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Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 19:10:21 GMT
From: bulwnklnopsamnet
Subject: Re: Any 300K miles engine around? Need real data...


I have found that the best "indicator" for an oil change interval is a test of the oil. I am from a rural area (I farm), and we spent a fair sum a few years ago testing the oil in our tractors and pickups across several oil changes and intervals. The synthetic-oil pusher suggested this to us, he being convinced that synthetics would last longer than the conventional oil we used. In any case, the tractor results are not relevant except that they followed the same trend as the pickups' oil: No significant degradation of the oils (both the synthetic AND the conventional) out to a 10,000-mile drain interval. Our problem was that somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 miles, the level of silicates (dust particles, actually) in the oil got high enough that the lab recommended we change the oil. This simply let us know that, whether synthetic oil lasts longer or not, conventional oil lasts longer than our dusty climate will allow. It also means that there are a huge number of people in our area being bamboozled by the quick-lube joints whose sole interest is to get them to change their oil all the time. Actually, it also means that you CANNOT determine ANYTHING by the color of your oil or the distance on your odometer. If you want to know, have it tested. This is not an opinion, it's the evidence. --Eoin On Mon, 18 Jan 1999 00:40:07 -0600, "Mike S." <mjschnenopsama.tds.net> wrote: >I believe that time is a more important indicator for oil & filter changes >than is miles. Take for instance someone who drives two miles to work every >day, and not a heck of a lot more. They would be hard pressed to get more >than 2000 miles a year, and yet their oil probably should really be changed >every 500 miles.Then at the other end of the spectrum, take the traveling >salesman, driving maybe 1000 miles or more a week. His engine never gets a >chance to cool off, and as we all know, the biggest killer of motor oil is >moisture of combustion, which if not evaporated out causes all sorts of >nasty things to form in the engine. Well in his engine, the moisture never >has a chance to do damage and as such he could probably go 15,000 miles >safely between changes. Then there are the rest of us somewhere in between. >In my opinion, an oil & filter change every 6 months seems to pretty well >cover most situations. Of course doing it more often won't hurt anything, >but I don't think that it really helps a tremendous amount either. > > Just my opinion, Mike S. > >

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