Oil Quality After Two Years? - BMW Oil Analysis PART 2

Manufacturers suggest changing oil at least once a year, but let's see what the lab results say!
NOTE:
These tests are based on my car and the way I drive it. Your results may vary drastically.
LINKS:
Oil analysis video Part 1: • Are You Changing Oil T...
Oil Analysis Video PART 3: • Change Oil Or Just Kee...
Oil Change Video: • BMW Oil Change - Easy ...
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*Disclaimer*
Due to the litigious world we live in, I have to include this statement:
I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. The creator of this content assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. I recommend safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not the creator of this content.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Check out my other oil analysis videos: Part 1 - BMW 5k, 7.5k, 10k comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGK9e32vm9Wbaq8 Part 2 - BMW Two Year Oil comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZmthmRnZ9SInZo Part 3 - 300k mile Toyota Yaris Oil Analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZKlh5V9jq11as0 Part 4 - 208k mile Jeep Grand Cherokee Oil Analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anm6eHaObtiKptk Part 5 - 10 years without an oil change - Jeep Transfer Case: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hauUooCBq8yjfM0si=NP0_otOTcWy_WHrd Part 6 - Change the Oil or Keep Topping Off? Yaris Oil Analysis Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpjaaYGplrJ1aZY

[@bobjoned3398]

A better system of checking would have been to use a sampling plug and test the same oil as the mileage increases.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

What is a sampling plug?

[@bobjoned3398]

​@@EndlessMoneyPits kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGa7noR9fL-Sr8ksi=Vfg6VyC1N4_ipQOp

[@nikolatesla3968]

I send off a used oil sample to Blackstone Labs with every oil change on each of my vehicles. One of them has always been only a weekend fun machine since it was new 22 years ago. For the past several years, it has seen less than 300 miles per year. The last time I changed the oil after the car had been driven less than 1500 miles - over a 5 YEAR period. The analysis confirmed my belief that oil just sitting in the oil pan of a parked car DOES NOT degrade significantly over time. All values were still well within spec.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Very good to know! Thanks for sharing.

[@donwyoming1936]

Yhup. My findings exactly. Five years in the pan, and the oil is still good. It's not going to degrade without being exposed to heat.

[@Rex_Payne]

Awesome! Thank you for the info.

[@f430ferrari5]

Pretty sure how you drive the car also is that you allow the oil temps to gradually increase before getting into higher rpm’s. 👍

[@richardelliott8352]

you must using another type of analysis, because the Blackstone labs I am familiar with only analyzes the oil for metal content, so that engine wear might be known. It doesn't test if the oil still meets all specifications. It really doesn't matter, with so little use, I doubt the engine or lubrication sees much stress, so any lubrication problem would be real slow showing up. I prefer to look at drag cars for enlightenment on lubrication, since they break things so often. One can't wear out an oil molecule in automotive use, but the additive package ages out, and that is why used oil can be recycled indefinitely, but should be changed at least once a year to keep the additive package working as designed.

[@mpelevic]

It hugely depends on driving conditions, driving habits and driving distances. Ultra short driving distances, especially during winter are condensation heaven, and much more…

[@Victorylap-fy4ke]

The easy solution is to drive any car with those conditions for 15-20 minutes on the freeway to cook out the harm in your oil at least once a month. This is a well-credited oil analyzing lab (Blackstone) advice.

[@Roberto-nj5yr]

The type of engine is more important the driving style. A direct injection gasoling engine would have the highest fuel dilution, followed by turbo diesels and then port injected gas engines. You can typically go 2 years with port-injected gas engines, but with direct injection it must be changed within a year.

[@squeakers27]

Once again, great, detailed, short and sweet video. I personally go by mileage, i don't think these modern day fully synthetic oils are really affected by time, it's the use that wears them down. I just wish the previous owners of cars I've bought used serviced them more regularly than the manufacturers mileage guidelines because if everyone did 7,500 intervals from the start, a majority of engines would make it to 200k+ quite easily. Cars I've owned where previous owners did regular oil changes were always in better health imo.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Thank you. It's really hard to find used cars that have been taken care of. Most people just haven't been taught to take care of them. If I have kids, they will learn young.

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

I change my oil every 5k miles on the cars that are daily driven. My other 4 NON daily driven are changed once per year because they are only driven one day per week and that drive is only about a 20 mile round trip. EDIT: Also yea you have NO idea what the previous owner did to the car or how long they went between oil changes. You can only HOPE they went to actual oil change places to have it done and then its marked in the system that it was done. Where as John Doe claims he did his own oil changes every X miles, you have to hope he is right. I am that John Doe guy, i do ALL my own oil changes and they are ALL done every 5k miles with basic conventional oil, i don't use synthetic, don't see a point, oil is going to break down.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

What the previous owner did or didn't do is irrelevant at this point. I bought the car in 2007 with 82k miles, now at 282k miles. However, the PO did have the car serviced by the dealer until sold to me.

[@jimclarke1108]

Oil new saves engines, old oil kills engines, i'v rebuild many engines, most are from old oil

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

@@jimclarke1108 I would NOT say that OLD oil kills engines because we got MILLIONS of cars that have NEVER EVER EVER had an oil change and they still run.

[@stevesteve7855]

This whole oil issue seems to be an American thing. In sort, marketing. In EU the concern does not exist. My car was designed for servicing and oil changes every 20,000 miles (yes, that's right) - it's a German design mass market car from the GM group. How many times have I had to change the engine (not the oil)? Zero. How old is the car? Just over 20 yo. Does it run OK? Absolutely sweet. I didn't even know about this "keep changing the oil" US habit until I started watching YT... amazing!

[@Victorylap-fy4ke]

Yep, absolute scandalous thieves. I called Mobil 1 to ask about the shelf life of their syn. oil as I had an unopened jug over 5 years old. They told me you get 2 yrs. after opening and 5 yrs. unopened. Really!!! Seems they are marketing it as if it were fragile. IT'S OIL. I called Blackstone oil analyzing laboratory whom I have researched for 8 yrs. now. They said no amount of time on oil degrades it, especially in a jug and that the only thing that degrades it is running through an engine. Thats when I concluded, it's OIL not milk. Modern-day additives is what extends its life compared to decades past. Obviously, Mobil 1 is laughing all the way to the bank and wants to sell as much as they can. I have more knowledge about oil but can't put it all down here. PEOPLE!!! Do a lot of research. Also, read their 10,000 ml. warranty. AHEM, It states if you make a claim that your oil has to be analyzed at a lab. I found the warranty pretty much useless.

[@goodfodder]

Agree, the development of high quality fully synthetic oil was a game changer. Of course companies became concerned about their income hence continued spreading the old era recommendations for 3k miles oil change intervals etc in the US, whereas other countries where environmental factors are of a concern, science and modern technology dictate car manufacturer recommendations.

[@calimero1569]

You from germany driving vectra lol?

[@demoniack81]

As a European myself I also couldn't believe it when I saw so many Americans changing their oil at 5000km. At first I thought they were dumb, then I started thinking that maybe their engines are so badly made that they actually need oil changes that often, then I went back to thinking they're just dumb because there's no way their engines are THAT bad (and also they do it even with foreign cars). One thing that always has left me baffled however is how people never change their gearbox oil here. Everyone seems to believe it lasts "forever". It just doesn't! It's not exposed to combustion products so it lasts much longer than engine oil, but it also has no filter so it will progressively fill up with more and more metal particles and accelerate the wear on your gears exponentially. I changed the gearbox+differential oil in an old tractor I bought and it was absolutely FULL of metal shavings. My new car has around 50000km and I think I'll change the gearbox oil along with the next oil change.

