hey all, i was talking to a friend of mine (who is a certified mechanic) and he was telling me that after putting on so much milage on our ls that we should be changing the oil change interval from 5000k to every 3000k. is this true? has any one else been told this? i thought it was a lil weird. i know about changing oil type after so many miles for high mileage, but i have never heard or seen anything about changing the intervals. if someone knows about this can they please pass on the info? thanks all

hey all, i was talking to a friend of mine (who is a certified mechanic) and he was telling me that after putting on so much milage on our ls that we should be changing the oil change interval from 5000k to every 3000k. is this true? has any one else been told this? i thought it was a lil weird. i know about changing oil type after so many miles for high mileage, but i have never heard or seen anything about changing the intervals. if someone knows about this can they please pass on the info? thanks all

The amount of mileage on your car does not have an effect on the change interval unless the mileage can be considered extreme duty miles. Example, extended high speed driving, or driving through extremely dusty environments.

I noticed that Lincoln's maint. program specified the free oil change every 5k, but when the program ended after 3yrs they told me (via the windsheild sticker) to start bringing it in every 3k... seems to be Ford's way a saving a couple of bucks

hey all, i was talking to a friend of mine (who is a certified mechanic) and he was telling me that after putting on so much milage on our ls that we should be changing the oil change interval from 5000k to every 3000k. is this true? has any one else been told this? i thought it was a lil weird. i know about changing oil type after so many miles for high mileage, but i have never heard or seen anything about changing the intervals. if someone knows about this can they please pass on the info? thanks all

linc,
Perhaps your friend was referring to the actual mileage on your car. A high mileage car will "contaminate" the oil quicker than a car with fewer miles on it (blowby etc.). A shorter change intrval is definately better for the car, but whether its cost effective depends on how much you drive it and how long you plan to keep it. If you plan to keep it for less than 100k then the next owner will be the one who will be glad that you used a 3k interval. ;)

Just MHO ... 3K oil change intervals = cheap insurance.

I noticed that Lincoln's maint. program specified the free oil change every 5k, but when the program ended after 3yrs they told me (via the windsheild sticker) to start bringing it in every 3k... seems to be Ford's way a saving a couple of bucks


is by not reprinting their own stickers. Most newer cars have a 5000 mile change interval and there are still millions of 3000 mile stickers still around. Go to one of the oil change places and they will also slap a 3000 mile sticker on your LS even if it is still under the warranty period. 3000 mile changes are antiquated and from the days of non detergent motor oils and hugh piston ring gaps. 3000 mile oil changes are a waste of time and money.

Just MHO ... 3K oil change intervals = cheap insurance.

Arabs, opec countries. If you would all change over to synthetics, then we could reduce the oil consumption and dependance on forign oils by several orders of magatude. The best way to know when to change your oil is to have it analyzed a few times. Then you can tell if it is past due or will last a couple thousand miles. The three thousand mile oil change is and old wifes tale, myth that was perpetuated by oil company executives who wanted to make more money. There is no scientific data that will prove that 3000 mile oil changes will make you cars engine last any longer than 5000 mile oil changes. I have been driving almost thirty years, and even as much as I beat my cars, I have never had a failure that could be attributed to oil failure. It was usually a failure of restraint or missed shift on my part. Any of you that are changing your oil at 3000 miles is doing it for peace of mind or stupidity, not because of scientific proof.

The additive packages that are put in the oils id what gets depleted over use. Buy a quality oil and filter and you will not waste your engine prematurely by going to a 5000 or even higher change interval. I use very good synthetic oil and I would be willing to bet that my engine is in better shape than just about anybody on this board with the same mileage and driving habits. And I bet that I save money over you 3000 milers. It is time to stop the 3000 mile myth.

To each his own and BTW I was changing oil for extra money when I was 8 years old. My dad ran a Gulf station for 28 years so I have done a few oil changes in my 54 years. Anyway, why the penny penching when your driving a $30k-$40k vehicle. It's not like the extra oil changes are going to bankrupt me and it sure will not hurt anything. I also run M1 and have for the last 20 years in all my cars. Advice is just that, advice and nothing more. Each person has to decide what is best for them based on the information gathered and we all know about opinions. :)

FWIW, Ford says 5K miles on pretty much everything except for heavy/extreme duty usage (as Buford said, that's mainly for cars that idle a lot or drive in dusty conditions). When your dealer said 3K miles, that's your dealer trying to make a few bucks, not Ford.

My fun story on these quick lube places was taking a work vehicle years ago into a Mobil quick lube, paying for an oil change only to later find the old firestone oil filter still on it from its previous oil change. Went back and asked the guy if Mobil uses Firestone oil filters, he gave me a dumb look, i told them that they're a bunch of a-holes and will never never never go back to any kind of place like that. They are NOT trained or certified mechanics, just some dummys that know how to unscrew a drain plug and even then they screw things up. Please people, no matter how good a deal or coupon you may have....NEVER take your LS to a quick lube type place.

