Why do many people buy in to the 3000 mile oil change myth, but not change other stuf

[exbass94]

Lol I just found this posted on another forum...
http://neptune.spacebears.com/opine/3koil.html

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Most people who change oil every 3k do it because "my daddy always done it and he never had no problems," or they think it's cheap insurance icon_rofl.

As for other fluids, yeah I agree it's baffling how they're ignored. But the automakers aren't exactly helping, recommending ATF changes only every 100k or more, some even saying they're "lifetime" fluids that never need changed. just so they can advertise low maintenance costs.

finally somebody that GETS it.

some people don't even change the engine oil anyway or ever raise the damn hood...just pays my bills so im not complaining

 

[xkotyx]

with me having a company car for work, if i wait till 3-5k miles to change the oil in my ranger, itll take me forever! i change my oil about every 6 months, and by then ive only put about 2k miles on it.

 

[bobbywalter]

i have to agree that a large majority can realistically change their oil at 7500+ miles. cause many dont even do that

my situation involves extended idling, sometimes extreme idling, so 3 k or sooner is always the case, i went to 5-7 k on the wifes van even though she drives as many miles as me at times, she simply is a bit more gentle with things and it was a waste of money to 3k change her nice yummy looking oil.

apparently some of you guys get real good deals on oil analysis because i only do them when i suspect an issue unless i am experimenting with alternate fuels. spending the coin on the analysis was worth it till i knew i wasn't destroying my psd running various types of oils for fuel, but fawk i can change my oil for cheaper then an analysis, and the time it takes to get the report. seems that is a waste of money just to see if you can push another 3 k out of an oil change.

linking to something that has "citation needed" is pretty weak.

my job depends on proper lubrication, in the worst possible conditions. we deal with all sorts of snake oil dorks constantly, as we do have a hardcore amount of mechanical failures. but some shit cost more to do right then to just deal with repairing it, but it is what it is.

for sure oil is not all the same. engines are not all the same. water content made in the engine due to these variables is not all the same.

dont believe me? get a few of your favorite flavors and some off brands, add water to it. shake it up every day for a week and see how they all settle out.

all the same?????? i know thats no "real test", but i was surprised.


my current engine in my ranger has to be changed at 2500-3000, cause its a nasty ass idi thats old and cranky. but it will run fine if i keep the oil changed, run even better if i wasnt such a cheap bastard and setup the bypass system.

i dont see it as clearly a "myth" regardless, theres too many types of engines in use to state that, it would have to be a myth with conditions, say anything built post 95 with under 200 k on it or something along that type of situation.

it sure as hell is not a myth in my situation

 

[heptofite]

Even the cheapest conventional can go 5k miles betwwen changes easy. If you're changing it every 3k, you're wasting money and oil. PERIOD.

and i, personally, am fully willing to waste that money and oil for the peace of mind it gives me.

 

[yodaman1151]

I change my oil 3k for a couple reasons... Ford only put 5 digits on my odometer so i have no clue how many miles the engine has, i drive it hard, it costs under $20 every few months for a huge piece of mind.

IMO you can't change oil too much, i mean you can tell me its unnecessary but all you are doing is chastising me for keeping my engine lubricated properly and keeping additives that help to protect the internal parts in my engine. I even change the oil in my quad about every 10-20 hours even though it is synthetic just because i bought it new and want it to stay that way.

I personally think the quality of oil makes a difference as well. in my experience i bought a "cheap" oil change special that made my dakota run horrible. it ran louder, got worse mileage and ran hotter... drained it and put valvoline maxlife, ran smoother, quieter, better mileage and had more power.

Don't get me wrong i believe the oils of today are evolved enough to go 5-7.5k but I choose to do what i've always done and it works for me...

 

[WNY964x4]

i usually change mine every 3,000 miles because i generally run my vehicles pretty hard , though sometimes i go as far as 5,000 between changes , and some times i put 5,000 on in the course of 2 months , i put 30,000 miles on my 2000 and it asnt even on the road a year , i put 25,000 on the 97 and it was on the road 10 months , the Level II racked up 10,000 in just under 3 months , so i usually stick to 3,000 mile oil change with Napa Oil and Napa Gold Filter , on the automatics i do a fluid change when i buy them and then every year or 25,000 miles there after , Manual Trans gets changed when i buy it and then every 25,000 after , Same with Diffs and Transfer Cases , Brake fluid gets changed out anytime i have to change a line on the vehice , same with powersteering fluid. Coolant gets changed when i buy the vehicle and then every 2 years after or if i find there to be electrolysis (check evey 2 months) , i am very picky about PM on my vehicle. and with every oil change every other fluid gets checked in the vehicle and all grease fittings are greased , tires are checked and door hinges and latches are sprayed with white lithium grease.

 

[03ranger4x4]

Coolant, like gear lube for the axles and transfer case I think is one of those fluids that really dont need to be changed unless you find something wrong with it. Bascially if it looks good, then its okay no matter how long its been in.....as stupid as it sounds.

All i know, is i changed the coolant in my parents 2000 jeep cherokee at 120,000 for the first time since it was filled on the assembly line. And the coolant that i drained out was as clean as the brand new coolant i was putting in, so the whole process seemed pretty stupid to me. And that was with the standard green coolant. I know my ranger, probably amongst alot of new cars, has the gold piss colored long life coolant in it from factory, which give even less of a reason to change out the coolant.

