I have 1,500 miles on my 09, should I get the oil changed now?
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It's always good practice to change the oil early. Break in period is still in effect, but it doesn't hurt. I change mine at 1K (earlier than you!) and replace it with a good full synthetic oil. Unless you have synthetic from the factory, I don't advise waiting a year to change it, irregardless of miles.
3K oil changes aren't longer necessary. Lower cruising rpm allows less engine wear, better mileage and longer oil life in most cases. 3K oil changes date back to the time when most cars had three speed transmissions (no overdrive). Granted, highway speeds are higher today than they were back in the day, but not by much when you do the numbers.
Using mid priced synthetic oil and changing it every 10K won't wear an engine down any faster than using regular oil and changing it every 3K. In the end you get what you pay for. Spending more money to do more frequent oil changes, sure. Or spending less money on better oil for longer changes.
Don't forget that the DIC is only an estimation of when the computer thinks you should change the oil. It doesn't actually test the oil for particle/dirt density or if it thickens up before its time. Besides, having a car with a DIC where multiple drivers use it on a regular basis, one person can reset the DIC just to get it off the screen, and the next person will assume that the oil has been changed and he's OK to drive 3K for a family trip. Ultimately, it just comes down to personal preference on when to do an oil change.
Using mid priced synthetic oil and changing it every 10K won't wear an engine down any faster than using regular oil and changing it every 3K. In the end you get what you pay for. Spending more money to do more frequent oil changes, sure. Or spending less money on better oil for longer changes.
Don't forget that the DIC is only an estimation of when the computer thinks you should change the oil. It doesn't actually test the oil for particle/dirt density or if it thickens up before its time. Besides, having a car with a DIC where multiple drivers use it on a regular basis, one person can reset the DIC just to get it off the screen, and the next person will assume that the oil has been changed and he's OK to drive 3K for a family trip. Ultimately, it just comes down to personal preference on when to do an oil change.
That's not quite true. Actually you will get more engine wear using synthetic oil with an extended oil change interval than using regular oil with normal oil change intervals. The main factor in minimizing engine wear is the oil change interval itself, not the quality of oil. It's a great myth that because synthetic oil is so much better than regular oil, you can safely extend your oil change interval. Not true. That being said, in most cases you can probably double your oil change interval if you use synthetic oil, but anymore than that you are taking your chances. Also, regardless whether you use synthetic or regular oil, the oil filter itself should be changed at the normal oil change interval.
Your right, but it is partially true as you mentioned in your first sentence.
For maximum life on regular oil, you can drive say 5K. For maximum life on synthetic oil you can go say 15K. Changing either oil out sooner will increase engine life, and leaving the oil in to it's maximum useful life will wear an engine just the same irregardless of the type. However, synthetic base stocks reduce friction, dissipate heat a bit better and less friction means more HP. No, you won't feel the power, but you'll notice better mileage, smoother cold starts and frankly, starting an engine, any engine, is the worst thing you can do to it. By getting a better oil to critical engine components faster, means longer engine life in the long run.
The two oils are completely different, and for people who are unsure about running synthetic oil, most manufacturers have a 'blended oil' which is 50% synthetic and 50% regular oil. I would bet that these guys wouldn't advertise it as a blended oil, they'll tell their friends that they're running synthetic, when in fact it's not all synthetic, only 50%.
If synthetics aren't the real deal, then feel free to phone the guys at McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, GM Performance, Mercedes Benz, BMW and other premium makes that have realized how good synthetics are, to offer it direct from the factory. As engine tolerances get tighter, synthetics are the only way to go not for a longer lasting engine, but for resale value as well.
If I bought a vehicle with 200K at a very good price and found that the owner was changing the oil with standard oil every 5K, I'd walk away. If he was using synthetic for 8-10K changes, I'd buy it as there would be a lot less possibility of sludge formation in the engine.
I have three vehicles, and two (Durango R/T, '06 Pontiac G6 GT) are running Amsoil 0W30 25K mile rated oil. My '99 Taurus doesn't see as many miles so I run Amsoil 5W20 Xl (7500 mile change interval). All Amsoil filters are good for up to 25K or one year. Yes, I properly flushed my engines and on my Dodge replaced the valve cover gaskets just to verify that there was no sludge accumulation before use. If any problems arise, Amsoil has a warranty where they'll pay for the repair if it was found to be a fault of the oil. Mobil1 doesn't offer that, nor does anyone else for that matter.
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. A lot of people are scared to do a 10K oil change, or even a 15K oil change. I don't doubt them as I used to believe that was absurd as well. I'm on my seventh year now with my vehicles on yearly oil changes and I've never had one problem. After replacing a leaky oil pan gasket on my Taurus, the engine internals look like it just came from the factory.
Another bonus, is that I save close to $400 a year on additional oil changes and my Dodge no longer burns a quart of oil every 3K like it did when I ran it on standard oil.
The self monitoring "Oil Life Systems" on newer GM cars is derived from RPM count, Temp and a number of other sensor inputs. I have ALWAYS believed in the 3K or 3 Month theory. The two killers for oil are DIRT and MOISTURE. Oil as it cools, will create moisture that needs to be burned off the next time your motor comes to operating temperature. A car that is highway driven does a better job of this while those cars used for short runs do not. The moisture in your oil is like the water that leaves your exhaust pipe after starting your car in the morning. Visible water droplets exit and drip onto the ground.
I have read a lot about that Oil Life System but am NOT a believer. I do NOT follow it on any of my GM vehicles. Your choice, your car. Oil is cheap insurance....................................
I have read a lot about that Oil Life System but am NOT a believer. I do NOT follow it on any of my GM vehicles. Your choice, your car. Oil is cheap insurance....................................
Considering you are using synthetic oil, it's not surprising you have no issue at 106k miles. Your engine will likely run forever.This oil debate is on every car forum.![]()
I change mine when it tells me to. Ive used mobil 1 synthetic since the first change.
Im at 106,000 miles now with ZERO issues.![]()
My friend has 350k miles on his truck with no oil-related issues. He sticks to the 3k mile oil change rule and he only use regular oil.
It's a personal thing when it comes to oil. There is no right or wrong way.
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Personally I change my oil when it's down to around 55 - 60 % oil life and I've used full synthetic since my first oil change. I know it sounds crazy but I do a lot of "run and gun" so it's just a psychological thing for me to change it that early. I still notice the difference though.
It's either my wife's way or the highway. At times, she chooses the highway
Just to update a bit, I changed over to Amsoil 0W30 oil last fall (October). It's been six months and I've had to add 1/3 quart to bring the oil level back into the middle of the min-full mark on the dipstick. I only put on about 10,000kms (6K) in the last six months, the oils not close to being dark, but I would have to say it's been my abuse of the auto-stick transmission, keeping rpms up! I'll change it at the end of summer.
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