[@mrdave777]

And I love how thousands will still do 3,000 miles. Regardless of the data. Humans hate to be told they’re wrong.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Everyone seems to have strong opinions about oil and they're all different.

[@demoniack81]

Especially when there's an entire other continent where 10000 miles is the bare minimum that the vast majority of people will keep their oil for: Europe. 15000km (9000ish miles) oil change intervals have been the standard for at least the last 30 years, and most manufacturers these days actually specify 30000km. I myself start thinking "I need to change my oil" when it starts getting around 12k and then finally get around to it between 15 and 20, never had any issues. I drove a '97 Audi A4 that consistently had a low oil pressure warning at idle for over 100,000km, still changing the oil every 15-20k, before the turbo finally kicked the bucket. The oil seal in the turbo gave way, it sucked all the oil into the intake while I was driving at 120mph and the engine seized (the stupid oil pressure warning didn't even come on, the one time it would have been needed). The engine had 350,000km and over 20 years by that point. Changing the oil every 5000km is asinine. It's a leftover from ye olden days when oil was mineral based and sludged up very easily, but if you're using good fully synthetic oil (AS YOU SHOULD, there's no reason to feed your engine crappy mineral oil in 2024 when the price difference is so small) at 5k you're throwing away oil that is still basically new.

[@nicodenhaak3961]

In the Netherlands the long intervals are recommended. The intervals go as far as 30.000km, for my 2000 Peugeot 406 coupe V6. I can tell you it's a very bad idea, seeing the internals of some of these engines. My intervals on the dash are set at 15000k, but because i don't drive so much as my buisiness is from home, i do an oilchange every two years. That is well under 10000km. Never had any problems, the engine is like new inside. She has done around 300000km now.

[@Messergebnis-liebhaber]

Great car indeed! ES9J4S?

[@nicodenhaak3961]

@@Messergebnis-liebhaber Yes indeed. My pride and Joy since 2007. In very good and well maintained condition😉

[@Messergebnis-liebhaber]

@@nicodenhaak3961 I'm a great fan of Xantia, 406, Xsara, 306 & 405! Greatest French cars of all time. 406 V6 is smooth and powerful. Quite fast too! I have seen videos of them reaching 250 km/h on German Autobahn! It is also very reliable! It can do half a million kilometers if well maintained! if you have any Instagram account or something, I would be happy to see your car!

[@nicodenhaak3961]

@@Messergebnis-liebhaber I don't have instagram. But i had an account on the same name on the UK 406 coupe forum. Also an old review on the dutch autoweek review part. Enjoy the French/Italian classic 's

[@finnderp9977]

VW says 30000km or 2 years for Long Life oils

[@salimrandall]

My motorcycle and weekend car haven’t had an oil change in 2 years. But I’m busy so I put 500 miles on the car and 100 miles on the bike and the oil still looks new. This video does not give me motivation to do the oil changes until next year.

[@NickeryNelson]

I have always suspected that the (12) month or (x) number of mile recommendation by the engine oil companies was marketing baloney to sell more oil, specifically to those who drive less than average miles per year. This confirms my theory. Thanks for your great work.

[@locust76]

My German Mini Cooper recommends an oil change every 2 years or 30k km... so yeah, I think it's a scam to sell more oil to suggest short intervals

[@Roberto-nj5yr]

No no. Its not all baloney. If you have a port-injected gasoline engine(which most NA petrol engines are) then you can safely go 2 years without an oil change with less than average miles. But if you have direct-injection gas engines or turbo diesels, it must be changed within a year coz the fuel dilution is too high with such engines.

[@NickeryNelson]

@@Roberto-nj5yr But the analysis, as I understand it, does not support this theory. Unless there is some underlying condition that is causing blowback and/or excess fuel contamination, the idea of having to chain oil at 12 months, should not be an issue. The used oil analysis would show if this is a problem, right?

[@Roberto-nj5yr]

@@NickeryNelson Just coz this particular BMW with direct-injection engine doesn't have fuel dilution doesn't mean other similar engines won't. Maybe this car is impeccably maintained by its owner. I think the owner himself is not comfortable with changing oil every 2 years and probably did it for the sake of science, for his youtube audience. Regarding blowback and/or excess fuel contamination, why do you think it occurs in the first place? Brand new engines from a factory won't have these problems. These problems occur due to negligence in oil change interval. You keep changing your oil every 2 years and eventually you will have problems. Maybe not with once or twice, but eventually. If you want to change it 2 years, by all means do it and check how long it lasts before it starts giving problems.

[@sumrdreamer]

The big enemies of oil are moisture and particulate contaminants. Modern oil filters can reduce the particulate loads in the size ranges that can affect engine wear very efficiently and so this form of damage is usually well-controlled, even at high mileage intervals between changes. Moisture, however, is subject to the driving characteristics- short trips in colder climates can accumulate significant amounts of water in the oil. It is important to get the engine hot enough for long enough to evaporate the cold-start moisture from the oil. Moisture will catalyze oil polymerization, which increases oil viscosity with age. Moisture also will react with the additives used to control corrosion and eventually depletes them sufficiently that the oil becomes acidic, and metal damage accelerates. So if cars are driven frequent short trips in a cold climate, shorter change intervals are necessary.

[@secretsquirrel9722]

Brilliant to get real world results. I find them difficult having been a mechanic in a marque that went to 15k mile intervals and there was sludging/varnishing/oil usage issues across all models in our warmer climate. With the caveat that they weren't always the most diligent in servicing on time. Makes me wonder if the test results actually line up with all the actual engine systems. Not just the oil as a singularity? I've seen well maintained 400k+ motors pulled down out of interest. From cars that were wrecked that still look perfect inside. But I've also personally repaired internal parts in engines that are already varnished under the rocker at 40k. That were only serviced the 2 times at the manufacturer recommended distance. I don't like waste. I love efficiency. Especially when it comes to money. But I struggle with the cost risk of extending intervals to save money on oil.

[@1marcelfilms]

15k miles thats crazy. Even 10k km sounds a bit high to me

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

The deterioration of modern synthetic oils is largely determined by how a vehicle is used. For vehicles that do a lot of cold starts and short trips, oil will deteriorate in far fewer miles than in a vehicle that is operated at temperature. This occurs as a result of increased blow by in a cold engine, increased richness in the mixture and insufficient heat in the oil to "steam off" fuel contamination. It is likely that the reduced flashpoint in this oil sample is the result of fuel contamination in the oil. I would have perceived this to be an indicator that more frequent oil changes are required, but I'm not an engineer or a chemist, the people in the lab, are! I'd listen to them, not me. It's worth keeping in mind a few considerations that vehicle manufacturers may or may not have when specifying oil change intervals. The volume of the oil in the vehicles lubrication is a factor. Manufacturers may or may not be safeguarding against use case. They don't know whether your driving a mile to work and back, each day, or doing a fifty mile round trip. They also don't know what quality oil you will be using. They may or may not take this into account. They also don't know what environment you will be operating the vehicle in, however this is less of a consideration with modern quality synthetic oils. They may or may not factor this in. Why do I keep saying "may or may not"? The short answer is marketing appeal vs. Longevity. People, especially fleet buyers, look at long service intervals favourably when appraising a vehicle for purchase. And it's worth keeping in mind that a vehicle's warranty is only for "X" miles an "X" time, and "reasonable durability" has an expiry date, too. You've got to ask yourself the question: Was the service interval determined by an engineer, an accountant, or a marketing man? Remember, they sell "sealed for life" transmissions, too! Of course, you are going to service a new vehicle in accordance with specifications in order to maintain the warranty. Beyond that, though, the choice is yours, and should be determined by the vehicles usage and the mileage on the engine (high mileage vehicles can be harder on oil). In some cases, 4,000 mile changes might be overdue, in others, 12,000 mile changes might be fine. Nobody likes wasting money, time or resources. But how much does oil cost, and how much do you use? A couple of gallons of oil in a year, for the next 50 years is still going to work out a lot cheaper than a new engine.

