A recent article that I read showed data that the percentage of people who keep their car or truck 15 year or more is in the low single digits.

This article shares data that the longest average length of ownership for all cars and trucks is just under 11 years.

So even assuming that the average number of miles driven in a year is 20,000 miles, on average, the most miles anyone is going to put on a vehicle is around 200,000 miles.

And considering that 15,000 miles per year and 7-8 years is probable closer to average, that means that the average person will only put 120,000 miles or less on their car or truck.

Any API certified SN motor oil is more than capable of getting an engine to 120,000 miles without any problems. So spending more is for the next guy's benefit.

And I know, 99% of you are the exception. You DO keep you vehicles much longer. You DO work them harder. You DO drive them more miles.

But the reality is, that percentage is closer to 9%, not 99%.

Most people, including myself, are not that remarkable of a human being.

https://www.autoblog.com/photos/vehi...#slide-6799597

 

How much is oil analysis? This is the way fleet owners determine when an oil change service is necessary. There isn't any benefit to wasting oil as such, so they don't necessarily go by time or mileage.

 

We'll find that most regular engine oils that meet service grade SN+ are now synthetic blends of Group-2+ & Group-3 base oils, needed to meet the service grade specification & for most of us that's plenty good enough for our Severe Service around town, stop & go, short trip drive cycles of 5-7K mile OCI, or going by the IOLM. Use & change the specified good quality oil, air & fuel filters on time to help keep those items we feed the engine innards clean & enjoy the ride.

 

Changing oil once a year is like going to the dentist annually !!! People are gonna do what they wanna do.... no amount of information is gonna change that fact. Change oil. don't change oil.... who cares?

My truck is an '05 diesel...I change it every year usually....maybe every 18 months.....if I send in an oil analysis. Am lucky if I put 5000 miles on it every year. Have 68,000 on her now. I use Rotella T6 and I'm happy. The truck sounds happy too.

 

1988 Acura Legend.. V6 , manual 5 speed

from 1988 to 2004....... 255,000 miles.. oil change every year.. synthetic all the way...

1983 Honda 1100cc motorcycle from new to 149,000 miles.. once a year oil change.. synthetic oil...

both using Fram oil filters...

 

Apparently oil doesn't matter, but it's synthetic all the way. And filters don't matter either, since you are using Fram.

We all have a different viewpoint. Interesting to see everyone's outlook when it comes to oil & filter.

 

I get it. It's not that better oil is not beneficial. It's just not benefiting you.

 

Exactly. Syn is better quality than dino, but who cares? You might be able to show a difference in a laboratory setting. And there might be a difference in engine wear of significance after several hundred thousand miles, but very few people will ever keep their car/truck that long.

As long as the engine runs fine for me, why should I care if it blows up the day after I trade it in?

People see products as "Good, Better, Best". I have long advocated a fourth category, "Good Enough".

Wally World oil is "good enough" to keep my engine alive and happy for as long as I am going to own the car. So that is all that I really need.

Spending more might make you feel warm and fuzzy, but it is unlikely to be giving you any tangible benefit.

 

Greetings Guy and Girls ~ I like engines ~ Still have our 30 model A coup that was our family car ~ first engine papa showed me how to rebuild ``` I just got a new to me Lariat ~ with a 5.4 engine ~ runs great ~ just changed the oil ~ it was dirty crap ~ the engine liked that ~ I plan to install a Frantz Filter ~ I've used them since the Frantz himself first sold and installed them ```

I don't know how much better the multi weight oils ~ say Mobil 1 is than Walmart oil is ~ but I did have my girls put Mobil in when they changed out their oil ~ installed Frantz Filters on both their cars ```

I am/was a Journey Mechanic retired now for years ~ I remember mechanical supervisor at a cosmetic company ~ bragging ~ he never changed oil or filter on his chevy ~ just poured oil in when needed ~ and that he got 120,000 miles out of it before it went ~ I though he was a jerk in that area as well ```

Well ~ treating an engine well is as important as treating animals even people well ```

Have a Merry Christmas Season and a Happy New Year ~ and if you keep the 12 days and Eastern Christmas as well ~ January 6th ```

Richard

 

Engines are inanimate objects, built in a factory to specific mechanical specifications. So long as the parts used in the engine meet the required specifications, the engine runs.

 

That is was some people think ~ but ~ engines are ~ Living, breathing things they have feelings like you and I ~ Uncle Joe ~ moma's brother lived with us ~ owned a garage ~ was drafted into the American Army at 49 years of age ~ sent to Africa to keep our tanks, truck, jeeps and all else running ~ when WWII ended he came back to us ~ he bought a 1946 Ford sedan new ~ with a Flat Head six ~ when Uncle Joe went to walk with the Lord some years later ~ he had driven that Ford into the garage ~ up the hill from the folks ranch the night before ~ it never ran again ~ he ~ uncle Joe ~ had 9 brothers ~ some were mechanics as was my father ~ sure they could get it started ~ it would run and be driven ~ for a spell ~ then stop ~ no matter what was repaired, fixed or replaced ~ that car and its heart ~ that ford six ~ died with him ```

Motors are living things Jschira ~ I'm always surprised when a boy grows to be a man and hasn't learned this ~ I'm a journeyman ~ many years retired ~ I found this out ~ working with Father ~ watching him carve Babbitt Bearings on our Model A ~ that sits in the garage at the upper ranch today ```

 

You know that is not true.

When I get a cut, I heal.

When I scratch the paint on my car, it does not heal.

Anything on a car, or any piece of machinery for that matter, can be rebuilt or replaced, the machinery kept running forever.

All living things die eventually.

Engine are machines. Keep the parts within specifications, and they can run forever.

Any motor oil meeting the specifications of the engine manufacturer, maintained as specified by the manufacturer, will allow the engine to function normally for the average amount of time the first owner is likely to own the engine, which is 7-10 years, 120,000 - 150,000 miles.

Paying more for oil just helps the next guy.

 

Wives are the same. Investing in their appearance si a waste of money. You're only making her prettier for the next guy.

 

 

[QUOTE=jschira;18392480
Any motor oil meeting the specifications of the engine manufacturer, maintained as specified by the manufacturer, will allow the engine to function normally for the average amount of time the first owner is likely to own the engine, which is 7-10 years, 120,000 - 150,000 miles.[/quote]

This sums it all up for me---I don't give two hoots what "they" say about this oil being better than that oil---if it meets the engine manufacturers spec's its more than good enough for me. I'm currently running a Ford reman'd 5.4 2 valve engine and strictly for warranty protection using Motorcraft 5w-20 oil bought straight from the dealer at a fair price I'll add. Also running the Motorcraft FL-820S filters with very visible brand/part number info silk screened right on the jacket. I believe because my oil change intervals are 4K max that lubrication package is just about perfect.

However IF someone doesn't mind spending the extra money for overly-hyped brands then its not an issue really. Despite those who seem to be overly involved with convincing others what's best none of these videos and articles say those higher priced/no benefit oils cause or contribute to engine damage. That being the case who cares what others run in their engines? If such steps is only psychological and isn't depriving someone's kids of good nutrition or housing who cares?

Regarding engine longevity I'm not one to simply do nothing more than minimally necessary to assure a vehicles longer-term "life". I want a trouble-free 300K life if at all possible, when its time to trade or sell such a vehicle I can offer something that's been well maintained and should have plenty of useful mileage ahead for the next owner. I pass along my maintenance tips but of course what they do after it becomes their's its no matter to me.

Until or unless someone can show me higher priced oils actually cause engine damage these sorts of debates can be safely ignored.

Just my $0.02 worth mind ya.......................!