Question about oil change
 

I bought a new car on march 30 of last year and have only put on 2300 miles so far. I have an appointment to get an oil change tomorrow because they are offering a free oil change (up to 39.85) for my April birth month.

But I can't seem to get a straight answer as to how long I can go between oil changes. When I bought the car they told me it had synthetic oil in it. So they told me to wait 'til I get 3,000 miles on it. Now one person told me I shouldn't go any longer than 12 months and another said 6 months.

I would think synthetic oil would last at least 12 months, and regular oil 6 months.

Synthetic oil change costs $64.00 and regular oil change costs 37.00 . Would I be better off to get the synthetic and just get one oil change per year? Or is it better to go in twice a year so they will check things over more often.

Certainly no expert here - my experience
 

I AM NO EXPERT........ but it seems to me the marketing companies have done a pretty good job here. Will be interested to hear different opinions from folks with more expertise.

I have two cars, one has 125000 (4 door sedan) and one has 180000 (SUV) miles. Both run great.

I use regular oil and get it changed every 6000 miles and usually for less than $30.

I am no expert, just sharing my experience.

PS. Posting this makes me realize I will need a new car soon.....

Your owners manual will give you the recommended mileage between oil changes and I will bet its more than 3000 miles. Synthetic vs Dino oil is a oft argued subject. If it were mine I'd go for a quality Dino over the synthetic

But you need to change the oil once per year regardless if you have met the miles or not. Water, fuel and other contaminates will be in that oil.

And at least once a month to take it out for a good 30 mile plus ride, That will heat the engine enough to burn off the water condensation in the crankcase and exhaust.

Follow your owner's manual or your warranty will be void, useless, not worth the paper it is written on, etc.

The problem with the owners manual is that it says every 6 months but doesn't say for what kind of oil.

The oil filler cap under the hood should say what type/weight oil should be used. Chances are if it 0W-(something) or 5W-(something), it requires synthetic.

I'm pretty sure this statement is totally false...

You are not required to have your new vehicle serviced at the dealer...that is your choice. Oil change intervals are "recommendations" by the manufacturer.

If you have questions, you should contact your dealer; especially if this is a new car.

It depends on your vehicle and if it has a computer oil change warning. I have had corvettes and currently a high performance vehicle that uses synthetic also. I go by the computer and have never had a problem

The average recommended interval by manufacturers on new cars is about 7800 miles. The 3000 mile requirement is a myth largely promolgated by service depts and quick lubes to get you in for a service interval. Go to Edmonds. com or google " oil change intervals" . We waste millons of barrels of oil and spend millons of dollars uselessly every year on needless changes. We also create a huge environmental problem.

Agree with you on this one. 3000 to 6000 for a oil change. You do not have to use your dealer. Oil change every year for sure,even with that few miles.

Never said you had to use the dealer for oil changes, but if you don't follow the manufactures recommendation and you have an issue they can certainly question why you didn't follow their recommendation and I for one am not nterested in testing this theory.

Ditto.

Bill :)

I have a 2012 Lexus and they switched from 6000 mile intervals for oil changes to 10,000 mile intervals and use synthetic oil.

And I never said you did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would call you dealer, how often do I have to have my oil change to maintain the warranty and what type of oil should I use.

Oil change frequency also depends on type pf driving. Short, local driving requires more frequent changes than long trip driving. Newer cars with oil change displays will take this into consideration.

Your owner's manual is the best guide.

Read your owners manual. You can often download the electronic version if you would prefer to search for words in the document.

I follow the instructions and recommendations in my owners manual. For most of the vehicles I have owned a range of miles between oil changes were recommended depending on driving habits and the environment where it is driven.

My car has an "oil change" indicator system. While I would take the vehicle in if it indicated a change was needed, I do not trust it enough to rely on it. I track my mileage myself. I have my oil changed based on the recommended miles for my driving pattern and the environment.

If I was not driving my vehicle much, I would get my vehicle serviced at a minimum of once a year no matter how few miles I drove. That is also what our owners manuals recommend on our current vehicles.

I have used synthetic oil in the past on one vehicle because the manufacturer recommended it. Most vehicles I have owned listed synthetic oil as optional. But, if my dealer recommended that I use synthetic oil for a good reason, I would probably use it

I've been using Amsoil synthetic in my 2009 Toyota Tacoma. 4 years 40,000 miles, so far , so good. The oil is rated for 1 year or 25,000 miles. It's certainly more convenient as I do my own oil changes. On their website they state that following extended drain intervals cannot automatically void your warranty.I would guess, however, that it would be a hassle to make a warranty claim.