[@darrell9546]

We started using oil analysis at work--we ran large format printing presses, the size of greyhound buses. Each print tower held about 55 gallons of oil, with multiple towers, so you could imagine how expensive oil changes could be. We wound up doubling or tripling oil change intervals.

[@RalphKramden-il5pf]

What about municipal buses? This is personal. Ralph Kramden.

[@roytyler8534]

Mileage has some bearing, however the type of driving is a much bigger factor. Short stop/start journeys were water particles and carbon deposits are not burnt off due to the engine not reaching it optimal temperature for a period of time. So using your car once a month and driving for 100 miles none stop is better than driving for 100 miles doing 20 drives of 5 miles each time. 35yrs Motor Trade 🇬🇧

[@willpeony5534]

I know it's been said but makes me doubt stop/start technology.

[@LinhN-fp7uv]

I'm driving 6 miles per trip daily. I guess I'm ok because 6 miles is more than a short trip

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

6 miles is a pretty short trip. You need to drive 30-45 minutes to fully warm the engine.

[@roytyler8534]

@@willpeony5534 I agree, mines permanently turned off (coded out).

[@rodbritton360]

Time (calendar length) is often a reference for the style of driving. That is, 5,000 miles driven at 50 miles twice per week mainly on highways is not the same as 5,000 miles driven at short 5-mile commutes twice per day. It's a generic assumption that the car doing short range over a long calendar period has extreme pressure added to the oil due to the short commutes due to excessive idling at oil operating below the ideal temperature.

[@Jmg831]

Not only that, every car leaks a small amount of fuel into the oil when it’s started, fuel is sent into the chamber but there’s no combustion right away so unburned fuel falls into the oil and it starts degrading it by making it less able to lubricare

[@rodbritton360]

@@Jmg831 That is true. But, long runs on engines burn the fuel off. Hence, that is a large contributing factor in the difference between short 5-minute commutes as opposed to spending 20 minutes or so at highway speed.

[@Jmg831]

@@rodbritton360 yes you are correct

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Part 3 here --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZKlh5V9jq11as0 I have more oil analysis videos in progress but it takes a lot of gas to drive 10k miles or more and this channel isn't making much money yet, so any support from you will be HIGHLY APPRECIATED and will help get these test results done much sooner. There are links in the description for donations, merch, Patreon, and SubscribeStar. Thank you for watching - you are the reason I do this.

[@tardeliesmagic]

Castrol edge or professional are very good oil indeed,worth the money, here in the UK people use just cheap oil it's crazy! Many cars sound like a bag of nails at 100,000m & even less! They use cheap oil & change it every year 10,000 or more! No wonder some brits brive bangers. I use the Castrol Magnatec myself at 5,000m a year. But the Castrol edge or professional will have no issue doing 10,000m a year EVERY year, that's one oil on top of my list.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I agree, but now I think I need to test each brand to find out which ones really are good and bad.

[@robertolouth7468]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. May I ask where you live? Is it a humid or very dry zone?

[@Joshie2256]

Oil analysis kits are cheaper at Napa and there is a lab on NW Front Street in Portland if you want to speed up the process.

[@robertolouth7468]

@@Joshie2256 I measure motor oil changes by gas used. Usually 900 to 1000 litres (about 250 gallons), if city driving miles por gallon decrease, and end up changing at 9000 km 5,600 miles or so, time varies up to two years has been seen, usually18 months

[@maxmad4771]

In Europe for new cars under warranty oil change interval is 30000 km or 24 months whatever comes 1st. With synthetic oil I really doubt any degradation can happen under 24 months period. Beyond that interval I guess some can happen so I would avoid changing oil if less frequent than every 2 years no matter what mileage you drive. But I guess 3 years would still work for someone driving less than 5000 km per year. Realistically car would fail from other issues before oil is a problem if sitting for too long.

[@Kpeters]

This is good to know I have several old cars that are probably driven less than 2000 miles a year so I change the oil maybe 1 time a year or even 2 years.

[@zetnakatel]

Oil is cheap? Maybe before covid and war. it DOUBLED in price. It's more expensive than single tire.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I actually haven't seen an increase in oil prices here. Weird because everything else seems to have gone way up.

[@zetnakatel]

@@EndlessMoneyPits I live in Europe, so maybe that's why...

[@freeagent8225]

Here in Australia it has also doubled, expensive stuff, thankfully I have Dutch blood so bought lots prior😅.

[@noluck33]

Totally right. I use Mobile One full synth and only change my oil every 15,000 no matter how long it takes! You are right the only reason to change the oil more frequently would be if your engine overheats as that can damage the oil! Thanks.

[@Stanjara]

No, reasons to change oil more frequently are short trips, town driving, start stop tech, towing and long idle running.

[@egn83b]

Being cheap and going longer then 7k miles is a good way to cook a set of piston rings and scratch your cylinder walls in 50k miles to make your car a real oil burner. 5k miles is my best measure for good oil and changing. You always want good oil to leave behind in a change while adding back better oil. My oil is normally clear and when it browns my towels its time to change it and that is normally happening at 4300 to 5k miles. Thats coming out a toyota engine.

[@GeorgeJFW]

I always go by 6 months 8 to 10 thousand kilometres one issue that effects my oil adversely is short trips in very cold weather. There are points in the winter where we see -40 for 10 days in a row. All the excess fuel used for cold start enrichment finds it’s way into the oil. I always do a spring oil change no matter how low the mileage is. Interesting video cheers 🍻

[@arpcpro]

I've been searching for a video like this. Thank you. Maybe someone else can do the same test for a diesel E46.

[@frankanderson4176]

My biggest takeaway from this is the time factor (6,12 mos. etc.) is far less of a factor for oil changes than we're all being led to believe. Only with a few exceptions, mileage is the main indicator. The Care Care Nut, who is quite popular, strongly believes 5K intervals are the way to go, especially with the new, lighter-weight oils but I believe that mileage is more important and this video reinforces my belief. Thanks!

[@gk5891]

Actually most engine manufacturers will tell you the amount of fuel through the engine is the most important factor. You generally get a similar amount of additive depletion, oxidation, nitration and contamination per gallon of fuel run through the engine. So in general 10 mpg might equate to 3000 mi and 20 mpg might equate to 6000 mi. Of course if you doubled the oil capacity you could double the interval as well (Some newer half ton pickups hold 9 quarts of oil). That's the reason some heavy trucks can go 60,000 mi between oil changes. They might only get 6-7 mpg but when you have an up to 60 qt capacity it helps a lot.

[@richardveronese7961]

No one mentioned putting oil in the oil filter before installing it. I have always done this. The faster you get oil pressure, the better. Mr HONDA said most wear in a car engine occurs at startup.

[@randylee2549]

CCN likes quick time

[@christophervanzetta]

@@richardveronese7961and that’s with cars build way before modern cars… There’s this invention called an oil pump and it’s fairly old

[@snorman1911]

​@@richardveronese7961 Nobody mentioned it because it's a waste of time, not to mention impossible on cars or bikes with horizontal or upside down mounted filters. You can do it but it's pissing in the wind.

[@dennisschnobrich9288]

I don't believe the stupid lube shops that say change the oil every 3k miles. They make MONEY with every oil change. Every 7500 miles is fine!! You can double that with synthetic oil.

