If it gets dark, I change it. I know that isn't the most accurate method for oil changes but that's what I do. Usually every 5k or so.

 

Yea, I always went by the 5000 mark before. When I bought this car and the dealership did it at 3000, I thought maybe I was doing it wrong. Other than the obvious (money), why would a dealership not follow their own recommendation? Okay, not really theirs, but the company they represent. Covering their own asses I guess?

Thanks for the info guys. I usually educate myself better about cars, but this is one of those areas I haven't. I'll just be glad when I'm out of PA school and in a house so I can have a dedicated work space for things like this and the other maintenance stuff I typically handle myself.

 

Color is NO basis for the condition of the oil. A synthetic oil can be "black" at 3,000 miles and still retain ALL of it's protective packages WELL beyond 10,000 miles. Again, misinformation and lack of education resulting in throwing your money away.


Nope. They make more $$ if they can convince you and all their other customers to change it too soon. The dealer doesn't car if you destroy your car in or out of warranty. They get paid either by Ford or you.

 

most of you will say its overkill, or not necessary
but i change mine every 3k miles or 6 months whichever comes first
and it is usually the 6 months that come 1st bc i barely make 3k every year
like Nuke pointed out, the drivers comfort is part of it too
and i feel more comfortable changing it every 6 months
i change it myself, Mobil 1 from walmart is cheap, and a Motorcraft or Wix filter
and i run this engine cleaner for a few minutes before i empty the old oil.
takes me about 1/2 hour to change it.

 

Listen to Nuke fellas, he knows what he is saying, and is giving you all good advice.

 

Oil changes were never 3000 miles. That was Jiffy Lube nonsense.

 

I can recall it being 2000 when I was a kid. Then it went to 3000. Then 5000. Now most new vehicles are 7500 with some at 10k.

Keep in mind I was a kid old enough to remember this stuff in the late 60's and early to mid 70's.

 

My TR3A that my dad bought new in 1958 has a 3000 mile oil change interval. It's a long stroke 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder that holds 6 quarts of oil and the rear crank labyrinth seal allows about 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil to drip out every time the engine shuts off. A nice feature to ensure fresh oil gets added occasionally.

Every car I remember in the 70's and 80's had at least a 5000 mile change interval.

 

Standard dino oil, when under moderate to extreme service, will begin to degrade mostly due to shear than anything else. 3,000 miles on dino is considered the typical change frequency but for most drivers about 4,000 miles is about it depending on the base stock.

The current 7500 mile frequency that many auto makers are now spouting is based on synthetic blend.

What most people don't realize is that an engine with a problem will fail eventually no matter WHAT oil you have and how frequently you change it. Folks are quick to blame an oil due to a failure but the only way to know what's going on in your engine is to have the oil analyzed on some periodicity; an analysis that tends to outweigh the cost of simply changing the oil. Since engine failures are so infrequent, the average car owner has no need to have his oil analyzed. But it's still a great tool to help determine the remaining life of an oil (and, yes, many synthetics will still have a lot of life at the 15,000 mile point) and the oil filter's capability.

Bottom line as far as an oil's involvement in killing an engine is loss of the oil's protective qualities which is a function of the oil type and time. And a quality oil with a crappy filter is a no-win scenario, obviously. Irun synthetics 8,000 miles minimum and beyond, even in my tow vehicles which have seen many, many miles of severe duty and those have gone well beyond the 150,000 - 200,000 mile mark with none experienceing ANY engine issues.

But to each his own. Know that knowledge is power.

 

We didn't have any exotics. I remember standard Chevy, Ford, and Dodge being 2000 with 1 quart used every 1000 being considered "normal usage" by the manufacturer. They also came with 12/12,000 warranties. I suppose someone could pull up an old owners manual and prove me wrong, we are talking about 40 year old memories.

Motors have come along way since then.