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3000 or 6000 mile Oil Change

Started by red, January 08, 2012, 09:07:55 AM

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Al_Smith

We have a 2008 Merc bought new . Basically the same as a Lincoln but cheaper  .It now has just gone over 17000 miles .

I have the oil changed at the dealership because believe or not they do it cheaper than I can and I have a drive on hoist so it's easy to do for me .

The first 15,000 it was changed every 3000 and know it's schedualed for 5,000

bandmiller2

Your right Al the ford crown vic,mercury,and lincoln town car are mechanically the same critter.Take care of that Merc their not making any more,100 years of evolution they had them perfected, now all changed.My last two cars were lincoln town cars love-em.Spent my life working on fire and police crusers I'am comfy with them logistics helps too. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

DarkBlack

While better than nothing, chainging oil by mileage is not reliable

Al_Smith

Frank I've always had big old boats to drive .The Merc replaced '90 Caddy.I've had Lincolns ,Caddys,Olds Toronado ,'98's ,big Fords and a '59 Pontiac with tri power when I was a teenager .Passed every thing but a gas station .

You know with the exception of the hot rod '59  those things got just as good of highway milage as the mid sized cars .Like right now .The Merc gets 26 on a trip .My '97 Ranger with a 2.3 liter gets 26 with half the sized engine .Go figure that one .

Bandmill Bandit

The Technology that goes into a bottle of oil these days is a very good reason to extend to at least 6000 miles on "normal" use. One must use there head on this one as differing conditions of operation will have the most affect on the change interval. I have been running 10,000KM (6000 Miles) since Gulf Oil came out with the Hydro treated oils in the late 70's.

I have never regretted it.

As far as making it a law? Well if we didn't have a bunch of babys on the continent we wouldn't need a nanny state now would we?

Can you imagine what explorers like Lewis and Clark (USA), David Thompson and Alexander MacKenzie (Canada) and all of their contemporaries would be like coming out of todays society.

This continent would still be undiscovered.   
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

bandmiller2

Yes Al,I'am going to miss the "road locomotives" Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

sandhills

Quote from: DarkBlack on January 18, 2012, 06:37:55 PM
While better than nothing, chainging oil by mileage is not reliable
I agree, seems like everything I do is dusty, dirty, and I'm always pulling or hauling something  ;).

Al_Smith

Well yes the milage thing really is unreliable .Highway miles are probabley the easiest miles put on a road vehical .However in our case a majority of miles are less than 10 per trip so with that in mind I still prefer 3000 mile intervals .Keep in mind in the 60's they recommended every 30 days or 1000 miles .Now of course the filter was a buck and a half and the oil a quarter a quart back then . ;)

red

I think it is very intersting all the how and whys of changing any engines oil  The new oils are much better the MFG of all vehicles tell you to change Later                    If you disagree send a sample of your oil to a lab for analysis  you may be surprised and of course you may fall into a situation where it needs to be changed 
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

pyrocasto

I change every 10000-15000 on my 05 colorado. I've always ran full synthetic and she's always ran like a champ. Never had any signs of engine problems so far, 122000 miles and counting.

Clark

About seven years ago I owned an '89 Accord, got looking through the owner's manual to find something and saw that Honda recommended an oil change every 6K or 7.5K miles, can't remember which.  That got me thinking.  After all, who is telling you to change your oil every 3K miles?  Started looking around for "the source" and it seemed to be mechanics, oil companies and the like.  It's kind of like having three servings of dairy a day because the American Dairy Association tells you that is best!

I did more research and found out that most new engines can easily handle a 10K mile oil change with a modern synthetic oil.  Been doing it that ever since on my car and truck and it's never a problem.

Clark

PS - I don't really agree with the nanny state either.  Maybe some education through the municipal solid waste disposal programs could educate lots of people instead of trying to pass a law?
SAF Certified Forester

breederman

I just change the oil and filter in my work van every month or so.5-6000 miles. This one has 327000 miles on it and still going. :) 3.1 chevy gas.
Together we got this !

Al_Smith

Now this sounds odd to me so I'm only repeating what a guy at work told me today .He just bought a brand new Ford Explorer .That thing somehow moniters the oil and tells you when it needs changed via the onboard computer  .

According to the dealer once the moniter indicates an oil change as long as it's done within 2500 miles it's good .It could be 9000 miles before it calls for one though .

It's premium synthetic 5w-20 oil but still that sounds like a lot of milage to me .

Larry

Sounds similar to how our Honda works.  The display shows remaining oil life in percentage.  The manual suggests changing oil when the display shows 15% oil life remaining.  With our driving habits that is normally around 11,000 miles. 

