I have been reading up here on FTE on oil changes and some people change at 3K some at 10K and some more. People believe that if they don't they will ruin their motors. I am also a member of thumpertalk- a 4 stroke dirt bike forum and the same controversy exists over there. IE: The owners manual of a 2005 honda CRF450 says to change engine oil & filter every 15 hours. Most riders elect to change EVERY RIDE which can amount to less than an hour to more than 3 hours.

My challenge is this: Despite what blackstone says about your report; does anyone have any personal knowledge or experience of an engine failure due to excessivley dirty oil due to too infrequent of oil changes? I am not talking about engine failure due to leaky injectors thinning crankcase oil (which although rare, I agree is a good reason to change your oil) or to little oil due to leaks or whatever I mean oil flat being worn out to the point that engine damage occured.

For that matter.... has anyone ever suffered an engine failure in any engine due to not changing the oil enough? As an example....my lawnmower(and pressure washer)has had the same oil in it since the day I bought it 5 years ago and it continues to run fine. I am sure someone will make the argument Your "briggs don't work as hard as your PSD". well all things being equal, their size vs. job makes them pretty equal to me.

I suspect there are few of you. I also suspect that oil is capable of doing its job much better than we like to admit. I read a study somewhere once where two identical NY city taxi cabs were used. One cab had oil changed every 3K the other never did. at 100K both engines were torn down and tolerances measured. Both engines had similar amounts of wear.

I always chuckle at the statemenets "I don't trust XX brand of oil so I change every 1500." How do you make a statement like that? If each manufacturere his required to meet the same standards how can xx brand be so much worse than yy brand that your engine will burn up if you run it more than 1500 miles. If you don't trust xx brand that much, why do you buy it?


I think this whole oil change interval topic is wAAAAAAAAAAAAyyyyyyy overrated.

 

I change only at the manufacturer recommended intervels.

On my vehicles, as follows:
2004 F250 PSD - 7500 miles w/non-synthetic oil
2003 Land Rover Discovery - " "
2005 BMW 325i - 15000 miles w/synthetic oil

However, I do change my lawnmower oil every Spring.
That oil is filthy.

 

Well the good thing about your Ford, is you wont have to change your valves in six months llke your Honda

 

dgarzoli, You should post this question in the Oil Forum-There is more than one "oil guru" which will probably respond.

For what its worth: As a Mobil1 guy, each of my vehicles experienced about 1 mpg increase when I switched over to synthetic from conventional...

 

Anyone know a MOD that can move this to the oil forum rather than duplicating it on both?

 

...there is not one of these in the Oil Foum...confused I am...well at my age that is easy

 

Well as a technition in the field its real easy change your oil at the Factory recomende intervals or you will have trouble. Yes I have seen engines that have failed and warrenty had not paid or covered the repairs. If you do change your own oil keep reciepts and keep track of when you do it. I change my oil in the truck every 4 months reguardless of mileage. I use Motor Craft 15w-40 and Motor craft filters as well. I do have the luxury of keeping track of oil changes in my system at work. If there is ever a question about it Ican just print off the vehicle history and show them. On the other had if an oil sample is taken and sent to black stone and they find that the oil has broken down and there is a lack of maitenece concern you will probably pay something. IMHO just change it at the recomended intervals its cheap enough and its good insurance. What kind of oil and filters you use. Ask 10 different people get 10 diiferent answers.

 

Ask 10 different people get 10 diiferent answers.

Now see...there you go...those same, ding, dang 10 people again. Ask some body else!

Ask 11 people this time...or 5...or 10,126. But not 10.

Geeeees...you'd think those 10 people would be sick of all the questions by now.

Not only that...but you think two of 'em would agree sometime.

 

Again......I am not interested in warranty coverage being denied for not following the schedule. Does anyone have any proof/evidence that an engine failure was directly attributable to dirty oil or oil that was the direct cause of the failure becuase it was left in the engine too long?? Not some technicality that the manufacturere will uise to deny coverage; forget about that. Forget about warranties period. For the purposes of this thread can anyone PROVE that their engine fried becuase they did not change the oil??????

 

You are not going to find PROOF/Evidence of a failure from not changing the oil....not sure what you are fishing for...Why are you looking?
I have been here for a bit, and there has never been one...so this thread is kind of done

 

Tim I think you have a troll on your hands!

 

Not hardly. A troll would be a duramax owner, who would come here and start crap about a PSD. This thread is not brand specific and can be applied to any ICE. OR are you calling me a troll because this thread has caused you to realize how much money you have wasted changing oil and you want it closed.......
BTW here is my rig
www.northcoastmultimedia.com/sand_web

and Tim Lampkin.........

I am fishing for peoples real feelings on why they go to, in some cases, such extremes in changing oil: IE every four months regardless of mileage, every 2K 3K? If your statement that "You will not find proof/evidence" of an engine failure due to failing to change the oil is true.......then why the hype? Is this belief part of what fuels(no pun intended) Americas "shortage of oil".

Don't get me wrong, I follow the manual becuase I do not want to risk my warranty either; but I beleive that we, as a societly, waste too much oil on needless oil changes; especially if there is no proof that it (old oil)damages the engine. Are manufactureres in bed with oil companies?

 

http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.shtml

 

I know where I work that the emgines are made to burn a qt. of oil every 3,000 miles so yes I have seen engine failure which is directly arrtributed to not changing the oil. I have had engines apart many times and I have seen cars with 100,000 mies on them looking great because the customer changed the oil regularly, and I have seen engines fail at 15,000 miles because the oil wasnt changed regularly i.e. once or twice in that time period. My primary vehicle has 268,000 miles on it and I change the oil every 3 months regardless of mileage. I have had the engine apart to change the timing chain and it is spotless and burns about 1/2 qt. in 3,000 miles. I would venture to say that if I had not changed the oil I would have changed the car by now. You will find that the majority of the people hear on the forums love thier trucks and love to maintain them. I for one change my oil every 4 months regaurdless because it idles a lot during the winter and I dont want to wet sack it. Thats my choice. I dont think that there is an oil shortage because people are changing there oil.

Tim the 10 people will never agree its human nature... or just because we always ask them... next time I will ask 13 people

 

I dont think that there is an oil shortage because people are changing there oil

I know dats right Sarge.

I use Mobil 1 Tuck and SUV...change every 5,000 miles whether it needs it or not.

Reasons?

#1. I want to
#2. I can
#3. Why risk a $ 13,000 - $ 15,000 engine over the the price of an oil change.

next time I will ask 13 people

Well it's about time. Those ten people were gettin' plum wore out.