6 | September/October 2014
T
here has been quite a bit of discussion
among both the public and within the
industry regarding engine oil change
intervals. My opinion is that any engine's
oil and oil flter should be changed at a
frequency of about 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
There are those who claim that recom-
mending oil and flter service at this range
is a ploy among service shops motivated
strictly by the desire to increase shop
income, as though it were some type of
conspiracy to scam the
motoring public. Have
those pessimists heard of
the phrase "penny wise
and pound foolish"?
Again, in my opinion,
spending a few more dol-
lars for every 3,000 or so
miles driven is a small
price to pay for ensuring
that the engine remains
clean and functional. And,
no, I don't care if the
oil being used is fossil-
based, a synthetic blend,
full synthetic or derived
from the planet Krypton and refned by the
gods of interplanetary chemistry. I want
my engine's oil circuit to remain clean,
maintaining adequate oil pressure and
delivering clean lubrication to main bear-
ings, rod bearings, wrist pins and valvetrain
components.
Yes, oils do exist that feature improved
chemistry that in theory will provide
proper lubrication for far-extended periods.
But the reality is that variables exist to
potentially negate the benefts of extended
oil change intervals.
These variables include such examples as
coolant seeping into the oil circuit due to
cylinder head or block porosity, a leak-
ing cylinder head gasket (likely due to a
cracked head, improper head installation
or as a result of engine overheating), fuel
contamination due to leaking injectors or
an overly rich fuel system, debris contami-
nation due to an open/faulty air intake
system, etc.
The fact is that in the real
world, all engines do not
function in textbook-perfect
conditions, and oil contami-
nation is certainly possible.
The cost of replacing an
OEM engine with a new OEM
engine can run anywhere in
the $5,000 to $30,000 range,
depending on the specifc
vehicle. Add to that the cost
of shop labor. Rebuilding a
production engine can easily
run anywhere from about
$3,000 to $15,000 or more.
My point is simple: Spending $20 to as
much as $200 or more (again, depending on
the application) is a small price to pay to
avoid the prospect of a much more costly
engine repair or replacement.
I like engines. Actually, I love engines.
Whether they're operated at 2,000 rpm for
short distances or run at 6,000 rpm and
pounded-on brutally, they live a tough
life, and we expect them to perform as
designed. Why not treat them with the
Straight Talk
Mike Mavrigian | Editor
Oil change
intervals
revisited
More frequent oil changes
will dramatically reduce the
chance of dealing with a
sludge-monkey like this ill-
maintained GM 5.3L.