ENGINEER EXPLAINS HOW OFTEN TO CHANGE OIL & FILTER // UPDATED CRITERIA-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS!

Automotive Engineer David Chao once and for all explains exactly how often you should change your oil and oil filter - based on engineering principles. David provides 3 scenarios (Criteria A, B, & C) so that you can decide where you fit in, and therefore decide on the best outcome while minimizing cost. Watch the entire video to find out how to determine the best frequency for oil change for your internal combustion engine vehicles.
Automotive Press is owned and managed by David Koichi Chao, a global expert in the field of automotive evaluation, engineering, and strategy. With over 35 years of engineering experience, David is able to review vehicles from unique perspectives utilizing technical and specialized methods. David is a board member and a director at AJAC (Automobile Journalist Association of Canada).
David is known around the world as an authentic specialist of Lean/Agile Thinking, and travels all around the world to review vehicles and teach latest engineering methods. Born and raised in Japan, David has an engineering degree from University of British Columbia and post-graduate education from MIT and Harvard Business School in Boston.

[@AutomotivePress]

Thank you everyone for your comments. A number of people have asked for a data as a backup - but you have to remember that when it comes to predicting the durability of engines, the best way to do that is to take the engine apart. You will then clearly see the residue of the oil, condition of the inner components etc, and often times the condition of the engine itself does not correlate with the condition of the engine oil. So it is very deceiving - and dangerous - to assume that the engine is in good condition due to the good condition of the oil (through data and analysis). People like AMD from Car Care Nut, myself as an automotive engineer, and Mr. Takumi Kurosawa (Nissan GT-R engine leader) have all taken hundreds of engines apart and correlated the condition to the frequency and type of engine oil used. That's the best type of "data" and most accurate way to predict the engine condition (you can see it). Because I have taken apart hundreds and hundreds of automotive components apart, I know exactly what needs to be done to take care of automobile components and parts (not just engine), and my recommendations are based on these experiences. My two good friends AMD and Mr. Kurosawa will back me and support me as they have the same insights and ideas as in this video. I hope this helps you understand how I came up with my recommendations. At the end of the day, you are free to decide what to do based on your own experience and knowledge. I am simply sharing my insights based on 35 years of working with cars inside and out.

[@dproulx222]

Criteria A - Maximum Longevity (10 - 20 years) - 400,000 to 800,000 kms - or even longer. Change oil every 3,000 miles / 5,000 kms (6 months or earlier) Criteria B - Good Longevity (4 - 10 years) 160,000 to 400,000 kms Change oil every 5,000 miles / 8,000 kms or once a year or earlier - whichever comes first. Criteria C - Minimum Frequency (1 - 4 years) 40,000 - 160,000 kms People leasing or financing - who don't value longevity are recommended to follow the interval in their owners manual. Oil is able to keep its lubrication properties for a very long time. However, oil does get dirty and air and gas contaminants do get into the mixture Hence, why time is just as important as distance. I have huge respect for David, AMD from The Car Care Nut Channel and every mechanic who offers sensible advice. I live in Alberta, Canada and drive a Corolla Hybrid. I use a 4 month oil change interval. January - April May - August September - December I drive less than 15,000 kms annually (suburban 60% & highway 40%) Car has been rust-proofed and PPF added because the Alberta government has a ton of salt and sand added to the roads during the long winter months. The same applies to much of Canada. Toyota Corolla Sedan owners are advised to use 0W-16 oil... The weight is written on the oil cap. Criteria A - Phenomenal owners Criteria B - Fantastic owners Criteria C - Are not bothered about the longevity of their vehicles and less likely to maintain them - Zero respect. Thank you David & The Car Care Nut

[@briankalagher6687]

Thanks for this comment. There is something that has been bugging me with oil analysis. Like it might be missing some important things? I feel like we tripled the oil change mileage and at the same time added direct injection, turbos, and some questionable fuel with ethanol. I don't think oil capacity has increased much at all. Which all points to it being harder on the engine oil. I also feel that longer drain intervals will lead to more oil leaks but I have no proof of this. A major oil leak is almost as bad as an engine failure if it costs me $7000 to take the engine out and fix it. It just seems too easy to keep doing 5K oil changes instead of that. Thanks!

[@AutomotivePress]

@@garymaclean6903 Thank you for your comments, I appreciate you've taken the time to reply. However, you've completely misunderstood what I was trying to say. Yes the oil analysis will tell you the exact condition of the oil itself. However, at 3,000 or 5,000 miles, the oil would still be in good condition and would not have deteriorated enough to be a concern. Testing at these mileage would be waste of time. I would say beyond 7,000 miles the actual condition of the oil would matter. But unlike long-haul truck industry, you would not normally need to test the oil to see how long "you can keep driving" while keeping the same oil. You would normally try not to extend that much just to save a few quarts of oil - this might matter to long haul trucks but in automobiles, the cost of oil is cheap enough that you can change them out while the oil is still in good condition. I have taken engine apart, tested oil, tested various parts, and examined data to know this as a fact. You cannot compare long haul truck industry methods to modern consumer oriented automobiles where you don't need to prolong the oil until the oil is almost end of life.

[@ROGZI3L]

Thanks for the information. What's your recommendation on a car that isn't driven on the road but I start it every few.monyhs so it runs and keeps seals from drying out. It sits with synthetic

[@AutomotivePress]

@@garymaclean6903 The simple answer is that if keeping engine in top condition is important, why try to pinch and save for just another 3,000 miles. "Extracting" a few thousand miles won't save you much money, but over time, could affect. your engine. The engine oil analysis will only tell you one dimension of what protects an engine. There could be debris and contaminants floating within the engine that may now be caught by the "sampling" tests.

[@jonhansen4745]

Great advice on how to make an engine last. Personally I don't care if I'm planning on keeping my vehicles basically forever or if I'm going to get rid of them every 50,000 miles. I'm going to treat every vehicle the same. I want to know when someone purchases something I bought new, broke in, and maintained, that they're going to buy something that could last another quarter million miles. I don't care if that person is a grandkid or some stranger I'll never meet. It's just the right thing to do.

[@dproulx222]

Agree 100% Much respect to the people who take care of their vehicles. Especially those who change their oil at frequent intervals as outlined by David and AMD from the Car Care Nut channel. Furthermore, the people who change their cars more frequently generally have higher incomes. So an extra oil change per year shouldn't put them in any financial hardships in the first place..

[@bertblue9683]

Agreed. Everyone should have this mentality. It's poor behavior and shows lack of compassion to your fellow citizen to do otherwise.

[@dbown1959]

Thank you for your post, there are a lot of people who will never be able to buy a new car and they are so lucky to buy a used car from people like you. I think your post is as important as the video itself, if not more.

[@derek2479]

100% agree. I'm disappointed that a channel like this would even encourage screwing over used car buyers.

[@jonhansen4745]

@@derek2479 I don't believe that is what David is advocating and I definitely didn't mean for what I wrote to come off that way.

[@Kdavis8377]

2007 4Runner. Oil and filter change every 5k and transmission flush every 60k. Currently 343k miles. Runs and drives as good as the day I got it. Burns no oil, no leaks, transmission is milky smooth. Wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and drive it from Georgia to California and back. Just a great vehicle made in a place where they value work ethic.

[@TheBandit7613]

Time to switch to 3000. Just from wear and tear it's getting more blowby which is introducing more unburned fuel into the oil and contaminating it faster. Go for 500,000 and more... I have 435k on my cheap Hyundai, changing every 3000 and trans oil every 30,000 My trans oil changes are simple drain and fills. Drains one gallon per change.

[@bertblue9683]

You've bought the sweet spot of peak Toyota engineering. 2006-2009

[@TheBeatenPaths]

Awesome!!! I'd be interested in knowing how often you change your transmission/diffs/transfer case fluids. And at what mileage did you do the first changes?

[@Kdavis8377]

@@TheBeatenPathstranny every 60k, all diffs every 20k, I lube all the lube points every oil change . Seen many 5th gen’s with 150-200k miles still running strong as well.

[@poppyneese1811]

On the transmission do you do a flush total fluid Change or what’s in the pan?

[@derek2479]

I'm an "A" guy. I've always bought new, kept them for 10+ years, although nowadays I use synthetic and go for 4-5k miles. I am disappointed in the "C" recommendation. This is why I don't buy used. The attitude is basically "I don't care if who gets it next will have a long-term car. I got mine.".

[@tubedude92]

couldn't agree more..very well said 💯

[@njackson18]

I was thinking the same thing. Basically C is encouraging bad maintenance.