So you guys that are changing your oil every 3k...I assume you first are filling the oil filters before that first start post oil change? Or are you subjecting your LS's to harsh dry starts every 3k.

If so...that's causing more wear than 5k (or even 10k) oil changes.

FWIW, I change my oil every 5K miles, and I fill the filter before installing it...

So you guys that are changing your oil every 3k...I assume you first are filling the oil filters before that first start post oil change? Or are you subjecting your LS's to harsh dry starts every 3k.

If so...that's causing more wear than 5k (or even 10k) oil changes.
Thats been debated on alot and i havent found hard evidence supporting either way. I personally have done it with all my cars when changing oil, but with the V8 LS the filter is sideways which doesnt allow you to do that. But with using synthetic i'd think there is enough remaining lube for that split second of priming. I personally change it as close to 3K as i can, if its 4k then oh well. Its not like its breaking my budget. My last oil change with motorcraft synthetic blend and motorcraft filter cost me like $20. By the way, with the oil life monitor, how does it configure the remaining "life"?

It's based on time and mileage. I don't know what the time is ( 6 months, maybe?), but the mileage is 5,000 miles.

I think it uses more than time amd mileage. I think it actually factors in rpm, load, temperatures and various other factors to determine oil life. Maybe one of the Ford gurus can elaborate on this.

Yeah, it's at least every 6 months. I've already taken my car in for an oil change twice, even though it doesn't even have 5,000 miles on it.

I pre-fill my oil filter each time, even though it's a sideways mount.

I pour a bit of Mobil 1 Synthetic in the filter, then turn the filter on its side and turn it round and round. I repeat this about 4-5 times, allowing the otherwise dry pleats to completely get soaked in fresh, new oil.

when I perform this method, the red Oil Pressure Warning light goes off immediately..like a normal start.

When I didnt do this (first 2-3 times), the red Oil Pressure Warning light stayed on for 3-5 seconds after that first start.

Debate or no debate, that can't be good..and must mean it's taking a few seconds for the engine to flood the dry filter with oil before the filter then pushes oil up through the engine.

The Lincoln LS oil life monitor is a simple time and distance monitor. 5000 miles or 180 days. Other cars use a oil life usage monitor which is more a measure of oil quality.
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I sold a '99 Town Car with 75,000 miles on it and changed the oil / filter every 4,000 miles / 3 months since new with Mobil One. When I advertised / discussed the car, I touted this fact but nobody cared. Concern was price. So - my 2004 LS oil changes will go from the 4,000 / 3 months to 5,000 miles with Mobil One. Our new Lexus ES350 will be changed every 5,000 miles with non synthetic per warranty / Lexus specification.

My brother owns a 1993 325 as his daily commuter car. The BMW Oil Service interval lights remind him to change his oil at approximately every 9500 miles. He's been using non-synthetic oil and BMW filters since new. He now has 204,000 miles on the car. Same engine, same transmission, no major repairs. Doesn't smoke, engine still is quite powerful, (6 cylinder).

I used similiar oil change intervals on my old 318is Coupe. Totalled it at about 112k miles, but the 4 cylinder engine was still going strong.

Most of the miles on both cars above, were 70% city miles.

How often you change is very dependent on driving style, road conditions, engine wear etc. The best guide is the owners manual. And be sure to read the severe duty section. A lot more of us drive under severe duty than we think. Severe duty includes short trips, stop and go traffic, a lot of idling, hot weather, dust etc. It is not just a lot of high speed driving. Actually freeway driving is one of the best for our engines.

WIth the excellent quality oils now available, most serious mechanics will admit that the old 3,000 mile oil changeis overkill. But it is relatively cheap overkill and doesn't hurt the engine.

I use synthetics and have a mixed freeway, slow and go commute in SoCal. I would guess I am slow and go for about 5 miles of my 30 mile commute. I would say I am probably in the normal duty maintenance. So even with dino oils I should be good to go with the standard 5,000 mile change.

I am leery of extended changes even though I use syn. I did it a few times with other vehicles in the past and did not like the muddy brown color of the oil. usually my oil is a nice jet black when I change it.

The military also believes the 3,000 mile change is old tech. They now do changes based upon oil analysis and usually the interval is much longer than 3,000 miles. Do a search for AOAP if you want more details. Unfortunately the new websites are not as informative, or I haven't found the old page that explained the Whys and What fors.

The usual advice applies, follow the owners manual and be sure you know what maintenance cycle you fit under and use a good grade oil that meets spec.

Just my opinion,

Jim Henderson

It's based on time and mileage. I don't know what the time is ( 6 months, maybe?), but the mileage is 5,000 miles.

