Oil change intervals?
 

Hey guys. I received a packet from Scion about service boost (I think that's what it is) and when certain maintenance should be scheduled. They said that oil changes should be done every 7500 miles because of the synthetic oil. Now I've always done my oil changes around 3k on my old car, but granted I did not use synthetic oil. At any rate, should I heed their 7500 mile suggestion or is that just because the dealer doesn't want to spend the money on labor/oil/filters every 3k miles and can safely wait until 7500?

I have driven my car pretty hard in the past few months, so that probably makes a difference. I was wanting to maybe knock out my first oil change today, but would like to see what you guys thought about the whole mileage thing.

Thanks.

Leave the factory fill in until at least 5k, imo.

hmmm......my manual says the the crankcase oil should be changed at about 7,500 miles (or 7.5 months) ...... OR (under severe conditions - repeated short distance driving or in cold weather) it should be changed at about 3,750 miles or 3.75 months).

So, I'd suggest you ..... pick one ..... depending on how you drive.....;)


humfrz

This. RTMFM!

That said, I prefer to change my oil every 5.5k miles. City driving is rough on oil.

My manual also says 7500 miles or 7.5 months. It is different under severe conditions (according to manual).

5.5k sounds like a nice compromise, especially since I have been driving my car pretty hard. I do about an equal amount of highway and city driving though.

Thanks for the help guys!

Many manufacturers are going with 24,000 km oil change intervals (15,000 miles) except for severe service.

Severe service does not mean track work or high ambient temperatures, the oil deals with that just fine.

Severe service means short trip cycles and high humidity or extremely dusty ambient conditions.

Oil is tough stuff, it is the contamination that kills it. Track work does not contaminate oil and neither does heat.

Scion Canada stated 8K kms or 6/Months.

Up to 24,000km, then every 16,000kms (10,000 miles) after that. I will NOT follow that recommendation.

Funny, we've always recommend 8000kms/6months on all models at our store.

Which sounds about right... Canadian models usually follow the "severe service" recommendations. I got reading through the maintenance book, and was surprised to see that after 24,000, the recommended interval jumps to 16,000kms.

All the UOA show modern syntehtics holding up well past 7500 miles even in harsh conditions.