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7500 oil change intervals?


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i was changing the obw's oil yesterday (first time ever) and my dad said im not supposed to do it until 7500 ( i did it at 3k)...the owners maual does say 7500, but doesnt this seem too long? my honda's says every 10000!!!

 

Yeah, there's been a lot of advances in engine design and oil additives. But, I use Mobil 1 and still try to change it at 5-6K. A lot also depends on driving style, age/condition of vehicle, loading/towing etc.

 

One mistake people (me when I was younger for instance) make that own old beaters is thinking they don't need to change the oil cause thery're putting in so much due to leaks or usage. But if the car has blowby, the oil is collecting combustion by producst, moisture and unburned fuel. It is just as important to maintain the change schedule (whatebevr you're comfortable with) on older vehicles.

 

a fun site to do some reading is http://www.bobistheoilguy.com where folks discuss used oil analysis and stuff relatinge to engine oils.

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Since my 85, I have changed oil/filter at 7,500 miles. That had 162K on it when sold. My 90 Legacy went well over 200K when it was destroyed in a crash. My 02 Forester had 72K when Subaru took it back and the current 04 has 41K on it. All stayed with the Factory Service intervals including the 7,500 mile oil/filter changes. Regular dino oil and no internal engine failures.

 

(The 02 Forester was a mess from day 1....took me 2 years to prove that to Subaru. Was my 5th Subaru....and almost my last......Today Subaru is not the company I dealt with when I purchased my 78, 82, 85 or 90.) End of Rant!

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I try and change mine every 4,000 - 5,000 miles. I'd do it every 3,000 if I had my own garage and didn't have to do it in a gravel lot.
Heh... That's why I change my oil in the parts store's parking lot. It may not seem like a good idea at first, but try it. You'll realize it's the smartest thing you ever did. Get somebody else's concrete or asphalt dirty, more oil is right there at your fingertips, and best of all, you don't have to transport used oil back to the store for recycling, you're already there. But do bring a roll of PT and some hand cleaner, plus a bottle of water to wash the hand cleaner off your hands.
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Yep, 7.5k is no real stress on an engine that runs "normal" daily driving routines.

 

Even when I thrash my car around tracks for a day during summer, I don't change earlier than 5k. Still, only one track day per oil change.

 

For peace of mind, you could try swapping just the filter at 3.25k...

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Yep, 7.5k is no real stress on an engine that runs "normal" daily driving routines.

 

Even when I thrash my car around tracks for a day during summer, I don't change earlier than 5k. Still, only one track day per oil change.

 

For peace of mind, you could try swapping just the filter at 3.25k...

 

This is an excellent compromise. You get the clean filter PLUS a boost of - what - 1/2 quart or more of fresh oil/additives.

 

good suggestion

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Out TL is finally asking us to change the oil just shy of 6k miles. The first change isnt too crucial as there are break in chemicals that are good to have circulating. From what I hear it is best to do a 3k mile flush after that. Then it is safe to go a little farther(I don't trust the TLs comp, though I am sure it is right, so I will do it every 3-5k) with M1 or amsoil XL. Amsoil XL needs to be ordered(like 50 bucks for 12 quarts shipped, its a synth) but it is supposed to be much better than M1.

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i was changing the obw's oil yesterday (first time ever) and my dad said im not supposed to do it until 7500 ( i did it at 3k)...the owners maual does say 7500, but doesnt this seem too long? my honda's says every 10000!!!
FWIW I have an 06 3.0R and looked in the manual the other day when a young WRX owner at work suggested a change at 1,000. It gives a change at 3,000, but then reverts to the 7,500 mile interval from then on.

 

You'll find other threads on oil change intervals here. If you go to a place like Bobistheoilguy you'll find many, many threads.

 

My own opinion as the owner of five company vehicles and two personal cars is based on our use of oil analysis. I learned about it when maintaining four M60A3 tanks and five other armored vehicles in the Army. Tanks always operate under high load because of their immense weight (when most people say, "built like a tank" they're significantly understimating the tank) and that included the twin turbo, 1,790 cubic inch diesel on the M60. It held something like 35 gallons of oil.

 

The longest-term vehicles we tested were a 97 OBW with 165,000 when sold, and a 95 Ford Econoline van that curently has over 165,000 on the original drivetrain. We usually change at 5,000 just because it's easy to remember.

 

With regular or synthetic oils, at 7,500 miles the oil from either engines had no problems. There was a slight buildup in silicates (probably from ingested dirt) but everything else was cool. We could have gone to 10,000 miles with no problem. Modern cars burn unleaded fuel and have very precise fuel metering and very uniform production tolerances. The factory engineers aren't idiots and aren't cavalier about recommending oil change intervals. They conduct lengthy, detailed experiments. They also designed the engines and by law have to maintain their emissions for 50,000 miles.

 

Changing earlier just creates very high quality waste oil. But it's a religious argument and the "change every 3,000 mile" has their own altar. Personally I can never understand how folks can be religious about changing oil - but beat a cold engine.

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