Why is it that every other vehicle (plane, truck, etc.) has its oil changed based on service time, not mileage. Why are cars generally based on mileage, when it seems to me that the time an engine has been running is a better indicator of when to change.

Also, when changing your oil, is there any merit to draining the oil, removing the filter, and then cranking the engine with the filter off to get out all the remaining oil?

I might me misunderstanding your post...but are you suggesting starting the engine with no oil filter installed??

I might me misunderstanding your post...but are you suggesting starting the engine with no oil filter installed??

Yeah, just cranking it a few times to get the remaining oil out of the engine.

To each his own and BTW I was changing oil for extra money when I was 8 years old. My dad ran a Gulf station for 28 years so I have done a few oil changes in my 54 years. Anyway, why the penny penching when your driving a $30k-$40k vehicle. It's not like the extra oil changes are going to bankrupt me and it sure will not hurt anything. I also run M1 and have for the last 20 years in all my cars. Advice is just that, advice and nothing more. Each person has to decide what is best for them based on the information gathered and we all know about opinions. :)

And everything to do with debunking a myth. The sad fact is that people who drive $30k-$40k vehicles and can afford it the most are the ones who need it the least. Their cars are engineered to higher standards negating the need to change the oil at these very low intervals. Oil should be changed at the manufacturers intervals to preserve the warranty. I have actually heard stories from warranty evaluation people of their companies refusing to pay warranty claims for over changing your oil. And their reasoning has to do with parts not wearing correctly as they were designed to, and the dry start issues discussed in another part of this thread. But then again they will refuse to pay for any reason.

Let me just say this, all of the auto manufacturers have spent great deals of money on R & D to determine what the proper maintenance intervals are. And we as consumers should heed to that advice. If you wish to change your oil at 3000 miles, feel free to do so. The only person being fooled by so called cheap insurance is the fool who changes his oil every three thousand miles. My Synthetic oil allows me to extend my change intervals to 10000 miles and the dealer cannot by law refuse to honor my warranty due to it. And that is because there is irrefutable proof that synthetic oil protects for that length of time. I have seen the proof in engine teardowns. I have seen the proof in oil analysis reports. Do what you wish, it is your'e money that you are wasting.

And just to clarify. Under Federal Law, an ENTIRE warranty can't be voided..simply because a person didnt follow manufacturers service interval recommendations. A warranty claim can potentially be denied, however.

If I change my oil every 15k miles..and my starter goes bad..and Im still under warranty? They can't refuse to replace that starter. One has nothing to do with the other.

If I change my oil every 15k miles (keep in mind Im talking Lincoln LS..because BMW and Mercedes actually recommend 15k mile intervals with Synthetic oil) and I spin a bearing, and it's PROVEN that it was due to inadequate lubrication due to the oil/oil properties? Then that is a different story.

But as long as I can keep getting 120k miles plus with NO problem on 10k intervals? Chances of me going back to 3k...or even 5k, are slim to none.

Why is it that every other vehicle (plane, truck, etc.) has its oil changed based on service time, not mileage. Why are cars generally based on mileage, when it seems to me that the time an engine has been running is a better indicator of when to change.
You got me. My tractors have engine hour counters instead of odometers, and they're supposed to have maintenance done based on hours of running time.

Maybe it's because cars and light trucks are the only ones whose running time can realistically be measured in thousands of miles: semis will go thousands of miles in a few days; tractors may not go a few thousand miles in years of usage; aircraft can go thousands of miles in a few hours. They also have the least predictable operating conditions; they can spend minutes in stop and go traffic, followed by hours of highway speed running--the other major vehicles are going to have more predictable, closer to steady-state operating conditions.

If you go with the higher-end oils (like Amsoil), they actually recommend changing it based on oil chemistry, not mileage. You're supposed to send in a sample of the oil periodically, and they tell you if it needs to be changed based on their anaylsis of its condition.

OH boy, pumping all the oil out by cranking the engine with the filter off etc, is probably one of those TV ads wanting to be made.

You want to minimize the time that your engine is not pumping oil. That is why many people pre fill their filters so that there is not that moment or two of dry cranking while the filter fills up. Also most engine rebuilders like to prime the oil system so that there is minimum dry crank time. They also put assembly lube on things to make sure the engine has some protection during that first few seconds of life when there is no oil pressure.

A dry engine is one that is putting on lots of wear for a few seconds. I think there was a study by one or more of the major manufacturers that pointed out that the majority of engine wear is not during driving, but during the few seconds of startup.

Please don't dry crank your engine. You really won't get much more out anyway. Once the oil pickup tube is out of the oil, the pump quickly loses it's prime and then you are pumping air. Air is a lousy engine lubricant. Also once in a great while, an oil pump can completely lose it's prime and then you won't have any oil pressure for a long time.

The little amount of dirty oil left in the engine won't hurt it, especially when diluted with what, 7 quarts of fresh oil?

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson