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Post Info TOPIC: Is it a waste of money to change our oil far more than automakers require?


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Is it a waste of money to change our oil far more than automakers require?


MARKETPLACE How to avoid spending money on unnecessary oil changes

Hidden camera footage shows service advisers recommending more frequent oil changes than the owner's manual

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-oil-changes-1.4563014

 

"Oil changes are by far the most common service performed on vehicles in Canada.

Customers pay quick lube facilities, private garages and dealer maintenance centres

well over a billion dollars a year for the service.

But a CBC investigation finds many of us may be changing our oil far more often than automakers require."



-- Edited by Greaser on Saturday 17th of March 2018 10:04:12 AM

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Poncho Master!

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I have never gone wrong with regular maintenance so far so I am skeptical on this

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If you want to know if oil needs changing, get an oil analysis kit & send it off for analysis. Oil analysis was developed for ships because you don't want to change a 1000 gallon crankcase on a whim.

Clean oil is never a bad thing. It reminds me of a story out of Manhattan, where a customer would leave his car every day for an oil change special for I think $15. Finally the service people said that he didn't need to change his oil as it was fresh as new. His reply was, "where else can I park for $15 all day in Manhattan?"

On my VW it is recommended to change the oil every 15,000 kms. I use synthetic and I don't exceed 10,000. When an engine is fresh there is little reason to change oil often, but once you get up in mileage the oil change interval may need to be adjusted due to wear, blow-by, or any other number of reasons. Like I said, oil analysis will give you the answer to your specific case.

 



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In 2016 and 2017 the auto manufacturer that I work for has changed the intervals from 8k to 16k for oil changes. Is this to 

make the service costs look lower for someone who looks at service cost before buying?? They are using the same engines and the same oil 

as previous years, so what has changed?? I change my oil every 5k and in my opinion it's cheap compared to replacing a newer 

engine at cost up to 10G for a used engine. People will see the 16k oil change interval and go probably 20k or more before doing it

then blame the manufacturer for oil consumption issues, or sludges up engines. It's up to the owner to check the oil and top up if needed. 

gonna be interesting in the next few years to see how this plays out. Time to get out of this trade, LOL.  



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I am SO glad to be out of the automotive business! I thought I'd miss it but I don't. Anyway, my work vehicle is an 06 Chevy HHR. I'm amazed how long the oil life indicator will let me go before an oil change. Mind you I mostly drive highway KM's. I still won't go much more than 12000km and when I do change the oil the indicator is still showing 30% oil life .


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I agree with changing oil every 5000km. Cheap insurance. And more so with short runs. And with our limited use vintage vehicles, change the oil once a year before winter storage.

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you can stretch the changes out now if you run synthetics, and new technology runs the engine a lot cleaner then the older carbureted models, but the crap still builds up in a motor and that needs to be gone, 10 thou max, I just did my 06 after two years at 12 it was black, the jimmy only had 7000 miles and it goy it two not so black



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Obviously you won't hurt your engine changing the oil more frequently, but is it really necessary?  I don't think so.

Manufacturers have nothing to gain by extending the oil change intervals.  Engine designers have had lots of research and testing involved to understand how long you can go between changes, and in fact many modern maintenance minders actually calculate the interval based on your driving habits.  There are more stringent requirements for severe service, and those are outlined in the owner's manual (if people actually read it, that is), that will require more frequent fluid changes.  However, all in all the manufacturer has a lot to lose if an engine fails prematurely due to oil issues, either in warranty costs or loss of return customers, so they've gone to a lot of effort to get it right.

In actuality, dealers (franchises) have lots to gain by more frequent oil changes in that they make more money from the changes and additionally in the other work that they can book while the vehicle is in for an oil change.  The manufacturer doesn't own the dealer, and thus has limited control over what they can make the dealer do (or not do).

Just my 2˘...

 



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I get the oil changed every 5,000 miles on my wire's and daughter's cars.

I have had the same mechanic for 25 years, and even knowing the change might be an overkill,

I get it done anyways....because it can't hurt the engine.

The bonus is,my mechanic goes over both these cars when he changes the oil and tells me

if something is getting worn,or broken or needs repair.

As mentioned it's like insurance knowing that their cars are in good running condition for my wife and daughter.

These cars are over my head with all the computers and high technology.....I'm glad to pay for an oil change to get it looked over.