[@JHKCF]

Why is it bad to use the manufacturers recommendation? Unless they want the car to fail so you have to buy another one. If that’s the case why would you be a repeat customer if the engine failed prematurely on their recommendation?

[@nowayout8639]

@@JHKCF Basically every driver have different driving conditions which does not fit the ideal manufacturer oil change interval. You may have short trips like driving to work every day for 5 minutes which does not allow the engine to fully warm up. You may be a driver that does mostly city driving and that effects the engine oil. On the other hand you drive mainly highway driving which is good for the car. Then weather plays a part in which dusty and extreme freezing condition or very hot desert condition will effect engine oil wear. So the 10,000 mile oil change the manufacturer recommended is not ideal for that driver that drives short trips mainly in the city. On the other hand the driver that drives mainly highway for an hour every day the 10,000 mile oil change in mostly warm weather above freezing would be good for the engine.

[@davepaturno4290]

​@nowayout8639 There are historically two schedules of maintenance for oil/filter changes. One is for those who drive in clean conditions and on longer trips. The other schedule is for what is considered to be harsh conditions with short trips and lots of dry dust and or sand.

[@Haawser]

In a previous job I got to visit the lab where a very well known brand of oil was formulated and tested. The chief engineer told me that if I wanted to have virtually zero engine wear I should take the recommended service interval and halve it. So 12k miles becomes 6k and so on. I followed his advice and my last car was 19 years old when it had to be scrapped due to rust. But the engine still ran like a sewing machine.

[@TheRealSykx]

You wasted your money on excessive oil changes when you should have been spending it washing the car so it wouldn't rust

[@Haawser]

@@TheRealSykx Trust, 19 years of salty winters is not bad. It wasn't the exterior body that rusted, it was everything underneath. Brake lines, exhaust, springs, brackets, subframes, ABS rings etc. Wasn't worth replacing all of it.

[@enzoh7763]

​@@Haawser ,, same here , 19 yrs of rust on mechanic components. Doing another round of rust removal this summer and will do some protection again . Any suggestion on the protection ?

[@Haawser]

@@enzoh7763 Waxoil or Dinitrol is easy to apply. It's just not as permanent as I'd like. Have to redo the stuff every couple of years. But worth it.

[@factsnotfeelingssendit5961]

​@@enzoh7763spray diesel with a oil mix 70/30 70 diesel

[@elizabethwhite4606]

David, my 4Runner’s have lasted many trouble-free years as I have always changed the oil and filter at 3,000 miles. Thank you for your expertise and recommendations.

[@DanielJohnson-ec8rk]

3,000 is what I did for decades while using conventional oil. With full synthetic it’s a waste of money and go 6,000

[@nightingaleofsorrow9349]

A 4Runner can run forever! Every 5-6,000 miles is fine! You would be surprised the engine will be just fine! 🚙

[@srf6161]

I use Amsoil signature and go 10k....never had a problem

[@albetherechillin]

Nothing wrong with doing it more often. Props for being on top of it.

[@smedleybutler1969]

@@srf6161 It is better for your car to use a cheaper oil and change it every 5000 miles!

[@nj2mddude205]

I let the dealer from whom I purchased my 03 Toyota Sequoia change the oil every 5k miles. I purchased the lifetime oil change plan, which cost me only $500 and a $10 environmental fee per oil change. At 301k miles, the 4.7 L engine is still going strong.

[@DavidSmith-qg4dd]

Nice video

[@michaelclark9762]

Not bad. You're currently at less than $19 per oil change including the environmental fee.

[@garydale8874]

Have had several dealers, cheat, and not change filter, have caught several doing this, so change myself now

[@michaelclark9762]

@@garydale8874 Some manufacturers and service managers recommend only changing the filter every other drain interval [not me, I don't do that].

[@garydale8874]

@@michaelclark9762 They might recommend that, but when I am paying them to do both, they should.

[@JBotman52]

I have a 2003 Highlander V6 with 160,000 trouble free miles. I change the oil every 5000 miles. I like this number and recommend it to friends because it is easy to keep track of. Whenever the car hits the next 5000 mile increment it is time to change the oil. I also keep a spreadsheet of all maintenance ever done but find the 5000 mile increment easy to remember.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Mostly long commute every day on the Interstates? @@motleydude73

[@gardnerberry113]

Plus, 5k is also a good time to rotate your tires. I just bought a '23 Ram EcoDiesel (last ones!) and I'll do the first change at 1.5k, then 3k, 5k and every 5k afterward. My Retirement Ride, lol! 👴🏻

[@MikeKayK]

@@motleydude73 What brand oil & filter do you use? How many months does it take you to hit 10k miles? Is it mostly highway miles or stop and go? Long trips or short trips? Do you live in a colder or warmer climate? Lead foot or drive like a grandma? Top tier gas or not? Planning to keep the car until 250k miles or 450k? All of these make a difference. Remember there's no one right answer for when to change the oil to minimize risk of issues, it's completely conditional based on those and other factors. On top of that it's simply about risk, there's no 100% guarantee of issues (or lack of issues) regardless of how often you change oil, or when those issues will arise. This is why it's a never ending "debate." People think THEIR way is THE way for everyone.

[@MikeKayK]

@@motleydude73 Nobody does? Dude how many people think it's "normal" for higher mileage cars to burn oil?

[@metalrooves3651]

this is the BEST EFFING REPLY HERE!these anal people changing oil at 3.234 miles because they have time on their hands,and 3,235 miles is too much!@@motleydude73

[@hammerstone365]

My step father was a master mechanic and I tend to take amazing care of cars regardless of how long I intend on keep it. I 100% agree with your recomendations

[@dystopia-usa]

Engine longevity & wear/tear (as well as carbon sludge accumulation) also depends on how the vehicle was driven, whether top tier fuel was used & even whether or not engine uses at least some partial port-injection instead of 100% direct-injection (aka likely carbon sludge magnet). Lots of long, open highway miles, or mostly short trips and/or city-driving stop/go traffic miles can each have a lot of impact on engine health.

[@TheRealSykx]

@@DaveP-uv1ml it's less about pressure and more about air velocity and temperature. The air is moving fast enough and hot enough to burn off the carbon deposits at those higher RPMs

[@TheRealSykx]

@@DaveP-uv1ml I would mostly be repeating myself here.. a carbon deposit is not fully oxidized carbon, fully oxidized carbon is CO2, which is a gas.

[@tommurphy4307]

a good, hand-built motor should last 500K minumum, but you'll have to build it yourself if want to do it affordably.

[@bpb5541]

Well said. A few tips. Other than changing your oil every 3k, ATP 205 reaseal every other oil change and the ones in between use the ATS oil and fuel treatment. Most additives are snake oil... these are legit. I have a 2011 VW GTI... car runs awesome. It has 103k miles on it. I want to get over 250k. I take really good care of it.

[@Nel-r8h]

I got 2020 Tacoma with 110K miles. Used to change 10K, but after seeing myself in criteria A, I decided to do 3K interval. I got probably the last of the aspirated engine and intended to keep it as long as I could. Thank you for clarifying.

[@jaimieconroy36]

Thank you, David. Your recommendations for oil change intervals are good reminders for all of us that doing proper maintenance is the best way keep your car running in top shape. I follow AMD, AKA The Car Care Nut, and watched almost every video. His technical reviews are among the best. From what I have seen, frequent oil changes can prevent castrophic failure no matter how long you plan to keep it.

[@lafaders]

I have a 2023 Acura tlx type s. Just reached 15k miles…the car is so much fun to drive. I change my oil every 2500 miles. I really love my car, it brings me a lot of joy so I go all out on maintaining her.

[@fugarte2862]

Interesting. I own a 2005 Honda CR-V with 92,895 miles. I just had my oil and filter changed at my local Honda dealership earlier today. They recommended I get my next oil change in 5 months or when I drive another 5,000 miles. Their recommendation and my expectation for this car lined up with what you discussed in your video. Your breakdown was appreciated. Thank you.

[@pliedtka]

The 2.4L used in CR-V is one of the worst Honda engine and every mechanic knows they will burn oil if the owner will go more 6000 miles/10,000 km on oil changes. While Toyota fixed the oil consumption issues in their 2.4L, by updating pistons and rings, Honda did pretty much nothing. I changed/rebuild dozens of those engines, at least 3-4 every year. In fact there's a one waiting for us this month - it will get low mileage engine sourced from Japan, since it cost the same head/valve job and installing new rings. The same goes for automatic transmissions - they hold less fluid and require more frequent ATF changes. 50k km is the norm. My recommendation max 5k miles OCI on synthetic oil. And if you live in southern US, 5W-30 since it boiling temp is usually higher than 5w-20 oils and doesn't get baked as easy in your oil control rings.

