Poll: How long do you go between synthetic oil changes?

[windstrings]

I know most folks stick hard core with manufactured recommendations and thats ok.

But I"m wondering if anyone goes "beyond that" as some synthetic manufacturers state you can go much longer than the norm.

If so, can you state how long and what product?

Amsoil for one states:

SERVICE LIFE
AMSOIL Synthetic 0W-20 Motor Oil is recommended for extended drain intervals in unmodified(1), mechanically sound(2) gasoline-fueled vehicles as follows:
• Normal Service(3) – Up to 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
• Severe Service(4) – Up to 15,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.

Mobil 1 is very popular, but they aren't so brazen as to state such long change times between changes over 15K miles.

But they will say this:

If Mobil 1 Extended Performance is recommended for 15,000-mile intervals, what’s the maximum limit to which it can be pushed? In other words, if a driver goes an extra 1,000 miles or so, is he going to damage his engine?Mobil 1 Extended Performance is recommended for up to 15,000-mile or one-year oil change intervals. However, if your vehicle manufacturer recommends an oil change interval beyond 15,000 miles and Mobil 1 meets the performance level specified, you can be assured that Mobil 1 will go the distance.

[philobeddoe]

Originally Posted by windstrings

I know most folks stick hard core with manufactured recommendations and thats ok.

But I"m wondering if anyone goes "beyond that" as some synthetic manufacturers state you can go much longer than the norm.

If so, can you state how long and what product?

Amsoil for one states:

Mobil 1 is very popular, but they aren't so brazen as to state such long change times between changes over 15K miles.

But they will say this:

i'm using the Amsoil SSO 0W-30 100% synthetic with the Amsoil EAO 09 filter

i change the oil every twelve months
i swapped out the factory oil at 1000 miles
10,500 miles and one year later (11,500 on the clock), i didn't have my Amsoil on hand,
so i used the 0W-20 Mobil with the green cap and a pure-one purolator filter

i got 16k on the clock now, and an imminent oil change back to the Amsoil SSO 0W-30 and the EAO 09

the filters and oil for my Prius and my Kawasaki arrived yesterday

i will likely send the Mobil in for analysis

[windstrings]

Originally Posted by philobeddoe

i'm using the Amsoil SSO 0W-30 100% synthetic with the Amsoil EAO 09 filter

i change the oil every twelve months
i swapped out the factory oil at 1000 miles

Wow!.. that's encouraging.. I do hate oil changes and they only cost another 50% more per quart for the oil but give tons more in drive time.

I"m afraid I do much more than you do per year.
I"m looking at close to 30K a year... so I could conceivably do the 25K changes if I thought it was indeed safe.

Ill be adding a magnetic oil plug too.

[philobeddoe]

Originally Posted by windstrings

Wow!.. that's encouraging.. I do hate oil changes and they only cost another 50% more per quart for the oil but give tons more in drive time.

I"m afraid I do much more than you do per year.
I"m looking at close to 30K a year... so I could conceivably do the 25K changes if I thought it was indeed safe.

Ill be adding a magnetic oil plug too.

you have to look at the kind of driving you do as well
start/stop and short trips are considered severe duty, as well as dusty/dirty environment

i don't know that i'd go 25k miles without a bypass filter
but again, i don't mind changing oil, i find it relaxing and peaceful
and do it on my cars and bike, as well as for friends and my ex ('cause i'm paying for her car)

if it makes you feel better, why don't you shoot for 2x annually with the Amsoil SSO OW-30?
schedule it out easily, say first week of January and first week July, so every six months like clockwork
if you get nervous about it, send some in for analysis to verify your car is doing ok

[windstrings]

Originally Posted by philobeddoe

if it makes you feel better, why don't you shoot for 2x annually with the Amsoil SSO OW-30?
schedule it out easily, say first week of January and first week July, so every six months like clockwork
if you get nervous about it, send some in for analysis to verify your car is doing ok

Sounds reasonable, you can always work your way up. I drive in pretty clean environments now that I"m not up in the mountains down gravel roads.
But whats your rational for using SSO 0W - 30 instead of AMSOIL Synthetic 0W-20?

[darelldd]

I don't put enough miles on my car to worry about change intervals. I do it every two years if it needs it or not! And that usually works out to about 10,000 miles.

[philobeddoe]

Originally Posted by windstrings

Sounds reasonable, you can always work your way up. I drive in pretty clean environments now that I"m not up in the mountains down gravel roads.
But whats your rational for using SSO 0W - 30 instead of AMSOIL Synthetic 0W-20?

Well, a couple of reasons, and no need to drill too deep.

I'd been using Amsoil in my motorcycle and my truck, and do oil changes for a number of friends as well. As a result, I also signed up for a ten year Amsoil dealership, so I can order all my maintenance supplies for myself and my pals.

Essentially, Amsoil recommends the SSO 0W-30 for the Prius, as well as my truck which sports a Ford 5.0

I know that a number of the manufacturers are recommending 0W-20 now, and I suspect Toyo may be doing the same.

I live in SoCal, and it's HOT year round, and the factory and Amsoil both recommended the SSO 0W-30, it's a pretty universal weight right now ...

like I said, I'm running the Mobil 0W-20 right now, I'll do an analysis and see how it held up, but I'm not noticing any differences in mileage or performance or anything else ... so I'm going to stick to stocking the 0W-30 for my cars/trucks and the 10W-40 for mine and my buddies' motorcycles.

If you need any, give me a holler. I'd offer to do your next change, but you're kinda far away.

[philobeddoe]

Originally Posted by darelldd

I don't put enough miles on my car to worry about change intervals. I do it every two years if it needs it or not! And that usually works out to about 10,000 miles.

hey friend, respectfully, you shouldn't wait that long, even with limited mileage. most drain intervals say three months for dino oil, and six months for synthetic, even if you're not clocking the mileage to justify an oil change

i certainly wouldn't go a year without an oil and filter change
even if i had the car in storage for a year, i'd do a change before firing it up ... new filter and oil, among other things

[windstrings]

I wouldn't be surprised if Darrell has done oil test at 2 years.

There may be some credence to changing in one year, but on the other hand.. .they need to sell oil and they tend to stick together in their story... I"m just suspicious my nature when it comes to business... saves my butt constantly.

Again, they have to write protocol to satisfy the needs of the weakest link to cover their tails.
Weakest link being someone who rarely uses their car and when they do they go very short distances and never burn out all the water from condensation.

I don't have that issue.

[windstrings]

Originally Posted by philobeddoe

Essentially, Amsoil recommends the SSO 0W-30 for the Prius

I understand your reason since you have the connection you do and service so many.

The only thing I'm thinking is I hate to go higher viscosity than the manufacturer recommends for obvious reasons, but "especially" if I'm considering extending the time between changes.

Thicker oil will not flow through a dirty oil filter and be filtered as easy.