Oil change at one year or at low oil life?

[Rahkmalla]

Oil changes are very cheap insurance in the long run. Who knows, maybe doesn't help but I know doesn't hurt. And I kinda like doing it.

My take on oil changes:

If you're leasing the vehicle, or otherwise have reason to think (perhaps personal history of boredom with vehicles) that you won't own a car or truck longer than 5 years, do whatever the fuck you want within the confines of keeping your warranty good.

If you want a vehicle that's gonna hit 200k+ miles over 10+ years, a little extra care goes a long way. Change the starter oil at 1k. Do the second oil change 4000 later and then every 5000 if you're running full synthetic. Send your oil in to blackstone for analysis, make sure everything's tip-top.

that's such a waste of money, why would you do that?

in 200k miles if you change every 5, you'll change your oil 40 times instead of 20. at $60 a change, that's $1200. How many car payments is that? 2? do you think there's a very solid chance you'll keep a really well maintained car an extra 2 months? The early oil change how now paid for itself. Only keep a car for 100k miles? you're talking $600, that's one car payment. ONE car payment. You guys are buying 40,000-60,000 trucks and you're squabbling over $600-$1,200 over 5-15 years.

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[ShadowsPapa]

For what its worth, its always burned about 1/2 quart between roughly 2500 mile oil changes. I don't even bother topping it off because those old chevy motors tended to blow off the top half quart anyway.

Pretty typical of engines back then - no matter how often you changed oil, it didn't matter. They used some.

My SX4 has just shy of 200,000 miles on it. The original engine I pulled at 160,000 because it needed some work, had been abused as a child, the previous owner was likely 500 pounds because the front seat came out in 5 pieces and both rear springs and the left front spring were busted. I figure on a car that likely didn't have much for oil changes, no complaints.
The engine I put in it came from a ZJ and from the looks of the oil, had maybe never been changed. Rings and cylinders were good. Still saw hone marks, rings still in specs, no sign of oil consumption but the cam's distributor drive gear was toads and the distributor driven gear was toast. Lifters and lobes were surprisingly decent for the abuse. Oil came out of it like honey from a bee hive (but black as coal - or blacker)
I took my first car to 200,000 miles and the kid that bought it from me raced it and abused it and last I saw, it was parked in his yard with 220,000 miles. The engine had never been apart, oil changes as specified at that time (I worked in a former AMC shop at the time)
I've run many vehicles 100,000 miles and beyond, some 200,000 miles, over my 50 years of driving and auto maintenance. Never had an engine failure or had to take one apart where the damage wasn't caused by the prior owner.

You can change as often as you like, just never go beyond the charts. And if you drive in other than "normal" conditions, do it more often of course - dust, dirt, TOWING, in-town or stop and go driving, maybe the engine never completely warms up (and not just the temp gauge, either) change it more often.

Note this from Dodge, 1980 -
They specify driving sustained high speeds in hot weather means more frequent changes. Yes, you are getting the oil hotter, close to the threshold of thermal breakdown.

-note the fleet (police, taxi, limo)
Again, time is as important as miles if you don't go the miles within that timeframe. And check the distance specification of trips between stations - they are saying if you drive at least 25 miles, do this, meaning if you don't drive 25 miles in a trip, do it more often.

 

[Fortus]

Thank you everyone for your replies. The JT's oil is getting changed at the one-year mark by popular demand and because I love my JT, so it deserves that and more

Now I need to decide if I want the dealership to change the oil (for free), or if I rather do it myself. They were great to deal with when I purchased the Jeep, but with labor shortages and all that, who knows what sort of job they are going to do. I'll look at Yelp and decide from there. Thanks again!

 

[jeremy342]

i had the first at 5000 km. i will have them less so now, but i got them on a service contract, which made them quite cheap anyways.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thank you everyone for your replies. The JT's oil is getting changed at the one-year mark by popular demand and because I love my JT, so it deserves that and more

Now I need to decide if I want the dealership to change the oil (for free), or if I rather do it myself. They were great to deal with when I purchased the Jeep, but with labor shortages and all that, who knows what sort of job they are going to do. I'll look at Yelp and decide from there. Thanks again!