[@fugarte2862]

@@pliedtka Even more reason to stick to what the dealership recommended

[@18_rabbit]

except that older cars/engines benefit from MORE frequent oil changes than standard/original. Furthermore, increasingly over past 20 yrs of the lengthened OCI's, mounting evidence has risen of engines becoming damaged before they were expected to. E.g. in toyota or honda engines, not lasting anywhere near as long as other same engines do when oil changed more frequently and closer to original classic intervals of 3-4K if car is daily driver. Out of my dozens of high-caliber mechanics, they also say more frequent is better in most cases, partly bcuz various factors of engine systems in past 25 years, as well as reduced quality of engines vs 35 years ago, warrants more frequent OC's if u want the engine to last the often-possible extremely high mileages or high-years that Honda and Toyota can. It's cheap insurance that's for sure.

[@phxrsx]

You can go a year if you don't hit the 5000.

[@nachoangeloni6062]

I love this piece of advice. I'm criteria A and I currently have 2 cars. Both use synthetic oil and both get oil and filter change twice a year independently of mileage. I typically drive between 3000 and 4000 every semester. I organize myself and I perform my own oil change mid-year and I take to the dealership once a year so that they plug it in and lube doors/etc. Greetings from Argentina! Nacho.

[@markstrickland8736]

Toyota owner's manual says 5,000 miles under severe conditions. They define severe as a hot climate, a cold climate, or a lot of stop & go city driving. I have also read that it should be changed at 6 months, regardless.

[@Resistculturaldecline]

Yep, what they (and others) call severe is actually the average owner's usage.

[@mikeprice8307]

10k these days. I leased a Corolla and they wanted to change it at 10k intervals

[@OhSoddit]

@@mikeprice8307 One of the (growing) problems is "MARKETING". It's a sales pitch, to offer longer-interval servicing as a requirement (hence cheaper and less inconvenient to the owner). The executives go to the engineers and ask what is the MINIMUM oil change distance to get the vehicle *past warranty* - not necessarily what is optimal for an extended life of the vehicle. (In fact, it's in their interests for a car to "fail early" - so you go and buy another one, rather than keep it 25 years!!). What 'sounds best' to a new buyer, 3,000 mile / 6 month changes, or 10,000 mile / annual changes? Most experienced mechanics will advise oil changes at HALF the manufacturers recommended distance.

[@bertblue9683]

Don't go 10k

[@Resistculturaldecline]

@@bertblue9683 A lot of modern cars will be dangerously low on oil by 10k, in addition to the oil being full of fuel and contaminants by them. Unless someone drives 90% on the interstate sitting on cruise control 200 miles a day, 10k just isn't a great idea.

[@glenndarragh4417]

Another thing to keep on top of is cooling system maintenance. With many if not most modern engines one overheating incident is all it takes to cause major and expensive damage. Gone are the days when you could just let it cool down, chuck some water in the radiator and all is well.

[@ThomasFrey-d8d]

yes, eventually antifreeze loses it's corrosion preventing capabilities. My F150 is now using a different coolant than what was originally in it from factory.

[@tommurphy4307]

only if you use the right coolant and water- the interval is 100K on newer cars now.

[@eponymous7910]

The original factory fill coolant should be good for around 6 years, after that change it every 4

[@superminer66]

As a mechanic for over 35 years, I agree 1000% with what you said. Spot on.

[@kimnach]

When I purchased my IROC (305) back in '88, I decided that I would change the oil & filter every roughly 1.5kmiles. I have done so for 35yrs with the only change being that I switched to synthetic about 7 years ago.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

So every 6 months or every 12 months (Sunday good weather summer cruiser?)

[@vicentee2687]

it weird to me when people say it's a waste of money you can never go wrong changing the oil plus oil changes are cheaper than a motor

[@willg.5168]

It'd be nice for that beaut to be ran on the highway every now and again to keep it exercised 👍🏽😏

[@ralphwood8818]

Its hard to believe someone would be ignorant enough to drain oil every 3.000 miles. You can find filters that clean oil for less than 300 bucks. My oldest bypass filter is almost 60 years old and cost me about 30 bucks. My Australian Jackmaster Classic has already paid for itself. Gave up the oil change racket in 1963 with a Frantz oil cleaner and Standard Delo 30W.

[@70diezel]

Thanks David for your expertise. I change my oil and oil filter in my Toyota at 5,000 miles.

[@noonyab3780]

You should be changing the oil in your Tesla every 1k if you want it to last. 5K is far too long for a Tesla!

[@70diezel]

@@noonyab3780 I don’t have a Tesla. And Tesla suck. I drive Toyota, the best.

[@AydarAtnagulov]

I changed the oil on my 2014 Prius C every 10K miles per the manual. Bought it in 2017 with 97K miles and sold it in 2021 with 218K miles. (I was driving over 30K miles per year). Zero issues. Sticking with the manufacturer's recommendation for the rest of my cars. 1 year or 10K miles whichever comes first, unless special conditions warrant halving the interval (a lot of idling, towing, soft- and off-roading).

[@CeasarBergonia]

Own two Lexus, 17yrs old and 13yrs old. Change oil and filter every 6mths or 5000miles, with mobile 1 full synthetic. No engine problems at all, to include no oil burning. I use the same interval for my son’s Prius Prime. Other than 1 hr of time, the cost for oil change is about $40 (I do my cars oil change. Can’t trust jr. Mechanics). That’s cheap for worry free engine.

[@charley95sheridan44]

Couldn't have said it better myself, I also own 2 Lexus's with Mobil 1 stacked to the ceiling in my basement. Oil is cheap and motors are not. I just bought a dozen Toyota filters recently. In my 45 years of driving, no one has ever changed my oil but me.

[@ernie451]

I'm from England, i change my oil every 10,000 miles i have no issues either

[@matthewronson5218]

Lexuses.

[@noahdunaway]

@@charley95sheridan44 I agree, I’m 73 and the only person to change the oil in all my vehicles, even the numerous new vehicles I bought I have never let the dealership give me a free oil change. When I lived in town with a lot of short trips I changed oil and filter at 2k miles and after I moved out in the country I started going to 3k miles. I also use Mobile 1 0w40 European blend oil which has a very good additive package that I prefer, also it’s just under $5.00 per quart when you buy it in the 3 jug carton from Wally World.

[@jimliu2560]

A lot of people who don’t have garages (condos, apartments , townhomes) are forbidden to do any car work….. leading to longer oil changes…

[@nicholaspetre1]

These oil topics are very essential. It is also good when opinions are backed up practically and scientifically. If people have good oil change and car maintenance culture overall, the vehicle will have more potential to run longer without causing super expensive repairs due to oil burning issues and end up on the junkyards as a result of it. Thanks

[@OhSoddit]

A lesson I learned the hard way myself. Changing the oil at HALF the manufacturers recommendation (i.e. twice as often) is still much, MUCH cheaper than a rebuild or new engine - and will typically PREVENT the problems that require a rebuild or new engine. Manufacturers extend the service interval as a sales pitch (looks cheaper and less inconvenient to the buyer), and have NO interest in keeping your car healthy past warranty - if it kept running fine for 25 years, you wouldn't buy another one....

[@nicholaspetre1]

@@OhSoddit So much true!

[@frankg6578]

​@@motleydude73don't be a troll, you missed the whole point of this video.If you are comfortable with rank/criteria 3 then go for it. Don't spew your "absolute nonsense" crap here.

[@dystopia-usa]

I get my oil changed every 6-months because I usually only go out driving twice per week & only drive about 3200-3400 miles total per year. So my oil is getting changed every 1600-1700 miles. 😝 Probably overkill, but its not breaking the bank to change the oil/filter twice per year.

[@dproulx222]

You're a good person... Much respect.....

[@bobhawkins3387]

Can I buy your used car?

[@jere4524]

I'm a low annual mileage driver. I bought my 2014 Subaru Outback new, and I've put 46,000 miles on it in ten years, and I've put about 1,800 miles on it in the last six months. The oil looks dirty at 1,800 miles compared to my Lexus which always looks clean at the 6 month oil change interval. I use Wix XP filters and Mobil One on each vehicle. Neither car has been to a dealer except for warranty work. I do my own oil changes and maintenance, and by the way, I'm 76 years old....still crawling under the cars. 🙂

[@markstrickland8736]

That is Toyota's recommendation.