[@markfuller]

Everyone should get Blackstone analysis done. There's so much opinions out there. The analysis isn't expensive (compared to what people spend on car washes, detail jobs). There's nothing like _knowing_ what's going on with your car, your driving habits, your climate, etc. I have a GDI engine which I'd heard results in fuel getting into the oil. I thought 6-mo oil changes (or even more frequent) would be desirable. Oil analysis showed no fuel in the oil. No moisture (I drive frequent short trips, the classic "at risk" for moisture). I've settled on 5k miles no matter how long it takes to reach that. The analysis shows that is working fine.

[@dennisschnobrich9288]

Thank you for this video, I use synthetic oil and I am retired and put about 100 miles a year. I have not changed the oil in 3 years and it still looks good on the dip stick, however, I did have to add a quart about a year ago and all is good.

[@henlo1910]

I'd maybe recommend changing the filter at some point since those can deteriorate internally over time.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Wow and I thought I didn't drive much😊

[@Chriswales]

My 2003 TDI has 10,000 mile oil changes in the service manual. I've changed it every 10k or 2 years if it's not been used much. Done this since owning the car in 2006 and stills runs fine, 155,000 miles. Engine and turbo still original and plenty of power. Heck it's still on it's original clutch too. Just to rub salt in to the 3,000 mile brigade, I've done the oil changes with a vacuum extraction pump since 2011. So the sump plug hasn't been removed in over 10 years. Yes oil is cheap and engines aren't... but that's still not an excuse to waste money and good engine oil.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I also used a fluid extractor for at least the last 10 years before filming for these tests, but I wonder if that's why the first sample I took (10k) was worse than expected. I'll be doing another 10k sample for comparison.

[@Chriswales]

I got the vacuum extractor because the oil filter is also on top of the engine. So I didn't have to get under the car. It's possible using one leaves more contamination in the sump. On the other hand I can drain the oil filter housing with it that holds a fair amount of oil. Still hasn't seem to do the car much harm. Still runs fine being 20 years old the body and chassis are what's going to kill it not my extended oil changes.

[@frankharley1000]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKGZaox7fdatZtk This is an interesting video, particularly that it's with a TDI as well. By interesting I mean the narrator is neither an AMSOIL Dealer like myself, nor owns a business that sells AMSOIL. He is a DIYer who simply has a positive story to share of his extensive track record using AMSOIL motor oil with extended intervals in his 1998 Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel. It’s only 12.5 mins, and a bit slow in the beginning but he does make a great case - almost 400k miles - for a good quality motor oil.

[@Chriswales]

@@frankharley1000 I own a similar VW engine a 1.9 TDI ASV and know the 1.9 TDI can go to very high mileage given half decent servicing. Not sure I'd be comfortable extending the charges that far passed the recommended mileage. Also I only use the cheapest oil available that matches the specification. The same with fuel I don't pay extra for premium marketing or snake oil 😊

[@ElijahDecker]

Diesel fuel is a lubricant, whereas gasoline is a solvent. Therefore, fuel contamination in the engine oil is less of a problem in a diesel engine. There's typically also much more motor oil in a diesel engine compared to a similar displacement gas engine, as well as much larger oil filter, so there's more capacity for contamination before it reaches a level that can cause accelerated wear. Many commercial diesel trucks have 15K or more mile oil change intervals and can go millions of miles before a rebuild. Personally though, I'm not trying to squeeze every penny out of my light duty diesel, and oil is still reasonably cheap if you buy it in bulk. I change the oil every 5K miles and the filter every other oil change.

[@notpoliticallycorrect1303]

Its such a subjective matter that there is no hard and fast rule.It's only the manufacturers recommendation,the key word being recommendation.its all made up rubbish anyway( companies like Lexus offer company buyers halved service intervals to that offered to private buyers on the exact same vehicles).There are too many variables to be precise, Engine type,fuel type,fuel brands,oil brands,environment,driving style,long journeys,short journeys,town use,motorway use............ The problem is that with the modern car the oils workload is ever increasing,turbos on almost everything and valvetrain control,vvc,multiair etc.relying on it for correct actuation .tighter tolerances etc.smaller engines working harder and hotter than ever before. There used to be a saying that any oil is better than none but its got to the point where even the wrong specification of the right grade can be detrimental. I used to keep a couple of 205 litre drums of a couple of different oils, a c3 5/30 and 10/40,now I would need a workshop the size of the boeing building just for the different oils,I have to keep about 40-50 different transmission fluids now too,its ridiculous.Only you know how the above variables apply in your particular case,changing oil isn't rocket science and assuming that you have done or are contemplating doing your own then Im assuming you have enough common sense to work out for your self as to when to do it. What I can tell you is that most of the cars I see with serious issues arising from obvious lack of oil changes( baked crud internals😂)is that they tend to be smaller diesel cars,and for diesel cars in particular I would err on the side of caution,having more knock on effects from poor oil condition than your average petrol engine.

[@NexiTech]

Thank you for the video. I got surprised when I saw a 30.000k oil service interval that says in my service book and on the car dash computer on my brand new gasoline 2023 volkswagen passat 1.5L turbo. I'm now at 20.000km and motor already burn oil to the minimum on the oil stick so I already add it like 1L. That's insane long and I already know this engine will not last too much after warranty expires for sure. On other way it's company car that I use for work and it's 3 year leasing period so I guess nobody cares. But still 30.000km oil intervals?! On gasoline car?! Yeah. That's planned obsolescence in the full blast. There is no way my engine will last as long like yours.

[@dougjamesvandals]

Ok relying on jack stands for your life under a car.. get the ramps and then use jack stands as back up ..makes me so nervous watching...also what if Jack pt on car fails ..

[@ESUNintel]

I like getting oil every 6-7 months; really think that’s what keeps my “endless money pits” from actually turning into one. It’s also a chance to inspect other things and catch potential problems.

[@roseymalino9855]

Thanks for confirming much of my understanding. Years ago one of the first benefits found with synthetics involves water and its ability not to form sludge. I wonder whether that holds true for synthetic blends.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

That could be a future test.

[@lorenray9479]

I am old low mile driving. 3000 or 6 months. Syn or syn blend. Shhshh! 50/50 same brand. Lol

[@micker9830]

I changed the oil on my Honda crx, every 18-20k miles, after it hit 240k. It was at 340k and I sold it, still running perfect lol. I've never had a car that the engine died, due to oil issues. Every time, something else ended up being the thing that made the car junk, like transmission, frame etc.. Unless you really abuse an engine, it will most likely run longer than the rest of the car. I have to laugh when people get so uptight about oil, it doesn't really matter until hundreds of thousands of miles later, when the car is junk anyways.

[@dougjamesvandals]

Holy shitzz 18000 miles btwn changes ...guess my 2500 on our older X3 is fine

[@Gismho]

Great video. Confirms what I've always suspected about the frequency of oil changes. I use Castrol Magnatec and change oil every 18 to 24 months on my Mercedes Benz C200 and Mazda CX5 and have been doing so for many, many years without problems (from South Africa).

[@emotionz3]

I change the oil in my motorcycle every 3-5 years. I only ride is 500-1000 miles a year. When I drain it and replace the filter, the level is still normal and it looks and smells great - still viscous and no fuel scent. It’s 20w-50 Mobil1. Bike is 41 years old and I’ve been doing it this way since 2010.

[@brendanmccabe8769]

Humm, if you don't start changing your oil more frequently I bet you'll struggle to see another 41 years out of that bike!

[@caha9583]

@@brendanmccabe8769 why, did you not understand the content of this video? I bet he could change it every 10 years.

[@brendanmccabe8769]

@@caha9583 comment was intended to be of a humorous nature aimed at what I find the rather strange oil change habits in the USA. Another 41 years would make the bike 82 years old. Would it matter?

