How Often Do You Change Your Car's Oil

[RSteve]

In the old days, with 10W30 petroleum based, I changed the oil about every 3000 miles as recommended. My 2017 Subaru Legacy's owner manual says full synthetic 0W20 every 6000 miles. The dealership, where I purchased the car, recommends full synthetic Subaru branded full synthetic 0W20 every 3000 miles. At the dealership with tax an oil change is $82.00. With my normal 12,000 miles a year driving, that's $328 a year for oil changes.
Several brands, Mobil 1, Amzoil, etc. say that once every 10,000 miles for full synthetic 0W20 is sufficient.
I'm not getting under my car and doing an oil change myself!! Periodically, I see well known branded OW20 full synthetic on Amazon, 5 quarts, $30.00.
One of my friends has an electric dipstick extraction pump. He draws out as much oil as he can using the pump and replaces it with fresh oil every 6000 miles and has a service station change the oil and air filters annually. He says this is easy and more than adequate.

 

[Bullwinkle]

with our Hondas I change when the light comes on at about 7500 miles. LOF and rotate tires. must be OK the CR-V just turned 225k. had this done yesterday $52 out the door.

 

[RSteve]

I have 42,000 on the Subaru.

 

[Carlos]

$29 at the Toyota dealer for 0W20 every 10,000 miles on both the Camry and RAV4 Hybrids.

 

[Ranger107]

Dealers just like to make money. My wife's Infinity EX 35 just turned over 100K. The manual says change oil and filter every 5000 miles which we do. $40 at an independent garage. New cars with the newer synthetic oils will go a lot longer than 3000 between changes.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I go by the manual. I know someone who did their own Subaru Outback, when it was new to them, and drained part of the transmission fluid by mistake. This is a very handy person who has always maintained and repaired their own cars. It also appears to be a common mistake because of how the drain plugs are situated. If you do a search, you'll find many, many mechanically inclined owners who did the same thing. They had to have the car towed to the dealership because everyone said how particular that specific system is with transmission fluid and the pressure etc. Be careful out there.

 

[ftrplt]

Many newer cars have an "oil life remaining" indicator built into the cars "confuser!" Instead of miles, it's programmed on a percentage before the onboard system starts yelling to get your oil changed. No correlation to mileage or oil type (mine has synthetic!)! Personal experience...My 2018 Buick LaCrosse has such a system. I had the oil changed before all this Covid crap pounded us; around January 2020 roughly. Dealership put a sticker on my front windshield telling me to change oil by 18 Nov 2020 or about 23,500 miles on the car (car had a bit over 19K miles on it). Over the course of 15 months, I drive the car barely 500 miles; just around town doing errands, groceries, etc. At the moment, the "percentage" indicator says I'm down to 8% and need to schedule an oil change! I've checked the oil religiously. The supply is normal; the oil is clear as glass, just went over 20K miles. I'm resetting the indicator and pressing on!!!
BTW, my 1995 Camaro Z-28 recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles or 18-months. It uses semi-synthetic oil; the shop where I get it's oil changed is forever putting 3K stickers on every car serviced!!! Read your car manual, use a little common sense! Also, as with other situations in life, if you're asking yourself if you need to change the oil; you probably do!!!!! FTRPLT

 

[Mikem]

I have a 2005 Chevy 3/4 ton 2500HD Crew Cab which is a diesel. I change the oil every 10000 miles. The fuel filter and spin on transmission filter every 20000 miles. Currently have 175000 miles on the truck. I haul a thirty foot Heartland 305 Fuel toy hauler with it all over the country with no issues. I change everything myself.

 

[Blackhorse]

Full synthetic every 3000 miles is absolute insanity IMHO. I won’t comment further than that for fear that my language re your dealer might get me arrested.

 

[Corncobcon]

I have my local grease monkey change the oil in my truck every 3,0000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first! I buy the oil and filter for him
to install. My 16 year old Dodge Ram 1500 has only 73,000 miles on it. I don't drive much any more!