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im with you, tech in modern cars is there downfall , sensors and plugs always fail, when I rebuild a old engine I use modern advances with in reason that being financial most of the time its better



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On my 05 Honda odyssey, I'd run her till the 15% oil life remaining light came on, which equated anywhere from 9-12000 K depending on the season. Then I'd drive it another week or so until I could get it in for a change.

I got 290k out of it, and it was all the other stuff that failed and was falling apart. The engine ran like a top. Always used a good Semi synthetic. Do the Same in my 15 Explorer and 16 Civic.

On a new car, forget everything you learned way back. Ignore any service manager pushing an early change. Just follow that change reminder, it knows best. If you feel you are getting up in duration and are worried, just check the reminder. Of course, you cannot ever go wrong with the 5000 rule, good piece of mind for sure... except its just spending unnecessarily. That's the only downfall to it...the cost.

Everyone is pushing to sell sell sell these days, so the CBC story isn't surprising.



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Mark is right about the oil change indicator. It's a pretty complex algorithm that takes into consideration many readings including ambient temperature, start-stops, acceleration, coolant temp etc.

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The investigation is dealers recommending more frequent oil changes than the manufacturer. Their recommending to follow the manufacturer, which makes sense especially if you're under warranty.

When i was a kid my dad converted a 68 gmc school bus to a motorhome. Poor little 327 took us all over the US and Canada in the summer. Never had an oil change... ever... 10-15 years... it did burn some... but ran great when we sold it, about 20 years after it wss converted. Just an example, although I'd never recommend not changing oil!!!

ak


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they can go 10-15k because the engine holds more oil,has a bigger filter and run alot cleaner
I noticed this when work got me a new caravan,went from 5l of oil and a small filter to 6L and a cartridge filter the size of a redbull can





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As some have indicated I treat my antiques differently than the daily drivers.
Change the antiques yearly, though they aren't driven much, mostly due to things such as condensation, incomplete combustion etc.
On the daily drivers the recommendations are for 10,000 km plus on both of them. Since I do my own changes I do them at 10,000 km intervals because it is easy to monitor. Every time the odometer is ready to turn another even 10,000 I pull a change. The built in indicators have never been below 30% but it's easier to monitor using my 10,000 km rule.

One exception is last summer I lost coolant on the truck and it started to o'heat and went into shutdown mode. After the repairs to the rad hose and coolant change the screen actually told me to change oil, which I did. So it'll only be about 6,000 km when I hit the next even 10,000 but will still do it then to keep the pattern.

Going back to the original article. Yes, I believe many facilities use scare tactics to get people to change more frequently than needed. Good for their cash flow.

BTW anyone ever factored in the net effect on the environment from all the needless parts and fluid changes that some of these places perform?

 



-- Edited by norontcan on Saturday 17th of March 2018 09:52:42 PM

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How about all the damn upselling and high pressure scare tactics used at oil change places? It's so bad my wife now refuses to go. You go in for an oil change and they want to flush and change every single fluid the car has. Worse yet, my wife drives an 02 Durango which has a long skid plate under the engine, trans and T-case. there is a small window where you can access the oil filter, but it's 95% guaranteed you will not get the filter off without dumping all that oil onto the top of the skid plate. Then it drips for weeks all over the driveway.

Twice we have taken it in for an oil change, told them up front the skid plate needs to be dropped and we are expecting to pay a surcharge in order to not have to power wash the driveway multiple times. Both times the "tech" ignored this, and both times they were made to remove, clean and re-install the skid plate after a near screaming match with the manager/owner.

I now change the oil and filter on that vehicle myself at home. it's cheaper, more convenient, and I know the skid plate will get dropped.

I change the oil at about 7-10,000 km on the Durango and use synthetic. My '17 GMC I follow the oil life monitor and use synthetic.

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I don't think there is one answer for all.

The heavier the use, the more often the change, I think.

My wife's car was 4 1/2 years old when the block cracked.

The manufacturer put a new short block in for free, based on the 5 year warrantee and the lack of sludge.

I changed the oil in the Pontiac late last summer.

I didn't like the look of it, so I changed it again Friday ahead of the Saturday 250 km drive.

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I don't even look at my mileage. I change it once a year (at vehicle inspection time). It is a 2006 GMC with 67,000 KMs on it. An average of 6,000 KMs driven per year.biggrin



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