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pokerfan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:08 PM
Original message
How often do you change your oil?
http://lifehacker.com/396709/the-3000-mile-oil-change-myth-debunked">The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Myth Debunked
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Orrex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:12 PM
Response to Original message
1. If I change it right now, it'll be 42,000 miles
Still purring like a kitten







is stuck in the timing belt.
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flvegan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:14 PM
Response to Original message
2. My warranty insists on every 3k.
Like a good little sheep, I follow. I also use synthetics.
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Redstone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:18 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. Agreed. Whatever the warranty requires, that's what we do. It may cost more in the long run
to buy new cars whenever the warranties run out on the last batch, but it's great for peace of mind.

Especially with the "roadside service" that's included in so many warranties these days.

Redstone
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taught_me_patience Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 08:52 PM
Response to Reply #2
24. 3k and synthethic
wow... sorry man, you're throwing money down the drain.
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flvegan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:22 PM
Response to Reply #24
33. How so?
Be specific, please.
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LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:32 PM
Response to Reply #24
35. He has a turbo, it's hot as hell down there, there's stop and go, and he drives like a maniac.
Frequent oil changes are a pretty good idea under those circumstances. Turbos are very hard on oil and on the additives in the oil, because they get so hot.

A longer interval would put the engine of his very nice, very new car at risk. Maybe not by a lot, but he'd be running afoul or warranty recommendations, so the risk would be all his. I don't know what a new mazdaspeed engine runs, but my guess is it's a lot more than synthetic oil for the lifetime of the car.
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DarkTirade Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:34 PM
Response to Original message
4. Whenever I start to chafe.
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LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:35 PM
Response to Original message
5. 3K, and only full synthetic
Edited on Sun Jun-22-08 02:46 PM by LeftyMom
Oil is cheap. A new car would not be. My car's 11 years old and utterly reliable, so I must be doing something right, especially since I drive like a maniac and generally beat the shit out of it.

Edit: I have an old Saturn. They burn oil, and have since the day they rolled off the assembly line. The synthetic keeps that to a minimum, but at 3K it would either need topped off or changed, and it's not much more money to change it.
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Lil Missy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:39 PM
Response to Original message
6. Every 3K
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lizziegrace Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 02:58 PM
Response to Original message
7. As close to 3k as I can
and at minimum, synthetic blend. I've had cars last for close to 200,000 miles. Don't know whether or not this helps, but I choose not to tempt fate. Besides, I've seen the oil that comes out of an old engine after only 3,000 miles. It's not pretty.
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1Hippiechick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:04 PM
Response to Original message
8. Each time I fry anything?
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sarge43 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:05 PM
Response to Original message
9. 3k to 4k with synthetic
Yeah, may be overkill, but I'd rather be on the safe side.
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backwoodsbob Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:30 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. every 3 like clockwork
and a new airfilter every other change.

I'm a sucker to my baby

Simple 3.4 2005 grand am...but...with proper work and chip modifier box and tenderloving care...I get 30+ mpg while pushing 240 horses :)
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sarge43 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:39 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. Same here with the filters
Let's see: A few dollars for routine maintenance or hundreds for a major engine overhaul or thousands for acceptable replacement wheels. What to do, what to do?
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taught_me_patience Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 08:54 PM
Response to Reply #9
25. Per owner's manual 5k miles
under "severe" conditions. Dealer "recommended" 3k intervals is simply throwing money away. My car has 80k miles and you could seriously eat out of the inside of the tailpipe. Engine is running nice and clean...
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sarge43 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 09:28 PM
Response to Reply #25
26. It may be, but I only put in o/a 3K miles a year.
The wheels get its physical once a year just before winter weather kicks in and state inspection month - twofer. Winter prep and catching/correcting any problems beforehand. Don't know if conditions here qualify as severe, but again safe side. If filters were outrageously expensive, that's one thing, but they're not. I'd rather to do more than not enough.

The mechanics comment on the excellent condition of Ole Paint and I want to keep her that way. I hope and plan she's the last car I own.
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Orsino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
12. Every 5k miles, as the manual recommends. n/t
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cloudbase Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 03:59 PM
Response to Original message
13. The cars at 5k.
The bikes at 3k, but they're air cooled and get a real workout.
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bertha katzenengel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 04:54 PM
Response to Original message
14. Whenever the fries start to taste like fish.
Oh, you meant motor oil. That's different, then.