[@NoSuffix]

The effectiveness and deterioration of engine oil depends on first of all, driving mileage, and then maybe driving condition instead of time interval. The guy at KZbin "Project Farm Channel" reached the same result a couple years back with his scientifically designed projects. Anyone still doing too frequent oil change based on "oil is cheap, engine is expensive" just proves how stubborn people can be even when confronted by solid scientific evidence. What's the point in throwing time and money down the drain while polluting the environment for nothing?

[@darrellborland119]

@Nosuffix...indeed. So much of what we read is anecdotal, at best.

[@new2000car]

Yes exactly. I often see someone say “I change my oil every 3,000 miles. Cheap insurance.” Firstly, that is expensive insurance. 5-6,000 intervals could be considered cheap insurance. Secondly, it’s like saying “I waste money. I’m smart.” Or “I don’t understand science, and you don’t either.”

[@hydrocarbon82]

I believe part of the 'myth' may have been true at one point, where crankcase breather systems were just a filter on the valve cover. Same deal with fuel in tanks, it HIGHLY depends on how much it breathes. Oxygen is a big killer for both, and both modern systems don't allow air to cycle in/out when it's sitting.

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

the crankcase is practically closed when the engine is OFF, under idle and wot, its only "breathing" when under cruise speed. This is why people remove the PCV system and let the engine breathe naturally and this way its exposed to outside air 24/7 ... Its more important for the crankcase to vent OUT while its running.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Carburettors were really inaccurate and could leak temporarily.

[@Victorylap-fy4ke]

@@ACommenterOnKZbin I just read crankcases are vented and that's why your oil won't glug glug during an oil change drain if you don't remove the filler cap.

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

@@Victorylap-fy4ke ahh HUH ??

[@brendanmccabe8769]

Does your lower overall annual mileage reflect a change in your trip type, particularly length? Up until recently I worked from home although had to visit customers from time to time, most were a significant distance (by UK standards) away so my anuall mileage of circa 12,000 was made up of a small number of long trips resulting in a low number of warm-up cycles. Now I commute, I do a lower annual mileage, around 8,000, but a much higher number of warm-up cycles. Fortunately each commute trip is long enough to ensure the engine does stabilise on coolant temperature and probably (just) oil temp' although that is not displayed on my car. I like and appreciate the scientific approach you've taken and I'm looking at doing similar with mine. I plan to do it slightly different, possibly taking samples at 5,000 mile intervals but not changing the oil until the result of a sample indicates necessary, this means I'd do fewer miles to get to the longer intervals. This would also mean that it is the same oil which is being sampled (I still think the first sample in your previous video indicated this was a different oil).

[@mandytuning]

My tsx ran 16kmikes/1yr with amsoil without adding a single onz of oil. Blackstone lab results was try go 5k more.impressive, car have 230k miles doing this and never haven't touched the engine

[@marqgunderson1168]

Glad to read that. I've been using Amsoil in 8 cars now (mine, wife's, daughters', sisters') for at least 15 years and the oil gets changed every September. That results in variable OCIs, but it's easy to budget a weekend in August/September to do the oil changes and not worry too much about mileages. Daughters are in school. Sister lives 2 hours away, so trying to keep to a regular mileage based OCI is difficult, as I imagine it would be for most people with families, jobs, etc. The highest mileage interval in any of the cars is 8000 (wife's), and the lowest is around 1500 miles. Yeah, that's too short, but everyone here knows that September is the month, so they make the time to visit. 3 of the cars are over 200K miles, and 3 others are over 100K. So something must be working. Each person has to develop on oil change routine that works for their life, so that they can stick to it. Kinda like sticking to some reasonable exercise routine. Too rigorous and you won't stick to it, too lax and it won't do any good.

[@anderson_luiz]

It's kind risky to go out showing this without proper context. A very important one is where you live, oil doesn't degrade if you live on a somewhat dry and relatively cold environment, but the results would be different if you lived somewhere hot and humid all year, and especially near the beach.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I live in a temperate rainforest.

[@DiscoFang]

My experience: Year 2000 E46 328i. Went 7 years without oil change and only 5,000 kms (3,000miles) traveled. Oil still looked perfect; cartridge oil filter had petrified to the point of breaking apart when removed.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I have seen pictures of filters break apart like that. Scary.

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

Soaked in acidic oil for years. Your engine seals didn't like it either. 7 years take too long going from 3k (fresh) to 5k (lightly acidic), sitting.

[@DiscoFang]

@@tomasnokechtesledger1786 Your theory is theory looking for an idealised target number. Tolerance is tolerance. 4 years later from that and 23yo engine still has zero oil leaks.

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

@DiscoFang Yes. And with extended amount of time and usage the oil change a lot. A 3k oil can be kept for several years, but a 5k oil is another animal. If you take 2 years to get to 3k miles, then more 1 year to go from 3k to 4k and another year to go from 4k to 5k you're soaking in already bad oil. After 3k the TBN is kindda low to cope with the esparse use and long extended time. The sitting oil start to ruin through oxidation, getting more humidity from the air, by itself even at room temperature, inclusive increasing its moisturizing that accel this degradation process. So, IMO, dont wait too much, after 3k.

[@DiscoFang]

@@tomasnokechtesledger1786 Nonsense. Are you living in 1976? Yes oxidation is a concern but modern synthetic oils, modern ultra low sulphur fuels and modern engines themselves don’t require such frequent oil changes.

[@anthonyg6221]

I've long suspected the same thing that the oil test confirmed. I too work from home and rarely drive some of my "weekend only" cars. They are both mid 80's 5.0 Mustangs that have had the same oil going on 3 years now. Both have less than 1,000 miles over the 3 year period and the oil still has a clean / clear honey color. I wasn't going to bother changing it just based on the clean color. My vehicles are kept indoors year round and stored during winters.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Yep, in the last year I've driven this car 1,000 miles or less as well. It's a relief to know I don't need to replace perfectly clean oil once a year.

[@Umski]

Similar, I have an S2000 that has covered just a few hundred miles since having kids and being laid-up for most of the year (it only has 33k on it in total) - I used to use Mobil 1 0w40 fully sync and it has always looked like new between yearly services whilst under extended warranty and still does (unlike my diesel filth bomb which looks like tar after a year and just 2000 miles!) - I'll probably change it and the filter soon, not because I'm being told to but as a precaution since the oil is now over 10 years old 🤫 That said on my '72 Spitfire I did oil changes every 3k if not sooner - it's the nature of engine design from that era and 20W50 mineral is far cheaper than 0W40 synth!

[@MrJohnestall]

Keep oil , oil filters , fuel , fuel filters and air filters clean and you will extend the life of your engine , fact !

[@billwiley7216]

I always go by mileage, regular dino oils I change at 3000 miles and synthetics I change at 5000 miles. I know particularly on the synthetics I could go longer intervals but being retired it sometimes takes me quite a while to accumulate the mileage numbers anymore so I opt to shorten that interval a bit. Also I always install a new filter with every oil change, cheap insurance to know its all fresh both the oil and the filter when changed. And yes to me wasting a few dollars as I go is still cheaper than pushing the limits and needing to replace an engine due to oil related premature failure.

[@DanielField2023]

I'm retired I do about 360 miles a years I have a Subaru Outback 2020 with 3K since we move of state I change oil every 6 month I think about what I saw in this videos i will do it once a year from now. An engineer from Nissan design the engines at Nissan said if you do low mileage change Oil filter every two changes , and if you want your car go to 200k to 300k change it with any cheap oil as long you change it often oil degrade over time.

