Are Full Oil Changes Gone Forever?

[topnotcher]

Since the days my grandpa introduced me to oil ratings and said the synthetic will always be at the best rating I have never looked back. Any car I've maintained has always received synthetic oil. Before today I would always go 7500 miles between filter changes and 15000 to full oil changes.

Based on recent offers from Pennzoil to warranty newer low milage vehicles that use their Full Synthetic Advantage oil for 150K with only 15K filter changes I have now decided that I will only be buying new 15k filters in the future and toping off the oil with this stuff from now on. Bye Bye full oil changes.

Bring on the old time conversation.....what is better dino juice or synthetic, is synthetic really that good. I will argue it is, I have 40 years of proof! Pennzoil as far as I am concerned has put their money where their mouth is! Just keep the oil filtered well and topped off that will be my new mantra.

Now...of course will this void new car warranties? For me it does not matter because I don't buy new cars.

 

[Car-Guy]

Synthetic's are really good, but I predict major engine problems in your future.

 

[aja8888]

Take an oil sample at 15K, send it to Blackstone Labs in Indiana for analysis. They will tell you how the oil is doing. TBN number is the additive package life left. They will check for wear metals.. etc.

Cost used to be $25 and they will send you a sample kit for free.

 

[REWahoo]

Are Full Oil Changes Gone Forever?

Yes! Full, partial, and all other associated oil changes are gone forever for those of us driving a BEV.

 

[topnotcher]

Take an oil sample at 15K, send it to Blackstone Labs in Indiana for analysis. They will tell you how the oil is doing. TBN number is the additive package life left. They will check for wear metals.. etc.

Cost used to be $25 and they will send you a sample kit for free.

I recall a study some 15 years ago where samples were taken every 1k. The study died because it went on too long and funding dried up. This is way before these oil warranties ever started showing up.

Of course there was lots evidence at that time that the premium filters and top offs gave the oil enough life to continue its service!

Love this conversation, thanks for the quick reply.

 

[topnotcher]

Yes! Full, partial, and all other associated oil changes are gone forever for those of us driving a BEV.

Agreed.

 

[aja8888]

I recall a study some 15 years ago where samples were taken every 1k. The study died because it went on too long and funding dried up. This is way before these oil warranties ever started showing up.

Of course there was lots evidence at that time that the premium filters and top offs gave the oil enough life to continue its service!

Love this conversation, thanks for the quick reply.

All you ever wanted to know about motor oil:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Are full oil changes gone forever?

They are for me.

 

[Spock]

Metallurgy isn't that good.
Oil chemistry isn't that good.
There is still condensation, some blow by, and temperatures.
No oil change = future feature on the Just Rolled In utoob channel.

 

[Midpack]

I can’t find the Pennzoil program you’re talking about, do you have a link?

This is the best Pennzoil synthetic oil warranty I find, and it’s by no means no more full oil changes. https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/prod...VkYXBwLnN0YXRpYy9pbmRleC5odG1sP2xhbmc9ZW4tVVM

 

[topnotcher]

I can’t find the Pennzoil program you’re talking about, do you have a link?

This is the best Pennzoil synthetic oil warranty I find, and it’s by no means no more full oil changes. https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/prod...VkYXBwLnN0YXRpYy9pbmRleC5odG1sP2xhbmc9ZW4tVVM

https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/warranty.html

 

[CardsFan]

https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/warranty.html

I think you need to read the fine print in the add you just cited:

MAINTAINING THE WARRANTY
1. Change your vehicle's oil and oil filer at least as often as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer

 

[Chuckanut]

According to the car care nut on the internet if you want to drive your car 250,000+ miles change the oil every 5000 miles. He claims that the 10K oil change is a marketing decision. The marketing team asked the engineers how many oils changes would it take to offer a 100K engine warranty that they would rarely have to pay out on. The answer was 10 changes, one every 10K miles. Less than that and the chances of paying for warranty repair work starts to go up fast. I have no idea if this is true. But, it’s a great story.

I change oil in my hybrid every 5k miles because I do mostly cold start, stop-n-go driving on the average day. Mixed in every 3 to 4 months are road trips where the car does 300+ miles in a day. The 0W-16 oil used by the car is only a little thicker than water. That’s a psychological factor for me.

One other thing he also warns against using the more common and somewhat cheaper 0W-20 oil unless it’s an emergency. He claims that the oil passageways are designed for the thinner 0W-16 oil and the thicker oil will not provide the same level of lubrication safety. Again, I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds like it might be.

Oh, all oil changes include a filter change. I remember having a VW that’s did not have an oil filter, just a screen to remove big stuff in the oil. I also remember a car that recommended changing the filter every other oil change. That never made a lot of sense to me.

https://youtu.be/xdNCnYHhEm8?si=XvBUQvEbYb34wwYl

https://youtu.be/TevK-u3vkx4?si=wm1oxKMMGGPpTW78

 

[harley]

Oh, all oil changes include a filter change. I remember having a VW that’s did not have an oil filter, just a screen to remove big stuff in the oil. I also remember a car that recommended changing the filter every other oil change. That never made a lot of sense to me.

