# How long have you pushed your oil life?



## mumblz

I'm about to round 11k miles on a 2004 elantra, I know thats fckin ridiculous...changing it real soon I promise. I have this possibly irrational fear that my engine's gonna blow up the day before I go to change it.

What's the most life yall have tried to squeeze out of your oil?


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## CaptainCassius

Depends if you're running synthetic or Dino juice. If the motor is in good shape and using good quality Dino I'll usually do it every 5000. You could go longer really like 7500. I just like to keep a solid PM schedule going especially with how many miles I travel.

A good synthetic could do 10,000 no problem. Personally I'd change around 7500. And you might push it even farther maybe 13,000. Hopefully your rings are good and you're not burning too much, either way, you will most likely have to add some when you keep oil in the case that long.

Good filters go a long way as well.


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## meatcomputer

Getting the oil changed such a deeply satisfying feeling that I've never been more than 3200 miles or 6 months without an oil change. I'm not on synthetic though. Also changing your oil feels really similar to taking a shower and if you dont have an easy way to shower, an oil change can be a nice way to feel clean.


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## iamwhatiam

From what I've heard, changing your oil is one of the best preventative maintenances you can do for your rig. It's not expensive to have it changed....very cheap to DIY. So why chance fucking your engine up?


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## MarkB

Jiffy Lube and marketing! The 3000 mile oil change is just a waste of money and resources. You been sold a bill of goods, again!


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## mumblz

iamwhatiam said:


> So why chance fucking your engine up?



a tendency to self sabotage? a desire to see just how far I can push things until they break? who knows man I hear it's dangerous to self diagnose lol


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## roguetrader

to me this boils down to whether you're keeping the vehicle for a while or not - i got a 7.5 ton camper that i'll keep for years and this gets properly serviced and mucho love but my blat motors (cars) I change every 6 months or year, basically coz quality cars can be had really cheap in the UK... to these vehicles I do as little as possible, hopefully getting the benefit of the last guys expenditure on servicing and repair work ! so if you're getting another ride soontime then fuck it but if you wanna keep it then get some new oil in there !

this thread also reminds me of a little trick my buddy pulled in France a few years ago - he's the type who hates to pay cash for anything unless its drugs or alcohol - so anyway his ancient 10 ton Commer horse box was long overdue an oil change, so he went to the supermarket and bought the 10 litres of oil necessary for the job, gets it home and very carefully prises the tops off without breaking the security seal.... he finishes the oil change and again very carefully tips the ancient watery used oil into the newly empty containers, replaced the lids and took 'em back for a refund saying he'd bought the wrong ones ! I always wondered if some poor French guy actually put that shit in his vehicle....


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## Sameer

You can be cheap on everything you want in life but not on changing oil for your engine. It is the cheapest and easiest thing you can do to keep your engine running. I change mine every 3000 miles...
Why wouldn't I...... It is the only wheel-estate I own and my home for the last 6 years. A good oil filter too! It's foolish to half-ass engine maintenance.....


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## mumblz

Sameer said:


> I change mine every 3000 miles...
> Why wouldn't I...... It is the only wheel-estate I own and my home for the last 6 years. A good oil filter too! It's foolish to half-ass engine maintenance.....



I guess my current attachment is of a different kind to the vehicle. We've had a good run for sure, but I'm just at a point where it can stay or go



> to me this boils down to whether you're keeping the vehicle for a while or not


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## Sameer

Mumbiz... It may be different if you don't live in your vehicle. But the truth of the matter is Vehicles these days are quite expensive.
Growing up Urban in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles a vehicle was hard to come by when growing up quite poor. So when I finally got my $400 pickup truck I learn to work on every aspect of it. Those were the days when you drove your vehicle to a park and spent all day wexing it and listening to oldies but goodies on the radio. Luckily I became a backyard mechanic! I do all the repairs on my wheel estate myself. Oil is the lifeblood of the engine. I think we should take care of what little we've managed to acquire in this life....


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## benton

20k on an 09 Corolla with no issues

Mostly highway miles


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## Keystone Ice Kid

Mobil1 Extended Performance is very good. Tried the lesser silver version not as good. Finally decided I wanted those Bosch filters at Walmart then they disappeared! 3000 is not hogwash. I removed the padding underneath my hood and it runs cooler now but the heater runs cooler also.


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## Keystone Ice Kid

That's what I'm talkin about! Castrol regular 30 is more like 40. In the winter I used to have a tough time warming it up at all.


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## kecleon

I go by how it looks and feels, I use semi synth. So when it starts going darker I'd change it, get a big between your finger and thumb, push hard if you feel grit its bad, if your fingers dont slide easy change it if your fingers slide easy and it looks nice and golden, still good.

Can depend on a lot of things, weather, how hard you drive, amount of oil it holds, condition of the engine. I know a guy who hasn't changed the oil in his wifes car for 20k but she drives like a grandma and its run in but got low miles, me I'd change it but really the oils probably not that bad. When i rode dirt bikes aircooled. wet clutch, riden hard, low oil capacity, they'd be changed at like 100 miles or less even.


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## CaptainCassius

I really don't want to get into a big explanation of it because there's so much information available about oil elsewhere on the web.

But.. Guys. No.

Coming from an experienced mechanic:
(Not a tire monkey either) the "3000 mile oil change" while totally fine from a preventive standpoint, is for the most part bullshit, especially for the majority of drivers that don't push their engines to any great lengths. It's aimed to sell you petroleum products and keep business booming.
Even in FSM's, manufacturers of automotive gasoline engines usually suggest changing the oil every 5000-7500 miles.