[@DjNikGnashers]

If you are not pushing the engine to it's limits of heat/wear very often, then yes oil does not degrade naturally over a few years. It does degrade however if it it exposed to high temperatures and high revs in engine use (such as trackdays). I drive my cars hard. I change my engine oil every 6000 miles, and have just done a gearbox oil change, and rear axle (diff) oil change too, at 41,000 miles. I have worked in the motor industry a number of years, and have seen to consequences of poor maintanance. BMW say my M140i needs oil changes every 15,000 miles !! WTF this is far too long. For an engine with 340bhp standard, no way, and most owners tune them (mine is 455bhp), this causes more heat and more stress when pushing the engine, and more oil degradation. I think 7000 miles is about the maximum without wasting money.

[@stuartburton1167]

A regular oil and filters change is a good way to check everything in the engine bay. If you spot a problem early it's easier to fix.

[@davidbentz7907]

I have an 04' 330xi - oil changes every 12k miles. Not sure why everyone is changing their oil at so early intervals.

[@RaVAndres]

Thats the video I was looking for. Thank you!

[@Balticblue93]

If the OP used better oil and filters, his results would be much different with better results. Amsoil Signature series is one of the top three oils available, especially if you are using a good filter from them or a top brand or model (There are really only two main oil filter manufacturers). The oil and filter the OP is using isn't even close to Amsoil quality or does it have the additive package to remotely match it. I would bet an oil change that if he switched to one of these oils and filters listed below, he would have better oil analysis results and longer engine life. I have does exhaustive oil testing on oils and filters worth thousands of dollars on five vehicles, three cars and one is a C7 Z06, one 2010 hybrid, and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee plus two HVAC work vans. I have tested oils from 5000-6500 on the vans and 5000, 7500 and 10k on the hybrid and the Grand Cherokee as that is factory recommended. The Z06 is based on how much I race it. It has 800whp on E85 and methanol injection and gets changed much more often, but have found that the racing has barely made a dent in the additive packages or wear metals. I am flabbergasted at how well the top three oils and filters have had incredible results far and beyond the crap formulation of Castrol Edge Titanium, Mobil1 Extended Performance and Mobil1 filters, oils like Royal Purple, STP, Super Tech/Kirkland (Warren oil company), etc are all junk compared to the oils listed below. I am only talking Full Synthetic oils and the results I have found. I don't test or use conventional oils or Synthetic blends, so I have no results for those. Engines are expensive and oil is too cheap to not use the best available. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and Valvoline EP HM is around $40-$50 depending on which filter you choose. I have my results from Blackstone labs and continue to test every other oil change and I now know which oils and filters I choose to use in my vehicles based on my testing. Use these oils and filters for the best results: Amazon and Walmart will have all the oils and filters besides the Amsoil. Preferred members get dealer pricing. TBN on Amsoil is 12.5 out of the bottle as virgin oil. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Amsoil Signature Series Valvoline Extended Performance High Mileage Redline as a distant fourth. Amsoil EAO filter (EK, if no EAO is available) Fram Endurance filter Purolator Boss (Produced by Mann-Hummel) Both top two filters are made by Champion labs One note: Any vehicle that runs a 3614 filter and has enough clearance can run a 3600 oil filter for better results which is also the Amsoil EAO34 or the Fram FE3600 (They are identical filters). Whip City has all the oil filters tested. Plus I cut my oil filters open after each change to check for metals or carbon. Remember, filter magnets or magnet oil plugs only catch ferrous metals and any metal like aluminum, etc etc will not still to a magnet and needs to be trapped in the filter. Feel free to send any questions or comments to me. Also, lookup Ford Boss Me on KZbin for further oil analysis and testing. The guy is a master Mechanic and owns his own shop.

[@clivewilliams3661]

You can never change your engine oil too frequently. The main killer of an engine is not the degradation of the oil as in former years, but the accumulation of carbon that floats around in the oil and the tighter clearances used in modern engines. The best oil filters only filter the oil down to 15 microns (0.6 thou) but the bearing clearances on a modern engine are around 30 -45microns (1.2 - 1.5 thou) or less. This means that chunks of carbon 15 microns thick that are held in suspension in the oil only have a buffer of 7.5 microns at best of oil before contact is made at the bearings. You can tell if your engine runs these close clearances by the grade of oil used, the thinner the oil, the closer the clearances. The reason that your oil goes black is the carbon that is floating around in it, hopefully smaller than 15 microns across and any metal in the oil is the result of the big bits of carbon scraping them off the bearings. Additionally, modern synthetic engine oils are designed to hold the carbon in suspension rather than allow it to cake on the internal engine surfaces, as occurs with dinosaur oils, that can cause even more harm. By changing the oil frequently the larger chunks of carbon are flushed out of the system. You can actually feel the difference between clean oil and used black engine oil when you rub it between your fingers, the used oil will feel grittier. How much carbon is generated is dependant on a number of factors like the use of the car, the age of the engine, its previous maintenance regime etc etc. The engine oil should be changed AT LEAST as frequently as prescribed by the manufacturer although every 6,000miles would be a good value to use, any longer and you are damaging the engine. To further minimise wear the oil filter must be pre-filled prior to start up to ensure that the bearings are not initially starved of oil until the filter is filled and it is best to turn the engine over without load i.e. without the spark plugs in, until oil pressure is achieved that can be seen to be several crucial seconds. If you are changing the oil then it is mean not to change the oil filter at the same time, especially given their low cost. They could last a further one or two oil change periods but they contain some of those nasty big chunks of carbon that do all the damage. Oil can be filtered down to 1.5microns using a bypass filtration system like Kleenoil, at that filtration the oil change periods can be easily extended to double or even treble the change frequency as the carbon particle sizes have little effect on the lubrication. Large truck fleet owners are seeing big advantages in reduced maintenance down times as a result. Existing full flow oil filtration cannot reasonably filter below 15microns because oil flow has to be maintained and to accommodate even a modest improvement the filter would have to be exponentially larger.

[@RedMclaren]

You've put so many of my oil change anxiety away with this. I am subscribing to you. I have two cars and it's hard for me to get either one at even 3,000 miles a year on each.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

It helped with my oil change anxiety too haha. Glad you like it!

[@johnmitchell8925]

I'm getting 4k a year

[@donaldgeorge6656]

I agree. I barely put 2500 mi on mine in 12 months. I can easily go longer

[@TheGrimReaper1]

Yes, I’m in England but the Volvo garage change the oil/filter on my v70 every year which is usually about 3000 miles. It costs me usually 200 pounds so not cheap at all, in fact it’s a total rip off with their fancy oil. That’s why I try to extend it to thirteen months. i would change it even longer but for the warning messages to change it driving me mad. I do very short journeys with the occasional long trip of about fifteen miles. I much prefer the bus actually when I haven’t got any shopping to carry, which is why mine has only done just over seventeen thousand from new about eight years ago.

[@4runner4ever83]

My last oil change was 10000 miles ago or 2 years. I intend to do it every 10000 miles however long it is. Maybe just a filter if it goes more than 2 years. Paper element and rubber degrades overtime in my opinion.

[@enigma7791]

I had a Jag X type for 9 years. Changed the oil twice in that time. Sub frame went and engine was still sweet with no issues. Changing oil is a money making scam, my Jag proved it doesn’t need doing every year. In that time the car covered approx 70k miles

[@billkallas1762]

The manual for my car says 7500 miles, or one year. I only drive 3000 miles a year, so I go with the one year interval, and use regular oil.

[@KJ-md2wj]

Oil changes are the best money makers for dealerships, which is why they have become so expensive. I used to change the oil every year and below the mileage requirement. It didn't make any engine last longer than 200,000 km (mostly commuting 6 km).

[@carlt6932]

I drive 2.5 miles at a time mostly so I am going to stick with 3 to 4000 mile oil changes.

[@chodkowski01]

I drive 2,000 a year. I change my oil and filter every 2 years but I check my oil level every so often. During the 2 years if I see my oil looking dirty I just take my pump and pump out a few quarts doing a partial oil change. That keeps my oil clean. And after 2 years or 4,000 miles I do a full oil and filter change.

