When should I change my oil?

[THX-Luke]

My car manual says that I should change my oil every 8,000 km, but my mechanic says I should change it every 5,000 km.

Who's right?

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Luc-Rock Paquin

[raid]

You really need to check out your owner's manual and see what it says. As a general rule you should follow the owners manual and increase if you do heavy duty driving.

[luckyking]

Generally speaking, you change your engine oil every 5000 km - 7000 km, depending your driving habit. IF you always travel highway, you can wait and change your oil till 6000 - 7000 km. However, if you travel in local most of the time, you better change engine oil more frequently as you have more chances to stop and start.

[truckguy01]

I work for a dealership and the recommended interval for an oil change is 5000kms. When you invest money in a vehicle an oil change is really cheap maintenance.Taking it to the dealers service dept they will also check fluid levels belts and hoses and if the vehicle is on warranty will do warranty repairs and check for recalls

[rudyhiebert]

My suggestion is if you want to be safe, use 100 % synthetic and send out an oil analysis to an independant lab. Any dealer or manufacture doesn't have a leg to stand on if the oil shows that it's still OK but tries to threaten you with voiding the warranty.

[Michael]

This is a reply to truckguy01, you quote "When you invest money..." . A vehicle is not an investment at all, it's an expense till it's last day. A better word for your sentece would be spend.

[driftor]

The owner's manual will describe severe service; for most it means short or long trips. For long trips you can follow the regular schedule. Now it's something like 12000km for many cars while dealers and gas stations always recommend 3-4000km. If you want your engine to last more than 10 years or 200,000 km. change it more often for insurance.

In any case you never want to do less than the manufacturer recommends, and never let the dipstick get past the low mark--that is deadly--, and probably you'd want to time it with other service items.

I generally change the oil spring and fall; have had many cars over the last few years kept until they were ten years old, and they're making them better now.

[snoproblem]

I'd add one change interval, somewhere in mid-winter. Just in case!

Gee, reviving old threads is starting to be a habit!

Just call me Shaun of the thread! :-)) :-)) :-))

[The General]

Thank Shaun of the Dead!

Oil changes should be done following the manufacturer's recommendations.

I change my oil and filter every 5 000 km and I run full synthetic... but that's just me.

[swat_316]

If i use Mobile 1 Oil <===100% Sync you Recommend me to Change my oil every how many km?

[woohoo!]

General, can't you go longer between oil changes when you run on synthetic?

[The General]

Theoretically, you could.

The problem is that synthetic oil has even more detergents in it than mineral oil: what that means is that it picks up even more crap and therefore gets dirtier faster.

Many people leave the oil in for 10 000 km but replace the filter mid-way. Our climate is one of the toughest around: cold starts, hot starts, no-starts... If you travel 10 000 km is 4 months for example, than take a chance and do it. Just make sure you check the level regularly.

[snoproblem]

About oil levels on the dipstick;

When should oil be added? I usually throw in a whole container when it's down to the low end of the stick indicator - is this a bad thing? I do it that way so I don't overfill the crankcase, or have to fiddle with the oil container too much.

I've had second thoughts about doing it that way lately, though. :?

[The General]

Do it whenever it needs to be done.

Your way is not bad... just never forget about it. Being down 1 litre is not really anything to be worried about. Ideally you should do it when you notice that there is some missing.

[R.S.]

"Low" mark on the dipstick simply shows that you can add one small container of oil (is it 1 qt.?). Normally engine holds about 4 litres of oil, so when dipstick says low, you can still drive without hurting the engine. No need to be paranoid there. :wink:

If your 'low oil' lamp lights up, then you really need to add some.

[The General]

If your 'low oil' lamp lights up, then you really need to add some.

When this happens, it is usually too late. The light should normally go on when there is a lack of oil pressure... hence engine go bye-bye.

The rule of thumb (that no one follows) is to check the level every 2 fill-ups.

[snoproblem]

Thanks, guys, I needed to hear that!

By the way, I think those individual containers carry one liter, if I remember right.

[The General]

Yup, exactly 1 litre. In the US, it's 1 quart which is a little more than a litre (1.1 litres...).

[R.S.]

If your 'low oil' lamp lights up, then you really need to add some.
When this happens, it is usually too late. The light should normally go on when there is a lack of oil pressure... hence engine go bye-bye.

The rule of thumb (that no one follows) is to check the level every 2 fill-ups.
Engine can only go bye-bye only if you regularly drive with low oil pressure light on. Otherwise it will not harm engine much.

[The General]

Engine can only go bye-bye only if you regularly drive with low oil pressure light on. Otherwise it will not harm engine much.

To be a little more precise, for some cars, not all, when the light and/or buzzard goes on, it means that there no longer is any oil pressure. I know that many GMs, Mazdas and VWs are like this. The sensor may be faulty but we will assume that the electrical components are working fine.

[R.S.]

To be a little more precise, for some cars, not all, when the light and/or buzzard goes on, it means that there no longer is any oil pressure. I know that many GMs, Mazdas and VWs are like this. The sensor may be faulty but we will assume that the electrical components are working fine.
If this might be the case, then you're absolutely right. I hope I will never this kind of "warning system" in my car, just to be warned that my engine is now only good for recycling. :roll: I check my oil regularly, though.

