Hernz Av said:
Thought I would post a new topic since the other one was so long.
My first oil change was at 1000 miles.
Second was at 3000 miles
Third was at 6100 miles
After the 3rd oil change I decided to test the oil monitor and see how long it would take before the light would come on. I did not see the change oil light till 10,800 miles. I do a lot of city driving my last oil change was done on 1/19/02. Just under 3 months. Going with the oil monitor I went 4700 miles since my last oil change. I will keep using the oil monitor from this point foward and see how it acts with the hotter TX summer temps coming up.
My washer fluid light came on at the same time and it took a little less than 1 gallon to fill up.
Every new car ever built has come with an oil life monitor....it's called an odometer
First oil/filter change at 1000 miles.....if you think that's too soon, cut apart the filter and go inside with a magnet
Second oil/filter change at 3000 miles.....ditto
All others for the life of the vehicle....every 3000 miles thereafter
Wasting money? Perhaps, but changing your own at $31.00 for an AC Delco filter ($4 at Wal-Mart) and 6 qt. Mobil 1 ($27 on sale at Costco) keeps the costs down
Wasting oil? Definitely not, since it all gets recycled
In the 15+ vehicles I've purchased new since '72 I've never had mechanical work done on an engine other than non-oil related electrical/tuneups/belts and hoses PCV valves or water pumps and never had a an oil leak from a valve guide seal, crank, or cam shaft seal. And unlike some I've never suffered a leaking filter, leaking or rounded drain plug, or stripped oil pan threads from a mechanic using an air wrench to reinstall the plug. Also, I never had to wait to make an appointment and always know it is done right.
Sure newer SM/SN grade oils especially synthetics are much better than the SA/SB grades of 40-50 years ago.......but engines ran with 4 qts in the sump at 165 F in those days with at most a PCV valve as emissions and now they run at 215 F with 6 qts. in the sump and a lot of emissions waste being recirculated back into the engine. I've heard some mechanics who refer to these OLM (oil life meters) as engine killers, going to up to as much as 12K on an oil/filter change. The competition for marketing maintenance free/extended schedule maintenance vehicles is not conducive for manufacturers to even consider recommending more frequent oil changes even if it does extend engine life. The longer oil is in an engine the more microfine carbon, dirt, rust, etc is in suspension that can pass through the filter or get bypassed once the filter clogs.....the suspended dirt may not be of sufficient hardness or size to damage metal components, but there are a lot of soft flexible seals, and like ultra fine grit wet sandpaper, the size and amount of the particles will determine the amount of material removed through motion which will wear down with time.
Plenty of oil changes in my days for myself, friends and relatives. Your eyes don't lie......new oil goes in a fairly clear deep yellow in color, at 3K comes out an opaque deep brown and at 6K+ comes out dark black....and black is not beautiful when it is the color of oil spilling out into a drain pan.
and with a 