[@vectorvictor5699]

Question, generally are standard highway miles (65 - 70 mph) or city driving miles harder on car oil? Where I'm at, nearer the windy ocean, the year round temperature is a chilly 50s and 60s F, but I don't know if high and low outside temps completely change results. I guess you could also apply my question to a place like Phoenix Arizona, with hot dry temps - highway vs city. Edit: ok, did a little searching, and read something kind of weird: driving "on highway is better because the oil gets hotter and burns more condensation". Ok, "nice," but wouldn't also making the oil significantly hotter also cause some damage, too? I mean common knowledge - making things really hot, repeatedly, never ends well, in a lot of cases.

[@dyingfromthelying]

Thank you for your excellent video. If people would pick up their owner's manual and read them. They would see that most car manufacturers call for your oil to be changed once a year. Or 12,000 mi. 12,000... correct. Hard to believe that we're getting scammed again, isn't it? We are so easily fooled.

[@genremaster8970]

Not At All Surprised One Of My R129 Benz's Gets Oil Done Once Every 3 Years,The Secret Is Starting The Car Every 3 Days It Keeps The Battery Up No Trickle Charging Ever & Alarm & Clock & All The Modules In Good Shape,Letting A Car Just Sit Ruin's It And First To Go The Battery,Fuel Turns Bad And Then Electrical Problems & At Some Point Rubber Parts & Rust Finishes It Off,Let's Not Even Talk About Exotic Car Oil Change$$$$$,Enjoyed The Testing Thank You Sir,Genre Master Pres/Ceo Of WORLDWIDEMUSIC.

[@richardisner3671]

I do 15k oil changes. I use full synthetic oil & also use a 20k oil filter. And never had a problem with any of my cars by doing that.

[@andrewfarrugia2688]

i think this is a sign that the engine is still in good condition. if it was burning oil or you did have water getting into the oil, you would want to change the oil alot more often . useful information

[@DiscoFang]

How would water be getting into the oil? If you have a coolant leak (not water) then changing the oil won't solve it. If you have condensation build up, just running the car to operating temperature will evaporate the water.

[@donwyoming1936]

I only drive 900 miles a year. I don't change oil until I hit that 5000 mile mark. My chemical engineer son pointed out those bad things that happen to oil, like turning acidic, require heat. It's not going to happen sitting in the pan. I guess I got my 6yrs worth of tuition worth of insight.

[@fredmalito9869]

It should be very obvious now that the age of the oil or time in service is not the issue, but contamination. I run a bypass oil filtration system on my semi truck, a 2006 International 9400i with a caterpillar C13, and I believe at my next service interval this oil will have 300,000 miles on it. I do oil samples every 20,000 miles, and once the oil sample comes in, when the oil is cleared for continued service, I lube the chassis and change all filters. in the last 1,100,000 miles, I’ve had to change the oil twice; once when the engine was finally due for overhaul at 1.1 million on the odometer, once due to coolant contamination when the cylinder head from that overhaul failed prematurely under warranty, and there was one unnecessary change when a technician did not follow instructions and dumped the oil out, so I got free oil. Filtration is where it’s at. I run Rotella T6 15W40 full synthetic oil, which technically is not synthetic at all, but normal petroleum-based oil refined to synthetic levels as most “synthetics” R (European spec Castrol, Amsoil, Schaeffers, and Mobil1 being the exceptions). The engine consumes 1 gallon between 20,000 mile filter change intervals, and filling the filters takes about 1.5 gallons. Therefore, roughly 25% of the oil is refreshed every service interval (total capacity 10.5 gallons). Recognizing that, with proper Filtration, the oil can last nearly indefinitely if it does not become contaminated, you’ll soon realize that it’s completely within the realm of possibility to simply change filters and top off the oil if you are doing oil samples to confirm that the oil is still viable. That haven’t been said, a 5 quart jug of Mobile1 at Walmart is $24, add an oil sample is $30. That’s easy math to figure out! So, if you want to ensure longevity of your engine, don’t go over 5000 miles on most engines, as their minuscule oil filter elements don’t have the filtration media area capable of filtering the oil very much past that point, and only use OEM filters.

[@Number6_]

That oil you bought off the shelf new has been siting around for over 2 years before you got it, to begin with.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Sealed.

[@johnmcmullen456]

I have always changed oil based on 5,000 mileage, not time, including for vehicles I have driven over 200,000 miles each. Never had an oil problem. Seriously, how could oil deteriorate in a parked vehicle? Are retail stores rotating their stock of motor oils like with milk? If you do make short trips where the vehicle never fully warms up, or for heavy duty use, just make the mileage intervals shorter. Conventional oils may be cheap but not so for the top synthetic brands or for classic car oils having zinc in the formula.

[@RaimarLunardi]

if the car only runs sometimes and goes just a few miles, it will contaminate the oil much more and/or faster than someone that uses the car everyday and for a good distance...

[@harrybrown3657]

Very interesting. Please do a video on tyre life for low milage cars. My Dunlop tyres have been on my car for over 5 years and still have years of tread life. The only concern is that the side walls could crack before the tread runs down.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I've always heard that if they're cracked they should be replaced but this would be an interesting topic to look further into. Thanks, I'll add that idea to the list!

[@DoyleFM]

In power generation facilities, the oil used to lubricate the turbine generators can go unchanged for periods exceeding 30 years, without issue. Granted, it's not exposed to internal combustion but the point is, oil is more durable than the general public is lead to believe. 🇺🇸

[@craigthescott5074]

Oil doesn’t get old it’s already millions of years old. It just gets dirty that’s why you change it.

[@jhuntosgarage]

I love the Scotty clip! 😂😂😂 Thanks for sharing!

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Scotty inspired the name for this channel. Anytime he's talking about BMWs he calls them endless money pits, and he's right.

[@JasonThorneMagicLAMP]

Excelent. This is the exact question I needed answering. I have a car and motorcycle. I change the oil on both once every year, as neither do many kilometers. I am lucky to do 5000kms in a year, and the oil was clean as clean last oil change.

[@allanhughes7859]

As an old git who has been around the block a few times my view is this !!!! If you have a turbo change your oil every 5000 miles no question. Also if you have a turbo when you have finished your drive let the engine tick over for about 30 seconds to let the turbo stop turning as the oil is not under pressure when you turn the engine off so the turbo turning at mega mega speeds then suddenly has no oil If you have a turbo car remember this otherwise you will be doing what all manufactuers want you to do buy a new turbo.. Hence they do not advise you of this in their so called manual ?? When will we ever get back to having principals God help us all the way things are going !! Safe driving to all !!!

[@stevenartascos2918]

Well, good video, my uncle is an engineer for the military, aviation pro, he told me changing oil less than 10k miles is an industry trick,(the power of suggestion) so I took him up on his challenge, I didn't change the oil in my 2003 Toyota 4 runner, for 40k miles... The vehicle never had motor issues,lasted to 287k miles, and I stopped driving it because the frame rotted away!!! Good luck, do you own experiments..

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Impressive! And thank you.

[@peterking8722]

Did you drive mostly highway or city?

[@rodelginger9414]

Informative. But yes, "oil is cheap"... once a year is reasonable. Thanks for the great content!

[@marclaw4511]

I use castrol edge or magnatec.Just change the oil at least once a year.

[@waltergurke4560]

I know someone who used longlife oil in their car and drove it for 30k kilometers (~18k miles) between oil changes. Bought the car with 60k kilometers (~37k miles) and sold it with over 300k (185k miles) kilometers. The car was always driven, but never hard.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I'm currently running the tests from Part 1 again with long life oil. It will be interesting to compare the results.

