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  1. #1

    Synthetic Oil Changes

    Hey all. Just curious... I get my oil changes at a local Valvoline. They start bugging me at three months. My vehicle starts reminding me at 3k miles.

    I've read online that with synthetic oil, you might need FAR less frequent service.

    Educated opinions and experiences are welcomed!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Chesapeake, VA.
    Even with regular oil you can wait much longer than 3000 miles.
    With full synthetic, depending on your driving style, you might be able to go as far as 10K or even farther between oil changes. My car monitors my driving style and tells me when it is time to change the oil. I have made it a year between oil changes sometimes.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15 View Post
    Hey all. Just curious... I get my oil changes at a local Valvoline. They start bugging me at three months. My vehicle starts reminding me at 3k miles.
    You can definitely go twice as long (6k and 6 months) with synthetic. Strongly recommended.

  4. #4
    Synthetic Oil can easily go 7,500 to 10,000 miles. Changing at 3,000 or 5,000 is throwing money away (unless you are driving a Ferrari or McLaren or such.)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Full synthetic on my toyotas change every 10k
    Synthetic blend on our armada armada goes 5k
    But i wouldnt be afraid to go 7500.
    Regular oil 5 k.
    What does your service manual say your recommended
    Oil change is ?
    Ive honestly never heard of changing synthetic oil or any oil at 3k .
    They may be settimg your maintenance oil change light to 3 k .some cars you can set the milage .
    It wont hurt to change it .

    But may be a unnecessary expense.

    Id just look up the maintenance schedule online and use that as a guide for your maintenance.

    If its different for what that place is telling you id find another place to get my oil changed .they already gave you a warning sign.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by rsvman View Post
    Even with regular oil you can wait much longer than 3000 miles.
    With full synthetic, depending on your driving style, you might be able to go as far as 10K or even farther between oil changes. My car monitors my driving style and tells me when it is time to change the oil. I have made it a year between oil changes sometimes.
    Not sure I’d go much longer if their vehicle’s monitoring system advises changing at 3k. In my ZL1 and CTS-V, I only get 5k from synthetic.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffrey View Post
    Not sure I’d go much longer if their vehicle’s monitoring system advises changing at 3k. In my ZL1 and CTS-V, I only get 5k from synthetic.
    The monitor system in the zL1 doesn't actually sample the chemical composition
    Of the oil . I believe it just uses a flow sensor.
    Watched to techs debate the otherday
    I believe that car takes 5 30 oil.
    Compared to 0 20 oil on a lot of cars.
    They were going back and forth. On viscosity and thiness of oils ect.

    I actually pulled my oil and sent a sample at 5k miles to see what it actually showed .
    Just out of curiosity.
    I thought 10 k was to far .but it was fine.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by wavedukefan70s View Post
    The monitor system in the zL1 doesn't actually sample the chemical composition
    Of the oil . I believe it just uses a flow sensor.
    Watched to techs debate the otherday
    I believe that car takes 5 30 oil.
    Compared to 0 20 oil on a lot of cars.
    They were going back and forth. On viscosity and thiness of oils ect.

    I actually pulled my oil and sent a sample at 5k miles to see what it actually showed .
    Just out of curiosity.
    I thought 10 k was to far .but it was fine.
    My ‘19 ZL1 uses 10 quarts of Mobil1 ESP Formula Engine Oil 0W-40. GM Performance recommends changing after the first 500 miles, then at 1,500 miles, and then at 5,000 miles forevermore. When I use all the 650 lbs. of torque, then I need to change oil in less than 5,000 miles.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    My cars have done very nicely for 10k miles (as recommended in the manuals) between synthetic oil changes. This doesn't stop the local garage guy from putting those little stickers on my windshield telling me to come back in 3k miles. Completely unnecessary, but good for his business.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by budwom View Post
    My cars have done very nicely for 10k miles (as recommended in the manuals) between synthetic oil changes. This doesn't stop the local garage guy from putting those little stickers on my windshield telling me to come back in 3k miles. Completely unnecessary, but good for his business.
    and maybe bad for the environment too, to change oil more frequently than you need to.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Mary's Place
    I was a late adopter to synthetic oil, on the advice of the shop that takes care of the Turk Motor Pool. I had noticed the price differential between conventional and synthetic has gradually reduced over time. Now, I go 6 months and about 7.5K between changes, I would have no problem pushing to 10K, if needed. I still DIY it, and resist the upsell chances and teaser coupons from the shop. When it's time Advance usually has a 5 QT deal where they throw the filter for free. I'll have to look in to see if I can change the mileage when the dash indicator comes on (Toyota aggressively labels it "Maintenance Required"). I am also peeved you have to drain and take apart the filter housing to swap in a little paper cylinder for the new filter. The funny thing is finding where they decide to stuff the oil filter, when I'm learning my way around a car. The Saturn was particularly annoying.
    Last edited by Turk; 09-13-2021 at 03:40 PM. Reason: typo
    "Quality is not an option!"