I asked the Honda mechanics if that was normal and they said yes.  Most owners are changing oil in the 8,000 to 12,000 range.  I suspect the monitor is counting engine revolutions.

This is the first vehicle that we have ever let go so long between oil changes.  Honda insists the interval is correct and backed it with a 100,000 mile warranty.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Al_Smith

I'm not exactly sure how it works .

It would make sense the computer would moniter engine temperature, running time per trip ,oil pressure and perhaps  number of other things .

With the advent of modern fuel injection and electronic engine controll they just about self diagnose themselves .Good thing too else the average mechanic would be doing a lot of head scratching .

In words of Ringo Starr this is not your fathers Oldsmobile .

bandmiller2

Mayby I'am living in the late geriatric period,but I don't want the car telling me when to change its oil or talking to me.I've managed fleets all my life and know when I want to change the oil.That DanG "check engine light" that should just be a big dollar sign. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Al_Smith

I'm not exactly sure if the "check oil light " is the same as what the oil change message is .Now of days most modern auto engines have a low oil lever sensor in addition to a pressure switch .

Say I did take the time to research how that oil change deal works and it's exactly as I suspected .Through a combination of mathamatical formulas the computer can figure out by the method of driving ,operating temperatures pressures etc just about when the oil needs a rotation .

Now be that as it may in my opinion if it's unfit for lube oil in an engine it would stand to reason it wouldn't make good hydraulic fluid either .Burn in a black oil burner so as not to be tempted to use it for something else .Oh maybe as a preserative for a wagon deck or something .Kinda nasty for that but it works for a little while .

downeast

The manuals for vehicles, gas or diesel, spec the oil changing interval based on use. The ASE guys here recommend around every 3 months, or 7500 miles. When the ground is dry or hard I do it--no heated garage .

Questions though, for you mechanics: why are the oil filters engineered UPSIDE DOWN ?   :'(
HOW DO YOU CHANGE FILTERS WITHOUT HOT OIL RUNNING DOWN YOUR ARM ?   >:(

Bandmill Bandit

LOL
Depends on the vehicle/ implement.

Where possible I get the filter just loose enough to give it a "snap twist" and let it spin off into an EMPTY pan. Even this is hit and miss proposition.

The rest? welllll. We are still cuss em out every time we have to do them.

I'll take the old straight 6 engines any day. You can do those filter from the top or side most of the time. A lot of the older Fords had the filters screwed on side ways once the spin on filters arrived on the scene. Most were accessible through a hole in the cross member but the problem with more than a few of those was the oil ran down on the frame cross member.

No matter how you slice it filter changes are a pain as a rule.         
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

beenthere

How would downeast engineer them?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

downeast

Quote from: beenthere on March 04, 2012, 07:22:34 PM
How would downeast engineer them?

No engineer here BUTT there must be a better solution than an upside down oil filter. There's little enough they give us to do anymore on engines. Oil/filter is at least the one brainless thing an owner can easily do. Ideas ? Design the filter "right side UP"; it's pressured anyhow, so why upside down ? My K.I.S.S. solutions are a dedicated oil change jacket with dedicated oil change gloves. Or, rotate the filter off inside a plastic WallieWorld bag ( melts easily and is awkward). Neither work well. :'(

Remember, we here in Downeast Maine don't have lifts in heated garages. Oh woe.

With all the millions spent on useless dashboard computers and cup holders ( how many sir ?) , how about some thought to solving the owner's oil filter PITA ? >:(

bandmiller2

How to keep oil or worse diesel from running down your arm, no good way.I tie a rag around my wrist and that stops most of it. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

downeast

There has GOT to be a better design than upside down oil filters accessed from UNDER the vehicle. Got to be.... with dashboard computers, cup holders up the wazoo, full dashboard  computer screens, rear view cameras, auto dimming mirrors, and other useless doodads, why not a friendly filter ?

So I asked friends who run logging gear how they do hydraulics and engines: same problems--engineers design machines for themselves not for users. For example: ALL hydraulic lines in a Finnish feller/buncher are black. Why ? Trying to follow a line for a blowout is a PITA in the field. Yes, the oil, engine or hydraulic, does get all over their clothes. Only "trick" : latex gloves and rags. That's kind of 19th century.

beenthere

This is really buggin you  ;)

You may not remember the days when oil filters were in a can on top of the engine. Easy to get at, and just remove the top and drop in another cartridge.
I suspect the filters low and on the side of the engines are there for how well they function.

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

bandmiller2

There is absolutly no effort by manuf. to make a mechanics life easier,thats why good ones are hard to find and want decent pay,the job suxs. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

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