[@michaeljdestefano1208]

I appreciate that you made the video. The one part of the equation I thought was missing was the type of driving. Personally, I am and A/B guy who uses full synthetic and change my oil every 6 months with about 4500 miles. My Wife's car only gets about 3000 miles a year, I still use full synthetic and change it yearly. A friend of mine drives about 3000 miles a month with over 80% highway driving, he also uses full synthetic but changes it every 3 to 4 months. He kept his last car last car about 10 years. I am not an engineer but I don't think that should not put him in category C . Thank you!

[@abigialmr]

Have been driving for over 20 years, always change engine oil and filter when around 10k km. Using well-known brand fully synthetic for all my cars except 1 using semi synthetic. But that 1 car will have an oil change interval at 7000km. No major problem so far. Own several cars, each been driving for more than 5 years.

[@counterbalancelife4305]

Just did an initial break in oil change at 1200 miles on my 2024 4Runner and plan to keep it as long as possible. Also sprayed Blaster Surface Shield lanolin undercoating inside and outside the frame, underside, and in door panels.

[@bobpickering1]

In the good old days, when cars and oil were both crap, it made sense to change oil and filter often. Cars and oil are both much better now. I bought a new Acura in 2006. Acura said 10,000 miles on conventional oil and 20,000 miles on the filter. I changed synthetic oil and filter every 10,000 miles. I sold it last fall with 223,000 miles on it. Oil analysis was fine. Performance was perfect. I never added a drop of oil. EPA estimate was 27-34 MPG when new, but I was still getting 35-37 MPG. Just how much better off would I be if I changed the oil over three times as often?

[@robertdavis9986]

Agree. I've used Amsoil signature series which requires once per yr or 25,000 miles. I"ve put over 250,000 miles on it without a hiccup. Car is over 20 yrs old...still gets 38mpg highway..and a Toyota.

[@MikeKayK]

You wouldn't be any better off, kudos to you for doing it right. But someone with that same Acura who lives in a very cold climate, makes mostly short trips, drives with a lead food, uses low quality gas and cheap oil & filters, will probably never need to do oil changes because they'll be constantly topping off with fresh oil as their engine burns through it. This is what people don't get and why this debate continues to rage on. How quickly your oil gets contaminated and breaks down is CONDITIONAL. It's not set in stone.

[@americanme3239]

Yeah.. but back in the old days.. we could afford a vehicle. 😅😂

[@redbaron6805]

Same here, but these rules of thumb are not vehicle, driving or environment specific. Certain cars will do fine with 10,000 oil changes if you live in the right area and drive lets say 50 miles to work each way. I have an Acura myself with around 150k miles on it and it still runs like new, and I change the oil every 10k miles with full synthetic oil. But, that car was driven for hundreds of miles at a time on the highway, and it was in a relatively mild climate. If it was used for a lot of local short trips, the oil change interval would be much better at 5k miles...

[@rustynail7866]

The EPA mandated pushing the longer period to cut down on toxic waste. Manufacturers would prefer it more often.

[@briankalagher6687]

Thanks David. I love this topic. Really appreciate your views as well as a few others like carcarenut, fordbossme, and motoroilgeek who all say similar things. 6 months and 5K is the most i will do if I'm doing lots of highway driving.

[@4af]

Need a transmission oil change interval video. Interview an Aisin transmission engineer!

[@thetayz72]

Agreed, we mainly just hear people harp on engine oil

[@enzoh7763]

Agree too . Since mine are over 10 yrs old , I do trans and gear oil change every 50k km. That is after 250k mileage . I wonder , is this "good" interval ?

[@samrapheal1828]

Hint: Use Factory oil (less problems w/Asian - Euro transmissions), an independent shop utilizes that strategy. Been a client of this shop for 28 yrs. Spent 20 yrs as a auto tech/machinist at a much earlier portion of my life.

[@ralphwood8818]

About the first thing I do when I buy a car is put a good filter on the engine and transmission. Then I need a quart of new oil added. Im wondering why the Pontiac calls for Asian fluid. It has a Toyota transmission. Have to crawl under the car to get to the dipstick. They dont make Motor Guard oil cleaners now. Had to modify a M 30 compressed air filter. The 3.4 engine has a Australian Jackmaster Classic. I dont believe in allowing lubricants to get dirty then draining them.

[@rileystanek]

Nobody talks about transmission fluid changes! We need more information on this. In a world where there is no way for the consumer to check transmission fluid or even change it themselves. Manufacturers saying they use "Lifetime Fluid" I'm not comfortable with that. Especially when I want to take great care of my car and make it last

[@andymike6575]

Going off Blackstone UOAs I change my oil every 25,000 miles running Red Line (POE base) or Amsoil signature series (PAO base) heavy duty 15w40 and the 2 micron Amsoil bypass filtration system. At 25k it still has plenty TBN and anti wear additives left with minimal wear metals and fuel dilution. It probably would be safe to run 30k intervals but 25k gives me peace of mind. I’ll change the full flow filter every 12,500 miles. For that I use the Purolator Boss

[@fitnesspoint2006]

i understand there can be varnish build up from long interval changes even though the TBN and wear additives are good

[@andymike6575]

@@fitnesspoint2006 That’s a fair concern. I plan to pull the valve cover off soon at 80k and inspect. I’ll report back!

[@ralphwood8818]

There is almost nothing in a modern engine large enough to be removed by a full flow filter. I have no way of measuring microns.The Australian Jackmaster Classic claims 1 micron. Motor Guard has always claimed submicronic. I believe Gulf Coast filters claims 1 micron. I have all of them in use. I gave up allowing oil to get dirty then draining it in 1963 with a Frantz oil cleaner. I normally dont drain oil.

[@andymike6575]

@@ralphwood8818 interesting…you’re talking about bypass filters, correct?

[@ralphwood8818]

Yes bypass toilet paper filters. Toilet paper is high quality cellulose. They are trying to hide the fact that they are toilet paper filters. Jackmaster puts a high quality roll of Australian toilet paper in a sock and charges 20 bucks for it. I use Great Value 1000 from Walmart in mine. Most use Scott 1000. People assume toilet paper comes apart in oil. It gets stronger in oil. I started with a Frantz in 1963. Went to the top loaders in the 80s. The Jackmaster needs a firm roll. It has no center tube. They depend on the 1 15/16 core seal at the bottom. All I have used is the classic. Not familiar with the Ultra or the bigger models. I sold Frantz Motor Guard and Gulf Coast filters years ago. Motor Guard only makes compressed air filters now. I think Gulf Coast filters only makes paper towel filters now. When I was selling Frantzs Gulf Coast filters had Frantz 3 stackers all over the Gulf of Mexico. At some point the Frantzs went out of production. We also lost the FAA approved AeroFrantz. In 1963 I was working in a full service Standard station. A Standard oil engineer told me to use a Frantz and Delo. Delo came in 20W and 30W. Couldnt use multi grade in a diesel.

[@markcoopers1930]

If OEM milage intervals in your manual are based on OEM oil, and that OEM oil is already a full synthetic, I'd argue it's best not to grant any sort of leeway just because you're getting full synthetic. I typically hit the 6 months point long before I hit the milage anyway, so I'm saying that with no skin in the game 🤣 Many owners manuals also list a "standard usage" and "heavy usage" maintenance schedule. With standard being in the 10-12k miles/1yr, and heavy being half of that. And it's very easy to fall into the heavy usage category. Trying to convince my family they fully meet the criteria for heavy usage has been an uphill battle, even though they want to keep their cars to infinity and beyond.

[@islanddon865]

I concur 100% with these recommendations. This confirms exactly the same recommendations from our Chief Shop Mechanic at one of my old Honda Dealerships. And Honda has built more engines that any other manufacturer. Thank you, sir.👍

[@ba0700]

I’m 72 now and have always changed my own oil even when I’ve experienced frozen shoulder, impingement or shoulder operations making it painful to do so. Concern for and respect for the vehicle are my reasons.

[@vegasfordguy]

I do synthetic oil changes every 5,000 miles on my vehicles along with an OEM oil filter. I have no trouble making it to 250,000 miles. I definitely agree with your advice. Even though modern engine oils are excellent, it's the contaminates that are suspended in the oil from the air taken in from the engine, fuel, carbon and others. A bypass oil filter will really help this as well.

[@nicholaspaul2458]

Hi David. Excellent simple explanation with your three categories. My dealer in Toronto recommends a 8000 K interval. I alter this by changing oil and filter myself at the 4K mark. Makes it easy to remember. I always use synthetic primarily as it is easier on the engine for cold winter starting.

