How often to change engine oil

2006 BRM. Currently 230k on the car, bought it at 123k. Changed the oil every 10k with Castrol 5W-40 until 155k, when I had to replace the camshaft and lifters (badly worn, holes in the lifters). Replaced it with Frank06' Stage 2 camshaft and its modified components. Used Joe Gibbs break in oil, and since then I've used Schaefer's 5w-40 oil every 10k. Do you guys think that I can push the oil change interval to 12.5-15k miles?
I've read here about people sending samples of oil for analysis, do I really need to do that? How often are you guys changing the oil?
Thanks.

I change mine every 5k. Just because I am anal about my maintenance and I grew up changing oil every 3k and it just seems like 10k is a very long time!

relumalutan said:

2006 BRM. Currently 230k on the car, bought it at 123k. Changed the oil every 10k with Castrol 5W-40 until 155k, when I had to replace the camshaft and lifters (badly worn, holes in the lifters). Replaced it with Frank06' Stage 2 camshaft and its modified components. Used Joe Gibbs break in oil, and since then I've used Schaefer's 5w-40 oil every 10k. Do you guys think that I can push the oil change interval to 12.5-15k miles?
I've read here about people sending samples of oil for analysis, do I really need to do that? How often are you guys changing the oil?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

Use science to help you decide. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Not all engines are the same and what works for one guy might not work for you. It's hard to make a recommendation to change your oil at an extended interval when we don't have any data showing us the condition of your oil after 10,000 miles.

I extend mine sometimes, but I find I use up all the oil between changes (add 4.4 L and remove 4L at 12K Miles). I have a use oil analysis for Liqui-Moly 5W-40 and will attach it. It shows some good trends post Frank06 Cam change and everything else, but my latest extended change interval showed double on Aluminum. Strange. I'm not a worry wart. I drive my car long distances and shorter commuting. Nothing is alarming, but I'm in a similar trend to your situation, but with analysis. Maintenance of oil is still a good bet!

Howdy
In my experience with Diesels(30+yrs), with top tier oil AND regular oil analysis, extended drain is OK, within reason and as long as filters are changed often. I personally have never went longer than 8-10K miles.
I have never been a fan of the VW(and others) 10-12K mile oil change as my experience tells me different.
My current protocol is good synthetic oils and change the oil filter w/ a top off at 3K. Then a full oil change someplace around 6-7K, I am not using an oil analysis. If I were I would no doubt extend that until the analysis said otherwise. Depending on the analysis protocol, oil additive packages can be breaking down and not detected in the test. The additive package can be VERY critical to how the oil performs and can break down just by time and little use. So just cause the test comes back with minimal contaminants does not mean that the oil is good.
IMHO, the oil filter change is pretty important. Depending on driving habits and environment, it is possible to have restriction or filter failure.
Also it should be said that some of the high flow air filters out there do not do as good of a job as needed and can allow more fine contaminants into the engine/oil.
Hope this helps!

Have used extended oil changes and oil tests on my Ford 7.3 have gone for 40K miles. On my jetta just do 10K and a change. Use Mobile 1 on both. Generally look at it that the 7.3 takes 3.5 gallons of oil while the Jetta BRM only takes 1 gallon.

I change Oil every 16,000 to 20,000 km and use maybe 1 mm. I do not worry at all. Oilhammer drives his car close to 25,000 m and or over...

I just go until it's out then change the filter and add 5 quarts.


Seriously though, do an analyst or if you want to guess and error on the safe side stick with 5k miles. I'm sure at 5k there's still plenty of life left in it if your motor is healthy.

HI

I follow the simple rule of thumb....Run the oil until it turns black then change it....

OK just kidding!

I was following the recommended 10K miles change before I started driving primarily highway.....I now change my oil and filter at 15K miles now (no oil sampling etc...).

I figure if the factory is 10 K miles I can push a little further since I am all easy highway miles.... I drive from 200 to 500 miles per day typically...all one shot so no cool down and chance for sludge to form etc...pretty easy on the car I believe.

Hope this helps.

Andrew

Andrew

Lol

Andyinchville1 said:

HI

I follow the simple rule of thumb....Run the oil until it turns black then change it....

OK just kidding!

Click to expand...

Funny man! Practical reasoning!

All of the above are personal anecdotes that are valuable for the individual posting them.