It's not hard to do on these, but I've been letting the dealership do it because they've done a good job on repairs (other than they don't know how ABS and IBS work) and they send videos of the checks they make. I think they want me to buy another Jeep from them, but....... I'll let them keep trying by doing good work on my Jeeps LOL

 

[Fortus]

It's not hard to do on these, but I've been letting the dealership do it because they've done a good job on repairs (other than they don't know how ABS and IBS work) and they send videos of the checks they make. I think they want me to buy another Jeep from them, but....... I'll let them keep trying by doing good work on my Jeeps LOL

I just looked at some pretty awful reviews of my dealership's service department. So, I think I'm just going to do it myself. I'll look at the oil weight requirements in the manual, but do you have any recommendations on oil and filter brands?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I just looked at some pretty awful reviews of my dealership's service department. So, I think I'm just going to do it myself. I'll look at the oil weight requirements in the manual, but do you have any recommendations on oil and filter brands?

Personally, I use Bosch, or Mobil 1 most of the time but for my truck I try to shoot for the MOPAR filters. If I can't find them, the other two are my top choices.
For oil - Pennzoil meets all specs, otherwise Quaker State has a very highly rated newer oil and AMSOIL is quite good for other choices.

Everyone will have a favorite, I tend to go by a guy who does testing. I've never lost an engine or engine parts yet ;-)

 

[SteveInOrlando]

These are interesting arguments, but the game has changed in this engine.

We have Cam Phazers. You need to change your oil every 3,000 miles. If those phazers get dirty, your Variable cams stop working correctly. Every mechanic I know that understands them and has experience on engines with them tells me, change my oil every 3,000 miles.

Seriously, this engine has enough cam lobe issues without clogging your phazers! Change your oil!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wonder how we've been getting by with our Jeeps over the years..............

 

[jac04]

Thank you everyone for your replies. The JT's oil is getting changed at the one-year mark by popular demand and because I love my JT, so it deserves that and more

Popular demand? The best reason is simply to comply with the maintenance required to maintain the warranty. Every oil change on mine gets a Mopar filter and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum oil. The entire side of the filter box showing the p/n as well as the entire back of the oil jug gets saved for my records along with the receipt(s). I don't ever want there to be any question about proper maintenance.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The best reason is simply to comply with the maintenance required to maintain the warranty. Every oil change on mine gets a Mopar filter and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum oil.

 

[Fortus]

Popular demand? The best reason is simply to comply with the maintenance required to maintain the warranty. Every oil change on mine gets a Mopar filter and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum oil. The entire side of the filter box showing the p/n as well as the entire back of the oil jug gets saved for my records along with the receipt(s). I don't ever want there to be any question about proper maintenance.

I know, I was just joking. Thanks for the tips though. BTW, I also update the Carfax profile of my vehicles when I do my own maintenance. I assume it shows up if someone pulls up the Carfax report, but I've never actually checked.

 

[Rusty PW]

Most of you are too young to remember Bell Telephone before it was broken up. My neighbor used worked in their local vehicle maintenance dept. They had a fleet of 1,000's of Dodge vans with the 225 slant six. What they did for the oil change, was to replace the filter and top off the oil. Never change the oil. At around 100,000 miles. They would auction off the vans. Hundreds at a time. Ma Bell was the largest corporation in the world at it's peak.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Most of you are too young to remember Bell Telephone before it was broken up. My neighbor used worked in their local vehicle maintenance dept. They had a fleet of 1,000's of Dodge vans with the 225 slant six. What they did for the oil change, was to replace the filter and top off the oil. Never change the oil. At around 100,000 miles. They would auction off the vans. Hundreds at a time. Ma Bell was the largest corporation in the world at it's peak.

Some vehicles actually have in the owner manual the usual oil change interval and then it says "for fleet" etc. etc. to change the filter in between normal oil changes and top off the oil. It's right in the book.

AT&T was broken up before my first stint at PFG and the company took over maintenance of their own massive phone system just before I started there. We had a former AT&T tech there who got laid off during the big break-up. He trained us on the phone wiring, patch panels, the wire colors, etc. I still have some of the equipment from those days - all but worthless these days.

 

[Rusty PW]

Some vehicles actually have in the owner manual the usual oil change interval and then it says "for fleet" etc. etc. to change the filter in between normal oil changes and top off the oil. It's right in the book.

AT&T was broken up before my first stint at PFG and the company took over maintenance of their own massive phone system just before I started there. We had a former AT&T tech there who got laid off during the big break-up. He trained us on the phone wiring, patch panels, the wire colors, etc. I still have some of the equipment from those days - all but worthless these days.

I figured you would remember Ma Bell. LOL

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