[@jayson_djx_valdez]

I have 2011 Toyota Corolla, it has 165k miles on it & have been changing oils/filter every 5k miles sometimes 6k miles, and still runs great.👍

[@crusinscamp]

I find remembering to do the oil change is critical. I've got five cars in my "family fleet". The cost of oil for the car is a fraction of the cost of the fuel I put in a car, it doesn't hurt I shop for oil on sale, get good quality oil filters inexpensively and change the oil myself. All that said, I like an interval of 3,333 miles. So, my entire fleet gets oil changes when the odometer ends in 3,333 miles, 6,666 miles and 9,999 (10K) miles. They're all on the same schedule, so I can tell at a glance when I'm due for an oil change on any of the cars I'm responsible for.

[@jerryyoung6494]

At first, I thought this sounded ridiculous. But the more I think about it, it’s awesome! I’m definitely starting this

[@bertblue9683]

When changing oil at 3,000 mi was the standard, it was easy to just add the first two numbers on your odometer and if it was divisible by 3, it was time to change your oil. 3000 3 + 0. 42,000 4+2 96,000 9+6

[@lennylipe6434]

2017 RAV4 with mostly highway miles with a road warrior job. Full synthetic, the oil didn't even start getting dirty until 6,000 miles. I added half cup of Seafoam or Marvel Mystery to the crankcase the day before oil change and made sure it was warmed up fully. It is my suspicion that the sludge buildup in/on the piston oil wiper rings are what cause these engines to fail prematurely and start burning oil. As it was mostly highway miles, I usually changed oil at 9k-11k intervals. Call me crazy, but 205,000 miles currently and no oil burning issues. Toyota filters from dealer, oil is not black...maybe dark brown before changing. YMMV but I'm very happy with this vehicle.

[@dongjuang4196]

I think you are the wisest man not to do unnecessary frequent oil changes. Really crazy are those who change every 3000miles.

[@sawmanbigtreeslayer2360]

I have a 2020 Rav 4 with the 2.5 liter. I been doing the Mystery Marvel right in oil. Same thing. Oil looks clean at 5000 to 6000. I am using Mobil 1. 0W-16 weight with the high end Fram filter. I do notice that at 74,000 miles when you punch it in Eco mode it will redline like the transmission is stuck in 5 or 6th gear. I believe these have an 8 speed auto transmission. I have feeling that its not good on these motors to run right up to 6200 rpm. Creates a ton of heat. I wonder if that is why these engines fail at lower mileage? The Mobil one is rated for 10,000 miles. I have been doing it at 7500 miles.

[@Maurice-c6z]

You listen to to many videos and have a false idea of what's in your pan, if you change oil regularly there is NO CRAP in your pan

[@Frank-rb2ry]

@@sawmanbigtreeslayer2360 I'm also 2022 Rav4 2.5L 8AT, I don't drive too much, so I usually change once a year.

[@kenj.8897]

Your putting unknown crap in your engine . Only oil belongs there not some mystery witchcraft junk

[@dimmacommunication]

Depends a lot on the engine and also driving. The family MB needs oil change every 4 months 😭 due to fuel dilution

[@verticalift]

Have owned and driven a 2014 Volvo V40 T5 (5 Cylinder Turbo) Cross Country since new. Just drove through 44,000km today. Synthetic Engine Oil and Filter changes at the Volvo Dealership every 6 months or 5,000km.

[@brkbtjunkie]

I got a 2013 Lexus ES in 2018, I noticed right away that letting the oil go 10k, even the good Mobil 1 full synthetic, it came out so so black, I thought, this can’t be right. After that I started doing 5k intervals but now that it has 115k, I’m doing 3k changes. My LX has 243k miles and I baby it with oil changes every 2k mostly because it’s driven off road almost as much as it’s driven on road.

[@TheRealSykx]

It's just soot, in fact, it's good that it's in the oil and not depositing in the engine, that's one of the many benefits of modern oils. You really don't give modern oil enough credit.

[@willg.5168]

​@@TheRealSykxexactly!

[@willg.5168]

The oil being "black" is more than likely from the cleaning from the oil, as synthetic oil is detergent oil

[@ralphwood8818]

At 250.000 miles without an oil change the Mobil 1 in the 84 Subaru looked new. At 65.000 miles the Walmart synthetic oil looks new in the Pontiac The Subaru had a Frantz oil cleaner. The Pontiac has a Australian Jackmaster Classic If the oil gets black in a gasoline engine you need a better oil filter. I expect the oil in my diesel tractor to be black. In the 60s it was common for the oil to be black in 2.000 miles. Install a bypass depth filter and the oil looked new if you used the right oil. Standard Delo 30W or 20W was beautiful when it was clean.

[@rightangletriangle3188]

Have a 2004 Honda Odyssey at 270,000 miles, bought new and changed oil/filter every 3K to 5K miles. Engine is still running well. Hope it can last to 500,000 miles.

[@jmyers6175]

If you are driving stop and go suggest changing every 3000 miles. Highway driving 40 miles or more a day every 5000 miles. 😊

[@lvsqcsl]

The oil in the Marquis gets changed every 3,000 miles like clockwork. The car has 497,000 miles. Good advice. GREAT VIDEO!

[@mongoosevsgt]

You know the Car Care Nut is a reputable Toyota master mechanic when a 35 yr experienced auto engineer mentions you in his video as a reference.

[@MrNicktheBeat]

I don't do high mileage and most of it is stop-go with the occasional 20 mile run. I change the oil and filter every year when I give it a pre-MOT service. The car is 22 years old with 82,000 miles on the clock and runs sweetly with never an issue. The same goes for my 3 classic motorcycles ( combined age over 120 years) which have never had an engine issue in my ownership. At only around £20 per oil change, it's certain;y the most cost effective service item for long engine life.

[@joevarga5982]

I've owned my 2004 Audi S4 since it had 13,000 miles. After 20 years of use it now has 161,000 miles. I change the oil and filter every 10,000 mi. as recommended by Audi, with Mobil 1 full synthetic without issue. I'm even on the original timing chain guides and tensioners.

[@RicardoValdes-r6w]

I agree with around every 4,000 miles oil change interval with new oil filter with the requirement of new cars. I have a 2024 Honda Pilot and think that every 4,000 miles oil change and filter maybe adequate although the dealership service dept recommends every 5,000 miles interval. Thank you for your great video.

[@jimmyamico4713]

Hi David, I change my oil about every 2000 to 2500 miles … regardless, how long I keep the vehicle… the longest I will wait is every 3000 to 3500 miles….. I just put a mental note in my head that every 5000 miles I change it twice so sometimes I change it at 1000 miles or 4000 miles or I change it at 2000 miles or 3000 miles as long as it gets done twice within 5000 miles that’s the way ideal with my 5.7 L V8 engine… I want to keep it clean on the inside as I do on the outside if that makes any sense… thank you David this is an extremely important and helpful and informative video. Thank you so much I know you’re tired of hearing this, but you are the best of the best of the best and that’s the name of that tune….lol🇯🇵🤍❤️🌎😇⭐️👍🙏🎉

[@DanielJohnson-ec8rk]

That’s a ridiculous timeframe. I also drive a 5.7 Hemi and do penzoil ultra platinum at 6,000. Mine has 273,000 on it. Results speak for themselves

[@johnmartin7158]

⁠​⁠@@DanielJohnson-ec8rk. You gotta a point. It’s gets to the stage where it gets ridiculous. 6000 is more than ample for a 5.7 hemi.

[@prnvang9434]

Interesting how things has changed over time. 25 years ago, any mechanic wanting to change your oil every 3k / 3 months is ripping you off.. I had customers get in my face because I recommended to change synthetic oil every 5k miles, and let's not get started on the lifetime transmission fluid.

[@Treshar]

Id be very lucky to do 4000 ks per year in my car as i also ride a motorbike, and since its cheap and i do it myself for around $100 per year i do an oil change mid year then do both oil and filter at the end of the year. My car is a V6 Pathfinder and im hoping to keep it for a while longer. I should also add every few years i take it to my mechanic for the end of year oil change and get him to service it and check it over for anything else that it may need.

[@RegCoulter]

David, Excellent video and your time and effort to make it is most appreciated. I need to ask a question. I recently purchased my 11th Honda, in this case, a 2024 Honda CRV Hybrid Touring model. I live in Saskatoon Saskatchewan and get really cold winters and very hot summers. Having purchased the vehicle at the end of October 2023, we had to endure a brutal December. While I park underground in heated parking, I still need to venture outside in those temperatures, park it, and leave it sit for several hours, before restarting to drive it home. The CRV has active grill shutters that assist with getting the engine up to temperature as quickly as possible, in addition to giving me cabin heat, even though the vehicle operates in battery only mode at times. My question is, should I trust the Honda Maintenance minder or go with my gut and change it more often. My concern is that the number of on/off cycles of the hybrid system means that I am more likely to not have the engine up to operating temperature for long enough periods of time to purge the crankcase of unwanted blowby and contaminants. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this question. As others have said, the cheapest engine is really expensive, however the most expensive engine oil is cheap. Thank you.

