Re: Lubrication - Syth Oil Change

[Jess Liao <jessl@domain.elided>]

Since there are some traffic about using sythetic oil and oil changes,
here's my 2c.

Althought oil company recommand oil change of 7500 miles for
synthetics, it REALLY depends on your driving environment. I have been
using almost nothing but Castrol Syntec 5W50 in my Verde since I
bought the car. I also change oil religiously at 4500 - 5000 miles
instead of the 7500 recommanded interval. My oil always came out too
clean :)


Since I moved to only a few blocks from work mid last year, I am not
getting car to warm up all the time, most of my driving were limited
to lunch and back and forth between home/office, and are relatively
short trips eventhought I do make longer trips by going toward
opposite direction and back.

At first I let it accumulate 5000 miles and change oil, and noticed
some gunk up in the cam area. You can see that some dark deposit
started to accumulate by peeking thru oil filter hole with a flash
light.

As I got busier and less time to make longer trip around to warm up
car enough, I changed oil at 4300 miles. This time, SIGNIFICANT MORE
deposit was found. The detergent in the oil broke down a while back.
Cam cover was removed to clean up some dark deposit, but really not
much can be done there.

I knew I must shorten the interval due to the change of driving
environment, so I followed with 2 short oil change at 2800 miles. The
detergent in the oil started to clean the gunk off. I intend to give 2
more short oil changes before falling back to maybe around 3000 to
3500 miles of interval.

 
Well there, know your environment and change oil accordingly.

Some manufacture even recommanded oil change interval of 10000 miles.
I think that's rediculous unless your car is contained in an
environmentally controlled capsole where optimn operation temperature
of engine is maintained, and that it runs at a constant rpm that is
most efficient for the engine.

Change thy oil

Jess

 

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