Lexusfreak

Amsoil ASL is group 5 am I right? What about the Amsoil 7500 series that does not last as long as the ASL series? still group 5?

soulsoarer

iTrader: (2)

I use mobil one full syn oil 10/30w since it has over 100,000 miles. I also use a k&n oil filter but am thinking bout just using a regular oil filter, don't know if it does anything. This winter is the longest i have change my oil...i think its going on 4months, i have only driven it like 2500miles. Hard to work on the car when its raining and freezing outside.

mburnickas

ASL is a group 4/5. Amsoil XL-7500 is more like a group 3+ hence I would not go over 10K miles with there series 7500.

Lexusfreak

Thanks mburn. I must be driving you crazy huh? lol

mburnickas

Nope. I like to help!

Lexusfreak

Excellent!

et415

Consumer Reports says:

"Myth: Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles.

Reality: Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea, it's usually not necessary. Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your vehicle's owner's manual. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Some models now come with a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles. "

A while back, I remember CU did a test on motor oils. They found that synthetic oil didn't provide significant benefit over regular oil. They also found that not changing the oil for significantly longer than recommended (I forget by how much) didn't make much difference either.

BMWs have an oil change light that comes on when the monitor senses a change is needed. It's been reported that the monitor usually signals a change well beyond what is normally recommended by cars that don't have the monitor. I think most car companies are very conservative when it comes to oil changes.

mburnickas

I agree that the manual is a starting point; however, that being said I would not want to go 10 to 15K on a group 3 of below oil due to its add package etc.

Also I did not take advise from “CU” as you stated & if you test your oil, there is a benefit to it. The numbers do not lie my friend.

mmarshall

I read that report, too. Usually Consumer Reports does an excellent job, but this one is highly questionable. The oil was tested in New York City taxicabs where the engines run almost continuously all day and well into the night and the oil stays warm most of the time so more of the contaminants remain suspended or are filtered out. But....in the average car driven under average driving conditions, the oil will deteriorate faster than the conditions in that CR test.

I don't know why so many people just won't accept the simple fact that changing oil regularly every 3000-5000 miles is NOT a waste of money ( it really doesn't cost that much except at some luxury car dealerships, and is even less if you do it yourself). For instance, a Toyota shop will give you the same oil change with the same filters as a Lexus shop at maybe 50-60% of the price.

mburnickas

I do not except it since I am doing over 12K oil intervals and it is 100% fine! The manual states 7,500 miles for a dino so 60% less drains do nothing.

et415

Hmmm....well I guess I've learned one thing on this string: the more frequently and harder you drive your car (like a NYC taxi cab), the less important frequent oil changes become and regular oil is OK. Conversely, if your car sits around hardly driven (like your Grandma who drives only Sundays to go to church)), then frequent oil changes become more important and synthetic might be better. Kinda counterintuitive.....

et415

If very frequent oil changes are so important, and synthetic oil is so superior, then why don't most higher-end car companies recommend, or even require, them (like they do high octane fuel)?

Regarding synthetic oil, one poster on this forum said he can feel his car's engine run smoother with synthetic and it gets better gas mileage. Well, if that were true, considering how hard car companies work to increase gas mileage and to decrease NVH, then why aren't they making synthetic oil standard equipment, or strongly recommending their use?

If frequent oil changes prolong the longevity of engines, then why aren't auto companies recommending them? I mean, longer engine life probably means fewer engine breakdowns, right? And what auto company wouldn't like fewer engine breakdowns and better JD Powers ratings?

I used to drive a BMW 7-Series and the "change oil" indicator would come on around at the 10,000+ miles mark. Since BMW is fanatical about performance and engineering, why would they allow this to happen if it hurt the engine or its performance?

I'm sure the auto manufacturers have run a lot of tests on their engines, trying to figure out how different types of gas and engine oil and different service intervals affect performance and longevity. The Consumer Reports article is the only test that I have seen that used real automobiles in a more or less realistic situation (vs. in a test lab or in a test with engines running at 10+K RPM). Has anyone seen a test using normally driven cars that showed any benefit to changing oil at 3K mile intervals?

Though some fanatics enjoy it, changing your oil is a hassle. We all have busy lives with more to do in a day than there is time. Why change oil more than you have to?

mburnickas

It does not makes sence either. But there are way to many things that CR did not state, Did it state the oil used (kind and group), oil testing (before and after)?

I know my ES oil has more life left with over 12K miles on (1) oil change...as stated my by oil test.

mburnickas

Do you think most people will buy $5 to $9 per qt oil? Or better yet, if they can’t find it at Wal-Fart they will not go anywhere else. Most time it comes down to $$$$$.

On some high end cars/suv they are required. Also I personally think the increase in MPG was tested on a dino, not real world…but that is me.

So far the only ones recommending short changes are lube places.

.

No clue is I do not know a BMW. Plus I do not know what oil gets used and the manufacturing and assembly process.

Nope

Because it give some a warm and fuzzy.

Lexusfreak

Well said mburn!