Never mind.
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TommyO Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-23-08 07:48 AM
Response to Reply #14
39. I'm glad I read the thread before responding
I was going to respond, after I fry fish.

In all honesty, I rely on the oil life monitor in my car, once it gets down to the 10% mark, I change the oil.
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DS1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
15. going on 7,000 miles now
top it off with a quart every 4-5 months
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wain Donating Member (803 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:21 PM
Response to Original message
16. every 2500-3000 miles and with a Gunk engine flush & new filter
My last four American cars had 267,000, 229,000, 354,000 and 283,000 miles
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littlebit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:23 PM
Response to Original message
17. 4-5000 on my jeep
5-7000 on my dodge ram.

30,000 on my Pete and my two Freightliners.
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AlCzervik Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:40 PM
Response to Original message
18. 5k per my owners manual.
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ElsewheresDaughter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:42 PM
Response to Original message
19. everytime i cook
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Left Is Write Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:43 PM
Response to Original message
20. About twice a year (or around 5000 miles). Per owner's manual.
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mainegreen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 07:43 PM
Response to Original message
21. Every 4 months, at the start of the season.
You know how long it takes for me to drive 3,000 miles?

6 Months, that's how long.
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triguy46 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 08:21 PM
Response to Original message
22. Car and truck, every 5000 miles. 06 Civic about every 7500 when...
the little light tells us we are within 10% of the oil life. The miata, once a year, we drive it less than 3000 per year and use synthetic in it. My new tractor is every 100 hours.

Most owners manuals have the 3000 mile thing listed, but also will qualify it as abnormally hard driving which most of us do not do. 5000 will work.
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DBoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 08:50 PM
Response to Original message
23. only when I make squeaking noises when moving
Then I need new oil:
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harmonicon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 09:43 PM
Response to Original message
27. 5 or 10 thousand miles, I guess
I haven't driven in over a year, but that was usually it. I used to drive cross-country a lot, but when not doing that, I've never had long, or even daily commutes. I just think it's silly to think that I'd have to change the oil right before and right after a 3,000 mile trip. No way does the car need an oil change after a week or a week and a half, unless I was driving it like hell, but slow highway cruising isn't doing the engine any real trouble.
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jobycom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 10:45 PM
Response to Original message
28. When the red light on the dashboard comes on to tell me to.
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bullwinkle428 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:00 PM
Response to Original message
29. Every 3 months - normally, around 7500-8000 miles for me
Edited on Sun Jun-22-08 11:07 PM by bullwinkle428
given the miles I rack up with a long commute. Previous car had accumulated over 250,000 miles, and my current car has over 163K with no breakdowns of any kind to date!

Edit to add : I used the synthetic blend from Valvoline for several years, and just recently switched to their full synthetic Synpower prior to last winter for improved extra-cold weather protection and possible fuel economy increases. I've been getting some near-600 mile tanks (17 gallon capacity) out of my Honda Accord, so there may be something to that...
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huskerlaw Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:04 PM
Response to Original message
30. Whenever the little sticker on my windshield tells me too.
My car is only a year old, I'm keepin' the warranty valid.
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KitchenWitch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:09 PM
Response to Original message
31. You are supposed to change the oil?
I keed I keed.

Usually between 5-6K miles.
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swag Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:21 PM
Response to Original message
32. Every coupla days
if you get my drift.
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tammywammy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-22-08 11:29 PM
Response to Original message
34. Every 10,000 miles
I use synthetic. I had one at 5,000 then at 10,000 and after that it's every 10,000 miles. It's what the manufacturer recommends.
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LibDemAlways Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-23-08 01:51 AM
Response to Original message
36. After the car starts scolding me with a digital message.
At first it says oil at 15%, then 10%, then 5%, and then finally it starts telling me that I'm in negative territory -1 mile, -2 miles, etc. I usually get around to changing it when I'm at -20 miles and counting.
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Fox Mulder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-23-08 01:53 AM
Response to Original message
37. Every spring and fall.
I never get 3,000 miles in a year, but I change the oil twice a year anyways.
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CreekDog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-23-08 05:02 AM
Response to Original message
38. 5,000 miles
Car Talk guys have been saying for years that 3,000 is too frequent.

Apparently you can comfortably use the maintenance interval set by the manufacturer, which is usually 7500 or 10000.
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