As for oil, it gets changed with 5-30w synthetic every 5,000 miles on the nose. Though this is the last time i use a Fram oil filter as I have heard some bad things about them, ill probably be switching to Purolator (sp?)

And transfluid i changed for the first time at 84,000 miles. Thats something that always gets over looked, but i plan on changing the fluid again at 115,000-120,000 miles.



While were on the topic of changing oil, my friend just blew up his honda civic becuase he literally never changed the oil. It was funny too, it didnt even sound like a rod knock, more or less like an exhuast rattle which got louder, and louder...and the rpm which we could hear it got lower, and lower. Until on the way to the gas station to put oil into it something gave way and started knocking LOUD as hell and kept making a noise like there was gravel in the engine LOL!!! by the time we put oil in it, it was too late it had already spun a rod bearing. So basically, we drove it around my nieghborhood, driving it into rocks, and riding it along guards rails until the engine finally threw a rod, and left like 5 quarts of oil and half a connecting rod and various parts of the block down the street......and even then it ran well enough to drive it over a 2 foot high boulder where it sat until the junkyard picked it up.....ah good times.

 

[pontiac_fiero_g]

While were on the topic of changing oil, my friend just blew up his honda civic becuase he literally never changed the oil. It was funny too, it didnt even sound like a rod knock, more or less like an exhuast rattle which got louder, and louder...and the rpm which we could hear it got lower, and lower. Until on the way to the gas station to put oil into it something gave way and started knocking LOUD as hell and kept making a noise like there was gravel in the engine LOL!!! by the time we put oil in it, it was too late it had already spun a rod bearing. So basically, we drove it around my nieghborhood, driving it into rocks, and riding it along guards rails until the engine finally threw a rod, and left like 5 quarts of oil and half a connecting rod and various parts of the block down the street......and even then it ran well enough to drive it over a 2 foot high boulder where it sat until the junkyard picked it up.....ah good times.

so basically after destroying his engine you guys vandalized gaurdrails wich are government property and then drove a car that has five inches of ground clearence over something that is 2ft high?

 

[LearjetMinako]

Yes, the 3,000 mile oil change habit is a myth. BUT, it is good practice to keep the engine in good shape. For one, I don't know what conditions the customer was driving their vehicle in. And even then, most over shoot the mileage on the sticker for the 3k mile oil change.

As for myself. I change my oil every 5k miles, which is about once a year. I even had the old oil tested. I was changing the oil at the right time. The analysis said I could go further, but I prefer not to push it too much on oil life. Besides, I use Royal Purple oils. Its not cheap, but works great in the engine and transmission.

For schedule manitence:
Engine oil: 5k miles
Transmission oil: 25k miles
Diff oil: 50k miles
Power Steering: 50k miles
Brake Fluid: 50k miles or when brake pads replaced
Coolant: 25k miles

 

[colby450xc]

Most people usually don't check the oil very often, and many newer cars still burn oil. My fiance's 2002 Beetle burns enough oil that I have to put a quart in it between oil changes that are roughly 3k apart. Ive read this is actually normal for this car, yet freaking ridiculous. I would be pissed if my 8 year car burned that much oil.

 

[03ranger4x4]

so basically after destroying his engine you guys vandalized gaurdrails wich are government property and then drove a car that has five inches of ground clearence over something that is 2ft high?

Im pretty sure the guardrails vandalized the civic, not the other way around.

And we didnt destroy his engine, he did by letting his oil get too low. His oil light also never came on ethier so how was i supposed to tell until it was already too late? By the time i realized what the noise even was, his engine already had a knock and we were no where near a gas station. By the time we made it too one, his engine was already done for. So we put oil in it, and trashed it till the engine completely blew up.

You can call BS on the rock part all you want, im guessing rocks by you all come out of the ground at 90 degree angles between the base of the rock and the ground huh? Well, where Im from no two rocks are the same and this one happened to have a slope to it. So to correct my original statement so you can better understand it, i drove it over a rock that PEAKED at 2ft. And it damaged the shit out of the front end. But obviously thats what we were going for.

 

[Psychopete]

Oil change is easily done at home. I would say most don't like to bother taking it into a shop unless there's a big problem because of cost (even know maintence *could* have prevented it, but that's just speculation). Most aren't going to want to mess with the trans or flushing other fluids, but I agree should be paid attention to.

 

[jeffw920]

i know oil can go well past 3k but i enjoy changing my oil haha, as well as other fluids as a result most things get changed a little before they are due, keeps me busy, keeps me in touch with my truck, and i enjoy it. besides i use supertech with a motorcraft filter, basically cheapest oil you can buy, i have no complaints with it, its never in there long enough to push it to its limits

 

[F150hybred]

Yanno... this sounds like a topic for Mythbusters. They could round up say 100 people... give them all free oil changes and monitor the results over a given span of time. Maybe even use different brands of oil... conventional and regular oil... the sky is the limit. I will add that they should run the oil for around three months... (you know the idea... 3 months or three thousand, whatever comes first) and not give a hoot about the mileage. Just run the cars for three months with periodic stops in for an oil sample for analysis.

So, who wants a FREE oil change?????