terryt5231

I know it ain't news to US, but still interesting to see that some people are beginning to catch on...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/yo...cuts.html?_r=2

I hate cars

Some people remain attached to the 3,000-mile oil change and have a hard time trusting the recommendations in the owner’s manual. If you’re one of those skeptics, you can send your engine oil out to be analyzed. Blackstone Laboratories in Fort Wayne, Ind., one of the best-known places for engine oil analysis, will send you a free kit.
You send back an oil sample and for $25, they’ll tell you all sorts of things about your car.
“We would compare what your oil looks like compared to the average Mazda5 of that year,” said Kristen Huff, a vice president at Blackstone. If there is a lot more lead in my oil than in a typical Mazda5, for example, it means I have a bearing problem, she said.
Her lab runs about 150 samples a day and a fair percentage of those are consumers looking to find out how often they need to change their oil, Ms. Huff said.

Not a bad article until they put this plug for Blackstone in there. I actually hate this company because it has been at the front of the oil analysis wear metal myths for years. You can't determine engine wear from a freaking spectrographic analysis period, the end.

All you can determine by a $20 analysis is the oil life remaining. I'll go 5,000 miles but that's it even on my Redline. The oil is good for more than double that but there's the contaminate load to think about.

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

I go by what the dealer writes on the oil change sticker on my windshield, whichever date/mileage comes I hit first.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I do 5K with full synthetic although for the first time in my life recently I pushed 7 and it was fine. Dirty as usual, but still there

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

I follow the MID, changing at no less than 30%

I hate cars

I can see why the 3K interval is still around besides the Jiffy Lubes of the world being greedy.

3K is safe for any car on any oil under any conditions....well almost.

I have no problem with 5K either, that's what I usually do. It's when people have to to take it to the extreme like 12-30K that it gets crazy.

Of course, 12K is not extreme for some of the larger sumped BMWs and Mercedes that hold twice the oil of our TLs.

Electronic Fuel Injection with feedback control was the largest contributor to longer change intervals along with much better modern oils.

Today's EFI with factory widebands and ultra fast cold start closed loop operation is even better at reducing engine wear and extending oil life.

PCV systems on old cars were a nice advancement to longer intervals as well even though that was not the original intention.

One of the problems with the longer change intervals is people automatically assume if the car is supposed to go 10k in between changes that the oil level does not have to be checked. It's surprising how many modern cars have an oil pressure warning light/guage but no oil level indicator besides the dipstick. At 3K, unless you have a big leak or major mechanical issues, the oil level is not going to get dangerously low in that time.

Fossil_TL

I change my oil twice a year regardless of mileage, it's just a good habit to have, and I think oil doesn't matter the mileage would be pretty darn contaminated in 1/2 a year....

phee

iTrader: (5)

my car eats oil every 1k

CocheseUGA

I went 15k earlier this year and saw no ill effects. 10k is about the norm.

4cruizn

Doesn't change my strategy. I'm at the Acura service department for fresh 5W30 every 3,000 on the dot and I'll continue to do so. 440,850 miles (of which I can claim 345k) and not one drop burned or leaked between changes. I'm not about to start pressing my luck with longer intervals at this point.

Scrib

Damn, that's awesome. How long do you plan on keeping the Legend?

4cruizn

I used to think I would retire it from daily driving status at 300k. Then 400k. At this point, the car has paid for itself multiple times and I just keep driving it without any end in sight. It currently needs motor mounts, a tranny mount, new brakes, and has a leaking power steering pump, but it starts up every day without fail and rolls down the road as straight and smooth as a new car. If you didn't look at the odo you'd never know.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

^ That's so awesome. I remember your thread and I'm still amazed at that mileage. Your Legend is a truly a legend.

Mobil1 oil/filter every 5k miles in the Accord . The wife's Corolla gets regular 'ole dino Penzoil every 3k miles, and in most cases is getting an extra quart or two in between changes. 125k miles on the odometer so it's consuming oil somewhere, but still generally runs like a champ. Neither one of us will be looking for a new car probably in a very long time, unless I stumble upon a 70s Skylark for a weekend car.

CanopyFlyer

^^ 1970 Buick GS would be my recommendation, it was the best looking IMHO.

