15,000 miles between oil changes?
I have been changing my oil about every 3,000 miles and believed that was better than every 5,000 miles.
However I came across a study that stated that the most wear occurred in the first 3,000 miles the oil was used and decreased thereafter. The study was done using Mobil 1 and the test went on for 18,000 miles just topping up the oil and changing the filter.
The conclusion was:
Based on the results we've got here, we'd recommend 8,000 miles between oil changes on an engine that uses no oil at all, perhaps 10,000 miles on an engine that uses some oil, and 15,000 miles or beyond with a filter change every 5,000 miles. This, of course, isn't any kind of guarantee, and you must evaluate for yourself what your engine requires. One thing we're pretty sure about though: 3,000-mile intervals is a huge waste of resources.
The full paper can be found at:
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html
Edit, I have an extended warranty that gives me two oil and filter changes a year at no charge, thats why I do it.
Edit, AMSOIL has similar claims (25,000 miles or one year) on its site;
http://www.amsoil.com/index.aspx
This site also lists filters, wipers, plugs etc. and access to Mothers car care products.
Last edited by onehundred80; Apr 4, 2009 at 09:56 AM.
Reason: added info