I used to have a Nissan Stanza Wagon, their first minivan. You had to loosen the engine mount bolts and lift the engine a little to get the oil filter out. It was insane! I used to change the oil twice myself, then take it to a repair shop to change the oil and the filter. It lasted over 100K miles with us, before we traded it.

I'm not advising not changing the filter. On all my other cars I've changed the filter with each oil change. But that car, great as it was, made me skip quite a few of them. I never understood how that got past the design walk-throughs.

 

[Midpack]

https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/warranty.html

And that says you change your oil at least as often as ever…

15 years or 500,000 miles whichever comes first, guaranteed, if you exclusively use Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oils. Your engine must have less than 125,000 miles and have been manufactured in the past 72 months. To maintain your warranty, change your vehicle’s oil and oil filter at least as often as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Enrollment required. Keep your receipts.

 

[topnotcher]

And that says you change your oil at least as often as ever…

Interesting typo I suppose read the fine print on the graphic (it says filter not oil and filter).

 

[HF63]

According to the car care nut on the internet if you want to drive your car 250,000+ miles change the oil every 5000 miles. He claims that the 10K oil change is a marketing decision. The marketing team asked the engineers how many oils changes would it take to offer a 100K engine warranty that they would rarely have to pay out on. The answer was 10 changes, one every 10K miles. Less than that and the chances of paying for warranty repair work starts to go up fast. I have no idea if this is true. But, it’s a great story.

I change oil in my hybrid every 5k miles because I do mostly cold start, stop-n-go driving on the average day. Mixed in every 3 to 4 months are road trips where the car does 300+ miles in a day. The 0W-16 oil used by the car is only a little thicker than water. That’s a psychological factor for me.

One other thing he also warns against using the more common and somewhat cheaper 0W-20 oil unless it’s an emergency. He claims that the oil passageways are designed for the thinner 0W-16 oil and the thicker oil will not provide the same level of lubrication safety. Again, I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds like it might be.

Oh, all oil changes include a filter change. I remember having a VW that’s did not have an oil filter, just a screen to remove big stuff in the oil. I also remember a car that recommended changing the filter every other oil change. That never made a lot of sense to me.

https://youtu.be/xdNCnYHhEm8?si=XvBUQvEbYb34wwYl

https://youtu.be/TevK-u3vkx4?si=wm1oxKMMGGPpTW78

The VVT's which advance and retard timing have small screens on the oil passages and is very fine like mosquito netting. I know that Toyota started using electric VVT on the intake side.

 

[RetMD21]

According to the car care nut on the internet if you want to drive your car 250,000+ miles change the oil every 5000 miles. He claims that the 10K oil change is a marketing decision. The marketing team asked the engineers how many oils changes would it take to offer a 100K engine warranty that they would rarely have to pay out on. The answer was 10 changes, one every 10K miles. Less than that and the chances of paying for warranty repair work starts to go up fast. I have no idea if this is true. But, it’s a great story.

It makes sense that it's a business decision and less maintenance is a selling point.

He's mainly dealing with Toyota and Lexus. I wonder if it matters as much for some other manufacturers I think my Ford's chance of making it to 250k is slim.

 

[Time2]

The VVT's which advance and retard timing have small screens on the oil passages and is very fine like mosquito netting. I know that Toyota started using electric VVT on the intake side.

Do oil pans have magnets in them? I removed a transmission pan recently and it had three magnets in the pan and the very finest particles of metal on them.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes! Full, partial, and all other associated oil changes are gone forever for those of us driving a BEV.

Yeah!

 

[Car-Guy]

Do oil pans have magnets in them? I removed a transmission pan recently and it had three magnets in the pan and the very finest particles of metal on them.

Oil drain plugs often do. Or you can buy one for almost nothing.

 

[Gumby]

My vehicles come with a factory recommended oil and filter change frequency, which I will continue to observe. I note that, up until retirement in 2019, I drove a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid for 303,000 miles, whereupon I gave it away to the daughter of a friend. For all I know, it is still in use. I attribute at least some of that longevity to the fact that I changed the oil and filter every 9000 miles (yes, that's 33 oil changes done by me in my driveway).

 

[aaronc879]

The question by the OP is the reason why I plan to only buy new cars from now on. When you buy used you never know what the previous owner did or didn't do with their car. I would not be happy if I found out I bought a car with 100,000 miles and zero oil changes.

 

[tutan]

A coworker in the late 80's used to commute between Modesto and Milpitas, CA everyday. The distance is about 80 freeway miles each way. He drove a Chrysler K-car. At the time it already had well over 100k miles. I mentioned to him that he must be changing oil every couple of months. He said he never changed the oil in the car just added oil as needed.

 

[topnotcher]

This topic is now about a typo and not the last full oil change. Even this oil manufacturer says you should change their oil at regular intervals.