Oil Question?
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Senior User
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From: Broken Arrow
Oil Question?
I know they say to change your oil every 3months/3000miles but does time really have anything to do with it? Will the oil break down or something? The reason I ask is my bronco has been sitting for about 7-9 months but there are only 300 miles on the oil, maybe.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,555
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From: Manhattan, KS
I would change it once a year on a rarely driven vehicle. On vehicles that I drive everyday or on a regular basis I change oil per the manufacturers recommendations. I guess you can change more often if you are trying to get 300,000 miles or more out of an engine or if you have severe duty, i.e. towing, stop and go, or short trips, but that would be classified as servere use.
I have had a number of vehicles over the years and the engines have held up following this pattern and most were close to 200,000 miles and running when they were sold or traded.
This will probably start some criticism from the 3000/change crowd, and I have probably jinxed myself into having engine trouble on something too. lol
I have had a number of vehicles over the years and the engines have held up following this pattern and most were close to 200,000 miles and running when they were sold or traded.
This will probably start some criticism from the 3000/change crowd, and I have probably jinxed myself into having engine trouble on something too. lol
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Edmonton, AB Canada
Definetly change your oil before you start driving that truck again. The oil does break down and the additives settle out and wont lubricate your motor as well as with new oil. For the price of an oil change dont risk your motor.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Edmonton, Alberta
We change the oil in our standby generators - oil changes every year no matter the hours. Due to temperature changes and such the moisture and other crap that builds up in the engines is then flushed and doesn't damge it.
I change the oil in my Bronco every 5000 Km due to the temperature variations here in Canada - the sludge that builds up in 3000 miles is quite amazing.
I change the oil in my Bronco every 5000 Km due to the temperature variations here in Canada - the sludge that builds up in 3000 miles is quite amazing.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2005
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I am sold on synthetic oil.I change filters every 3300km and do a full change every 10000km.Starting an engine with synthetic in it in cold and very cold weather is like starting in the summer.I don't plug my block heater unless it's -35 or colder.Usually don't plug it in then either because I'm NOT going out.Just use better quality filters.Doing this way runs slightly more cost wise but you have a far better oil in your engine.
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From: Broken Arrow
I agree there, I run mobile one in 10,000 mile runs on my wife’s care and use either a bosch or mobile one filter, it is worth the cost. However, on my bronco I have been using Valvoline 10W40 All-Climate and a motocraft FL-1A filter from the day I installed the Motor
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From: SoFla
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Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Manhattan, KS
There are other factors than just the cost of the oil and filter also. If oil and filters are being changed more often than necessary there is the environmental cost and waste of a product. I'm not a tree hugger and have a couple of less than environmentally friendly vehicles, so I'm not casting stones. No use making the oil companies more money.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Marana, AZ
Its not good to let any vehicle just sit for 3 months at a time. Seals in the heads will get crispy with out fresh oil on them, lifters tend to bleed down. Its a good practice to at least start your engine once a week and let it run till it gets to operating temprature and then rev it about 2000 rpms for a minute or two to make sure the cam is lubricated well. I am doing an overhaul on my engine in my Bronco right now that I only drove when the rains came and my dirt road was a mud pit. You should see how the oil was caked on the lifter valley. It was about 3/8" thick. My Mustang is started at minimum once a week if its not driven to a show or event.
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From: Broken Arrow
I do start it at least once a month if not more I just don’t drive it. And the pic looks good compared to the engine I started with. It came out of a 1986 bronco and I don’t think the owner ever changed the oil. I had to take a hammer and chisel just to find the head bolts I found buildup 1" thick in places. That was a fun rebuild.
Its a wonder that motor even ran!
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Joined: Apr 2006
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I know I'll take alot of flak for this. But here goes. I change the oil in my vehicals when I feel like it. That is usally about once a year. I drive about 2000 a month in the Bronco. About 5000 a year in the GMC motorhome and my wife drives about 1000 a month in the Vette. I have never had any oil related problems in my 48 years on this planet. I've never sold a vehical that didnt run. I have put 300,000 miles on every truck I've owned in the past. (Two Scouts and another Bronco) My current Bronco has about 150,000 on it and runs strong. While I think that changing the oil is a good idea, some people go overboard. Of course the manufactor is going to say change it often. Than they can blame problems on you for not keeping up with it. I will agree with starting the engine once a month to stop inside rust. But make sure you run it long enough to get it hot. Otherwise, it makes condensation worse. Also dont forget to turn the front diff once a month. I've seen a front diff rusted bad on just the top half.
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