[@bdcochran01]

You are spot on with the recommendations. I drive a 2004 Avalon. purchased brand new. Have changed the oil every 3000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. For the last 10 years, it has been short, urban hops to the grocery store. Once or twice a year, highway driving. Car runs like the first day driven, brand new. With the last oil change, I did my first chemical cleaning of the engine for 15 minutes. Preventative maintenance. Toyota no longer offers the Avalon model. So, take the sales tax alone on the 2022 Avalon, over $3000 in my county. That would pay for a lot of oil changes.

[@theredscourge]

Sure, the oil manufacturers certify their oil to last 10,000-20,000 miles depending on product, and they make high mileage filters, but I change my oil every 13 seconds just in case.

[@premraj2817]

You are 1000 percent correct don't bother about such criticism

[@HEELMACHINE]

This to me is the best explanation for oil change intervals. So many opinions but this one is the best I believe. Yes oil can last a long time but dirty oil circulation is not good. I’ve been doing my own oil changes for 30 years and use the 3k interval. That would be hard to do if I paid someone to change it though. So I thinks it’s a good idea to change yourself

[@cardo1111]

Excellent advice. Well explained and makes perfect sense. Oil still must be changed despite advances in synthetic stock and additive packages. I'm glad to see the recent push on KZbin for this as often overworked smaller engines, turbocharged, direct injection etc. have put a lot more demand on oil. Don't trust the manufacturer of your vehicle or the oil company 100% as they are always trying to sell you either their product over another or a replacement vehicle every few years, no such thing as lifetime transmission fluid either. Option 2 will work best for most of us. Nobody advocated for neglecting your vehicle and screwing the next owner, "worst-case" follow the owner's manual recommendations.

[@ralphwood8818]

I gave up dirty oil and routine oil changes in 1963 with a Frantz oil cleaner and Standard Delo 30W. In those days we changed the filter more often and added more makeup oil. Now I go 6.000 miles between filter changes using Walmart synthetic. I use depth bypass filters on my transmissions. The first filter change and everything is clean. Dont worry about dirty fluid again. Without proper filtration transmission fluid can have more abrasives than motor oil. The old Ford truck has a Gulf Coast filter on it. The 390 engine has a Motor Guard on it. All of my filters use toilet paper except the old Ford diesel tractor that uses a flat head Ford V8 canister filter modified to use a roll of Scott 1000. It has half a roll of Viva towels in it now. No routine draining of good motor oil. The Pontiac has a Australian Jackmaster Classic. A lot of filters that clean oil these days. Not many choices in the 60s. Frantz and Motor Guard is all we had.

[@steven4894]

The greatest video 📹 EVER! Thank-you! You helped me SO-OOO-OO MUCH! May Almighty God continue to Bless 🙏 you (and your family 👪) for all the things that you do! ❤

[@steverichdrummr]

Thank you, I am a do it yourselfer and I have great interest in these topics.

[@grndzro777]

So the moral of the story is DO NOT BUY LEASED VEHICLES EVER!!!!

[@dokada1]

I agree it would be better to buy new, instead of lease. But I have been buying off lease CPO Toyota and Lexus because of the lower cost and service history. Although only the manufacture's oil change interval was followed (A) early in it's life, I change oil with (B). Both of these vehicles. 2014 Camry (150K miles), 2008 Lexus ES350 (125K miles) consume very little oil and run great.

[@williamiwaniuk5561]

I would add a caveat that buying a leased vehicle or or a "program vehicle"/ demo or a used vehicle that is no older than three years can be fine, provided that the Carfax indicated proper oil changes and maintenance. In my life, I have never been stuck with a vehicle that was not cared for properly. Additionally, buying new does NOT guarantee success. As an example, I have experienced a Coyote engine that needed a quart about every 1,500 miles; according to the manufacturer, that usage is normal. I had a second Coyote in a different truck that never used oil during an entire oil change interval. I also had a 305 cu. in. that, after the 12k warranty was up, showed 2 adjacent cylinders with wet spark plugs.

[@SilentBob1932]

Good information and explanation. I’m definitely a A Guy, 6 vehicles age range 9 to 51 years, I change oil every 3-5k miles along with all the other fluids (Differential , Transmission, Power Steering, Brake, and Coolant) at 50k

[@moose354]

Hi David. You need category D - vehicles equipped with Direct Gas Injection or Turbo or both. The high-pressure blowby degrades the oil to max oil life of 3,000 miles or 4,500 Km regardless of how long you keep your car.

[@bobochan4699]

Yep, i thought the same for turbos.

[@jessemorgan7007]

David, We have a 2004 Honda CRV in our family with 150k miles that we bought brand new in 2004 and we have done a synthetic oil and filter change every 4 months since buying the vehicle. The engine is still running like it was brand new. Hoping our other cars (2016 4 Runner and 2022 CRV) last as long as our 2004 with the push for EV's coming.

[@dproulx222]

Awesome..I follow the 4 month interval change too.... January - April May - August September - December I put on about 15,000 kms annually... Hope my Corolla Hybrid SE AWD will last forever....

[@jimhill3546]

Thanks David, awesome breakdown for each oil change criteria :) 100% true results for "criteria A" with a 2001 Camry replacing oil/filter every 3-5 K kms since new and now the car has almost 500 K kms and still runs like the day it was born 😀

[@bobochan4699]

just wow!

[@ralphwood8818]

My 84 Subaru went 250.000 miles without an oil change If I changed the oil every 3.000 miles it would still have gone 250.000 miles. That car had a Frantz oil cleaner. It never saw dirty oil. The contamination was in the filter or thru the PCV.

[@eugenefirebird8938]

As soon as I see the oil is no longer that brand new amber color on the dip stick and I see it is the least bit brown, I change that oil. Usually that happens between 1500 and 2000 miles.

[@donzack9667]

My 2001 Grand Cherokee 4.7 v8 lasted 450000 miles. Mobil 1 every 3000 miles. Send an oil sample once a year to Blackstone laboratories in Indiana for analysis to make sure no coolant in oil. Never shut the engine off cold. Operating temperature very important. And keep driving.

[@DuaneBrosky]

How many transmissions did you go through?

[@janomnia]

And on turbo engines without separate oil pump lubricating the turbo itself it's important to let the engine idle for at least 1 minute before turning off the engine. Giving the turbo time to rev down again before the lubrication is shut down together with the engine shut down. Some cars have separate oil pump for the turbo itself, but not all cars. Something to have in mind. Great video... thanks 👍

[@armedmariner]

Love this topic. Love the categories. Assume we can get a car to 500,000 miles. Assume oil changes are $40 per change. Assume you do it yourself. The differential cost to change it every 3,000 miles vs every 5,000 miles is only $2667 over the 500,000 mile life of that engine. If you drive 25,000 miles a year it will take you 20 years to get to 500,000 miles. It will cost you $11 a month more to change oil at 3,000 vs 5,000 mile intervals. I had a 2017 Ford F150 with the Coyote V8 5.0l engine. I changed oil meticulously trying to maintain 3,000 miles. When I sold it I had a spreadsheet of all maintenance I did on that truck. My mean time between oil changes was 3,400 miles. I had 157,000 miles on that truck. It ran as good as new and I am not exaggerating that. It had the old 6-spd trans and after 75,000 miles I started to suck and fill one quart of trans fluid every two oil changes. This turned out to be very easy to do once I set myself up for a quick “takt time” operation. At 157,000 I sold it and received TOP DOLLAR for the truck of $28,000. It was a basic XLT trim by the way. The guy who bought it now has over 200,000 on it. He is also maintaining it the way I did. We stay in touch and we hope to see that motor at least reach 300,000. I find that to be a very reasonable expectation. My old boss had an F250 with the 6.2l. He drove tons of highway miles. He also loves his truck and maintain 3,000 mile oil change intervals. That truck now has 330,000 miles on it. It is his daily driver. His bird dog owns the back seat and is his constant companion in that truck. David. Thanks for a great video. I hate when people tell me that their book recommends 10k mile oil changes. I try to explain why I shoot for 3,000 but they don’t understand the micro physics of sliding parts separated by an oil film. This I’ll never be able to convince them. That’s ok. I just won’t buy a car from them!

