Oil Change Interval Question???

[chimchim]

I couldn't find this exact oil subject. I only drive my car about 5,000 - 6,000 miles a year. If I change my oil at 3,000 miles, it gets changed every 6 months. It feels like I'm depriving the engine for some reason.

Anyway, is there a time limit for oil. Should I change it every 2-3 months no matter what the mileage or what. I last changed it in December and I put about 1,500 miles on since and it's been 4 months. What do you think. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Man, I have a feeling this thread will go very long like many oil threads do...

Anyway, it sounds like you are putting very low miles on your car. One critical thing to consider is that if you are making many short trips and your car is never fully heating up the oil degrades MUCH FASTER. Is this the case with your driving?

If not I would change every 3000 miles. I use the stock oil which for my car is Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-20. I recommend using the oil that Ford recommends and not spending excess money on synthetics.

How many total miles are on your car?

Have you considered using Sea Foam the next time you change your oil?

 

[rjstaaf]

Actually frequent short trips do not cause the oil to break down more quickly, they prevent moisture and other contaminates from the combustion cycle from being completely burned off so they accumulate in the oil. These kinds of contaminates can be identified with an oil analysis. What I would do is when you change your oil next send off a sample of the used oil for analysis and see if there is excessive moisture or fuel contamination. If there aren't than your oil change interval is fine.

I use www.blackstone-labs.com

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Actually frequent short trips do not cause the oil to break down more quickly, they prevent moisture and other contaminates from the combustion cycle from being completely burned off so they accumulate in the oil. These kinds of contaminates can be identified with an oil analysis. What I would do is when you change your oil next send off a sample of the used oil for analysis and see if there is excessive moisture or fuel contaminates. If there aren't than your oil change interval is fine.

I use www.blackstone-labs.com

Yes, that is what I said. Short trips cause the oil to degrade much more quickly.

 

[chimchim]

Yes, many short hard trips!!! Rjstaff, dude, that is way too technical than I wish to get. I use Mobile One 5W30, but only because the girl that works at Advance Auto is hawt and I think it makes me look cool when I spend $6 a quart on oil. The stuff is still a light brown to almost clear on my dipstick, so I'll run it to 3,000 or until it looks like tar and smoke comes out my dipstick tube.

EDIT: Disclaimer... I cannot be responsible for any more of my posts because the cheap light beer hath taketh over the keyboard.