AMSOIL - Synthetic Oil, Motor and Engine Oil, Lubricants, Air Filters, Oil Filters and Greases
Their website has lots of technical information.

I think the hardware store on 466 is a dealer.

For a new engine, 3K miles is a good time to change the oil and filter. New engines can produce metal shavings while the parts "wear in". Any foreign objects in the oil can cause excessive wear on engine parts. After the first oil change, your timing for upcoming oil and filter changes depends on the type of driving you do and the climate but certainly no more than one year between changes. Synthetic oil is worth the additional cost if you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time.

One of many automotive expert articles......that say the exact same thing. :clap2:

Changing oil at 3,000 miles, is a waste of money and an additional burden to the environment.

A single woman friend of my wife, was bullied into a coolant flush by her dealer....at only 20,000 miles (no "extreme service" parameters present).

When I went back to the dealer for her, with owners manual in hand, he told me that the owners manual had been superseded by a "technical bulletin."

After demanding to see this bulletin, he brings me a piece of paper with the dealers logo...which said that vehicle owners should be "encouraged" to get a coolant flush at 20,000 miles. :doh:

Hardly a manufacturers technical bulletin.

She got her $129 back. :D

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Any metal shavings that are created by New engine break in Are trapped by the oil filter But everybody to their own.

and highway miles can be more between changes. Most new engines are easily safe to run 5-10,000 miles between changes depending on the type of driving. If it is a quality syntheic there is absolutely no problem as you will not wear it our. Low mileage use per year is subject to attracting/creating contaminents.....minimum annual change for cars getting less than 10,000 miles (especially stop and go city driving).

btk

Thanks for all the replies. I went for the oil change and got regular oil rather than synthetic and the special birthday offer completely paid for it. I asked if I had gone too long (12 & 1/2 months) without changing oil and was told, "no". After all, it was synthetic oil and I only had 2,300 miles on the car.

Now that I have regular oil in it, I don't have to worry about how often to change it. It will be about every 6 months regardless of the few miles I put on. And I understand it's because the oil breaks down over a period of time, from heat, humidity and short trips. I make mostly short trips. I go to Aldi's once a week and that's about 20 miles round trip.

If they keep giving me a free oil change on my birthday, that means I will only pay for one oil change per year. :)

The person I talked to over the phone said it was his first day on the job and that he didn't know how much an oil change would cost. So I held on while he went to find out. He came back and said it would be about 37 dollars.

But the actual oil change, although it was free to me, was written up as $24.63.

Been mechanic for 45 years. New computer cars will tell you when it needs service. Got internal calander and mileage clock in 6 months the service light soon will come on or before if you put alot of miles on your vehicle. So it is wise to change you oil atleast every 6 months reguardless of miles if you plan on keeping your vehicle 4 plus years.. If you only keep you vehicle couple years it don't matter pass the bad service problems onto someone else. But, you still have to know where the dipstick located and check it routinely along with transmission, powersteering, coolant, brake master cylinder, and tires pressure (most new cars have tire pressure monitoring, it will tell you if you got low tire).

This usually too much for the majority of owners so that's why they get them serviced at dealership or somewhere else, but you still have to check their work, many times they over fill due to being in hurry cause we don't like to wait. When I was too lazy to do my own servicing You can bet I followed up on the work that was preformed before I left the lot. They will also let you know when other routine maintenance is required per the owner manual. Some vehicles require more especially euro and japaneze models and you pay more thats why they usually seem to last longer IMO.

Back in the 80's I knew guy that never changed his oil only the filter every 3 to 5k miles (he got this idea from europeans which conditions are different IMO don't get that hot in England and upper Euroasia IMO and their engines don't work as hard as ours pulling all the accessories like air conditioning power steering smog pumps back then). He had 120K on the clock. He had lifter ticking problems so we took the valve covers off and Could verily see the lifters due to all the coking build up. We adjusted the lifter and quieted it down some. He decided to sell the truck, knowing his routine maintenace habits would you buy this truck? I wouldn't even though he got lucky and got his moneys worth out of it.

If there's anything IMO to skemp on it's not oil changes and air filters. I use change my oil every 6 months I like to change it before winter months (were it gets cold) and after winter for the hot summer months usually april and Oct./Nov. Now I'm older and lazy so when the computer says it's time I take it to trusted dealer. I'm not big fan of the pull in drive off 10 min. servicing companies (not your mom and pop shops). Seen too many bad habits due to lack of knowledge and no pride in their work, but that's me.

