Oil Change Interval - Opinions

[Mazda]

Want to get your opinions on my truck and oil change interval.

Went and got the truck smoged the other day (94 Mazda B2300) and noticed that in the two years since my last smog check I have only driven 7,218 miles.

So my question is what interval would you change out the oil. I have been doing every 3 months. Should I change to every 5000 miles, once a year, your input is appreciated.

Bryan

 

[kunar]

Want to get your opinions on my truck and oil change interval.

Went and got the truck smoged the other day (94 Mazda B2300) and noticed that in the two years since my last smog check I have only driven 7,218 miles.

So my question is what interval would you change out the oil. I have been doing every 3 months. Should I change to every 5000 miles, once a year, your input is appreciated.

Bryan

7 thousand miles in a two year span? id probably do it once a year... some people might disagree with me but personally i think anything more would be overkill in your situation.

 

[triumphrider-1]

I would say that would depend on your driving cycle. If you do frequent trips over a very short distance, you could be getting condensation build up internally. This should be changed more frequently then if you drive it infrequently, but for longer periods.

 

[upnsmoke]

I change oil once every year for full synthetic and every six months for conventional, almost regardless of mileage. If I drive a lot, like more than 10k miles on synthetic or more than 5k miles on conventional, I like to change it based more on mileage. I also change oil more frequently in engines that have a lot of blow-by. Every 3 months is definitely overkill for you, Mazda, as long as you don't start driving a lot more, or have an engine problem that is contaminating your oil more quickly than usual. I'm no expert. I just go by what I have been told and what has worked for me.

 

[4x4junkie]

I would say every 5000 miles or once a year as long as you're allowing the engine to reach full operating temp for 10 minutes or more each time you drive it.

If you do frequent shorter trips, then lower your time interval to 6 months. Agreed, 3 months is excessive. (doesn't hurt your engine to change it like that, however it's wasteful)

 

[brokemechanic3000]

I change my oil when it looks like it should be changed. Pull the dipstick if it is medium to dark brown change it, if it is clear it is fine.
When I was dirt broke (Mac n cheese every meal) I still changed the filter every 3 to 5 thousand miles.

 

[wildbill23c]

In all of my vehicles with the exception of my 2008 toyota pickup I've always had the oil/filter changed every 3,000 miles with conventional oil and never have had a major engine failure. The toyota has synthetic so its at every 5,000 miles and is under their service interval coverage for the warranty and such so if it don't work out and the engine fails its on them. Oil/filters are far cheaper than engines.

 

[adsm08]

I change oil once every year for full synthetic and every six months for conventional, almost regardless of mileage.

This is exactly what I just told my grandpa about his Silverado 1500 that hasn't gone but 3000 miles in the last 2 years.

The problem is that the stuff in the oil that makes it more than just oil still breaks down over time.

 

[Mazda]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think I will go to every 6 months and just keep a eye on it.

 

[wildbill23c]

In my 2008 Toyota Tundra which uses synthetic oil, I usually end up putting the 5,000 miles on the truck at about the 6 month mark and seems to be about right for it.

In my other vehicles I've had, usually recommended oil/filter changes every 3,000 miles on conventional oil, after I get my bronco 2 back and get all the little engine issues taken care of I think I will switch to synthetic in it and see how it goes if I could push it out to 5,000 miles it would save me a couple oil/filter changes every year that way.

I had a chevrolet cobalt for a while that had some sort of maintenance meter in it so a computer told you when to change the oil, I found that sometimes it was around 5,000 miles, sometimes it was like 7,000 miles depending on how I was driving it at that particular time frame.

I still think that routine maintenance is a cheap alternative than an engine replacement.

 

[crazypj]

I used to drive 20 miles each way to work so did oil change around 5~6,000 miles
I did leave it until 9,000 once but oil was really filthy so never did that again (it didn't 'feel' as 'slippery')
Since being laid off I do very little mileage so once a year should be fine if, as mentioned your getting engine up to temperature and keeping it there for a while (I use Mobile 1 btw)

 

[doorgunner]

Now I change oil & filter every 5,000 miles....


BUT....I change the filter-only & add a quart halfway thru the 5,000 miles....


(The oil looks & smells a LOT better when it's time for the 5,000 mile oil & filter change)

 

[wildbill23c]

Now I change oil & filter every 5,000 miles....


BUT....I change the filter-only & add a quart halfway thru the 5,000 miles....


(The oil looks & smells a LOT better when it's time for the 5,000 mile oil & filter change)

Does changing the filter only at half way through really help, would doing so extend the oil's life if using synthetic oil? I've heard of people doing an oil filter change only but never have really heard if it helps extend the oil life to make an oil change last longer.

 

[doorgunner]

Does changing the filter only at half way through really help, would doing so extend the oil's life if using synthetic oil? I've heard of people doing an oil filter change only but never have really heard if it helps extend the oil life to make an oil change last longer.

In my opinion....it helps because oil filters can collect only so much sludge. Also, when you "add a quart of new oil" after the filter is changed---you now have a 20% improvement in the quality of the oil that is in the engine. I have never calculated if it is actually cheaper than changing every 3,000 miles....I'm satisfied with the fresher looking oil at the 5,000 change.
(Maybe somebody could do the math....15,000 miles per year average)

As for synthetic oil, if I changed the synthetic oil once a year, I definately would change the filter at 6 months and top off the oil. When I have run synthetic oil, I buy the 20,000 service-mile oil & change it at 15,000 miles (it just doesn't look very good when changed at 20,000 & the lifters start ticking slightly.

But that's just me...former airplane/helicopter maintenance man.

Use the Search function-there are several good threads on the subject.