I only change oil every 6 months, now I have over 211,000 miles !!!

If you change the oil twice a year, that is 30 oil changes. 211,000 / 30 = about 7000. The recommendation is probably every 5000 or 7500 mi. Plus, you probably use good quality oil.

I do agree with you. In general usage, there rarely is a need to change the oil more than every 6 months or 7,500 mi. Personally, I do it every 6000 or so miles. I use Mobil 1 and a good-quality filter.

However, engines and conditions in which more frequent changes are needed.

So, in general, every 3 months or 3,000 mi is a waste of money, time and resources.

However, I would like to remind you that the Explorer is a truck, not a car.

And, while this demonstrates that a vehicle can last a long time with

7500 mi oil change intervals (which is the recommendation for many vehicles), it doesn't prove anything. In fact, some vehicles require short change intervals, based on usage or design of engine and vehicle. And, even if you truck goes 400,000 mi, that doesn't mean it would not have gone 500,000 mi had you changed your oil more frequently.

I summarize this by saying the plural of anecdote is not data.

Jeff

I change oil (Mobil One 5W30) every 10K miles (or once a year) on each of my three vehicles, with just FILTER changes every 5K miles. Over 1/2 million total miles on the three vehicles and counting, with ZERO engine problems, ever. Only a little ?makeup? oil is added at the 5K mark, for the filter loss.

Most manufactures today recommend oil changes between 5,000 and 7,500 miles OR six months whatever occurs FIRST.

mike

Wow!!! Now that's a little too risky for me. However, that's awesome. I think I would rather pay the $20.00 for an oil change every 6 months.

Stan

Fact: It looks like you are changing your oil too often!

I'm due this week on the Taurus. 190K mi.

A slow 6 months - only 12K on the oil. Last two oil changes were at 18K & 15K mi. - about 6 months each. No oil between, & oil still clean & see-through at 10K.

Use Pure One or Motorcraft Filters, Mobil 1 oil, & you're good to go.

And there's no way I'll ever spend 10K on repairs, even if the tranny goes or I wreck it. Rear disc brakes, eg., are only $56 including new rotors. Even a steering rack is only ~$200. The biggest repair so far, was the broken front spring(s), which was done with two front hubs & the struts as long as it was all apart.

Rob

That's about the same as I do but I don't even bother with the mid-year filter change. No problems with any of my vehicles. Highest mileage one is at 175,000.

Did it ever occur to some of the bozos that have responded to this that Mobil 1 is a SYNTHETIC oil - vastly different than conventional mineral oil - and is SUPPOSED to have a much longer lifespan?

When synthetics first came out they were recommended to last 15,000 miles or more. And many people ran them that long with no problems. Then the oil companies discovered if they used the bugaboo of "you will void your car warranty unless you change on the recommended 6K intervals" they could sell more oil.

If your buying and treating synthetic oil with the same recommendations as dino oil then your a blooming idiot. Synthetic is 3 times more expensive and if your only following the same change intervals as what is recommended for conventional mineral oil then your throwing away money.

And, not changing the filter during an oil change is idiotic. I can see changing the filter and just topping off the synthetic oil thats in the crankcase, but what twisted logic are people using that they reversed this? What blooming fool would change the oil out and leave the old filter in?

Using a mileage figure as a yardstick for all cars isn't right. A car with worn rings and valve seals might put so much contamination into the crankcase that not changing at

3K intervals would just sludge the engine to death. A car with a spanking new engine might not even turn the oil black after 15,000 miles.

Ted