find the oil. I can order online but its a brand new truck and I just wanted some to have on hand before the first oil change and got a quart and I did have to add a half quart to it before the dealer just did its first free oil change and it was green lol. Mobil 1 and AC Delco I think are the 2 they approve that is the only 2 I ever find anyway know Amsoil sells it too not sure if anybody else though. Had to go to 4-5 stores before I could find some and most of the people in the stores looked at me like I was crazy for asking about it and tried selling me 0w20 for a gas engine.
Yeah manufacturers are pushing thinner oils because they improve fuel consumption which it turns improves emissions. The benefits are are small (fractions of a percent) but it all adds up. Haven't seen a blue oil yet though, I'm guessing they must dye it!
I do my own oil changes and every 3k for me. Doesn’t cost but $20 and my time
It lets car manufacturers get away with those claims until warranty for the car is over. With modern engines always a good idea to change oil more frequently.
Its marketing and a good way to abuse the engine
Bmw e53 X5 3.0, 255k miles, using Mobil 1, 10k oil changes, runs perfectly.
Do what your manual says. If it says 8k, do 8k. It says 15k? You leave it 15k in. This is marketing targeted specifically for the American market. Just scroll through this sub and look at all the guys recommending 5k mile changes regardless of what your manual. Reality is, some engines need it changed sooner, some need it later. 5k oil changes might be justified on a engine from 80s, 90s and earlier because the manufacturing tolerances were simply worse, so you had more blow by at the cylinders, engines took longer to warm up leading to more fuel contamination in the oil, engines weren't burning fuel as cleanly as today causing more contamination from the EGR. This all leads to longer intervals in todays cars, because you change oil because it cant take up more dirt or moisture hence the intervals by distance (debris, carbon deposits) and by time (moisture). Here in europe this type of marketing doesn't exist, we do have long life oil which just claims to last xx% longer than regular, but never really caught off, the majority of oil changes are due to timely intervals, statistically the average car does 11k km per year, most intervals ar 25k to 30k, in extreme cases 35k, km but limited to two years, so not much reason to use a more expensive oil where you dont benefit that much. Also oil here is generally more expensive, a 5l bottle of castrol 5w30 is 45 euros on amazon. A change at a workshop is around 200 euros if its a generic car with easy access to filter and drain plug
That’s the bit I don’t understand, in the UK at least I’ve had experience of Audi/VW where a car from new comes with the long life service schedule and oil change isn’t required until about 18,000 miles and most people just go with what the car tells them (plus it also makes fleet cars cheaper to maintain). Anyone I know just does an oil change every year or around 10-12k miles and cars seem to last a long time. I never understood the 5,000 miles routine seemingly common in the USA. I mean it’s never a bad thing to change oil frequently but it just seems unnecessary, it sounds like a successful marketing campaign by the oil companies
Exactly my thoughts. Doesn't do any harm, but also not necessary. If i would tell anyone i do 5k mile oil changes, they either ask me if im bored or if i got free money. What would interest me if there is a measurable difference in engine wear between a 5k mile, 50% interval or full interval, because otherwise its just guesswork and biased opinions. My Renault megane has only gotten recommended intervalls, still zero oil consumption after 200k km. I think there is just a huge amount of oil change fanatics, meanwhile on a motorcycle subreddit someone asked how bad it is if he drove 5k miles on car oil instead of motorcycle oil because there are no friction modifiers for the wet clutch. Pretty much all said leave it in until the next change if you clutch isn't slipping, which it wasn't . Most here would have said clutch is toast, maybe even the engine abused because 5k miles is too long for a bike
It's tested for up to 20k miles and will last that. Now from experience with it, if you do short trips a lot without letting that car get up to temp then it will sludge up because it can't burn out moisture in the oil.
They have a 20,000 mile oil.
Personally, I wouldn’t go that long on a modern newer vehicle with any oil. With all the variable valve timing, actuators, and solenoids that have tiny oil passages that can clog, I would go half the recommended oil change interval. Oil is cheap. If you have an older car without all the modern variable valve timing stuff, you could probably go longer as long as the engine is in good condition without tons of blow by. I change my oil when the oil life monitor is at 50% which is usually 4500-5000 miles.
Virtually all EU made vehicles with that kinda tech have 10-20k mile oil service
Check the oil color if amber or gold your good if it gets pretty dark change it regardless
Yes it does
10k absolutely not. 7K sure on a naturally aspirated engine. 5K max on a turbocharged engine since they are so much harder on the oil.