Oil Change Interval ?

[Ironhorse]

Curious what everyone's thoughts are on changing oil/filter on their vehicles. Be it a classic, rarely driven except for pleasure, or your daily driver, work truck or car. I've normally always been a change oil/filter every 3,000 miles guy since none of my vehicles see rough or serious hard use. I know the newer vehicles use a ''percentage of oil life left'' type alert for oil change intervals. So, what say you, 3,000 miles, % of oil life left, or what's your own preference for changing the oil in your vehicles? Oil and filter changes are needed to keep an engine running thru the years but what are the thoughts on intervals?

[72c20customcamper]

Never did the 3k mile oil changes on most of my vehicles . No car company recommends it unless it’s severe duty . My 68 owners manual says 5k and that was with old tech oils . The only vehicle I change the oil around 3k is my 62 Studebaker with the 259 v8 as it has no oil filter . Changing oil at low milage doesn’t hurt anything but I don’t think it helps all that much either . My newer vehicles are between 7500 and 10k full synthetic. Old cars get changed in the fall before storage for the ones I use .


Edit I was wrong the manual says 6k or every 4 months but that’s for a vehicle used daily

[1970cstblazer]

No wonder a majority of these old engines I have opened up are all sludged up with the crap quality oil of that period, leaded fuel, and 6k change intervals.

With these very limited used collector cars, I try to change every other season, but I use Z-ROD Amsoil. The mileage is under 1k for each.

The daily drivers get changed every 5k miles. I use Amsoil Signature series oil. My engines are AFM equipped, so the oil can't be dirty or low quality.

[1slo64]

4-5k miles for all of my modern vehicles.

[truckin 79]

I do mine once a year about the same time every year. Although I just changed my wifes oil in her vehicle. She rarely drives it very far maybe 10 miles back and forth to the grocery store. It has had sludge in the bottom of the pan the last couple of oil changes so I have to start changing more. I told my wife to drive around before going to the grocery store lol.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 1970cstblazer

No wonder a majority of these old engines I have opened up are all sludged up with the crap quality oil of that period, leaded fuel, and 6k change intervals.

With these very limited used collector cars, I try to change every other season, but I use Z-ROD Amsoil. The mileage is under 1k for each.

The daily drivers get changed every 5k miles. I use Amsoil Signature series oil. My engines are AFM equipped, so the oil can't be dirty or low quality.

My bet would be as they got older the oil rarely was changed . Just more poured in as the level dropped .

[Accelo]

Newer cars are fine with 6000-mile intervals—computerized A/F controls, roller cams, low tension rings, improved steels and better oils than before.

Old carburetor engines with terrible A/F ratios dilute the oil with hydrocarbons and contribute to wear. Cylinder wear after 100K was typically .007 to .011 in an old SBC. Modern LS motors can still show the hatch marking at the same mileage.

Bottom line it I would recommend changing the oil every two years no matter the mileage on a Sixtys/Seventy's vehicle. And 3000 miles if it gets driven that far within two years.
I don't have an opinion on Synthetic oil verses standard oils. I believe clean is better.

[Dead Parrot]

For my 75, I picked 5k a long time ago. And I shifted the change interval to match the odometer thousands digit changing to either a 5 or 0. No more wondering when I need to change oil.

The recommendation for my 09 Escape is 6 months or 7500. I often reset the 6 months counter once as I don't put that many miles on it and most are highway miles.

But I do 2nd the idea that if the oil has been in there 2 years, won't hurt to change it. Cheaper then an engine rework.

[weq92f]

.

For the classic, I look at the dipstick and smell it. It's once a season usually, but depends on how much I drive it. My daily drivers for the last 20 years have had calculated intervals and so I followed those...5000 up to around 10000 miles.

Back in high school and early college, I didn't change the oil at all on my '68. When I noticed the oil pressure gauge dipping too low, I'd add another quart or two. It burned some and leaked some.

-Kevin