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffrey View Post
    My ‘19 ZL1 uses 10 quarts of Mobil1 ESP Formula Engine Oil 0W-40. GM Performance recommends changing after the first 500 miles, then at 1,500 miles, and then at 5,000 miles forevermore. When I use all the 650 lbs. of torque, then I need to change oil in less than 5,000 miles.
    Id still have it sampled to see where im really at.
    I have a high output 521 big block from Ford racing simular hp and torque
    . .i have sampled . Its truly the only way to know where and what condition your oil is in .
    Id have it sampled gm also put in the system that cuts 4 cylinders off on thier v8s trucks that is shredding torque converters just after 60k miles.
    Of you want to know what shape your oil is in send a sample off.
    It doesnt lie cheat steal upsell or over engineer.it tells the truth.
    It doesn't matter if its 5 hp briggs and Stratton or a 1800 hp engine built by petty .

    Or simply change it at 5 k or whatever your owners manual says .

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    Quote Originally Posted by cspan37421 View Post
    and maybe bad for the environment too, to change oil more frequently than you need to.
    Yes. And of course they buy synthetic oil in bulk and the profit margins are very nice for them.

  14. #14
    Ford recommends synthetic blend in the F-150 but I go with the full synthetic. I also have an oil monitoring system but I never go by it. Reason being I want to have regular tire rotations as well so I do it every 5k no matter what. That way I know my tires are wearing evenly.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by LasVegas View Post
    Ford recommends synthetic blend in the F-150 but I go with the full synthetic. I also have an oil monitoring system but I never go by it. Reason being I want to have regular tire rotations as well so I do it every 5k no matter what. That way I know my tires are wearing evenly.
    Knock on wood .my sons f150 has 300k
    We use synthetic b .no leaks
    Fairly impressed with the 5 4 .we changed oil our selves at his request .
    Hes a frugal kinda guy lol

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by wavedukefan70s View Post
    Id still have it sampled to see where im really at.
    I have a high output 521 big block from Ford racing simular hp and torque
    . .i have sampled . Its truly the only way to know where and what condition your oil is in .
    Id have it sampled gm also put in the system that cuts 4 cylinders off on thier v8s trucks that is shredding torque converters just after 60k miles.
    I completely agree, oil sampling is best.

    You’re right, GM really blew it with their garbage 4 cylinder cutoff system. It destroys their torque converter and tranny! I dumped my 2016 CTS-V, at 15k miles, because I couldn’t tolerate the pathetic tranny performance!

    The A10 in my ‘19 ZL1 is awesome! Best tranny I’ve ever owned.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Atlanta 'burbs
    I have my oil changed at Take5. If you put in regular oil, they mark it as due in 3,000 miles. For synthetic, they mark it due in 5,000 miles.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffrey View Post
    I completely agree, oil sampling is best.

    You’re right, GM really blew it with their garbage 4 cylinder cutoff system. It destroys their torque converter and tranny! I dumped my 2016 CTS-V, at 15k miles, because I couldn’t tolerate the pathetic tranny performance!

    The A10 in my ‘19 ZL1 is awesome! Best tranny I’ve ever owned.
    Yeah they make some solid products the ones with Allison's are bulletproof .
    Try a 2013 nissan pathfinder with a cvt.
    They bought that one back .13k miles.
    The only reason im big on oil samples is because my uncle was a mechanic on several nascar pit crews .a few of them
    Religiously sampled oil and trans fluid.
    The viscosity breakdown was surprising.

    But we arent pushing our engines like that either lol

    Im sure at 125 grand a engine its almost a necessity.
    I swear im going to buy 78 Honda.
    Cant work on the new stuff at all.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by Turk View Post
    I was a late adopter to synthetic oil, on the advice of the shop that takes care of the Turk Motor Pool. I had noticed the price differential between conventional and synthetic has gradually reduced over time. Now, I go 6 months and about 7.5K between changes, I would have no problem pushing to 10K, if needed. I still DIY it, and resist the upsell chances and teaser coupons from the shop. When it's time Advance usually has a 5 QT deal where they throw the filter for free. I'll have to look in to see if I can change the mileage when the dash indicator comes on (Toyota aggressively labels it "Maintenance Required"). I am also peeved you have to drain and take apart the filter housing to swap in a little paper cylinder for the new filter. The funny thing is finding where they decide to stuff the oil filter, when I'm learning my way around a car. The Saturn was particularly annoying.
    Id imagine all toyotas do my tundra you definitely can adjust milage .

    The plastic drain for the oil filer.i stick it on the end of a empty coke bottle shoots the excess filter oil right in.no mess .

    There's also a way to change the pictures on your toyota screen.
    I believe you upload through a flash drive.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by wavedukefan70s View Post
    Yeah they make some solid products the ones with Allison's are bulletproof .
    Try a 2013 nissan pathfinder with a cvt.
    They bought that one back .13k miles.
    The only reason im big on oil samples is because my uncle was a mechanic on several nascar pit crews .a few of them
    Religiously sampled oil and trans fluid.
    The viscosity breakdown was surprising.

    But we arent pushing our engines like that either lol

    Im sure at 125 grand a engine its almost a necessity.
    I swear im going to buy 78 Honda.
    Cant work on the new stuff at all.
    Those old Hondas had stunning gas mileage too.

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