Oil Change Intervals (opinions)

[Boostzor]

Now i know that this topic has been done to death but i figure i might as well ask.

I looked down at the odo this mornin and low and behold its time for an oil change AGAIN.:eek: feels like i just did it last week.

So my question is basically this: do u think its completely nessacary to change the oil/filter every 5000ks or can u run it little longer depending on how u been treating it?

U know i value all opinions no mater how moronic they may seem:lol:

[akeenan]

if you love your car every 5k but if you dont really like it dont even worry about it!

[Boostzor]

Hehe well that goes with out saying doesnt it. Last time i asked an aunty this question she said "huh what doesnt the oil just top itself up?"

I come from a family of car abusers.

My bro got home this morn when i was just pulling out to go to work and he gets out of the car walks round the front and opens his bonnett and puts his radiator cap back on that he just found on the floor as he pulled up. Now call me ismail but i think he was driving all last nite with no radiator cap on and he fills it when its overheating with cold water and wonders y it pisses water all the time sheesh :eek: this is the guy that has cracked 2 head gaskets 1 in a merc and another in an eb falcon from the same thing , drving with no oil or water in the car . *sigh*

[SLY33]

Im pretty fanatical about oil. I do mine every 2000kms of hard driving, or around 3000 of not so hard driving. But then i dont drive it that much, so can afford it easier

I do it for peace of mind more than anything. Just like to know that the engine always has clean fresh oil.. MMmmm.

:burnout: :burnout: :burnout: :burnout:

(Motul 6100 synthetic ~50-60 bucks for 5 litres i think. Have been using Purulator filters, but changing to the Hard Driver filters)

[Boostzor]

Own ure own company do ya;)

Every 2000ks, thats nutz!!, especially considering how much u pay for oil.

I drive mine to work and dont really have the second car luxury so alot of the ks are done in traffic on just cruzin.

So u change the filter with every oil change

[SLY33]

Originally posted by Boostzor

So u change the filter with every oil change

Arent you supposed to change filter every oil change?!

[Boostzor]

Yeh thats what i do but i hear some ppl do it every 2 and i wonder if i can get away with it with little or no detremental effects

[SLY33]

i would say its not worth bothering to use a filter twice. Whats a filter, like 11bucks?!

The oil system is your cars life-blood dude!!

[Boostzor]

*ahem* toyota:rolleyes: my filters are like $25-30 and an equivalent ryco is even worse. And thats before u get the sone of a whore off, now thats the hard part:mad:

[kabab]

If you just do some cruising and no track work or mountain roads you can get away every 5-10K just make sure you change your filter.

Its crazy doing it less then <5K remember these oils are designed to last for a very long time the goods one mobile 1 etc.

[Gradenko]

Jebus Boostzor, you couldn't have changed oil more than 8wks ago, 5000k already. Too many aimless cruises, eh? Oh yeah, tell your brother he's an assclown for driving around without a radiator cap.

SLY33, could you tell us more about Purulator and Hard Driver filters, including price and any reasons why they may be better than genuine Nissan filters?

[002 NVS]

I can tell with my 32 that when it gets to around the 5000 km mark after a service it is a little harder to start when cold or warm and doesnt idle quite as nicely..

I change oil/oil filter/check fluids/clean air filter every 5,000...

Have to do my diff oil when i service it on the weekend as well...

[whatsisname]

I've done ~13,000 klms in a bit over 2.5yrs (the time I've owned the car) I've done 6 or so oil changes in this time!

I change my oil based on how I've used the car since the last change, or on time (months) If I changed it based on klms I wouldn't do many oil changes!

Excessive? Maybe? But I'm happy knowing fresh Motul 300V is doing its best

I'd say 5k/6months is a good guide in most cases. Turbo engines are very hard on oil.

[_turtle_]

i read somewhere that if u take it on the track, u should change it afterwards. same with the gearbox oil as well, if ur going to thrash it hard then its best to change it more regularly.

else every 5000kms is the go.

[Guest MRE]

Every 5000 for with full synth + oil filter.

[adam 32]

i aim for 5000kms.

got to do it this weekend sometime. i agree with 002 NVS, the car defiantely gets more sluggish come 5000kms!

[2rismo]

I'm really interested in the relative merits of these Hard Driver filters and the like. I just went and bought an $8.85 Ryco from Auto One to go with my Freebie 20L drum of BP Visco 5000.

[JimX]

Change the gearbox oil after every track day?! Jeebus!!!!!

Transmission oil is different to engine oil. Most of the contamination in engine oil comes from the partial burning of it, plus it gets mixed in with fuel etc, all of which end up breaking down the rest of it.

A gearbox is a sealed unit though, with no burning going on. It only wears out as the gears squish all the oil molecules together and they eventually get separated and they don't lubricate properly anymore. You do tend to get some metal particles in the box, but most of these settle down the bottom and aren't too much of a concern.

My gearbox had never had an oil change when I got the car at around 85000, so when I changed it there was a LOT of metal in it. And yet the box was good both before and after without too much of a concern. You're only getting a few shavings after a track run, if you're running a good quality transmission oil (eg Redline) then I don't see why you'd change it after every track day unless you were racing professionally or something and someone else was paying for your oil.

As for engine oil, I change it every 5000 just for simplicity's sake, but I pay attention to the colour. It should end up a sort of dark brown/gold colour when I change it, I never let it go completely black (which it usually does by 10000). As long as it still has some of the gold colour left in it, it's doing well over 90% of the work it was doing when it was fresh. With my current driving habits the oil so far is still fine and it's almost done 5000 since I got it.

A good quality filter is essential, never skimp on that. A good quality filter should last for 10000, but what you're more concerned about is the size of the particles it lets through even when it's brand new.