I'm using Mobil 1 advanced synthetic oil and oil filter. How often should it be changed?

 

Whenever your maintenance minder tells you to change it

 

Check in your owner's manual for something called the "maintenance minder"...

 

I always chicken out around 6000 miles even using full synthetic. I like to be able to see through the oil at least a little bit. MM is in 30% range at that point.

 

I love oil change threads =\

perhaps we should invoke a "please use the search" culture around here?

 

Some people just have to be reminded every month or two. RTFM or search. It is much easier to ask a question and expect someone else to find the answer for you. No work and instant gratification.

 

At about 25%. Changing oil and filter takes about 15 min at most when I don't have to deal with the undercover. No scare tactics, please,

 

Give the newbie a break. The forum is great for that purpose because someone does have the answer without resorting to RTFM.

 

Back on topic, I'll be changing my oil this weekend with 7500 on the clock (because 7500 miles is what the manual says). I will be sending it into BlackStone Labs for oil analysis. I will share the results with everyone.

I'll be replacing the oil with something rated for 15k , and I will be using a Purolator "BOSS" oil filter, which is also rated at 15k. And yes .... that oil sample will too be sent to BlackStone Labs for analysis. It's gonna be a good year until you guys will see both oil reports .... but.... STAY TUNED!

(I bet you "change my oil at 3k" people will prob cringe at the idea of a 15k oil change interval. Please keep my engine in your thoughts and prayers)

 

that's great if you can reach 7500 miles, but what if maintenance minder is already at 0%.
alot depends on your driving style. most go with maintenance minder.

 

Based on his post, it's likely he's ignoring the MM.

I follow the MM for the most part. And unfortunately for me, it means roughly every 6k miles. Though sometimes I get lazy and once ended up changing the oil after the MM hit -1xxx. :|

 

the maintenance minder showed 30% , I could have probably kept going. but.... I want a uoa to see what things look like with 7500 miles. in the near future, perhaps I'll try a MM centric oci .. which should work out to 10k..... and if it does, that oil sample will def get sent for analysis as well
​​

 

Modern oil and engines can well exceed 3k miles IMO. I let mine go until the MM tells me and it can exceed 10k miles on regular synthetic blend oil :-0

 

that would be interesting at 10k.
i would bet that analysis would be ok.
what oil brand are you using ?

thanks

 

for my 1st uoa, a purolator pl14610 filter




for the 2nd uoa (planned for 10k or 15k), a purolator "boss" pl14610 filter, rated for 15000 miles

 

Wait until the Maintenance minder shows 5%

Change the oil with what's recommended in the manual.

 

Everyone can do whatever in the world they want, but I'll share this bit of info...

The L15 does not have cam bearings. It relies on oil to suspend the camshaft between the journals in the head and the cam is sitting in an oil bath. When draining the oil there is darn near 1/2 quart of oil left sitting in the head that does not get drained. This is coupled with a really small oil capacity (3.8 quarts).

Once again, do whatever you want, but know two things...1. you can't drain all the oil and 2. there is not a lot of margin for playing around due to low quantity and lack of bearings.

Ours has been changed every 5k with true full synthetic oil. At 190k miles it's like new, burns no oil, and put out good numbers on a chassis dyno.

 

I always change the oil and filter at 5,000 miles. My maintenance minder usually says 50% at that point.

It can't hurt to do it more often if you plan on owning the car for a long time.

Not sure if true but have been told the oil filters are rated for 5,000 miles.

 

It can hurt to replace the oil more often.

1. Waste of time and money, albeit your own.

2. Waste of resources.

3. Every time you change the oil there's a small chance you make a mistake. You could fail to fill all the way, over-fill it, leave the filler cap off, drop something into the engine, not put the oil filter on correctly and have the oil leak out, have the car fall off the jack stand... A small chance of each, but if you change your oil twice as often you've doubled the chance of making a mistake.

It's not like there's a huge benefit to changing the oil more frequently.

 

Given that you even list these as possible, I'd say you should definitely not change your own oil.

That being said, I know two people that had their oil changed at quick change places that failed to fill the vehicle with new oil at all. One was a 740iL BMW and the other was a Grand Marquis. Both ended up getting new motors after the originals seized.

I'm a DIY'er that drives a fair amount of miles. Wife drives a ton and my Dad is an on the road rep. I do all of our oil changes and used to do my Dad's (when we lived in the same state). Thankfully, I'm not a moron and have not had an issue in the 100's upon 100's of oil changes I've done.

Worst part about doing all these oil changes through the years has been having to take the oil to be recycled. That part is a pain.