Going one year on a single oil change!

mikesr1963

mikesr1963

Gonna walk my dog, you?
Mobil is sporting a new TV add stating you can go a year on their oil and change it only one time? Who's going to do it?
 
Most synthetic oil nowadays is supposed to be good for something like 10-15k miles.

Even most conventional oils have changed their recommended interval to 5k or higher.

Me, I use semi synthetic and change it every 5k miles.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk
 
I'm at about a year since the last oil change. . I never understood the 3 month thing, it's not like the oil is going to spoil. I know that's more of a reminder for most people. These days I don't drive much since I ride my bike a lot more so I go 3k or so unless I am getting some kind of major service. That's why it's been a year (I needed a new clutch). Otherwise it would take about 2-3 years to get to 3k

:embarrassed:hmy:
 
I bought my car new last year. They recommend changing oil every 5k miles. Because I do all city driving, I change it every 3500 miles. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of changing my oil that infrequently.
 
PunkKitty said:
I bought my car new last year. They recommend changing oil every 5k miles. Because I do all city driving, I change it every 3500 miles. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of changing my oil that infrequently.
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Yep. All depends on how you're using it.

I read an article that the under-stated mileage rates to change oil are costing people several hundred unnecessary dollars every year. Article I read said even conventional motor oil is good for 15K.

But it did say that was for "conventional driving, primarily highway use."

Not sure I'd go that far out, but full-synthentic oil (which my Toyota Tundra takes), I change it at least 3 times a year, so approx every 7500-10K miles.
 
I use synthetic and do it every 5K. My car has a turbo and direct injection, so the oil works hard and gets some fuel contamination. That is what the owner's manual says to do. In my wife's old diesel the service interval was like 10 or 15K between oil changes, I can't remember exactly, but that car got new oil like once a year.
 
Land Rovers recommendation is 6,500 miles with conventional oil. When I had it changed they put one of those stickers on the windscreen that said, 3,000 miles or 3 months, and that was with Mobil One. I had it changed on February 6. On March 6 I hit 3,000. An oil change every month would get expensive. The Jag is recommended for 7,500 with conventional oil. Both cars have big sumps with the LR taking 6.5 and the Jag taking 7.5 quarts. Yet the oil change people recommend the same change intervals for a 7.5 quart car as a 4 quart car. Way back in the once upon a time days oil was crap compared to today. Filters were also crap and 3,000 made sense. Today's oil and filters are so much better the old standards only make sense if your selling oil changes.
 
We recently had a 2015 Lancer in the shop that came in for It's first oil change...

...at 81,000 miles...

They also complained that the "service engine soon" light was on and it was making a funny noise...

The original factory filter was still installed, almost rotted through...pulling the valve cover off revealed the entire top end caked in tar and sludge...

We photo documented the whole thing and sent it to Mitsubishi who immediately voided their warranty when the customer was unable to document one single servicing in the life of the car...they ended up having to pay full boat, 3000.00, for us to install the used engine with only 6k miles on it I was able to find...

It does serve as a testament to the quality of that engine that it survived that long, though...
 
7500 miles is just fine for modern cars with normal use. That whole 3000 miles thing was just a marketing campaign that caught fire.*

*unless you've got an RX-8. Then you're screwed no matter what you do.
 
Those old school short change intervals harken back to the days low tech conventional oil, filters, & factory engines with looser tolerances and were harder on the oil & filter.

You should, at a minimum, follow your owner's manual recommendations while under warranty.
After that you can always have your oil analyzed and see what a more efficient OIC would be for your car/oil/filter/typical driving style combo.
 
I try to hit 5k or whenever I have a big trip out of state planned, just to be cautious.

My next car will be a Subaru and I'll follow whatever suggestion it has.
 
I change ever 5k. I have to get a rotation every 5k to keep the tires warrantied. So I just have them do it at the same time. It's normally cheaper than what I would pay for filter and oil and the time I would have invested.
Balance and Rotation are free so I feel like I need to give them a little money.
 
mikesr1963 said:
Mobil is sporting a new TV add stating you can go a year on their oil and change it only one time? Who's going to do it?
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Several years ago, I worked with a guy, different job so 13 years ago. I digress. He used one of the racing oils, Redline\AMSoil\Lucas, I forget. He only changed the oil once a year in his Corvette, but he changed the filter every 7000. He always said using a quality filter kept the oil like new.

I was always skeptical but I've spoken to others since that, depending on use, only changed every 7500k or 10k.
After talking to some older family members, apparently long interval oil changes are not a new thing. It was pioneered back in the 50's-60s but never caught on mainstream. Like CVT transmissions, not a new thing.
 
I run Mobile One in my Corvette, and I change it about every 10K miles. My car has an oil life monitor, so it tells me when to change the oil, and that works out to about 10K miles.
 
I go 5k to 6k between oil changes - but that is every 2 - 2 1/2 months for me. I'd love to go a year between oil changes - but I'm almost at 180K on the car so much longer than 6K and I an getting low on oil.
 
Denverdave said:
I go 5k to 6k between oil changes - but that is every 2 - 2 1/2 months for me. I'd love to go a year between oil changes - but I'm almost at 180K on the car so much longer than 6K and I an getting low on oil.
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Ha, yeah, I just check it and add a quart every now and then. My car is at 185k or so, and when we pulled the valve cover, my cousin said it looks like it should go another 200k. Here's hoping :wink: I do drive a lot less now than I used to, though.
 
I've seen that ad now, for the one-year oil from Mobil1.

I've put 34K and some change on mine since I bought it 15 months ago. Then, it had 6 miles on it. I've changed it six times.

My engine, like Tiltsta's, is a turbocharged, fuel injected engine. Even though I baby it, mostly highway miles (and I've seen videos of these cars being absolutely punished) I just can't see going that far or that long on one oil change, synthetic or not, interstate driving or not. The computer is supposed to tell you when to change it, based on your driving habits and style, but I've yet to see it.

There's a lot of info out there about using catch cans to siphon off all the carbon and soot that engines of this type generate, but imo if the manufacturer doesn't see the point, then I don't either. I've read of situations where installations of these catch cans also come with their own problems, not to mention the price.

I'd use the one-year Mobil1 if I was only driving it occasionally, but when I check the oil and it's turning black, it's time. Think I went the farthest yet on this oil change, close to 8k.
 
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