How Often Do You Change Your Oil?

[DodgeViper01]

Hello everyone. I know the manual says change the oil every 3,000 miles for "tough" driving and every 6,000 miles for "average" driving but I was just wondering what you guys do. I have been doing the 3,000 mile changes but think that I do not need to do that anymore.

 

[CMilViper]

I still change it every 3,000 on the Viper, and every 5,000 for my other vehicles.

 

[Sam 01 RT10]

10 quarts of Mobil 1 every 3k.

 

[jimandela]

F355,
if you can do it cheap change it often.
i was changing mine every 1500 then started pushing it to about 2500 miles.
how you ask?

WALMART has the 5 qt jugs of Mobil 1 for $18 each and my
local no bull oil change shop would change the oil for $15
throw in a mobil 1 filter and total price was around $65
not too bad; cheap insurance.
change it often !
It makes you feel good

 

[garolittle]

1,500 - 2,000 miles

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

5,000. Go by the odometer. I change all my vehicles oil every 5k. Especially when using Mobil 1.



2000 GTS Steel Grey
6 piston Baer claws up front, Front brakes in back, Quaife differential, GKH half shafts,
Alloy fly wheel, Short throw shifter, Polished aluminum intakes, K&N air filters,
Optima battery, Sterling silver ignition key, ACR 5 point harnesses.

 

[slaughterj]

About 3-4k on the Viper.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

I change mine every 5500-6000 miles. There is typically one track event, several autocrosses, and lots of spirited driving(as every Viper should be driven). I use Amsoil Series 2000 0W-30 and conduct an oil analysis every time. The oil has always come back in great shape and capable of longer service. There is extensive discussion of this subject if you do a search.

Steve

 

[GraphiteGTS]

OK, so you have two identical new Vipers. They go 15K mis. per yr. and both guys plan to sell at 60K mis., or 4 yrs.

One guy is really anal and changes every 1500 miles. The other is a slob and changes every 15000 miles. Both use Mobil 1.

After 60K, would there be any real measurable difference?

Sometimes I have the feeling that I am changing oil for the next owner, and frankly, I'm not that nice of a guy.

I know oil is cheap and we enjoy changing, but, "what if"?

 

[Ron]

I change once a year, in the fall at about 2,500 ~ 3,000 miles. Prefer to put the car to sleep with clean oil and filter. Mobil's Delvac 1 with Mobil 1 filter. Oil analysis every time.

In the scenerio above, I would believe that you'd see sludging under the oil cap in your 15,000 mile car and a clean one on the 1,500. If I weren't keeping my '96 forever, I'd probably change at 5k or so perhaps. Also, you'd certainly have to change the filter midway through a 15,000 mile oil run.

A clean engine is a nice closer when selling a car. I got a premium for my prior minivan by sharing the oil analysis results and showing the cleanliness of the rockers. 85,000 miles and still got a premium for it.

 

[GraphiteGTS]

One thing I haven't understood is why, on my BMW, the oil changes sometimes came at 12000+ miles, following the computer oil change recommendation.
I would think that Bayerische Motoren Werke would know what they are talking about.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

3K-4K on the RT/10

Much, much more frequently on the GTS.

 

[Ron]

I would think that Bayerische Motoren Werke would know what they are talking about.

As I would.

One would assume that the BMW computer takes into account engine usage parameters in order to calculate oil life. I'd highly doubt 100% autoX usage would result in 12,000+ oil change intervals. Additionally, is the BMW computer designed to maximize oil life, engine life or something in between?

Regardless, 15,000 miles of typical Viper usage without an oil and/or filter change seems excessive to me, but why not give it a try?

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

One thing I haven't understood is why, on my BMW, the oil changes sometimes came at 12000+ miles, following the computer oil change recommendation.
I would think that Bayerische Motoren Werke would know what they are talking about.

Many European car manufacturers have these long drain intervals when using an approved high quality product meeting the ACEA specs. I know Amsoil meets the ACEA requirements and I would guess Mobil 1 does as well. The ACEA requirements for conventional oils are much more stringent than the API standard in this country. They have separate standards for gas, diesel,turbo, etc. I believe the API has one minimum standard for all engine oils.

