Oil Change Quandry

whyfish

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Hi All,

Got a 3500 mi rt road trip coming up in 3 weeks. I'm sitting on 107,450 mi. and the oil change interval I strive to maintain is every 10,000 miles. Next OC due at 110,000.

I'm not going to be close to 110,000 mi. by the time I leave on my trip, but will probably be close to 112,000 miles upon my return.

My quandry: Change oil when I return from the trip, or change oil early @ around 108,800 miles before I leave?

Using Mobil 1 TDT 5w-40. Blackstone has mentioned on my UOAs that I could safely take my OC intervals out to 15,000 mi. Am I pushing it going to a 15 mi. OCI, or play it safe and change oil and filter prior to my trip?
 

ruking

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There is no real "quandry" ;). Change the oil it AFTER you come back @ 115,000 miles. I would absolutely have no issues doing 15,000 miles OCI's.

Indeed a SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) report (available @ the SAE web site) shows that 0-3,000 miles (new oil) yields/posts highly aggressive wear metals. This is a period of very high detergency (release). While this study was capped @ 15,000 miles, oil is actually designed to give factorially more service past the "new/fresh" (0 to 3,000 miles) phase. Indeed @ 15,000 miles, it does NOT approach the aggressive wear metal yields when the oil is/was "new/fresh", ie., 0 to 3,000 miles. This of course is/remains... counter intuitive. The industry has us convinced that higher aggressive wear metals is in effect "better" than LESS aggressive wear metals !!??

So in effect, quickie lube recommendations of 1,500 to 3,000 OCI's induce perpetual high detergency cycles (higher levels of wear metals) than "slightly used oil i.e., 3,000 to 15,000 miles. So the real corollary is if states of higher detergency, aka most aggressive wear metals) still do not damage the engine over the longer term; why would states of lower detergency (less aggressive wear metals) damage it more !!??

I actually have been running 25,000 (Delvac One 5w40, aka Mobil One 5w40 TDT) since Oct 2006.
 
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Joe_Meehan

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Don't worry. It is not even a tiny bit critical. Oil change intervals are good + or - 50%.

BTW highway driving is easier on the car than city anyway. Chances are there would not be any more wear, if it were enough to measure.
 

TornadoRed

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Using Mobil 1 TDT 5w-40. Blackstone has mentioned on my UOAs that I could safely take my OC intervals out to 15,000 mi. Am I pushing it going to a 15 mi. OCI, or play it safe and change oil and filter prior to my trip?
Stretching the OCI out to 12k miles is not even slightly unsafe. Just check the level regularly during the trip and top up if necessary.
 

coalminer16

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If you are worried get an oil sample for $25 and next day ship it to get your results. Then you could take another sample when done with the trip and see what the oil lab says on whether the oil is still good. Having an oil bypass kit helps even more as you have more oil to wear out so it can last longer still and it gets cleaned better.
 

coalminer16

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Also we have mine truck engines that go 500 hours without needing an oil change. If that was in your car averaging 30 mph you would go 15K mikes. There are some cat engines that oil change filter and they inject the oil into the fuel to be burned so they never need the oil changed but just filled and filter changes.
 

ruking

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tditom

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Delvac1 is about 75% more than TDT. they are not the same.
 

ruking

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Delvac1 is about 75% more than TDT. they are not the same.

I did not say they continued to be the same. @ one time they really USED to be. Now I started getting Delvac 5w40 in the 2002/2003 time frame, as Mobil One did not even have that product. Mobil One has had a series of TDT products since (as I remember the 2005) then.

So for example for a $21 per 1 gal container (Walmart) what you're saying is Mobil Delvac One 5w40 is now $36.75 for the same container size. Given that difference in price, I would select the M1 TDT (if it is indeed that much cheaper.) For sure a VOA would probably be telling. Let me at the same time also add, that if one did side by side UOA's same car, same mileage, but oil marketing differentiation hidden, that I and almost anyone else would be hard press to tell the differences. . As a matter of fact I am surprised that for all that been done (VW TDI UOA DATABASE) this "test" comparo has not been done.

Indeed if one is willing to (now) pay 75% more for a product (differentiation) that in fact would meet the same standards, then I am sure you will validate the marketing EM has done.
 
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Bob_Fout

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D1 ESP and TDT do not meet the same standards.

The old D1 and T&SUV/TDT were the same, but since both becoming CJ-4, D1 ESP is a higher quality oil than TDT. TDT is still one the best oils even if it's not up to par with D1 ESP.
 

ruking

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That really is the (practical) point for the (03 TDI) ALH, also for you on the edge "brave souled" PD owners. With a CJ-4 rating (sidebar: old Delvac One , Mobil One had old CI-4 ratings) , I would be all over the lower priced Mobil One 5w40 TDT. Again most folks know it is sold at Walmart for $21 per 1 gal container (5.25 per qt)

Not to ramble or drone on and on, but all folks know that standards change. While they (oem and oil vendors) would want us to assume that new standards are always better, that is decidedly NOT necessarily so !!

VW 507.00 has been pronounced back ward compatible with most past VW specifications (VW 505.00/VW 505.01 for this discussion). The implication of course is buy VW 507.00 specification oil.

Again why would I (anyone for that matter) use a 10.50 per L VW 507.00 product (100% more!!!!!) like Total INEO 5w30 VW 507.00 when the 5.25 per qt Mobil One TDT 5w40 will do probably even BETTER (ALH/PD) !!?? To boot they have never worn the VW specification badges and... still do not.
 
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Mass. Wine Guy

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There is a quandary on spelling quandry, but that aside, change the oil when you return. A few miles over the 10,000 mark won't kill the engine.
 

whyfish

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No longer the quandary I thought it was.

Thanks Mass Wine Guy for the spelling tips. And thanks to all others that have assuaged my concerns reagrding a longer than normal OCI.
 
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