Oil recycled alot more these days so yes we spend alot on changing it but the used oil put to other uses so it not wasted and depleting our planet like 40 years ago, actually IMO changing oil may help due to less smog out the tailpipe. I have friend got mid 2000s ford pickup he braggs he changes his oil every 10000 miles and tends to believe what he reads. He has 90K on that truck and guess what? when he starts it it boils blue smoke out the tailpipes. Most don't notice that (IMO that's wear on the cylinder walls, pistons rings or valves guides due to lack of oil changes), but I do. I have older Ford truck than his same engine but different servicing with 125K on the it and it don't ever smoke. Most people don't keep vehicles long enough to worry about servicing, only use that buy used or keep them 8 plus years to get or money worth out of them.

"coolant flush by her dealer....at only 20,000 miles" How old was the car? Coolant also breaks down over time and starts eating plugging up the system. If the car was over 4 years old and again plan on keeping it changing it wasn't a bad thing (but you got to make sure they changed it, I suspect these individuals may have done nothing and got caught? that's why they probably gave the money back knowing it wasn't required yet and typed something out for cover-up, not that hard to look in the owners manual to verify).

Radiators, water pumps, heater core , and hoses will cost alot more. I change my antifreeze coolant every 4 years requardless of miles (you may get by on 6 years, but after that the clock is ticking). Going on mile alone really not good mearsuring stick (some people just don't put that many miles on, but stop and go includes startups alot more than road miles), Hours or months are better. As you know some devious people take advanage of people that don't know much about mechanicial things or fail to read the owners manual or understand it on recommended servicing based on miles or months of use. In the commericial world usually strictly go by hours of use cause it's cheaper in the long run to service that replace.

I went to the dealer in Ocala for my oil change. I don't know if it's true but I was told that when they put air in your tires they use nitrogen. That makes sense because when I bought the car they told me the tires were filled with nitrogen. If I go for an oil change in The Villages area, I'm not going to get nitrogen, right?

That's a good hook to keep customers coming back. It seems to me that (pure) nitrogen doesn't leak out the way regular air does.

What has your experience been with nitrogen versus regular?

You make good points, but the car was a year and a half old.

Manual said 2 years/30,000 miles.

Your other observation, of the dealer trying to pull a fast one...is very astute.

They are no longer in business.

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Agreed.

It is simply an over-hyped selling point.

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i wish I could sell you some air
 

Chemical composition of Atmospheric Air.
What Is the Chemical Composition of Air? - Elements in the Atmosphere

When I had my Saturn I used regular air and the tires wouldn't hold it very well. But now, with nitrogen, I can go 6 months without losing pressure. Yes, regular air is mostly nitrogen, I'm aware of that. But it's the smaller percentage of oxygen that keeps leaking out because the molecules are smaller.

Consumer Reports May '13 issue, under "101 Secrets From Our Experts," p.17, "Don't bother using nitrogen in your tires to keep up tire pressure. It's a waste of money. Air is 80% nitrogen anyway, and air or nitrogen will leak out of tires over time, our tests show. Check your tire pressure regularly." p.19, "You don't have to change your oil every 3,000 miles as some service shops suggest. Follow the interval recommended in your owner's manual, usually 5,000 miles or more."

:agree:

For those who still think nitrogen is needed, would you be interested in some just slightly moist farmland I have for sale?

:D

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N2 has larger molecules therefore the big selling point is it won't leak out as easily as compressed air and temperature will not affect the tire pressure as much. But as another said, it's all hype. Just put those little green valve caps on and you're all set!

:agree: My Toyota requires 0W-(something), which as far as I know, is only available in synthetic.

Good point. :D

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I think the theory behind nitrogen is air temp. has less effect on nitrogen. We know when it cold (Not Florida Cold, but real cold) air pressure is reduced and when it hot Not Florida hot but Midwest or Az. summer hot. air pressure increases along with heat build up in the tire. With nitrogen there is no moisture and temps. in theory has less effect. How much less??? If my tire was low it wouldn't bother me abit to put regular air in them... They also in theory say the tires don't deteriorate as fast with nitrogen. I'm still on the fence about nitrogen filled tires, about to fall of on the non-sence side...

yes 0w-20 to 50 is syn. oil. which is about $7+ bucks quart the last time I brought some. For some that may not know the 0 in the oil number means it's will be thin in cold temps. the 20 to 50 number means it will be thicker when it's hot. So on cold morning in Mi. say -25 the oil will be thinner so it will get to the bearings quicker...If it had straight 20w or hopefully not 30W the oil would be like honey and not flow to the bearing quickly or may not even build up pressure quickly i the extreme cold. about 60 years ago muli-grade oils made it so you didn't have to change you oil just because it getting real cold or real hot. 0-20 syn is the best forumlated oil devoloped.

That was my point.

If you dont care about the life of your engine, go once a year. If you are worried about your investment I would go two or three times a year. Depending on how many miles you put on it.