The manual on my new Spec5 calls for 7500 mile oil changes. I could see it
for synthetic oil maybe, but for regular oil? Now, I'm 64 yrs. old and have
had cars for years and have always held to 3000-4000 miles between changes.
Old habits die hard. Are things so much better that 7500 miles is
reasonable?

Signature
Paul O.
oplholik@gmail.com
> The manual on my new Spec5 calls for 7500 mile oil changes. I could
> see it for synthetic oil maybe, but for regular oil? Now, I'm 64 yrs.
> old and have had cars for years and have always held to 3000-4000
> miles between changes. Old habits die hard. Are things so much better
> that 7500 miles is reasonable?
For as long as I can remember, car manuals have specified 7500 mile oil
changes. The "standard" 3000 mile oil change is simply what the oil
companies have beat into the consumer's consciousness over the decades
until it is taken as fact. It's a matter of who do you want to believe;
the car company that wants to sell you a new car when your engine wears out
or the oil company that wants to sell you more much oil than you need?
Personally, I split it and change around 5000.
Jeff
P.S. Why do the instructions on shampoo bottles say "lather, rinse and
REPEAT? Hint: it's not because they don't clean your hair the first time.
;)
Alhambra - 13 Jul 2007 15:34 GMT
>> The manual on my new Spec5 calls for 7500 mile oil changes. I could
>> see it for synthetic oil maybe, but for regular oil? Now, I'm 64 yrs.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> or the oil company that wants to sell you more much oil than you need?
> Personally, I split it and change around 5000.
Dunno why the USA should have such short oil change intervals - in Europe
10,000 miles is standard for a diesel engine, with petrol versions generally
requiring an oil change at anything between 12,000 - 20,000 miles, depending
on the car manufacturer (Vauxhall [GM] have some that don't see an oil
change for the first 30,000 miles - not good cars to buy second-hand ;)
I agree, though, there's nothing as good for an engine as frequent oil
changes - 6000 mile intervals tend to keep them going for a long time.
Simpleguy - 10 Aug 2007 16:09 GMT
Most European engines spec synthetic oil, plus they have larger sumps. The
latter is how OTR diesel engines go 20k miles between oil changes.