Subnostr

The 5k mile recommendation, from what I understand, is outdated. They’ve been telling you to change your oil around that number for a long time. But cars have become more efficient since then and so it would make sense that the recommendation would also change. And if the oil levels are still good and the color looks normal, why not continue driving on a rental?

BTC_P2P 4mo ago

No, it’s not. One of my best friends is a professional mechanic and he stresses oil changes over everything. I have heard the exact same thing from diesel specialists that I’ve paid to work on my vehicles.

Engine oil is the buffer between all of the moving components in your motor. As the move (thousands of times per minute) they all rub. When metals rub they shave microscopic pieces off of each. Your oil becomes filled with huge amounts of hard and abrasive materials. The oil also gets degraded from micro plastics (gaskets degrading) and hydrocarbons (ICE by products).

No amount of efficiency upgrades stop or mitigate these processes.

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Discussion

MAHDOOD 4mo ago

I’ve heard the opposite from the same professionals. I also think it’s important to consider incentives.

The recommendation used to be 3k, so why did it change? If it’s something that is set in stone and efficiency or oil quality can’t change it, then it should still be 3k. That’s almost double efficiency per oil change.

BTC_P2P 4mo ago

What’s changed is the oil not the physical realties of engine wear. But there are many different mileage specs for oil change intervals.

The more often you change your oil, the less amount of miles driven with your engine’s lubricant filled with shrapnel and the less shrapnel per oz it contains.

You can delude yourself all you like but the facts remain. Oil quality and quantity degrades the longer it stays in the motor. Since oil changes are cheap and easy, there’s no good reason not to do them every 5k miles.

I have a 12 year old diesel vehicle and the manufacturer recommends oil changes every 10k but the dealership and a diesel specialist have told me to change it every 5k miles. Explicitly told that almost all of the problems they see in my model are due to the 10k mile oil change recommendation and downstream wear and tear from that specifically.

MAHDOOD 4mo ago

Calling me delusional isn’t necessary but seems like you’ve already made up your mind so no further discussion is going to be useful. Have a good day sir.

Bfgreen 4mo ago

Agreed. It’s also the cheapest and most cost effective maintenance you can do on a vehicle. Just do it.