Engine Oil Change Interval

[campbeam]

Following YouTube video has some interesting insights into the link between longer oil change intervals, type of oil, oil viscosity and the problem of oil consumption.

Solution is to take a step back in time to the 90's with a shorter oil change interval of 5000kms. Consider using the lowest or lower oil viscosity range recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Quality full synthetic oil with higher levels of detergent additives and a lower evaporation rate are being recommended.

 

[Tony Prodigy]

Excellent information in that video Ash. It is just appalling how the manufacturers thought it would be a good idea to extend the service life of oil for any engine. The proof is indisputable too. LOnger oil service intervals are a death sentence for your engine. I am going to start doing my oil service much earlier than I have been from now on.

After watching this, I want to go out now and do an oil change 😄
 

[campbeam]

2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Excellent information in that video Ash. It is just appalling how the manufacturers thought it would be a good idea to extend the service life of oil for any engine. The proof is indisputable too. LOnger oil service intervals are a death sentence for your engine. I am going to start doing my oil service much earlier than I have been from now on.

After watching this, I want to go out now and do an oil change 😄
 

Very relevant information in that video. If you are long term owner or have bought a used vehicle then you need to consider that servicing the vehicle as per extreme operating conditions is applicable. Until proven otherwise, best to adopt the old school approach of a 5000 km oil change interval. Different matter if you do a lot of highway driving and the vehicle is serviced using high quality synthetic oil and a genuine OEM quality oil filter that supports a longer oil change interval.

Real deciding factor for the oil change interval is the level of contamination in the oil.

I check the oil level and colour of the oil on the dipstick almost every weekend. After looking at the oil colour picture in the link below, I would expect that No.1 would show as being clear on the dipstick after a recent oil change. Current oil colour is in the 4-5 range on the dipstick so an oil change is due soon. When I drain the engine oil, it will probably look like the No.7 colour [black] By then, I will have done approx. 3000 kms of short distance urban driving [great circumstances for generating oil sludge].

https://carbuyerlabs.com/the-color-of-your-engine-oil-says-a-lot-so-pay-attention/

[Tony Prodigy]

Only in America will you see stuff like this 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Tony Prodigy]

Here's another funny one

 

[campbeam]

2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Only in America will you see stuff like this 🤣🤣🤣

Statistically, their pool of potential idiots has to be at least 12 times larger. Hopefully those fools had plenty of cash on hand to part with.

[Tony Prodigy]

53 minutes ago, campbeam said:

Statistically, their pool of potential idiots has to be at least 12 times larger. Hopefully those fools had plenty of cash on hand to part with.

Haha, A friend of mine went over there for a holiday and was astounded how backward people are. 

Servicing aside, American cars are garbage anyway, so I'm not surprised they way they fall apart.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Tony Prodigy

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Servicing aside, American cars are garbage anyway, so I'm not surprised they way they fall apart.

Precisely why we buy Toyota; for their quality control and reliability. Regular maintenance and even preventative maintenance if you want reliability and longevity.

Being DIY, I would much rather being doing extra oil changes than having to be doing an engine rebuild.

[Tony Prodigy]

Here's another one I'm sure will make you all laugh. The end bit is especially funny. Can you guess what size the socket is ??? 

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Tony Prodigy

[Tony Prodigy]

Moved**

Starting a seperate Thread for these Hilarious videos 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Tony Prodigy

[campbeam]

A recent post by @ZZT86 about how the vehicle is used and servicing interval has reminded me that hours of operation and not only mileage is a deciding factor.

Commercial machines have an hours of operation guage and their servicing is based upon that.

Because cars are not normally fitted with this guage, the odometer reading is used instead. I am thinking that 100-150 hours of engine operation would be a reasonable consideration. For most drivers, this will translate to approx. 6 months. 

[Tony Prodigy]

44 minutes ago, campbeam said:

A recent post by @ZZT86 about how the vehicle is used and servicing interval has reminded me that hours of operation and not only mileage is a deciding factor.

Commercial machines have an hours of operation guage and their servicing is based upon that.

