The "myth" about oil changes

rapter34 · 06-17-2008, 10:08 AM

Found this on yahoo thought some of you oil junkies could rip it a new one. 10,000 miles on an oil change. maybe in POS not in my baby.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...MzMDAwLW9pbA--

**Sarge** · 06-17-2008, 10:46 AM

More myths to discredit other myths. Oh boy.....

**qwk93ta** · 06-17-2008, 01:23 PM

I'm changing my oil too often

**bigrondownhiller** · 06-17-2008, 01:30 PM

Not many people fall into the "normal" driving. Even when the manufacturers recommend longer intervals severe driving they still say 3000.

**vannatte** · 06-17-2008, 01:37 PM

I have to agree with that article. Advances in technology and synthetic oils makes it safe to go well over 3000 miles between oil changes. The manual on my 2006 Pontiac Torrent says you aren't even supposed to change the oil until the oil life monitor tells you to, but I won't wait that long usually. It didn't go off for the first time for like 6,000 miles! I was freaking out a little and haven't went much over 3,000 miles since between oil changes since then.

**Insert** · 06-17-2008, 02:58 PM

hey, do what you want, i'll still change my oil regularly... whether you use the highest brand synthetic, or some low brand regular, get the oil changed regularly.

**KyleLs1** · 06-17-2008, 03:19 PM

oil is cheap... engines are not
i'll stick to my 3000 mile intervals

**02Sweet** · 06-17-2008, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by KyleLs1

oil is cheap... engines are not
i'll stick to my 3000 mile intervals

**SteveC** · 06-18-2008, 04:28 AM

I change my oil in my 01 Z28 every 2 years or 6K (garage queen), and my 04 Tahoe every 10K (daily beater). In both cases the oil comes out looking clean, I have had no engine problems with either vehicle.

I run Royal Purple 10W/30 6 qts in both vehicles.

SteveC

rapter34 · 06-18-2008, 04:48 AM

I usally just make it a force of habbit to put new oil in every year after I store the car. and the filter every 2 years. but any other car I change the oil on its usally about 6-7000 miles. I baby the Trans Am.

**A BAD T/A** · 06-18-2008, 12:45 PM

There is a well known "number" in the oil business but relatively unknown outside it. It is known as "TBN" Total Base Number. For those who remember chemistry, there are acids and bases. They offset, as it were, each other.
Most of the stuff that gets into the oil in an internal combustion engine is acidic. Even though the sulphur content of gasoline is low, the combustion process creates sulphuric acid and it goes into the oil.
Here is where the TBN comes in; the higher the TBN, the MORE acid it can "deactivate". MOST regular gasoline engine petro based oils run a TBN below "7". Some synthetics for gasoline engines make it to "10".
Nearly all diesel oil starts out near "10" and the preferred oils, those that CAT and Volvo recommend for their 30,000 mile oil changes run up to "14".
The other reason those big rigs can go 10,000+ miles on the normal diesel oil is that they all have anywhere from an 8 to 12 GALLON oil capacity! So, they have 6 to 8 times as much oil to absorb all that stuff.
A good petro based oil in a street driven engine SHOULD be good for 4,000-6,000 miles, depending on driving and weather conditions.