oil change at 1000 miles! thoughts?

[DoomsdayJesus]

Originally Posted by torqdork

Whichever mileage spec is used, it's a good idea to change out oil and filter at 6 month intervals max due to oil oxidation. For my short haul 2nd car use, 6 months works out to about 3K-4K miles.

That is wrong. Synthetic oil doesn't oxidize like organic does. Take a look at the oil analysis thread, and then take a look at this

My 2003 BMW had oil change intervals of 18,000 miles. Generally I did it at 15k miles, but if you're really paranoid there's always an oil analysis. Hell, even the U.S. Army stopped doing regular oil changes in garrison, instead defaulting to oil analysis. It's saved them millions of dollars in oil and parts alone, not considering that they have to dispose of or recycle all of their oil. And that's a big admission from one of the largest (if not THE largest) fleet maintenance program(s) in the world.

[Chimpo]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

My 2003 BMW had oil change intervals of 18,000 miles. Generally I did it at 15k miles, but if you're really paranoid there's always an oil analysis.

Holy hell I thought my Honda CR-Z went a long way between oil changes. Based on the oil life % info the car displays I'm averaging roughly 11k miles in between the need to change.

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

That is wrong. Synthetic oil doesn't oxidize like organic does. Take a look at the oil analysis thread, and then take a look at this

I agree that it will not oxidize within 6 months, but synthetic oil can oxidize. All you need to do is use a lab that checks for oxidation and you can see this. Blackstone does not check for oxidation. In all likelihood most oils can go to 7,500 miles in an FR-S/BRZ, although a comparison to a BMW is apples to oranges. BMW's also require an oil with a particular specification (BMW LL-01).

Although I think it's overkill, I believe the BRZ/FR-S has a minimum time interval of 7.5 months for warranty purposes. Is that correct?

-Dennis

[torqdork]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

That is wrong. Synthetic oil doesn't oxidize like organic does. Take a look at the oil analysis thread, and then take a look at this

From your link, I didn't see them discussing a time interval, only mileage:

"The Right Time To Change Your Oil

So where does this leave the car owner who was raised on the perceived wisdom of the 3,000-mile oil change? For a full discussion, your next stop should be our related article, "When Should You Change Your Oil?," which will save you hundreds of dollars over the next few years and fully protect your car and its warranty, while limiting the use of a natural resource.

The short answer, meanwhile, is to consult your service manual or Edmunds' maintenance section to learn your car's actual oil change schedule...

Let the Manual Guide You

Oil change information is in the maintenance chapter of your owner's manual."

And the Scheduled Maintenance Guide for my Toyota FJ Cruiser specifies replacing the oil and filter every 5,000 miles OR 6 months for normal use, more frequently for towing or off-road use. It makes no distinction between oil type, the schedule applies to dino or synthetic.

So long as my vehicle is under warranty, I'll stick to the Toyota factory recommendations using OEM filters. I'm a DIYer so save all receipts in case of any oil related warranty claim as happened last month.

My FR-S hasn't arrived yet, maybe someone here can quote their scheduled maintenance guide to see what the latest factory change intervals are.

[torqdork]

I found the FR-S Scheduled Maintenance Guide online. In order to keep the factory warranty in force, engine oil and filter must be changed at least every 7,500 miles OR 7½ months, whichever comes first for normal duty, more frequently for severe duty.

http://a230.g.akamai.net/7/230/83646...ranty_2013.pdf

[DoomsdayJesus]

Originally Posted by torqdork

I found the FR-S Scheduled Maintenance Guide online. In order to keep the factory warranty in force, engine oil and filter must be changed at least every 7,500 miles OR 7½ months, whichever comes first for normal duty, more frequently for severe duty.

http://a230.g.akamai.net/7/230/83646...ranty_2013.pdf

If you've had a harsh cycle, get an oil analysis at 5000 miles. If they say you're good to go, I would just swap filters halfway through the cycle if you want to be cautious. Even with a 15,000-18,000 mile interview on my old 3-series, I'd drop in a new filter (also under the hood) every 3k miles, especially once the mileage got high and you get coked up resins/residue chunks breaking free.

Edit: What's this I hear about free oil changes from Subaru? Is that a dealer incentive or universal?

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

If you've had a harsh cycle, get an oil analysis at 5000 miles. If they say you're good to go, I would just swap filters halfway through the cycle if you want to be cautious. Even with a 15,000-18,000 mile interview on my old 3-series, I'd drop in a new filter (also under the hood) every 3k miles, especially once the mileage got high and you get coked up resins/residue chunks breaking free.

Edit: What's this I hear about free oil changes from Subaru? Is that a dealer incentive or universal?

The OEM filter is very capable of handling 7,500 oil change intervals, but I'm not sure how it would do in an interview. It probably wouldn't say much.

Free Subaru oil changes are dealer specific.

-Dennis

[torqdork]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

If you've had a harsh cycle, get an oil analysis at 5000 miles. If they say you're good to go, I would just swap filters halfway through the cycle if you want to be cautious. Even with a 15,000-18,000 mile interview on my old 3-series, I'd drop in a new filter (also under the hood) every 3k miles, especially once the mileage got high and you get coked up resins/residue chunks breaking free.

Edit: What's this I hear about free oil changes from Subaru? Is that a dealer incentive or universal?

OEM standard for two years with Scion US/CA, don't know about Subaru.

I understand what you're saying about analysis vs. changeout, but should an oil related failure occur an owner will need to document oil and filter change receipts (from anywhere or DIY) complying with specified intervals or risk denial of a claim.

[regal]

Originally Posted by bluesubie

The OEM filter is very capable of handling 7,500 oil change intervals, but I'm not sure how it would do in an interview. It probably wouldn't say much.

Free Subaru oil changes are dealer specific.

-Dennis

But is says fore severe duty 3500 mile oil change intervals. Which could mean driving 1 mile to work each day since you aren't warming up the car, or driving in a hilly area, or a dusty area, basically anything can be considered severe duty. With this engine it only makes sense to change it every 3500 miles if you know how to read between the lines in the service manual.

As far as changing the oil at 1k miles, absolutely. Look at your build date, odds are the oil has been in the engine more than the 5.5 months by 1k miles.

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted by regal

But is says fore severe duty 3500 mile oil change intervals. Which could mean driving 1 mile to work each day since you aren't warming up the car, or driving in a hilly area, or a dusty area, basically anything can be considered severe duty. With this engine it only makes sense to change it every 3500 miles if you know how to read between the lines in the service manual.

As far as changing the oil at 1k miles, absolutely. Look at your build date, odds are the oil has been in the engine more than the 5.5 months by 1k miles.

I've had warranty work performed and my oil change intervals were at the normal intervals while my actual driving conditions were severe. My intervals were based on uoa's. I also run the Honeywell filter which people think, "OMG, Fram filters are the SuCK"! No problems handling 6,000 mile intervals in my turbo with a Cobb reflash.

And no use in changing the factory fill too early either, especially when people usually change it to an oil with a weaker additive pack than the oil used at the factory. If the car sits on the lot for 8 months, do you think that the dealer is going to change the oil before you buy it? That's doubtful, IMO.

No use in guessing when all you have to do is have your oil analyzed to determine a safe interval.

-Dennis