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How often do you change the OIL on your ES?

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Old 07-09-03, 08:38 AM
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XenonES3
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Default How often do you change the OIL on your ES?

I was just talking to a friend, and was shocked to learn she only needs to change the Oil every 15,000 miles in her 99 Porsche Boxster.



How often do you guys change your oil and HOW LONG could we go without one?
Old 07-09-03, 10:57 AM
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Kohinoor
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i do it every 3k miles now, but i used to get it done at the dealership and they said 5k miles....thats just too many for me
Old 07-09-03, 11:03 AM
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lexusk8
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Every 4K miles is an easy and safe number for me to go by. I always check the oil myself when I fill up at the gas station; it's a good habit.
Old 07-09-03, 12:00 PM
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BananaGS
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5K
10K with filter change every 5K is good too. Personally, I change everything at 5K.

(3K is too extreme (ancient mythical about changing oil every 3K), but it's your money)
Old 07-09-03, 01:17 PM
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steviej
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every 4-5k with synthetic and new filter each time.

Absolutely no snake oil additives (ProLong, ZMax, etc)!

steviej
Old 07-10-03, 08:58 AM
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LexDiamond
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Look under your hood Toyota recommends 7500

I do mine at 2500, the engine when torn done will be so clean you would mistake it for new.

My father taught me to change my oil early he does his at 1K on his Mustang cobra and 2k on a Honda Accord! I think thats a little premature so i do 2500 or so
Old 07-10-03, 11:07 AM
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Toysrme
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Don't be surprized.

3,000-3 month oil changes have long been a thing of the past.
That was true with non synthetic oils.

With modern, good or better quality synthetics the only reason to change oil more often than 5,000 miles is that the engine has debris is in the oil and it's time to change the filter.

The best, Modern, high quality synthetic oils can last up to around 15,000 miles before they're competely useless.
If the engine is in good shape, do it every 5-8,000 miles to be safe. Once a year, or 12,000 miles if you want to push it alittle and are using the best in synthetic oil.

**********

I would also like to dispell another myth on swapping/changing oils...

There is NOTHING wrong with swapping, mixing or changing oils WHAT-SO-EVER.

Many people complain of different "symptoms" that can arise from it. The simple fact of the matter is that some oils from some brands do better at some things than others from a different brand. ALL oils do the exact same thing. They just get there by using different formulas that are better at one thing than another.

I highly suggest getting an industry only report on which synthetic oils are better in which engines, and in what ways they are better in that particular type of engine.

Unless you 100% tear down every part in an engine and clean it, you're mixing some amounts of oils indeffinately over the life of the engine. ESPECIALLY if you don't change it yourself and drain for an hour with the engine tilted on ramps. If oil is still draiging from the engine slowly after an hour on ramps tilted to the drain, do you really think that 20 min oil change where they let it drain for 5-10 min is doing anything for you? Only getting the contaminants that setteled in the oil reserve at the bottom of the engine.

It's like whiskey and burbon making. They'll pour half of what they make into the next batch so that chances are, there will be trace amounts of whiskey from many years ago still in the batch being currently made.

Don't however, mix a synthetic, and a mineral oil. That you shouldn't do, they don't get along.

Last edited by Toysrme; 07-10-03 at 11:08 AM.
Old 07-10-03, 11:21 AM
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LexDiamond
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Yea but explain Toyota's/Lexus problem with engine sludge in regard to streching the oil change intervals as you suggested.
Old 07-10-03, 01:09 PM
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Toysrme
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SImple.

Faulty head gasket, allowing coolant to leak into oil system

Unburned gasoline contaminating oil

Inadequate oil circulation

Infrequent changes of oil and filter

Poor quality or nondetergent oil

Oxides of nitrogen from emissions system contaminate oil

Engine runs too cool in spots, causing condensation buildup inside crankcase

Engine runs too hot in spots, causing oil to break down faster

Seal on oil filler cap fails, allowing moisture to enter engine through valve cover

Too many short trips or frequent driving under adverse conditions
Avoid that and change your filter when it needs it. High quality synthetic oils can last around a year's worth of driving if you don't push it...

Lexus themselves say change it ever 6,000 km or 3728.23 Miles. Many Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda dealers suggest every 5,000 miles.

Also notice how the extended sludge warrenty askes if you can prove you "attempted" to maintain the vehicle by changing the oil atleast once ever year, they'll cover it.

Last edited by Toysrme; 07-10-03 at 01:10 PM.
Old 07-10-03, 01:31 PM
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LexDiamond
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My 97 ES is blowing smoke at start up and when i goose it I gotta dig up some papers
Old 07-10-03, 06:42 PM
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Toysrme
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Problably seals and not sludge damage.

BTW I thought my seals were bad too. It wound up being the Toyota dealer I bought it from did an oil change...

Then left oil all over the outside of the filter, th e surrounding area, and dripped well under the exhaust manifold.

I got on ramps and cleaned everything I could from under and taking the shield off. Only a hint of somkey smell now.

Those sons of *****es also put a quart too MUCH of oil into it. That'll blow the seals on ANYTHING in short order... If there were any more evidance there'd be a lawsuite headed to the biggest Toyota dealer in Alabama...
Old 07-11-03, 04:13 AM
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LexDiamond
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1 quart extra you'd have a hard time proving that but I know how you feel.

Yes I believe it needs valve seals. I'm gonna get it repaired soon.
Old 07-11-03, 07:20 AM
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BananaGS
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Originally posted by LexDiamond
My father taught me to change my oil early he does his at 1K on his Mustang cobra and 2k on a Honda Accord! I think thats a little premature so i do 2500 or so [/B]

Both of you and your dad need some more education on engine fluid lubrication (meaning engine oil) (not to offen both of you), but changing oil at 1-2K miles is a biggest waste I ever heard here on CL, not only money, labor, but also destroying the environment.
Old 07-11-03, 08:46 AM
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beab951
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Toysme posted a nice list of causes of Engine sludge. The one I have seen the most of is when the car is driven for short periods in stop and go traffic. The gas and water in the oil never get hot enough to burned off. The result is an ever increasing deposit of sludge even with frequent oil changes. The sludge can be desolved with a oil flush. This should only be used once or twice in its operational life of the engine.

Most operational car manual suggest 5K unless operated in extreeme conditions. I noticed this 3K number started to popping up as the fast oil change busineess developed. If I owned an oil change operation, I would like my customers coming in three times a year rather then twice a year.
Old 07-20-03, 12:14 PM
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btanchors
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Hi all,

FYI, I am not a Porsche owner, but the extended drain intervals for the oil in some of the Porsche engines may be partially explained by the amount of oil the sump holds...Perhaps a real Porsche owner can give accurate details, but I think some of the Porsche engines hold 10-12 quarts of oil instead of 4-6 quarts like most cars....


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