Oil Change Interval

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LSV8FAN

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Does anyone know on what basis does the info center determine when it is time to change oil? I'm almost at 6 months and 1600 miles since the last oil change and the system is telling me to "change oil soon", "oil life 4%". Is it based on time (certainly not mileage) or is there a sensor that measures the properties of the oil?
 
There is no sensor.
It's based on time or miles. It'll go off at six months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first. This pretty much follows the required maintenance schedule book. You're not in warranty anymore, so you can extend the interval if it want to. I use full synthetic and I would extend the interval if it weren't for the weak timing chain design. Is twice a year really so bad?
 
and here I thought all along, the sensor took a sample and send it out to a lab for analysis.
F* me was I wrong!
 
I did get the extended warranty from Ford, so I'm good until August 2016 (a friend manages the dealership sales dept). I do my own oil and filter changes and always use the Motorcraft synthetic blend oil and filter, and after 1600 miles and 6 months, it still looks like new. I'll just reset the system and done. When I purchased the 2nd extended warranty it included 2 free oil changes per year for 2 years, but when I had them do it while being serviced for the radio antenna problem, they spilled oil all over the engine cover; the tech claimed that he was given and old and leaky bottle, but the least he could have done is clean it. So, I'm back to doing my own oil changes.
 
It's impossible to tell just by looking at the oil if it is good or not. You can only tell if it is dirty or not. You can't tell if the additives have been used up or not. You can't tell if shear strength is still good. You can get the oil analyzed to find out. (In all fairness, it is probably still good.)
 
I sent my rx-8 oil off to black stone labs after 5000 miles. It was still well within spec. Rotaries are some of the worst for polluting oils since they scrape the burnt oil back into the sump. I bet the Lincoln's oil would be fine well past 5k especially full synthetic.
 
since I've been doing 15k changes with Mobil1 extended performance since I got it (almost 100K ago), I have been wanting to send in a sample and see what the results say...
 
Sending out for oil sampling, yeah there's a new hobby alright!

FRX Oil Chart.jpg

IMO, not enough motor or $$$'s invested to be concerned about that, I'd prefer to check the oil in the pan as it's pulled.
Frequent oil changes with Mobil1, fresh OE filter and a new drain plug w/ gasket each time.

I make sure to fit in at least two intervals per summer season.

This upcoming season, I plant to run an entire bottle of Lucas with the rest of Mobil1 5W20 synthetic
Had the Mobil1 0W20 synthetic in it past year as per Joe's recommendations and am pleased with it to date.

Considering my LS is only coming out to play in the summers I thought it could benefit with just the regular 5W20 synthetic with a full bottle of Lucas.

We'll have to see ... how that works out for me.

Winter beaters or wife's car, lucky if they see one oil change per year and usually gets the cheap stuff.
Did dump a full bottle of Lucas in my 1100$ Maxima winter beater, with over 193K on it, as per advice of a mechanic friend of mine
and sure enough it runs strong, no ticking no nothing, lots of pick up and go as far as a 97' beater Maxima goes.

Obviously I was being a little troll when I suggested I thought my sensor send out samples to labs. That was a given.

GL w/ oil change, mine's pending as well.

FRX Oil Chart.jpg
 
It was only 10 or 20 bucks for the oil analysis. It was just to check if the interval was appropriate.
 
My '03 LS8 has 210,00 miles. I use mostly Valvoline 5w-20. I reset the oil change monitor once and change the oil the second time it goes off and have done this for the last 120,000 miles. The oil still looks pretty clean at this point, and I don't need to add any between changes. It seems like it's well less than 5000 miles when the monitor goes off. I have a valve cover leak, so I'll see how much crap is inside the head when the covers come off, but I'm not expecting much.
 
1LoudLS said:
since I've been doing 15k changes with Mobil1 extended performance since I got it (almost 100K ago), I have been wanting to send in a sample and see what the results say...
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Do that for sure! I use the same thing but change it at about 5 because I don't really trust any oils claims. But it's starting to get expensive lol
 
mikeyg03ls said:
Do that for sure! I use the same thing but change it at about 5 because I don't really trust any oils claims. But it's starting to get expensive lol
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I have no problem believing that it can make it that far, I used to have a friend that was a tech at a mercedes dealer, their oil change intervals were 15k even before mobile 1 was selling it, their tech said it was basically the same thing... if the MB engineers say its good for that long, then I'll believe it. I cant imagine a dealer would want to reduce their oil change revenue down to 33% for no reason (and you know most MB owners are getting their cars serviced at the dealer!)
 
I change mobil 1 full synthetic 5w20 every 5.5-6k miles. Comes out black every time.
 
1LoudLS said:
I have no problem believing that it can make it that far, I used to have a friend that was a tech at a mercedes dealer, their oil change intervals were 15k even before mobile 1 was selling it, their tech said it was basically the same thing... if the MB engineers say its good for that long, then I'll believe it. I cant imagine a dealer would want to reduce their oil change revenue down to 33% for no reason (and you know most MB owners are getting their cars serviced at the dealer!)
Click to expand...

That's good to know, I'll hold off in the future a little longer, put the money into something else.
 
scjmc said:
I change mobil 1 full synthetic 5w20 every 5.5-6k miles. Comes out black every time.
Click to expand...
as stated above, cant solely go on looks. Motor oil can naturally darken simply after a couple of hot/cold heat cycles. Dark doesn't necessarily equate to unable to properly protect/not be within proper spec. I've been using Walmart SuperTech full synthetic and factory filters since 50k miles (just after warranty) with 10k change intervals (im not at 167k miles) and the engine runs as strong as ever. (2002 LSE V8 that I've owned since it had 4 miles on the odometer). Plan to sell her later this year or next year (I really, really hate to get rid of this car..fits like a glove, handles well, accelerates reasonably well (for a 252hp V8 in 2014) and is generally reliable. This week was the first time ever she left me a bit stuck (power steering switch failed, leaking ATF fluid all over the ground) and I enjoy driving this thing as much as I do my 2012 Range Rover Sport SC with 510hp. No exaggeration. Will probably go to 15k oil change intervals because I honestly think Im overdoing it and getting rid of oil with plenty of life left in it at 10k intervals.
 
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