Back in 1989 I bought an 85' Corolla GT-S, with the 4A-GE engine, same one as in the MR-2. I autocrossed it for nearly 4 years, put over 140,000 miles on it and changed the oil every 5k. Never had a problem, never used synthetic, and the head still looked factory clean when I adjusted the valves at 120k. That car saw some hard miles too. I would go through a set of Hoosiers just about every season.

Every car since then I change the oil around 5k to 6k, although the last change on the TL was at 7500.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

I usually tell myself to change at 6500. Which perfectly puts my lazy ass at just over 7000 when I finally do get around to it.

Hopefully more people will be informed now.

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

My RCM analysis says that if I change my oil every 5,400 miles, it's the most cost-effective overall for my car and my wallet.

onebadna1nsx

Tyson will never get rid of the Legend!!!

duffduffxx

God that is so awesome. I had a legend that ran until 176000 miles until it got wrecked. But that was THE car that got me hooked on Acura's. Probably the most classy car they have made since the 3G. I remember when I rolled that car up to high school- man everyone was jealous because its just such a beautiful car.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

I change it based on the mid.

chill_dog

I follow the MID, so somewhere in the 5k - 6k mile range. That works out to about every nine months for me. Came due in July/August this year . I love working on the car, but not in the summer.

vwong

Prior to my BMW and Audi, I'd always owned cars with 4-cylinders. So oil changes usually required 4-5 quarts. What is the oil capacity in the TL? My BMW needs 6.5 quarts, and the Audi needs 7.25 quarts. However, I still change the oil every 5k miles.

chill_dog

^5 quarts. Oil change with filter takes 4.5.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Since Audi includes maintenance, we're on their schedule which is about every 10k. Running as good as day one. Her A4 was the same way and never any problems with that interval on that car either (4 cyl, turbo)...

Shift_Acura

My TSX has about 50k kms and its only needed 3 oil changes so far

Gfaze

I change the oil on my TL every 7500 miles and it doesn't burn/leak a drop. I use 5W30 Valvoline synthetic and a Bosch filter.

I'd get those mounts replaced ASAP. Neglecting those can do some damage.

AZuser

5K-6K on regular dino. That's usually when I'm at 15% on the maintenance minder.

Max I've ever done was about 7.5K on synthetic. I'd push it more if I wasn't concerned about the filter.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

+1

I hate cars

Depending on the model, the Bimmers can take from 4.5 quarts all the way up to 9 quarts.

With all else being equal which it rarely is, double the oil capacity and you can almost double the change interval.

Never Summer

I want to say my BMW holds 7.5 quarts... Makes for a decently expensive oil change, and thus far I've changed it after 12,500 miles.

vas25tl

I still change my oil every 4K in all the cars.

Riga89

I just follow the MID. I can notice the car being "sluggish'" around 30% left on the oil life. I read someone on here who goes to Autozone gets whatever special they have and gets that. I've been doing that for the last 2 years. Saves me money and time.

Gfaze

If you do the math when comparing BMW oil change intervals to other cars it's probably about the same cost and in some cases less.

I hate cars

You know that's impossible, right?

saiko_cl_duck

every 5k. My 99 CL has 163,000 on it, still runs like a champ.

Shift_Acura

Car feels "sluggish" before an oil change?

Shoofin

12k miles on my Mini and I have yet to change the oil....car says she isn't ready yet, and the dealer confirmed...

neuronbob

I go when the MID on my Cadi reaches about 20%. So far that's about 6k miles. Mobil 1 is mandated by Cadillac. I say, good choice.

godfather2

i use mobil 1 syn and change every 7500 miles

Aman

Mobil 1 synthetic, 5k here.

FTR, I don't see why you should go over a reporter's assessment over the people who designed and developed the car. Yes, they're probably very experienced, but I'll stick with what the people who built the car tell me

I hate cars

I hear where you're coming from. But it's not always the people who build the car who suggest things like maintenence intervals. Everything is a compromise and long oil change intervals are a good selling point. They assess the risk and say going super long intervals will knock off 50,000 miles worth of life but the engine will still go 250,000 miles, it's an acceptable risk.

I've got an engineer on the Ford Modular engine design team saying he would never follow Fords's oil recommendations on his personal Ford car. He said basically what I said above. They saw more wear with the specified weight but it was deemed acceptable to get the CAFE blessing.

You're always safe following the manufacturer's recommendations. I just believe you can improve on them a little in some areas.