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Q -
Some say 7500-Mile Oil Changes
are right for today's cars. What's your advice?
A – To the
7,500-mile oil change question/myth, I say a resounding, "No
way." The Facts:
1. 7500-mile oil changes allow multiple layers or debris to
build inside an engine over time, causing increasing amounts of
contamination to each new batch of oil. The antidote? “Clean Oil
Practices” embraced by, to name just two, the Department of
Defense for our military vehicles that must be ready to go
anytime and under any condition...and by
Noria, the
best-practices body for manufacturing plants that incorporate
large expensive machinery.
2. 7500-mile oil changes allow unseen, unhealthy wear trends of
a vehicle's mechanical components to go untended and prohibit
in-time inspections of a vehicle's coolant system, brake fluid,
transmission fluid and power steering fluid--all susceptible to
degradation.
3. 7500-mile oil changes allow excessive "polish wear" inside
engines, ultimately shortening engine life. According to
numerous research chemists with the
Department of Defense, as well as
Dr. Robert Kauffman of University of Dayton Research
Institute, polish wear happens when particles smaller than 20
microns are allowed to travel through an engine over an extended
length of time/miles. Rod, main and cam bearings wear mostly
from 10-15 micron-sized particles that are not captured by any
standard-production oil filter on the market.
4. 7500-mile oil changes allow lower-priced oil filters (all too
often used in $19.95 "loss leader" promotions by too many
service shops across the US) to deteriorate and fill with
debris. When these filters clog or simply age, they tend to go
into bypass mode during cold starts, releasing damaging
previously filtered particles. Generally, oil filters catch 30
micron or higher-sized particles; but remember, engine wear is
caused by 10-15 micron particles. One of the best filters on the
market is the
Wix--at 19 microns. Also, the
NAPA Gold
filter (made by Wix) does a great job. These filters have 67
pleats of filtration media, whereas other brand names have less
than 40. And Purolator's
PureONE is a top ranked filter in SAE (Society of Automotive
Engineers) tests to keep engines clean. All filter manufacturers
provide specs upon request--guaranteed. Just ask.
5. For low annual mileage vehicles, a 7500-mile oil change may
mean once a year. Leaving “stagnating” oil inside any engine for
extended periods of time, regardless of mileage, leads to
etching of metal components from corrosion.
6. Water intrusion caused by condensation is one of the worst
enemies oil has. All engines create condensation. And that
doesn’t take 7500 miles.
7. 7500-mile oil changes promote increased fuel and carbon
deposits, causing damage to engines.
8. 7500-mile oil changes promote neglect of 5K-mile tire
rotations, thereby shortening tire life considerably and
ultimately lowering MPG.
So why do car makers thump the 7500-mile oil change drum? Think
about this. Car makers are in the business of selling cars.
Isn’t being given permission for “proactive neglect” awfully
(literally) attractive to buyers? Just buy your new car & drive
it without having to do anything for 7500 miles. Then trade it
and buy a new car. Consumers keeping their vehicles in tip top
condition and keeping them longer is not what drives OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers, aka car makers).
Maintenance schedules (created by car makers & passed on by
their franchised dealers) only address "minimum maintenance
requirements" in order to maintain factory warranty--not
necessarily what's best for any vehicle's specific environment
and/or driving conditions and certainly not what each location
might dictate. This is no secret and certainly not new
information. Those in automotive repair and service will tell
you that some 50%+ of all repairs could have been avoided by
routine services. You smell power steering fluid at 50K miles,
and I won’t have to convince you of anything. Your nose will
know in one whiff.
Just the thought of that tempts me to step up on another of my
soap boxes, constructed of building blocks garnered in 45 years
of service in the automotive industry. Our service industry is
addicted to using the phrase "Preventive Maintenance."
Ironically, too many consumers who see themselves as good
soldiers of the PM movement view the 3K-mile oil change as "all
they have to do to maintain their cars." That is wrong, wrong,
wrong. The automobile has other moving, and therefore
wear-susceptible, parts that need attention.
The costs of changing vehicles’ “other fluids,” rotating tires
and changing air, fuel filters & passenger cabin filters in a
timely fashion saves dollars and adds life to the entire
vehicle, not to mention the fun & safety factors. And when it's
time to trade, an automobile with a verifiable service history
makes it a "certified" car. And certified cars are worth more
money at trade-in. Check any web site that offers this
information (e.g.,
NADA,
Edmunds,
Kelley Blue Book, etc).
We started with oil, and that’s where we’ll end. The price paid
for oil changes is nominal--even at $50--when one considers the
price of repairs. Oil oxidation starts immediately when oil
reaches operating temperature--long before 7500 miles. And in
Europe where gas prices are $8+, more than 50% of all car owners
use synthetic oil. Unbelievable when you think about it. Not
that they do...but that we don’t. I researched, chose, use in my
own vehicles & recommend to my service customers locally and my
listeners internationally)
Royal Purple because its additive package outperforms other
synthetic oils.
Bottom line:
For every dollar spent in maintaining a vehicle, you’ll save
Dollars in repairs. I can absolutely verify this because I
experience it every day in
Car Clinic Service/Pre-Repair®, celebrating its 37th year
and serving tens of thousands of vehicles and their owners. An
article in
Consumer Reports claims that a well-maintained vehicle
driven 200K miles would net an owner some $30K. I’m not sure I’d
want to keep a car for 15 years today because that’s equal to 50
yesteryears in terms of technology, safety and fun factor, but I
do know I would not let 7500 miles click over on the odometer of
any car I own without service. Enough said...until next time. |