So True. I know this to be true as we have two ride on mowers and servicing them is done by the hour meter. They recommend the oil be changed every 50 hrs , but I think this is too long, so I just do it every 20 hours or so. As you always say, oil is cheap so there's no excuse for frequent oil changes, especially on a mower that takes around 2lt of oil.

[campbeam]

Just came across this YouTube video. I did like how he explained the oil analysis and the significance of each item. After looking at the colour of the used oil, it looks too used for my liking from a DIY perspective.

 

[ZZT86]

As per OP clip, I also concur with the use of an Engine Oil flush additive before dumping & changing the engine oil, on the proviso that the engine is in good to excellent condition to maintain internal engine cleanliness.

And although he crows on about the greatness of the Signature Amsoil brand of oils (also concur with his sentiment), a good quality branded full synth oil changed out often will suffice. I wouldn't be swapping out the recommended weight oil for something much lighter though, certainly not against manufacturers recommendations anyway.

Edited September 8, 2021 by ZZT86
Proviso for EOF use

[campbeam]

I had forgotten this YouTube video but not his message. It was worthwhile to re-view this video and refresh the memory. The background history just makes so much sense with conventional oils pushed beyond their limits with longer oil change intervals.

I bought my 2006 Aurion with a known oil burning issue which was later determined to be accumulated oil sludge. I have used a short oil change interval [probably every 2 months] and whatever oils have been on special. Over the past 5 years, this has progressed from conventional oil to semi-synthetic and full synthetic. My preference is for a good quality branded full synthetic oil with a higher level of detergent additives e.g. Shell Ultra and Penrite HPR. 

 

[Tony Prodigy]

12 minutes ago, campbeam said:

My preference is for a good quality branded full synthetic oil with a higher level of detergent additives

Yep. I think that's the key if you don't want to spend extra to add engine flush, which can become costly. Beneficial but yet another impost on an ongoing regime of desludging.

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Yep. I think that's the key if you don't want to spend extra to add engine flush, which can become costly. Beneficial but yet another impost on an ongoing regime of desludging.

The real key is provided in the initial video. Regular oil changes so that the oil stays within its limits and the oil rings do not blocked up resulting in oil consumption. Regular oil changes are also preventing oil sludge build up which impacts lubrication and engine wear.

Those "Just Rolled In" videos demonstrate neglected maintenance and the mechanics busy with expensive repairs that could have been avoided or minimised.

Reduced running costs with longer service intervals are selling points for new car buyers. Nothing like fixed cost servicing for the initial warranty years. No problem for the new car buyer who repeats the new purchase cycle every 3-5 years. It is the used car buyer that inherits their underlying issues and future repair bills unless they use a preventative maintenance perspective. 

My "Sludgy" is a prime example of suspected poor servicing history with low quality engine oils and overdue oil change intervals. The challenge of fully desludging the engine is an ongoing battle. I have got another desludging trick that I can use before progressing and including any commercial flush products in my "overkill" oil change procedure.

 

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, campbeam said:

Regular oil changes so that the oil stays within its limits and the oil rings do not blocked up resulting in oil consumption.

100% in agreement.

1 hour ago, campbeam said:

Reduced running costs with longer service intervals are selling points for new car buyers. Nothing like fixed cost servicing for the initial warranty years. No problem for the new car buyer who repeats the new purchase cycle every 3-5 years. It is the used car buyer that inherits their underlying issues and future repair bills unless they use a preventative maintenance perspective. 

Sad but true. I guess if you are a 2nd hand car buyer like most of us, you really need to do your due dilligence before handing over your money.

Luckily for me, I purchased our Aurion when it jst hit 40K, so not really a chance for any underlying issues, especially in the oil service dept. My OCD has warded off any potential for that. 😁

[ZZT86]

A Toyota tech I know once told me that an OCI of 5K KMS should be adhered to if you want to maintain an engine in top condition for the long haul, he also recommended the use of an EOF even when car is new 😉 clean oil is the key despite the advancements in now common use full synthetics.

Edited September 8, 2021 by ZZT86

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, ZZT86 said:

EOF

I'm hopeless with acronyms 😜 Help me out please..