[@JHKCF]

I’m not arguing that changing oil every 3k is a smart practice. Why not every 2k? Wouldn’t that be even better? Why not every 1k? You don’t know that if you changed every 4k that it wouldn’t have still been running as good as new. We live in an economy where some people have to decide whether to spend their money on food or medicine. Luckily I’m not in that category, but if they go every 6k instead of every 3k, that doesn’t make them a bad person, or an uninformed person or even an unwilling person, maybe that’s all they can practically afford to do. Back in the day it was just the standard to go 3k. So was that interval necessary, or did the oil companies want to sell more oil? It reminds me of Proctor and Gamble way back in the day when they had like 90% of the shampoo market but weren’t satisfied. They decided to just change the instructions on the label to say “rinse and repeat”. So now people that followed the instructions used it twice as fast so they could sell more. Was it necessary? The engineer in this video even said, it’s not that the oil loses its ability to lubricate, it’s cause it gets too dirty. So maybe it would be helpful for the car manufacturers to put a color guide in the owners manual, and recommend a certain stage of oil color rather than a set mileage interval. Just a thought.

[@joevarga5982]

"I hate when people tell me that their book recommends 10k mile oil changes." I hate when people like you think they know better than the manufacturer. I've owned my 2004 Audi S4 since it had 13,000 miles. It now has 161,000 miles. I change the oil and filter every 10,000 mi. as recommended by Audi, with Mobil 1 full synthetic without issue. I'm even on the original timing chain guides and tensioners. Now tell my how I'm wrong.

[@willg.5168]

3000 mile o/c with highway driving? Do me the favor of saving that oil and I'll come and pick it up every 6 months so as to continue using that "clean" oil

[@joevarga5982]

@@motleydude73 It's easier to fool someone into believing that they need to change their oil every 3,000 miles than to convince them that they've been fooled.

[@armedmariner]

This all got pretty personal and if I caused any of that I’m apologizing. Oil gets dirty every time the piston hits TDC on combustion. The piston rings are totally awesome by design at how they help control the cylinder pressure but they CANNOT hold it all back. Dirty combustion byproducts come past the piston rings and make the oil get dirty. That “dirt” is carbon byproducts. That carbon is pretty abrasive. That dirty oil may still have lubricity within spec range but it is still dirty. David did say that Toyota race engineers think very short mean time between oil changes is better. I believe this is the reason. Yes it is still “slippery” but it’s also now dirty with carbon blow by and that means it is also now a bit more abrasive. I shoot a lot. I’ve studied carbon deposits in F-Class Benchrest rifles. Carbon deposits left uncleaned are incredibly tough to remove. Especially the “carbon ring” just forward of the bullet right before the lands. Carbon can build up there enough to not only open up shot groups but also produce excessive (dangerous) pressures. I’m wondering is someone out there can technically describe what an oil filter is capable of filtering out of oil? Does an oil filter reduce carbon in the oil from blow by? Or is it only good for larger particles? It would be awesome to understand pressure gradients across an oil filter at 2k, 3k, 4K, 5k up to 10k or even 15k. I would think that when oil pressure gradient picks up to a certain point that’s the time to change oil. I suppose that kind of pressure gauge could be installed. I just changed my F-350 7.3l gas engine oil today. I have 58,000 miles on that truck and my mean time between oil changes is 4,600 miles at this point. I am going to stick to that. Personal choice.

[@Chris-p2s1c]

You are an extremely wise man! I change my oil and filter every 5000kms and have never had an issue related to lack of servicing.

[@scarhart53]

You're throwing away and wasting completely good oil then. 5000km is only 3100 miles, which was usually the recommended interval for dino oil! And even then that was too short an interval.

[@brianaustin1328]

I would add, if you change your oil every 3000 miles, don’t bother with buying expensive brand oils, buy the right viscosity of whatever is on sale. Same for filters.

[@thomasroberts8024]

Indeed. Costco has their house brand, Kirkland Signature, which varies between $3.09 and $3.99/qt depending on whether or not it's on sale. This oil is blended and packaged by Highline-Warren (formerly Warren Distribution, in existence since1922) and is listed in the American Petroleum Institute (API) registry as passing all the API and ILSAC requirements, along with the GM Dexos 1 requirements. A kind employee of Blackstone Labs which tests tons of oil samples annually says the results they find with Kirkland show it performs as well as any other good brand and the additive is package it contains is much like the popular brands. HE USES IT because of the good deal. I use it for the same reason! And yes, in my Lexus RX, not an old beater of some kind. The view down the oil filler pipe with a flashlight shows nice and shiney parts with no varnish of any kind at 55,000 miles.

[@brianaustin1328]

@@thomasroberts8024 thanks for the feedback!

[@averyalexander2303]

In general I'd agree, but make sure the oil still meets whatever specs are listed in the owners manual. Also, for severe usage such as extreme cold starts, racing, lots of hard driving, heavy towing, particularly hilly terrain, or maybe even lots of heavy traffic, using something a bit better than the cheapest oil you can find may be worth it for the added protection. Same is true IMO for boosted engines. Changing the oil on time is most important, but if ultimate longevity is the goal, I do think there is a time and a place for premium oils.

[@DeepOceanDiver]

Most filters have no return rubber valve.. It that's stiff cheap stuff not working/closing as it should, engine runs on start few sec without oil pressure at all..

[@enzoh7763]

​@@thomasroberts8024 ,, Thanks for writing that comment about Kirkland engine oil. Previously , I was using branded oil , Until covid event, They up their price and sales are fewer in between ,. So I just switch to Kirkland , Since I change every 5k km's . But ,, but the filter , Oem and others have price difference of less than 5% only . Good relation with parts people at "stealer-ship" , has its benefits .

[@markhull9156]

When I was young and strapped for cash I was told "If you can't afford the oil at least change the filter". Which raises the question: If the oil is capable of longer life as long as it's clean will a fresh filter enable you to run longer (ignoring the mess you might make swapping out filters with a full crankcase)?

[@noelsaw]

Thanks for making this video David! I just got a 2021 Lexus RX350 CPO which the factory has a “normal” 10k oil change interval in their included maintenance which I think is crazy. I am going to pay out of pocket for oil changes every 5k miles. Also another controversial thing I haven’t heard anyone talk about is that all current “L/Certified” used Lexuses are going to fall out of the certification because of the current airbag recall without resolution. My dealer gave me an equivalent extended warranty through Toyota but it’s not the “same thing” as what I paid for.

[@carlosavila1155]

I drive a 2023 Mazda3 2.5 S Select FWD Sedan. So far, I've taken it in for an oil change & tire rotation about every 3500 miles. My first oil change was before a road trip from Illinois to Arizona and back. My second oil change was after returning from the road trip. I'm due for my third oil change soon. The car runs great and has been reliable. Not sure how long I'm going to keep the car, but I prefer to maintain it often and reduce the need for expensive repairs. Thanks for the recommendations.

[@dproulx222]

Much respect for taking care of your vehicle... When you go and sell it with all the maintenance records the new owner will be able know exactly what fluids have been changed and when to replace the fluids that have yet to be changed. Thank you for taking care of your vehicle.

[@erickisel8668]

@AutomotivePress: Excellent information, thank you! Can you do a video like this on transmission fluid, differential fluid, transfer case, etc? EDIT: do these recommendations apply to turbocharged and direct injection?

[@fitnesspoint2006]

it its turbo change oil evey 1,000 miles and if you want to play it safe then change the oil every 500 miles

[@MattyManRC300]

WOW! This was the exact video I was looking for! I want to keep my boosted Lexus RC as long as possible, and recently, i've started to change my oil from every 5,000 miles to every 3,000 miles at about the 75k mile mark, so i'm hoping that will help keep it last in good condition until at least 300k miles

[@michaelbrennan7148]

Thank you David. Much appreciated.

[@Davido50]

My 2 Ford 4wd trucks ..bought new.. have gotten consistant 5k mi oil changes w/Pennzoil Ultra Platinum & Motorcraft filters (oil & air). I do 1st oil change @1500mis after general break-in period i must add. Tranny fluid /differential fluid changes @50k mis. Over 300k mis on '14 F150 & 198k mis on '18 F150. Both run perfect & never use any oil. They are GTDI V6 turbo engines. Have new '24 Ranger Raptor on order now that will not be replacing other trusty trucks. More a wknd toy type thing. Im an engineer by trade.

[@brian_SlingingHooks]

Thank you for the guidance. I am a Type A while the remainder of my family are Type B as newer vehicle owners. I do have a conflict with the scaled maintenance guidance. Poor souls that purchase a used car under Type C maintenance. I practice a Type A schedule for my own and family's vehicles ensuring they get the best maintenance value.

