http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...l-change_N.htm

Interesting stuff.

 

Porche used be 24k miles!!! Probably came with Amsoil for factory fill.

Toyotos are sludgers.....hence the shorter intervals.

 

I just bought a car from a friend who used the local JiffyLube. Stuck in the corner of the windshield was a JiffyLube sticker reminding me that my next oil change was due in 3 months or 3000 miles.

 

My 78 Mercury 3.3L has a 7500 mile OCI in it's service manual from Ford, BUT if you fell into the "severe service" catagory, which in truth most folks did, then 3500 OCI's were specified.

I've changed it twice a year with Havoline & a Motorcraft FL-1A filter, engine is still quiet & clean as a pin inside & no oil consumption between changes, with the specified 10W-30.

So it bemuses me to read that Ford has now "increased" their OCI recommendation to 7500 miles!!!! Guess they've forgotten what they were doing 1/3 century ago!!!! lol

I suppose if a particular oil monitoring system were designed & calibrated, such that it could allow for & measure all differnt driving habits, & conditions, or the lubes condition, like base number or, % fuel & maybe estimate or measure solid particle containations, it would be a good idea for most folks, as vehicles engines, driving habits & condtions do vary considerably over the nation, so it's difficult to specify one OCI, to acurately cover all situations.

Think I'd want to know a good deal more about how a particular system works & just how reliable & accurate it is going to be, before I'd totally trust it!!!!
Wonder if Fords system is self monitoring, such that if it fails, it sets a warning light of some sort?????

Will be interesting to see how things shake out. Bet if they turn out to be accurate, this will knock the oil analisis labs buisness in the head, as time goes on!!!!

 

Ford's recommened OCI starting as early as 1964 was 6000 miles.

Heck, the recommended OCI for my 1960 Falcon was 4000 miles.

There were no separate OCI's for normal/severe. One size fits all.

And many, many, many (dare I say most) made it to 100k without a rebuild (with crappy practically non-detergent oils).

Funny how so many people still treat the 3000 OCI like it was brought by Moses down from the mountain carved in stone.

 

I must say it is easy to fall into that train of thought.....not too long ago I was a short OCI junkie. But after much research I am more than comfortable going 5k miles and not break a sweat, I want to go up to 10k (kms) on my next fill because it is a nice even number to remember and usually it works out to 2 changes a year.

 

I often think I'm probably draining good oil when I change at 5K miles!
One thing I have commented on over the years here at FTE:
It seems that no matter how many UOAs show up, or how many guys go 150,000, 200,000 miles or more, with 5000 or higher OCIs, some folks are just dead set on 3K drain intervals, and some even short OCIs running synthetic.

Oh well, it's their money and their truck.

My truck turned over 100K miles last week.
5K OCI = 20 oil changes
3K OCI = 33 oil changes

at approx $20/change, that is a savings of about $260.
Not a boat load of money, but it is a good chunk of a new set of tires.

Works for me!

 

And that is most people's justification. "Cheap Insurance".

"Waste of Money", I say.

To each his own.

 

That is 13 times less the dealer/Jiffy Lube/whatever has an opportunity to strip your oil plug/under fill the oil/over fill the oil/forget to fill the oil.



(I'm paranoid so I do all my own service. It takes me forever but at least I know it is done right.)

 

I agree with you. That is what I have heard most often. My reply is generally "Insurance against what?"

Do you change tires before they are worn out as "insurance"?

 

if i remember correctly b4 mobil 1 took over porche contract it was Shell Rotella factory fill on their engine wasn't it