[Gustav]

With all the talk about intake manifolds on GM cars. It looks like the oil is contaminated by the coolant (Dextron or other) Is it a bit of a safeguard to change the oil at more frequent intervals to save on a $1000 intake manifod gasket change ??
Regards
Gustav :?: :?:

[ASQ]

Low oil can be caused by many reasons.
-How one takes off from stops.
-Quality of oil.
-General temp of the engine.(within recommended range or not, if engine temp hi, so would be the oil temp.)
-Oil ring condition.
-Air filter condition. As the air is drawn in through the dirty filter, air will push dirt in and or limit the amount causing inproper mixture, and or mixing dirt in the oil.

So keeping each componant in good condition will keep engine running good.

[woohoo!]

Thanks ASQ, that's great ;-)

[ASQ]

u.r. wellcome Woohoo, It is my pleasure.

[TheCarGeek]

My car manual says that I should change my oil every 8,000 km, but my mechanic says I should change it every 5,000 km.

Who's right?

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Luc-Rock Paquin

I really think you should follow your manual, it reminds me when my mechanic told me to change oil for 4 000 km. But my VW repair manual says that I have to change at 8 000 km... So, I ask my friend whom to believe... He told me that the mechanic may just asking me to be back soon, to give more money just to change the oil.. Because the mechanic cut the fuel consumption in half wherein it can still be maximized til the the low oil pressure lights on..

[Crash]

I owned my own Jaguar/Land Rover shop for a number of years and whilst I wouldn't claim to know everything about every make and model, I will tell you a little story.

The Rover V8 engine which has been used in the entire Land Rover range for decades (until recently) was an old GM unit from the sixties. It started out life as an economical Buick engine. That was back when gas was cheap and nobody cared about gas prices. Buyers looked at it as under-powered, so GM shelved the unit and then sold it to Rover for use in their vehicles.

A great engine! It has been used in all Land Rovers, Rover cars, MG V8, Triumph TR8, TVR still use it, and so do Morgan. It is also the engine of choice for most UK custom car conversions (I've had 2 Toyota Hilux pickups converted to this engine, and they're awesome!)

Back when it was first made, everyone was changing oil every 5,000. Then as other manufacturers developed better engine designs, oil change requirements started to alter.

To cut a long story short...Land Rover found themselves with an engine that needed regular oil changes, in a market of modern engines. What did they do? They extended the oil change recommendations to their owners!!!

I know what you’re thinking, “it’s the same engine, nothing has changed”!!!

You’re right! They had vehicles coming back in "under warranty” with engines so “gummed up with old oil deposits” that they were, in some cases, having to replace the whole engine.

The reason for this is simple...as engine design has progressed, the design of internal oil ways has improved. (From my understanding, Ford is now one of the leaders in engine oil way design).

Land Rover led their customers to believe that their engines could compete with the oil change interval recommendations of their competitors, which was totally untrue.

The truth is...their V8 was a great engine, “if only” you changed the oil regularly. It was probably a more robust engine than most of their competition, but Land Rover goofed up by trying to compete in a "sales pitch area" which they couldn’t.

My advice therefore is this...Go by the manufacturer’s recommendations. Unless! "A factory trained technician" suggests shorter oil change intervals. In my mind, the mechanics who physically work on the vehicles every day usually know best. After all, they see all the problems in “real life”. They don’t make any real money from oil changes, so they don’t have much to gain from lying to you.

The manufacturers on the other hand, often “manipulate the truth” in order to compete in the marketplace, and when you think about it...does it truly matter to them, as long as the vehicle gets through the warranty period!

Now I'm not going to go as far as saying that all mechanics know everything about cars or...that all manufacturers tell Pork Pies (Lies). What I will say to you is... find a good factory trained mechanic or a independent who specializes in your type of vehicle. I might know a fair bit about Jags and LR's, and maybe one or two other British makes, but I know diddily squat about the workings of most other brands! Anyone who tells you that "they specialize in all types of vehicles" is a YO YO in my mind. Unless of course they are 237 years old, in which case they might just have had the time to learn it all :lol:

[apl16]

change it at least as often as the manufacturers specs.........if you see it getting dirty, change it more often.........oil is the most important thing to an engine as well as temperature........friction and heat kill engines........stay on the safe side

[ASQ]

Doesn't engine temp causes some oils to loose viscosity. so should we put thicker oil to keep viscosity at a recommended thickness, and the thicker oil will stick to cylinder wall more so. wouldn't it.

[yncy515]

every 8000 or a year whatever comes first but i suggest you still check on yoyr oil from time to time it should remain brown when it gets black you alredy need to change your oil.

[Mr Car Guy]

Most car manufacturers recommend 5,000 KM oil changes. If you drive mostly city, tow, off-road, drive fast, it should be more often. You should change your oil several times a year, even if you don't drive much. You should not rely on just looking a the color of the oil on the stick. It may not be dirty enough to go dark yet, but the viscosity may have changed, or broken down. Diesel engines will be black within a very short time, even on a low mileage engine.

Yes oil viscosity changes as the oil breaks down, but you should not use thinner or thicker oil than the recommendation of the manufacturer. Thicker oil takes longer to get to vital engine components at start up. Thinner oil can lower the oil pressure and allow metal to metal contact.

If you do nothing else, keeping the oil in your engine fresh and clean is the best thing you can do for your car. More engines die a premature death due to lack of clean oil than any other cause.

[Slaytanic_666]

We don't need no stinkin oil! Seriously every 5,000 and change the fliter too of course!