[ZZT86]

Sorry - Engine Oil Flush. 3 letters is easy but hard sometimes I know, especially on a mobile phone.

[Tony Prodigy]

2 minutes ago, ZZT86 said:

Sorry - Engine Oil Flush. 3 letters is easy but hard sometimes I know, especially on a mobile phone.

Oh ok. Cool. I'll have to remember that one. Thanks mate. 

[Novicebutnice]

10 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

A Toyota tech I know once told me that an OCI of 5K KMS should be adhered to if you want to maintain an engine in top condition for the long haul, he also recommended the use of an EOF even when car is new 😉 clean oil is the key despite the advancements in now common use full synthetics.

To be honest I don't see the need for EOF when the car is new, provided that you are doing the in between services.

If using an EOF I would recommend doing a double or triple oil change, that is drain the oil and filter,

Add new oil (and filter) plus the flush, run the engine and then drain, change filter and fill oil and run the engine,

followed by changing the oil and filter again (this ensures that any "flush" detergents are cleaned out of the system).

My reason is that part of what oil does is "trap" contaminants and keep them in suspension and then have them end up in the oil filter.

But if you are adding the flush additive to oil that is at the end of it's life, it doesn't have the same capacity to carry the contaminants to the oil filter (which is also at the end of it's life).

So I would buy some semi-synthetic oil for the flush, and then use a full synthetic for the final fill.

I generally use a full synthetic that is known for "engine cleanliness", although this time I've tried a different synthetic oil brand, but I have plenty of the "good stuff" if my "foray" with this different oil doesn't work out :-)

[Tony Prodigy]

6 hours ago, Novicebutnice said:

To be honest I don't see the need for EOF when the car is new, provided that you are doing the in between services.

Yes, I tend to agree. If the engine has been well maitained it shouldn't be necessary. I'd really only use engine flush where sludge is detected and it needing a more aggressive approach to cleaning it out. Of course, there are different approaches to desludging, but if you want an off the shelf solution, then yes, go for the engine flush such as the Liquimoly. 

 

6 hours ago, Novicebutnice said:

But if you are adding the flush additive to oil that is at the end of it's life, it doesn't have the same capacity to carry the contaminants to the oil filter (which is also at the end of it's life).

Engine flush should really be added with the new oil. I think that's what he meant. Makes sense right ?

6 hours ago, Novicebutnice said:

I generally use a full synthetic that is known for "engine cleanliness", although this time I've tried a different synthetic oil brand

I don't like to mix brands if I can help it. That's my OCD kicking in lol.. I've only ever used the Nulon fully Synthetic 5W-30 in my Aurion and am very happy with it. I also service my Dad's Aurion and for his car I soley use the Penrite brand just to change it up a bit and compare.

[campbeam]

10 hours ago, Novicebutnice said:

To be honest I don't see the need for EOF when the car is new, provided that you are doing the in between services.

If using an EOF I would recommend doing a double or triple oil change, that is drain the oil and filter,

Add new oil (and filter) plus the flush, run the engine and then drain, change filter and fill oil and run the engine,

followed by changing the oil and filter again (this ensures that any "flush" detergents are cleaned out of the system).

My reason is that part of what oil does is "trap" contaminants and keep them in suspension and then have them end up in the oil filter.

But if you are adding the flush additive to oil that is at the end of it's life, it doesn't have the same capacity to carry the contaminants to the oil filter (which is also at the end of it's life).

So I would buy some semi-synthetic oil for the flush, and then use a full synthetic for the final fill.

I generally use a full synthetic that is known for "engine cleanliness", although this time I've tried a different synthetic oil brand, but I have plenty of the "good stuff" if my "foray" with this different oil doesn't work out 🙂

I think that this is a great approach to get the greatest benefit when using those commercial flush products e.g. LiquidMoly or Penrite. I have already acquired lots of cheap quality semi-synthetic oil from recent specials and have lots of non-genuine oil filter cartridges. Quite easy for me to implement your approach and even incorporate it into my overkill oil change procedure.