Mercedes and BMW have been employing extended drain intervals for several years using approved fluids..

Perhaps this is where Tom jumps in.

Steve

 

[wcollera]

every thousand on the thousand!

 

[Steve Miehe]

Once every 7 or 8 months, regardless of mileage. Fluids are cheap when you consider cost of our cars......

 

[Steve Miehe]

Maybe Tom, the fuel and lubes geek of the realm will chime in on this one.....

 

[Jerry Dobson]

Viper = Expensive Oil = Cheap

~ 1500 miles or 3 months.

Manufactures have a "Cost per mile". Extend the recommended oil changes and CPM is lower. Their loss only under warranty. Yours after that.

I don't use my Viper for a daily driver. Working on my Viper is a hobby and I don't consider changing my oil a chore. If I drove it more, oil change intervals may be longer.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Twice a year or 3 times if I go over 3000 miles. I have oil analysis and the oil is always in very good condition when removed. But who cares. The peace of mind is priceless.

 

[CO GTS]

I just sold my wimpy BMW '02 M Roadster. Why? The "Bayerische Motoren Werke's" 315HP 3.2 engine spun its mains. Why? Poor engineering that caused oil starvation to the mains. A known "issue"; covered by warranty...$18,400! I solved the problem with a V10 and a 5"10" blond cupholder.

 

[joe117]

I have a buddy with a BMW. We were talking about the long drain interval recommended for his car. We decided that BMW must know what they were doing.
BMW has conducted and published all kinds of oil research. I believe them.

However, even though it's probably excessive,
I change the Mobil 1 oil in my Viper every year.
I change the Mobil 1 oil in my Vette and Suburban every 5k-6k miles.

Some of you guys who are changing at 1500 miles really to find something to fill your day other than wearing out the drain plug of your car.
It's sort of like washing and waxing your car and then doing it all again, right away, with new water.

 

[GraphiteGTS]

If a guy changes his Mobil 1 oil every 1500 miles, he would, what, change his standard Quaker State (non-synthetic) oil at, say maybe, 500 miles?
I like what Joe117 says.

 

[Steve-Indy]

"Some of you guys who are changing at 1500 miles really to find something to fill your day other than wearing out the drain plug of your car.
It's sort of like washing and waxing your car and then doing it all again, right away, with new water."


...it's called " being oil-retentive"

 

[Nexus-6]

I change all the fluids (not coolant) once a year in each car. When I have it on the lift it's just easy to do it all at once.

On the Viper, this comes out to about 2,000 ~ 2,500 miles.

 

[viper spray]

1500 or less , but I run her hard!

 

[joe117]

You run it hard?
Well, what do you think 1500 "hard" miles does to the oil to make it bad?

 

[GraphiteGTS]

I like changing the oil as much as the next guy but I think Mobil 1 can go 5K mis. or one yr. no matter how hard the car is run.
I put 140,000 on a BMW 7-series, used regular oil and the guy that bought it two years ago is still driving her. I changed every 5K. What advantage would I have gained by changing at 1-2K miles?
However, when I change, I allow the oil to drain overnight so as to drain every drop of old oil. I would never take my car to a 10 min. oil change shop.
Also, my GTS is the 55th car I have owned.

 

[Steve-Indy]

MAN, Rick...that's a lot of cars that you've gone through...MAYBE you should change the Mobil 1 a little more frequently and reduce turnover !!!

 

[GraphiteGTS]

It all started with a '57 Chev Bel Aire two door coupe. Man if those (white) walls could talk.
The other 54 were before I got the Viper, even though I would like to trade her on an SRT, but there is not an SRT owner in the U.S. that wants to trade down. Must mean the SRT is one great car.

 

[LW VIPER]

Is the SRT that much "better" a car than the GTS or RT/10?
I read all of the reviews before buying, and the key words seemed to be "better ergonomics" or "more civilized" and I think I read once where they have "better brakes". But other than that I also read that they were "more pedestian" along the lines of a Chrysler Sebring (Hemmings Muscle Machines - March 2004) or less raw.

Other than that, I haven't seen anything that states handling, or even speed has improved much, even with the 500 hp, and the 525 torque.

What did I miss?