[@robertp9370]

2008 Corolla. Currently have 250k miles. 150k I put on since Covid. I’ve done about 10 oil changes every 15k miles the last 150k miles. Using 20,000mile full synthetic oil. Car runs perfect. Doesn’t burn more than a quart of oil over 15,000 miles. I do a lot of driving and I just am not going to pay 3x more for oil when the car keeps running so good. But, i may start changing it every 10k, but no way I’ll do it every 5k. But that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t.

[@ericwright3382]

I have always been a 3000 mile guy. Two vehicles went just under 300K miles. That said, my younger days, I bought oil on sale for 78 cents a quart, Penzoil, and a Walmart filter on sale for 2 bucks. That's right, I could do my oil changes for $5.50, done.

[@mikegordon8178]

I put 5600 miles on my new Subaru FA24 break-in oil, also had a laboratory analysis on the oil. It had low amounts of wear metals and very low amounts of combustion contaminates and no amounts of coolant migration contaminates. I would recommend a lab analysis to anyone curious about the condition of their engine. It is cheap peace of mind, about $35.00. I check the oil every fill up and have no drop in level yet, feel it between my fingers and smell it for any changes in aroma such as burnt by turbocharger.

[@stevedott715]

Does Subaru use a special break in oil?

[@billwylde4846]

I could use that money towards my next 2000 oil change instead. Especially in a FA24 with its RTV problem. I drive short distances with minimal amount of drive time. Lab testing is a waste of money. Unless you like burning your wallet.

[@ralphwood8818]

I used Mobil 1 15 50 racing oil to break in my 84 Subaru. When I got it home from the dealership I put in the Mobil 1. It was so well put together it didnt need break in oil. Never got another oil change. I was supposed to go back for a valve adjustment. Never did. For what an oil analysis cost I can change the filter and add makeup oil. That Subaru used a Frantz oil cleaner. The 93 Legacy uses a Motor Guard oil cleaner and Walmart synthetic oil.

[@Gatekeeper-p6g]

I am from old school thinking I believe in keeping the oil and filter changed about 5,000 miles!

[@petercrutchley6085]

Excellent summary and sound advice. Thank you

[@Mike80528]

My Honda Odyssey made it beyond 225,000 miles over about 12 years before I sold it and it still ran great. I did my changes every 5k miles. My 2010 Legacy is probably at about 250,000 miles now (son has it), and that was also every 5k mile and is still running great. 3k miles is throwing away money unless you are running cheap oils and filters.

[@hueywallop2461]

Could you show us the test data that support your recommendations? Thanks.

[@joevarga5982]

Test data? 🤣 He's got your test data hangin'.

[@Maynardd]

He’s an engineer. he makes these engines.

[@joevarga5982]

@@Maynardd That's not data and he doesn't make any engines.

[@Maynardd]

@@joevarga5982 just designed them, hence the word engineer. start looking up things on KZbin like what happens to my engine if I don’t change my oil. The data has been available for literally decades. Don’t be ridiculous.

[@joevarga5982]

@@Maynardd What engines did he design? What oil testing programs has he performed? I ALREADY know what happens when you don't change your oil. Where did I say "Don't change your oil."? Stop putting words in my mouth then attacking me for saying things that I didn't say, clown. You're the one who's being ridiculous. Now answer my questions.

[@lint8391]

Urban vs freeway driving also makes a difference to how often I'd change the oil.

[@franklinw2485]

What if you're a very, very low mileage driver? Like 1200 to 1500 miles per year (two or three days a week)? Do you still recommend every six months?

[@mrslcom]

Once a year

[@stoundingresults]

Supposedly the oil loses its chemical magic with age and the heat and cold cycles. Oil changes are cheap and fast it wouldn't hurt to change it more often.

[@loonaticsrunningtheassylum]

After working in engine development the biggest problem is people put the wrong oil in.... It's the acea number that counts NOT 5w 50 or whatever temperature range your country requires. I use the EXACT oil the manufacturer states and it gets changed ever 2 years or 20000 miles... I don't do that many miles in the car only about 5 or 6000 miles a year. But it's always clean, never burns any and hasn't missed a beat in 10 years.

[@nerdyeevideos1879]

It’d be really interesting to actually have some data to back all this up.

[@bizzfo]

People, most service centers at dealerships don’t know anything about oil. Seriously. There was once a time where paying more, a lot more, to have a dealership service your vehicle was worth every cent as they hired skilled mechanics and did top quality honest work. That’s no longer the case, hasn’t been for a long time. Today you still pay through the nose at a dealership for service but they give zero F’s about the quality of work they do, zero. Change your own dang oil. Some things can’t be avoided, recalls etc. but otherwise do as much work as you can on your own vehicle that way you know it’s done with pride and done well. It’s 2024, you can figure out how to do most things on your own.

[@efil4kizum]

+2 from someone that has used Toyota dealerships service almost exclusive since 1995... until i saw the shittti work done by them hacks

[@atgn-0088]

Totally agree with A and B. C is kina scary, especially with a turbo engine which a lot of new cars are coming with.

[@randywl8925]

The bigger question I believe, is do you drive 3 miles to work every day or 30.

[@Welcome0002]

3000-4000 miles or every 6 months, as long as you do highway driving of 20-30 miles every week to burn dilution of oil by water and gasoline.

[@ralphwood8818]

I use bypass depth filters on everything including lawn mowers. Even with filters that clean oil short trips in cold weather is a engine killer. In Idaho no problem I drove 36 miles one way to work. Years ago when I sold depth bypass filters I sent filters to placed like Norway and Northern Canada. Frantz at one time had a heater. I think it was a Alaska package. Kind of like a electric blanket. Not such a problem with modern synthetic oil.

[@ralphwood8818]

The PCV cant do its job until the oil gets hot.

[@arthurmroyce]

The whole "normal" versus "severe" service has been controversial since the 1970's when the SAE defined these terms. As I read normal service virtually nobody falls into that criteria which is basically highway driving in good weather. I have always used the following: If the car is not driven much then change the oil every 6 months. Otherwise severe service intervals or no more than 4k for a turbo and 5k for NA. My engines last a long time and do not burn oil. The car I drive actually specifies a 3k OCI with synthetic oil in the owners manual. It is GDI and the oil gets pretty dirty. I also have Fumoto valves installed on all of my cars to make my life easy.

[@jerrypolverino6025]

My Dodge Cummins Diesel has 390,000 miles. I changed the oil from the beginning at 3,000 miles using a high quality full flow filter. I use full synthetic 5 w 40 Shell Rotella. It uses no measurable oil during the 3,000 miles between changes. In my Buick Park Avenue with 160,000 miles I use Pennzoil 5 w 30 Full synthetic and change oil and filter every 3,000 miles. It uses about 1 quart between changes. In my Hyundai Santa Fe, it has 224,000 miles. I use Pennzoil full synthetic 5 w 40 and change and filter every 3,000 miles. It uses about 1 quart between changes. I do an oil analysis every 25,000 miles. All three vehicles are doing fine.

[@kinster02]

I change my oil right before the car tells me to and I have no issues with it. I knew a woman that hadn't changed her oil in years or if ever until I did it for her and the truck worked perfectly and the oil wasn't even that dirty.

[@Funkydood]

Scotty Kilmer recommends your “Plan B” across the board. Close enough! Also, sir, may I suggest you give your professional advice on Super Tech/COSTCO motor oils. Thanks!

[@nanakuffo2]

I use Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage & filter. Absolutely love that product

[@khoayeuha]

I use to care about oil brands. Not anymore. The best oil brand is the one that is fresh new oil and filter, regardless of brand. My current brand is costco oil(cheapest I have found) and toyota oem filter(sold in a box of 10).

[@ralphwood8818]

There is no such thing as a full flow filter that cleans oil. All they are supposed to do is keep large engine damaging abrasives from getting to the engine parts. You drain the oil to remove the small stuff or invest in a depth bypass filter. A 25 micron particle between polished surfaces is not small. Its not rocket science. There are several brands of filters that clean oil. They all have hoses to deal with. I like the ones that use toilet paper or paper towels. The toilet paper jokes and BS stories dont bother me anymore.

[@HalJalikakik]

I use synthetic oil and change it around 8000 miles. I do this because I also rotate my tires at the same interval and this helps me remember to do both.

[@georges.7683]

What about the Honda engine oil life computation displayed on the dash?

[@blessedinpark]

i would follow that. It was designed by the manufacturers engineers. I have a company truck in which i do just that, go by the computer notifying me of an oil change. About every 12K km. We keep the trucks for about 5 years in which the odometer shows approx 250K km.