I have a 2005 Ascender with 3,200 miles. The owners manual say's use: 5W-30 every 3K miles. The dealer recommends 10W-30 and wait for the "change oil" light to illuminate. He doesn't think every 3K is necessary.
Research tells me to wait until I have about 8-10K using conventional oil, then switch to 5W-30 synthetic.
Recommendations?
Changing oil often is the cheapest and #1 way to extend the life of an engine. If you wait till the oil is dirty before changing then you waited too long. Synthetics do not break down as easy as conventional but they still get dirty just the same. I change my oil every 3,000 miles. It's just cheap insurance to avoid problems. I see little to gain be going longer except a few $'s for oil. Not worth it.
Personally, I agree with a breakin period, but I wouldnt wait until
8-10K for the first change (didn't on a recent new vehicle of my own). I'd change at perhaps 3-5K the first time, then switch to synthetic 0-30 (I'm not sure if anyone other than Amsoil makes that - that's just what I use), and a GOOD oil filter (a "depth" type filter, not just a paper pleated one such as Fram, etc.). That combination is what has allowed Amsoil to warrant their full synthetics for 25,000 or one year (whichever comes first, of course), assuming a mid-cycle filter change. I haven't changed my oil in under a year for at least 25 years now, and have driven every vehicle well over 100,000 miles before selling or trading (still in excellent engine condition, with good compression).You might also want to consider a better air filter than just a standard pleated paper filter, also. I don't have any experience in over 25 years with anything other than Amsoil (I'm a non-active dealer
- just get it for myself), but they make a foam filter that you periodically wash and re-oil that will run circles around a paper element filter in terms of amount of dirt it traps, and the much smaller sized particles it traps. That's where much of your abrasive contamination comes from in an engine - the air intake - so it makes sense to clean that up also (and regularly).
The extra price of the oil/filter/ and air filter are easily made up when compared to a 3K change schedule (even longer, for that matter). Once a year for the oil, twice a year for the filter, and perhaps only one air filter for the life of the vehicle that you simply clean and re-oil periodically). Yes, I pay a little less as a dealer, but if they took away my dealership status, I'd still go with exactly what I've been using for over a quarter century.
C.R.
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