As VeeDubTDI stated, "Use science to help you decide. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/"

This is the ONLY WAY to determine the expected longevity of YOUR oil in YOUR engine.

had my '06 for 3yrs started at 140,000km and now at 255,000km. I change it about every 12-13,000km (about 8,000 miles) I had a bunch of Rotella T6 on sale and was using that. I won't have enough for the next oil change, and will be looking for oil deals soon.

Here in the U.K. Vw state to change the oil and filter every 25,000 miles. I personally don't believe in that and change my oil every 5/6,000 miles.
My friend ran his last 2010 touran to 605,000 running 10,000 oil changes, the engine never needed topping up between services.

^^^So why are you changing your oil so often????

Old habits die hard, and what we BELIEVED in can change as technology evolves.

Haha i understand what your saying tdiatlast. For my job I'm a roadside patrol for the AA and come across lots of vehicles with oil pressure and flow problems due to oil changed infrequently. I was even called to an audi a3 1.6 tdi with 80,000 miles and had low oil pressure due to a blocked oil pick up strainer. The car had dealer service history till 50,000 then independent record but correct grade quantum oil had apparently been used.
My theory is I'm not doing it any harm to anyone or the by changing the oil at 5-6000 miles and its my peace of mind. ;-)

A3 w/1.6 TDI @ 80k miles with clogged strainer? Wow, that's scary.
Should the owners of 1.6s be worried and do some preventative maintenance like dropping the oil pan and cleaning the strainer?

If you continue driving at inadequate oil pressure, way before your low pressure light comes on, your turbo will be shot...

I just had my oil changed on my 2012 Audi A3 TDI. I was told by my mechanic to change the oil every 5K. Mechanic said oil filter won't last 10K, I feel that's BS. Correct fuel filter should last 10K correct? I drive up and over a 10K pass most days for work. Grade is at 10% so the motor is under a lot of load part of my commute. Should I change any sooner than 10K? Next oil change I am going to do myself, paid way to much. I can buy the oil kit from Blau parts for $69.00.

10k miles is plenty conservative- and the manufacturers spec. Idparts has an oil change kit for your car for $45.

Doing it every 10k miles is easy to remember, especially if you have it coincide with the even intervals. My next oil change is at 460K. Most of the other maintenance follow some multiple of 10K so it falls in line with that too.

I dot it every 5k.

Every 7.5k here, using Pentosin kit from ID Parts.

I changed my interval to 14k miles or so. I use to change it at 7k miles. UOA looked good and Black Labs recommend increasing the interval. Cams still good.

In my mk4, I changed it every 10K miles. When I sold it, it had 393K miles on it. I changed it 39 times. It still ran like a watch.

I do 10k mile intervals, but blackstone has said I can go longer. 10k is just easy to remember. I've also surprised family members and friends by having them do samples on their own cars as well, and all of them being told to go to longer change intervals, at or above 10k miles.

Love blackstone labs.

Filter element every 10,000 miles , oil every 20,000 miles. Amsoil Heavy duty diesel 3000. About to do timing belt. Always have gone 20K on my tdis with good tbn even at 20,000. One went to 250K before totaled, last one had water up to the door during harvey no amount of oil changes would have fixed that.

Mattyoctavia said:

Haha i understand what your saying tdiatlast. For my job I'm a roadside patrol for the AA and come across lots of vehicles with oil pressure and flow problems due to oil changed infrequently. I was even called to an audi a3 1.6 tdi with 80,000 miles and had low oil pressure due to a blocked oil pick up strainer oil change abu dhabi. The car had dealer service history till 50,000 then independent record but correct grade quantum oil had apparently been used.
My theory is I'm not doing it any harm to anyone or the by changing the oil at 5-6000 miles and its my peace of mind. ;-)

Click to expand...

I Just did the first oil & filter change on the new ‘23 Santa Fe SEL with 855 miles. It took about 10-15 minutes. I cut open the factory filter and sure enough, there was some metal flakes. Not much, but the usual break-in stuff. I bought the OEM filter at the dealer for $12 and used Pennzoil Platinum 0w-20 synthetic oil. There is nothing special about the paper OEM filter. I have 3 aftermarket Japanese filters than will get me through the next couple of years. The oil is made from Natural Gas and not fractioned from crude. It has less impurities and helps prevent sludge and deposits. I’ve built a few engines, race cars, boats, airboats, etc over the years and like to change the break-in oil pretty soon. I think I’m going to do 5,000 mile OCI.