Oil change interval

Thanks

Don't know about europe, but in the States we've been getting screwd into too frquent oil changes for a long time now. Cnanging oil and filter or having it done used to be an event. Now the bastards would have you in there twice before breakfast if they could think of a line of BS that people would buy. There used to be a 10,000 mile interval, then it went to 7500 a lot of years ago. At that time Penzoil came out with an additive called ,"PZL" that raised the price of oil 10 cents a quart. There claim was that it doubled the time/miles between oil changes. So for a lot of years I changed oil in my 1960 Ford Falcon every 15,000 miles.

Suddenly the oil with the , "PZL" additive was removed from the stores. I had to make a command decision and asked myself, "What the hell could they be adding to this oil that would double the miles between oil changes". The answer, of course was nothing. So I kept right on with my oil changes at every 15,000 miles.

I traded the old Falcon in at well over 100,000 miles as I have every other car I've owned and changed oil lin religiously every 15,000 miles. When I take my 2001 Focus for an oil and filter change which is recommended every 5,000 miles, they put a big sticker on the windshield that says I need to come back in 3,000 miles. There would be no end to it if the little bastards could have their way.

Remember when it was recommended that the filter be changed every other oil change? Not any more. All the "experts will now chime in about hotter running engines and higer revs, etc. Wouldn't one be correct to expect that lubricants have improved over the years as well?

Freddie

10,000 to 12,500 miles depending on the model year.

G.

"Gary McClean" wrote

Uh are you sure you don't mean Kilometres? I've never heard of a recommendation of 12,500 miles (20,000 kilometres)

I read last Fall that GM had published a report saying that most North American cars are wasting a lot of oil by being changed far too soon, that oil is good for at least 6K miles (10K kilometres) even if it starts to look a little dirty. Unless the car is mostly driven in stop-and-go traffic and short trips.

Since most of my driving is highway I have decided to go with 10K.

Yep, 20000 km (12500 miles) is the recommendation of Ford, at least for the petrol engines, diesel are usually shorter but I don't know exactly the number.

Yep, some oil that doesn't get dirty isn't worth anything, the changed color shows that the oil is able to absorb the dirt.

Diesel 10,000 miles.

For both models there is a caveat in the owners manual saying that the oil and filter should be changed (independently of a 'normal' service) at an undefined shorter period if the car is used for:

Short trips of less than 10 miles, particularly in winter when the outside temperature is low.

Mostly in start/stop urban traffic or with excessive idling.

In the UK handbook(s) the recommended oil is SAE 5W-30 - although 5W-40 or 10W-40 can be used depending on the ambient temperature and with possible reduced engine performance, reduced fuel economy and increased emission levels

Read your bible lately? See:

I was told by a ford dealership here in canada, that unless I use 5W-20, my warrenty will be void. I was also told by ford that my oil must be changed every 5000km. I have actually let that slip and gone around 10 000km without an oilchange and I felt pretty guilty about doing so. But After reading this thread, I dont feel so bad anymore =) Also, there are local places such as "lube-x" that are saying that people should change their oil every 3000km-4000km. So it looks like this is turning into quite the money grab ...Just my two cents

Kelly

Would you mind posting the name and location of the Ford dealership which told you that you would void your warranty if you did not use 5W-20, and that oil must be changed every 5000km.

My Ford dealership here in Alberta puts right on the service receipt that Ford recommends oil changes every 7500 KMS. Also the Ford dealership put in

5W30 oil for the first year of ownership because they could not get 5W20 oil. You will not void your warranty as long as you have a record and receipts that oil changes took place. I am running 10,000kms between changes and keep accurate records of all service and repairs.

Kelly

My dealer has just told me that the recommended interval for the TDCi is 12500 same as the petrol I'll take their word for it. The Americans here seem to be getting screwed with this 5000 mile rubbish or do they use massively different engines that really "do" need more frequent changes. Mind you a lot of Americans seen fascinated with this tyre rotation thing as well. Seems like a waste of time and money to me what possible benefit can changing wheels from front to back have just leave em on till they are worn out then replace them.

