Is there any valid truth behind this recommendation?

One mechanic says that's too conservative

Another says 3K is fine.

Simple answer is it can't hurt....

With my limited auto knowledge it probably depends on the vehicle and the oil you are using.

My car is 7,500mi. I don't wait that long because I only average 5k mi per year. Usually do it every 8-12 months.

I don't think it would hurt, but that's too frequent for me, especially with my mild driving style.

To me, the best advice is to follow the recommendations in your owner's manual.

2019 toyota prius awd e
0W-16 TGMO & toyota factory oil filter.
Oil looked like espresso at 3K.

For the first one, I’d do it. It can’t hurt.

I do all mine at 5000 miles and write on the inside of the hood with a sharpie to keep up.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

Years past 3k oil change was my creed. It’s been a long time. Now, modern engines, full syn oil, I’m more like 7,500 and our new car has a service contract at 10k or 12 months, whichever comes first.

Depends on the vehicle, the oil capacity, the oil in use, and the conditions in which you're using the vehicle.

First, what does the manufacturer recommend? They'll usually have "normal" and "extreme" conditions listed and a description.

Secondly, do you do much highway or mostly city, off road, or harsh usage?

Oil capacity is important also.

For my motorcycle, I do about 3,000 miles because the oil experiences much shearing in the roller bearing crank and the gearbox, and the wet clutch puts particulates into the oil.

For car and diesel truck, I do around 10,000 to 15,000 miles depending on use. The car holds 6qts and the truck holds around 3 gallons.

What does your owner’s manual say? I’d follow that. I don’t know of any newer vehicle that recommends a 3K change for normal duty. The 3,000 mile oil change is a very dated rule of thumb. Oils have come a long way since the 1950s.

FWIW, twice I’ve lost track of the oil changes in my wife’s minivan. The first time she had 17,000 miles on the oil. More recently, she had 12,000 miles on it. I use Mobile 1 syn with a Wix filter. There wasn’t any damage either time. I popped of a valve cover and there was no sludge. Like I said, synthetic oils and the improved additives are vastly superior to what we had in the past.

If we're talking Modern Vehicle using using quality Full Synthetic Oil that meets the manufacturers specs (Mobil 1 & Castrol is what I use), then 5000 mile Oil Change intervals are quite sufficient.

And as a bonus, it's a lot easier to remember when you're due for an oil change that way too...

I do every 3k in all my vehicles, using the cheap Walmart brand full-synyhetic 5W30 (0W20 for the Mazda). It may be overkill, but I've never had a lubrication related engine failure in any of my vehicles. They are all very high mileage (the Suburban is at 408K), so I figure cleaning the crud out more frequently can't hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
It may be overkill, but I've never had a lubrication related engine failure in any of my vehicles.

But nobody else who changes at 5K has lubrication failures either.

Brushing your teeth every hour will prevent cavities, but probably no better than three times a day would.

What's your manual say?
My BMWs have always specified 10k intervals but I have always done them at 7500 miles.
My daughter's new Subaru says 6mo/6k intervals, so while under warranty, she does her car at 6k intervals. We both use the same full synthetic 0w20 oil.

Once her warranty is over, she will switch to 7500 intervals as well. I was doing oil analysis with blackstone labs and they were fine at 6k intervals. They actually said I could extend it.

I use FCP Euro to buy the oil so after the first initial purchase, all oil is free with their return program, so an oil change is just the cost of a filter and time for us.

5K or 6 mos which ever occurs 1st.
they (toyota) recommend tgmo 0W16 or 0W20 if the latter isn't available. I mostly drive 9 miles at most on the weekends. Oil looked like espresso this last oil change at 3K mark.

I think Subaru does the shorter intervals because of that oil consumption problem that plagued them. 3000 is crazy low.

It totally depends on how new your vehicle is and how you use it.

In a brand new engine I always have done an oil/filter change at under 1,000 miles. Then I do another at about 2,000 miles. New engines make metal, so no reason not to flush it out.

After that, aim for 5,000 miles and panic at 6,000 miles between changes. Assumes you're using a high quality fully synthetic oil and a good filter. If you're towing a trailer, driving in super hot desert conditions, short city trips, or other tough situations you should change at 3,000 miles.

Manufacturers used to advertise extended intervals for marketing reasons but now are backing off. They've had too many warranty claims apparently.

Also, newer engines with the specified very thin oils, ie 0w-20, tend to burn a little oil. Read the manual and you'll be surprised. Anyhow, this is a reason for more frequent changes.

In modern engines the tolerances are pretty tight, which means particles of that dimension will cause wear. In the old days when tolerances were larger, the same tiny particles wouldn't cause wear because they floated through the gap, while the filters caught the larger particles which would have caused wear. Older tech filters are fine in older vehicles.

The newer kinds of filter media do a much better job at catching those tiny particles. So I no longer use paper filters.

Also, filters designed for "extended use", like 15,000 or 20,000 mile oil changes, do not catch particles as well. Don't get fooled into thinking they are better just because they are good for more miles.

The answer is "it depends"

Every engine design is different.

A 1970 Chevelle SS454 has a gas guzzling, carbureted engine. It dumps fuel into the cylinders as carburetors are not as precise as modern fuel injection. A 3000 mile interval would be very appropriate on a classic car with a carburetor, due to likely fuel contamination.

The Honda 2.4L 4 cylinder engine is known to be very robust and easy on oil. These engines can easily go 10,000 miles between changes.

The Honda 1.5L turbo 4 is a very popular late model engine. Other manufactures have similar designs; small displacement, turbo charged. These engines usually have gasoline direct injection. Gasoline is pressurized to several thousand PSI and injected directly into the cylinder, for fuel economy. These engines have small oil sumps, only about 3.5 quarts or so. The oil in these engines gets beat to snot, fuel diluted, etc. The oil at 4000 miles in one of these engines, is comparable to the oil that has gone 12,000 miles in a Honda 2.4L engine.

Oil analysis is the only way to know what your engine is doing. If it has too much fuel dilution, you should change early. If the oil is worn out, has too much contamination, or too much acidity, it should be changed sooner.

I own 4 cars and I change them all at 5000 miles with synthetic oil. The number is easy to track (45K, 50K, 55K) so its easy to see when the next oil change is due. I do it myself, in my garage, in about 5 minutes flat. Saves me time and money and I know it was done correct and right and no stripped oil plugs and the oil isn't overfilled either. The one time use only crush washers are changed at every oil change, properly, and the oil drain plug is torqued to the proper and correct torque. I use high quality oil filters and always use them twice, for 10K miles per oil filter. Done that for a million miles and it saves money, time, and has zero detriment to the car.

Waste of time and money with modern synthetic oils IMHO. My Tacoma uses a full synthetic blend, and the owner‘s manual recommends every 10k. Of course, I did it earlier for the very first oil change and would do it slightly more often if the truck was under heavy use.

^^^A 'Full Synthetic Blend'...Kinda like 'Fully Semi-Automatic'!

Whoops. I meant to say “hot water heater”.