 

[Ranger107]

I have my local grease monkey change the oil in my truck every 3,0000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first! I buy the oil and filter for him
to install. My 16 year old Dodge Ram 1500 has only 73,000 miles on it. I don't drive much any more!

My 10 year old Ram has 32K. Had 20K when I bought it. Doubt it will ever see 73K.

 

[SteveMKentucky]

Back in the 70's I worked with a man who commuted from Fairhope Alabama to Pensacola every day in a Datsun B210. His B210 had close to 300,000 miles on it. He had never changed the oil. He added oil as needed and periodically changed the filter but not the oil. He used to rib me because I was an avid 3,000 miles between changes guy. He claimed that oil never really wore out; just got dirty. I used to argue that the additives that made up the composition of the oil dissipated with age but I could not point out any ill affects in his particular case.

I disagreed with his approach but there was no way I could argue with his results.

As an aside synthetics seem to be all the rage. I have several motorcycles that are over 40 years old and have always been run on old-fashioned mineral oil. Most of them are still on their original bottom ends.

 

[RSteve]

I have several motorcycles that are over 40 years old and have always been run on old-fashioned mineral oil. Most of them are still on their original bottom ends.

This?

 

[Ranger107]

Back in the 70's I worked with a man who commuted from Fairhope Alabama to Pensacola every day in a Datsun B210. His B210 had close to 300,000 miles on it. He had never changed the oil. He added oil as needed and periodically changed the filter but not the oil. He used to rib me because I was an avid 3,000 miles between changes guy. He claimed that oil never really wore out; just got dirty. I used to argue that the additives that made up the composition of the oil dissipated with age but I could not point out any ill affects in his particular case.

I disagreed with his approach but there was no way I could argue with his results.

As an aside synthetics seem to be all the rage. I have several motorcycles that are over 40 years old and have always been run on old-fashioned mineral oil. Most of them are still on their original bottom ends.

Several motorcycles over 40 years old?? I am so jealous. Oldest I ever owned was a 51 Hydra Glide bought when I graduated HS. My Dad sold it for $350 when I went in the service, $100 more than I paid for it. Did have a 62 Duo Glide I picked up for 9K in 1978. Cherried it out and sold it for 35K in 1995 to a yuppie dentist friend of mine. Made the down payment on my house in Tucson.

 

[SteveMKentucky]

Several motorcycles over 40 years old?? I am so jealous. Oldest I ever owned was a 51 Hydra Glide bought when I graduated HS. My Dad sold it for $350 when I went in the service, $100 more than I paid for it. Did have a 62 Duo Glide I picked up for 9K in 1978. Cherried it out and sold it for 35K in 1995 to a yuppie dentist friend of mine. Made the down payment on my house in Tucson.

The current count is eleven motorcycles but who's counting? My cup runneth over.

 

[Ranger107]

Wow, most I've had at one time was 5. Yes, your cup is overflowing. I'm still looking for a 48 pan. First year of the panhead and the year I was born. Think it would be cool to be riding a bike as old as I am.

 

[RSteve]

Took in the Subaru today to an independent garage for synthetic oil and filter. $24.00 less than the dealership. $58.00.
(oil=$32, filter=$10, $16=labor) I know that the oil likely cost the garage about $21 and the filter $8, so labor was closer to $30.00.
If I have the need for real repairs on the Subaru, I'll probably take it to Soobie Surgeons in Hudson, WI. The garage comes highly recommended, but too far to drive for an oil change.
From the Soobie web page:
When your Subaru comes into our shop, we do a complete inspection of the vehicle every time. We leave no stone unturned, so your Subaru stays on the road as long as it can. We regularly service customers’ cars that have up to 350,000 miles on them, so we know that proper maintenance can keep a Subaru going indefinitely.

At 52,000 miles, I think I'll take it to Soobie and have the brakes checked along with another oil change. Soobie recommends oil changes at 7500 miles.

 

[RSteve]

At 52,000 miles, I think I'll take it to Soobie Surgeons and have the brakes checked along with another oil change. Soobie recommends oil changes at 7500 miles.

After reading this at mnsubaru.com I guess I'll look elsewhere than Soobie Surgeons.