Regards

Andy Lee

Quite sure. 10,000 miles and 12,500 miles are the figures these days for BOTH petrol and diesels!

G.

"Andy Lee" wrote

Actually it's worse - 3000 miles (5000 kilometers in Canada) and no the engines aren't all that different except that they are only 2 litre (well

2.3 has been added this year).

Ford dropped that recommendation recently. My dealer says put the best ones on the back.

Tire rotation makes a difference when you have AWD. Example Subarus; tire rotation is critical.

I change oil every 5000 Klms. Call it peace of mind and cheap maintenance.

Ron

I was just checking to see if what I have been hearing and reading is correct. I think are the victums of a scheme to sell more oil that is between the car makers and the oil giants. I am going to change to Amsoil synthetic and do a 10,000 oil change from now on.

Wasted enough money on useless oil and filter changes.

Thanks every one for you posts.

I sure would It was Spruceland Ford in Whitecourt Alberta. I was working at a lube bay in whitecourt at the time and thus I had access to cheap 5W-50 full sythetic.. and I was told that if I did put that oil in my engine.. that I would no longer have warrenty coverage on my engine

A co-worker with a 330i BMW had his oil light come on. We added some oil (he uses synthetic, which is recommended. Ther dealer told him he can go as long as 15K miles between changes. Anyway, the inside of the engine was quite dirty with black deposits that looked like the engines of the old $100 cars I had as a teen. Goven that he always uses synthetic, I was very surprized. I opened the oil cap on my Focus and he was a amazed at how clean it is inside...almost like new with

43K miles.

Perhaps these deposits will not hurt a thing, but I will continue with

3-4K mile oil changes. For me that is only 4 times/year and an extra $10-20 over 2x/yr. Most of us actually do meet the severe use maintenance schedule. I know that I do.

So I guess it is hard to prove either way but it is cheap insurance if you err on the side of too often oil changes. Gary

In message , Gary wrote

Today I did an oil change on my car. The oil (5W30) and filter was 21GBP (approximately 35 dollars US). I could have paid a third more for a 'branded' oil so in the UK it's a bit more than an $20 for extra oil changes. I do a lot of commuting in very slow traffic so I tend to change oil at around 8k miles.

In the UK we have a temperate climate so we don't see the extremes of temperature seen in countries with a large land mass. This may explain why the oil change interval is longer than recommended in the US.

"Gary" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

I have changed oil every 10,000 km (6,250 miles) instead of the European recomended 20,000 km (12,500 miles) interval on my 2 litre Zetec engined Focus '00. My car now has 90,000km on it and I just checked the inside of the oil fill cap and the parts of the cam and lifters that can be seen in there. It looks all clean with absolutely no sludge or deposits. The oil is coloured all right, but then its due for the 9th change now. I have always made the oil changes at the Ford garage with the 5W30 they have in the barrel there. (Not 5W20) I believe it's a semi synthetic, probably refined in Europe. I don't believe in the 300 miles intervals the american oil companies want, and I also find it hard to believe in the 30,000 or even 50,000 km intervals some german car makers use as sales points for their cars too. (With special, fully synthetic oil only, but still...) /per

Correction, should read: "I don't believe in the 3,000 miles intervals.." /per

In Spain, Ford recommends to change the oil of gasoline focus built since year 2000, every 20.000 kms. Before it was 15.000 kms. When I bought my Focus 2.0i the car dealer told me it was better to change the oil every

7.500 kms, like the cars from 80's, but when I told them that in the brochure said it was 20.000 kms, they did not answer (of course it was better, for them!)

I read a magazine some years ago, in which they sealed the engine of a Citroen ZX (80's and middle 90's car) for more than 90.000 kms, no oil changes, nothing done in the engine. They wanted to know if the car was going to break down. When they opened the engine, it was in pretty good conditions. So be sure when they say 20.000 kms, the oil can be used for at least 30.000 kms.