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## CaptainCassius

Spider Tempura said:


> This is the honest truth about when to change oil right here. Every engine is made with different quality standards, modern innovations or lack thereof, etc. And climate and types of use play a big part. While grandma that never goes over 40mph might get 5k with a 4 banger and 10k or better with synthetic that cat that drives it like they stole it should PROBABLY change it around 3k if not sooner.
> 
> You really can tell the state of the fluids by look, feel and smell. Trans fluid will start to get a slightly burnt odor and motor oil as mentioned will look darker and feel thinner.
> 
> If you wanna be that bloke that gets 250k miles on a 4 banger just keep an eye on the fluids. Whenever you gas up just pop your hood, take a peek, and do a quick visual on belts, battery and hoses. Catching anything early will only save you money and grief in the long haul.



You're sort of right on that note, but I gotta tell you just because crankcase oil turns black doesn't mean it's bad. Oil has detergents in it to clean carbon deposits left in the case from combustion; if the oil is getting darker it just means it's cleaning like it's supposed too. It's not really that accurate of an indicator of oil life. ATF you "can" tell by the color and smell as to its condition but it's also not a whole lot to go by.

I know this all goes against shade tree mechanic lore and tradition, but it's the truth.

Had 300k on the last truck before I sold it. Have 400k on this current one and I'm going to rebuild or swap in a take-out soon but it still runs like a champ. 5k oil changes and I beat the crap outta both of them.

Although I'm cheating I guess cause they're Toyotas..


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## happythoughts123

Uh...you should probably look at the owners manual. It will tell you how often to change it.
Currently, as it stands, you are seriously fucking your motor up.


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## roughdraft

basically you cannot change it often *enough* - realistically just check the color every 1500 miles or so.

it starts clear, then it's caramel. the darker it gets the closer you are to needing to change it. 

yes you are absolutely fucking yourself if you do any less, and it's tragic because it's one of the least expensive and easiest things to learn in the car world


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## happythoughts123

Don't even bother trying to change it yourself. Its only like twenty bucks or something. I mean unless if you really want to.
Oh, and always keep an eye on all of your fluids in general. You don't want them to be low.


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## Jay89

As a truck driver. I have always sampled my oil i send it in and based on the results i determine with their help when to change the oil. If there are no contaminants you just keep running the oil. I also used a by pass filter. If you have a diesel engine i highly recommend this route.


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## Jay89

Also if you cant afford to change the oil nothing wrong with just changing the filter. Always keep a couple extra filters and the tools to be able to change the oil and filter.


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## Jackthereaper

mumblz said:


> I'm about to round 11k miles on a 2004 elantra, I know thats fckin ridiculous...changing it real soon I promise. I have this possibly irrational fear that my engine's gonna blow up the day before I go to change it.
> 
> What's the most life yall have tried to squeeze out of your oil?



I once purchased a toyota corolla with 135k miles on the odo(4aFe engine) i paid $600. I proceeded to never change the oil or filter, and the car rode strong till the auto trans took a shit at 247k miles. All i ever did was top it off if the oil light came on around hard corners ( i beat the shit out of this car, never had more than $40 in tires on it, warrantied like 15 pair of brake pads at auto zone etc). Dont neglect the car, just remember though that itll be good so long as its got some lubrication. Running it dry is far worse than running it for a long time w. Shit oil in it


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## Ringo

When I was in my early 20s and way too strung out keeping myself alive, I neglected a 1989 Dodge Dakota of an oil change for nearly 20,000 miles on conventional oil. I barely noticed. Not good at all, but the engine still ran like a champ.


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## Prophetess333

Killed my first car by going over 10,000+ with out changing oil. Rods in the transmission swelled & were clanking whenever i hit the gas or brakes


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## BusGypsy

oh geez yes i cannot emphasize enough- oil! We blew the engine on our last bus because we drove to Goerge, WA then Eugene, OR (following Dead & Company) and... well we were having such a good time, we forgot.
Got a rod knock, and an engine replacement would have been more expensive then just replacing the whole bus.
I don't know a lot about vehicles in general; my driver does that.
'But take care of your vehicle, especially if it's your home!


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## Arizonagrey

I always carry 2 spares in my van gas jug tool box and have made some small modifications to make it easy for me to work on with a crippled leg. I was a mechanic before i hit the road and enjoy working on my own stuff but still i cannot stress regular maintenance enough especially having been stuck because of my my own stupidity and stubborness


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## Arizonagrey

Ringo said:


> When I was in my early 20s and way too strung out keeping myself alive, I neglected a 1989 Dodge Dakota of an oil change for nearly 20,000 miles on conventional oil. I barely noticed. Not good at all, but the engine still ran like a champ.


*dude i had a dodge durango 4x4 that i bought on a salvaged title for 400 bucks and i abused the shit out of it for years on the road and it served me well those are good motors/framed vehicles*


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## Jackthereaper

Arizonagrey said:


> *dude i had a dodge durango 4x4 that i bought on a salvaged title for 400 bucks and i abused the shit out of it for years on the road and it served me well those are good motors/framed vehicles*


Speaking of durangos this little short fuck who worked at cranks catering when i was 16 got a company leased durango. Dude put 110k miles in the 3 year lease period and changed ths oil once at 12k miles. Needless to say the company made him buy that lease out. Truck still ran though, it was completely trashed


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