[@rfink222]

My wife's RAV4 gets a lot of short trips however I'm sticking with 5K mile oil changes since the oil is synthetic and tires are usually rotated at 5K miles. It may take 10 or 11 months to reach 5K miles.

[@Rex_Payne]

Great video! It's very useful. Thank you very much for making it.

[@herewegoagain7403]

wow this kinda of answered my oil question! Was thinking about changing my oil next week...might wait on it. I have an Acura that I barely use- only for short trips; owners manual specifically said to change oil only if MID

[@juicebox22a]

Nice car. Takes me back to my first BMW, an e34. A 1994 540i. Loved that thing. Oil changes have always been money makers. Mobil-1 has done a few tests to prove synthetics can go the distance. In the 1990s they ran a BMW 3 series, IIRC, to a million miles with a 7500 mi oci. They also, ran two GM V6s to some super high mileage. One was a 7500 mi oci and its twin was a 15000 mi oci. Same results on tear down, almost no wear. The 15000 mi oci had some sort of emissions issue IIRC but the 1990s brought us all sorts of emission nigtmares from American car makers to be fair. Thanks for the oil analysis!!

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

I think the common convention of 2000/6mo that I grew up with has remained as people tend to teach what they were taught etc. But the oils are so much better now and the tolerances too. Engine frequently last for 200k or more if maintained. Back in the old days the oils weren't that great and rings let a lot of fuel past. I always smell my oil for it out of habit. My VW service interval is 10k miles per the manual but my mechanic says stick with every 5k from now on even though the engine looks great. It's a low mileage/use car too so this video is encouraging! I want this car to last another ten years at least. As long as gas can be had

[@GameCastCubed]

I have a 2.0 tdi which is a diesel vw Passat it has 353000 miles and it has had 10k oil changes since new

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

@@GameCastCubed I worked with a guy in the mid 90's (pizza delivery) and he had a late 80's diesel jetta. He claimed he drove it from Austin to Toronto and back on only two tanks of fuel during spring break. If so that is something like 1600 miles to the tank. I think VW really is concerned the most about that first 5k oil change and service. Failure to do so would void the warranty. I can't really see them suggesting something that would harm the vehicle as they are so anal about everything. I love my VW but won't buy another

[@Animal_lives_matter]

>oil is cheap, engines are expensive It's around $200 for an oil & filter change service, so I could potentially save $600 by doing a service every 24 months instead of the recommended 6 months. Plus the inconvenience of having to drop it off and pick it up at the workshop, and being without a car that day. So I think for a very low mileage car every 24 months is ok. I only drove 3000km in the last 24 months.

[@icekk007]

Oil is cheap and engines are expensive. Why having a long oil drain and risk damaging the engine? I used to think like that until I learned from a Danish taxi driver that they changed their oil every 30,000 km (~19,000 mi). If I do a conservative oil change every 5000 mi, I would have used about 4 times as much oil as the Dane. Am I wasting money unnecessarily? What about the environmental impact of these used oils? Shouldn't we consider that beyond cost and engine protection?

[@garyeuscher4499]

You’re all wrong!!! I never change my oil !!! Didn’t open the hood on my Accord for 2 years 280k and it ran great! I’ve had multiple cars over 300k. Your completely delusional about changing oil!

[@wholeNwon]

Precisely the question I was hoping to see addressed. My 25yo. LS400 daily driver and I thank you and your BMW.

[@wholeNwon]

Just turned 26 and still great.

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

Heck yeah!

[@demoniack81]

One thing I'll say is I would have changed the oil filter anyway. I see no reason not to. It's cheap, it gives me peace of mind, and I don't run the risk of leaving it in for 45000km if I mistakenly think I changed it last time and I didn't. For me changing it every time is the way.

[@schmiddy8433]

From everything I've seen the regular oil changes are less about removing particulates and more about reducing carbon buildup in the very thin piston rings most engines use nowadays to meet emission standards. Seems like this is universally the final failure point that results in a car needing an engine rebuild or short block replacement, which usually means the death of the car. At what mileage this happens seems to be entirely dependent on how often the oil is changed. If the engines were built with thicker, stiffer piston rings I would wager that most people's engines would last 300,000+ miles and people who really keep up with maintenance would regularly see over 500,000.

[@andrewsoldan6050]

oil maybe is cheap but when change it too frequently it's no longer cheap... anyway 10k miles is the sweet spot regardless of (reasonable) seating time .

[@johncipolletti5611]

Hey, oill companies are finding it hard to get their gas to go up. Why? Because, people like you have become just too sensible and are not wasting their money on gas guzzlers and ridiculous oil changes every 3000 miles! The oil companies want to get gas to go over $5 a gallon. However, the price keeps dropping because of more intelligent consumption!

[@delbertmcfinklestein8576]

If you have a direct injected & turbocharged engine like the majority of cars today, then oil change intervals should be much shorter. I wouldn't go over 6k.

[@lukesm5747]

The oil geek guy will have you changing your oil every time you fill it with gas.Change your oil every year or every 7000 miles and you are golden!

[@zacharyparis]

Used to have an S2000, absolutely beat on it as a weekend and track car. Took over a year to do 5,000 miles which was my interval. Oil analysis always came back clean. Penzoil full synthetic.

[@MrD3000]

Those were also well-built cars, which helps.

[@parkerbohnn]

Made in Japan makes a big difference.

[@mattwaters6987]

Great video! What is the life expectation of synthetic oil in years? Thoughts anyone?

[@frankharley1000]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKGZaox7fdatZtk This is an interesting video. By that I mean the narrator is neither an AMSOIL Dealer like myself, nor owns a business that sells AMSOIL. He is a DIYer who simply has a positive story to share of his extensive track record using AMSOIL motor oil in his 1998 Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel. It’s only 12.5 mins, and a bit slow in the beginning but he does make a great case - almost 400k miles - for a good quality motor oil.

[@DKSE123]

I've used synthetic oil since 1997 . You have to use all your vehicle info into this equation. Age of the vehicle , mechanical condition , how it's driven & other highlights. My advice , at all costs keep it far away from severe service as this will destroy the oil additives alot sooner than highway use .I change my own oil and filter twice a year . About 4500-5500 miles

[@remiltonsilveira7314]

Thanks for the video =D

[@paulmcgaw6976]

This is actually really interesting. I'm only averaging maybe 2,000km in one of my cars. It's subjected to adjust trips most of the time. What sort of diving were you doing? I run petrol and LPG (Dual Fuel). I changed the oil after a year and added in some liquid moly

[@EndlessMoneyPits]

I try to avoid short trips, so usually 20-40 miles at a time. The car just sits a lot. I've started driving it again recently so I can do more oil tests.

[@progste]

Better to change oil a bit earlier then necessary rather than risking your engine.

[@KJ-md2wj]

That is a fear-based statement. I used to think so, but my engines only laste around 200k (km) at best anyways.

[@amd.0001]

Do you reckon a semi synthetic or even a mineral like shell HX6 would comes out the same or it's especially a fully synthetic oil?

[@randischwarz5072]

I washed your video with great anticipation. It was certainly eye opening. However I change my oil every 3 months/3k miles and I use full synthetic oils. I grew up in the automobile business when I needed 6 quarts of oil when the oil was changed. I used 5quarts in the engine and 1 quart in the air filter, yes the air filter. When I grew up; I drove cars that had oil bath air filters. As a retired widow I drive mostly locally, maybe 2 miles to and from a location. That is most severe use as the oil never gets hot enough to boil out the moisture. My two vehicles are serviced at their respective dealers. Maybe I change the oil too frequently, but in 53 yrs of vehicle ownership I have never had an oil related issue.

[@DanielField2023]

Oil in the air Filter you meant the Engine air filter? weird .