Maintenance Intervals

[DonD]

I like to baby my cars and I think the information in the owner's manual means you're letting the car go too long between oil and air filter changes.

I'd like some inputs. Don

 

[bl4ck_wng]

Oil and filter change every 5k miles. I like Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5W-30 and get the oil filters from tapout's website (insanely fast shipping times)

I blow out the air filters with a compressor thoroughly every time I change the oil. They are the reusable green element ones. If I were using the OEM paper filters, I would swap them for fresh ones at the same interval for peace of mind.

 

[Ty88]

Here is what I do:

Engine air filter and cabin air filter- replace once a year
Engine oil & filter - replace every 5-7k miles
Auto/manual transmission- replace every 40k miles
Rear differential- replace every 40k miles

Your opinion may vary.

 

[jbawden]

Oooh, the cousin to "which oil is best". 10's of 1,000's of data points (used oil analysis) confirm the OLM is really good. Mine isn't a daily so it's once a year, but for the DD I just follow the manual because that is what most people do and most peoples cars last a really long time.

 

[DonD]

Here is what I do:

Engine air filter and cabin air filter- replace once a year
Engine oil & filter - replace every 5-7k miles
Auto/manual transmission- replace every 40k miles
Rear differential- replace every 40k miles

Your opinion may vary.

Personally, I think 5-7K miles between oil & filter changes is way too long unless you're frequently driving long distances Your call. Don

 

[shbox]

I average 5-7k and the OLM has never been below 9% (one time at 6700 miles, but usually around 20% with lesser miles). I find this comfortable for me. Whatever interval you want is your choice. The GM OLM algorithm is heralded as very good. I'm getting ready to go on a 6000+ mile trip and won't worry about changing it when I am on the road . I'll likely change it before I go and when I get back.

 

[ukcats12]

Personally, I think 5-7K miles between oil & filter changes is way too long unless you're frequently driving long distances Your call. Don

5k miles between oil changes is way too long? With all due respect, it's 2025 and the synthetic oil technology has progressed ton from back in the day. Go take an oil sample at 5k miles and send it for analysis and it will show it's got quite a lot of life left.

Obviously it's your car, do what you want. But I don't know why people so readily accept all the other ways engineering behind cars and tires has advanced but are still stuck in the past when it comes to oil change intervals.

 

[jbawden]

^^^Because he still signs his posts as "Don" even though that is his screen name and we all know its "Don D"? Old habits die hard and evolving is even harder.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

… why people so readily accept all the other ways engineering behind cars and tires has advanced but are still stuck in the past when it comes to oil change intervals.

 

[rubberduck]

^^^Because he still signs his posts as "Don" even though that is his screen name and we all know its "Don D"? Old habits die hard and evolving is even harder.

Lubrication is a sore subject for some people. There is a lot of information and research out there, but it doesn’t make for the most stimulating reading.

Not sure evolve is the right word. As a whole I think the human race has become dumber in the last 30 years.

 

[DonD]

^^^Because he still signs his posts as "Don" even though that is his screen name and we all know its "Don D"? Old habits die hard and evolving is even harder.

OOOH, the horrors, I've been scolded by the content/grammar police. I'll endeavor to stop using Don, how will life continue? Sarcasm most certainly intended.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

OOOH, the horrors, I've been scolded by the content/grammar police. I'll endeavor to stop using Don, how will life continue? Sarcasm most certainly intended.

…still yellin’…

 

[DonD]

…still yellin’…
View attachment 31892

Bite me!

 

[ngoni]

Just to provide a counterpoint to the 'trust the engineers' argument that, being an engineer, I would normally agree with: There's a lot of things manufacturers do just for their own bottom line and let's remember, after the warranty period, your car's longevity is against their interests. Manufacturers will add silly features like auto start/stop and AFM designed just to lower their CAFE costs and not care one whit about what headaches it gives the consumer down the road. Manufacturers will spec 0W-8 or 0W-20 oil just to get a slightly better mileage rating and not care that it could cause hundreds of thousands of engines to fail (see Honda and GM's massive recalls). Finally, when manufacturers tell us a random car or SUV doesn't need to change the oil for 15,000 miles and that the transmission oil is 'lifetime' do we really believe the 'engineering' behind that or is there something else going on? At least in the US, manufacturers are graded on the total impact of their fleet so longer fluid change intervals lower their regulatory costs. As long as those systems can last just beyond the warranty period, that's a win for the C-suite.

It is within this context that I think Don is asking what reasonable intervals folks are using for our cars. Sadly I don't think there's an easy answer because it is HIGHLY dependent on how much fun you're having. If your car sees a lot of track time then the intervals are measured in hours, not miles. If you just roll it out on the weekends to wash it and cruise to the local cars and coffee, you can probably just do what the manual says. What about the rest of us that sit somewhere in-between? I think that's where Don is coming from and is something I've been wondering myself.

 

[rubberduck]

It is within this context that I think Don is asking what reasonable intervals folks are using for our cars. Sadly I don't think there's an easy answer because it is HIGHLY dependent on how much fun you're having. If your car sees a lot of track time then the intervals are measured in hours, not miles. If you just roll it out on the weekends to wash it and cruise to the local cars and coffee, you can probably just do what the manual says. What about the rest of us that sit somewhere in-between? I think that's where Don is coming from and is something I've been wondering myself.

I guess I fall in between, but I don’t wonder at all. I’m largely in the weekend category and drive it in the normal way it was intended (rubber left behind every drive). My OLM hits 3-5% in around 2500 miles and less than one year and then I change the oil.

 

[DonD]

I really appreciate what ngoni stated.

I have always changed the cars oil more frequently than what the manuals have said. Cheap protection and I've never had any engine issue in 50+ yrs.

Having spent around $90K on my Blackwing IMSA Edition all the more reason to baby the car.

Aditionally, my GM Master card accumulates far more points than I need to get a "free" oil change. I don't like the jacking points on the car and I've had less than great results with car ramps.

So I go to the dealer, they've been very professional. A dealer employee bakes great cookies and they have a machine that will brew most anything conceivable.