oil change intervals

[s4dude]

how long do you guys go in between oil changes?I searched,found no good results!!thanks everyone.

[ChronicTeutonic]

10K, like factory service recommends

[NYCS4Avant]

how long do you guys go in between oil changes?I searched,found no good results!!thanks everyone.

Depends. My school of thought is as follows.
4k-5k intervals are my standard, however if the car has been doing a lot of highway cruising I'll change at 3,000. This is because (as the owner manual states) the car consumes a lot of oil on the highway and I frequently top off. This makes me worried about mixing old/new oils.

[SuperAvant]

Depends. My school of thought is as follows.
4k-5k intervals are my standard, however if the car has been doing a lot of highway cruising I'll change at 3,000. This is because (as the owner manual states) the car consumes a lot of oil on the highway and I frequently top off. This makes me worried about mixing old/new oils.

I would suggest the opposite - mixing old/new oils doesnt have any negative effects but driving mostly city where the oil doesnt have a chance to cover internals is where you need to change it sooner.

[AudiOso]

I change my oil once a year, but that's irrelevant because my car sits all winter and isn't driven more than a couple of thousand miles during the driving season.

[MOFSTEEL]

Every 5k

[SoCalRS4]

i do every 3k. Full Synthetic. What i cant understand is there is no oil in the world that can last 10k and still be healthy for the car. I believe that 5k is the max that one should go to change the oil on there cars especially if they are modded and running the motor at a higher level then stock. If anyone has seen an oil change at even 5k miles they will see it is pure black indicating that it is overdue. I recommend every 3k it costs me 38 bucks at a local guy i know in socal that does full synthetic oil changes with top end oil. I feel better and so does the car.

[SoCalS4Avant]

I change my oil once a year, but that's irrelevant because my car sits all winter and isn't driven more than a couple of thousand miles during the driving season.

Bingo. I'll be lucky to have put 5,000 on the car in one year. As it stands now, January 2008 - Present - less than 3,000 miles.

[ChronicTeutonic]

no oil in the world that can last 10k and still be healthy for the car.

You have results to back the statement up?

If Audi is going to CPO my car and warranty it for an additional 2 years outside of the standard warranty AND their service recommendation is every 10K miles with VW/Audi approved oils then I am going to hold them to that standard.

Links of interest:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/...too-often.html

http://tedserbinski.com/2006/04/03/h...aybe_too_often

It doesn't appear that the oil's color has anything to do with it needing to be changed: http://www.synthetic-oil-tech.com/d....tion_level.htm

In my opinion, a $20 analysis is really the only definitive answer, http://www.blackstone-labs.com/index.html

[CasaS4]

i do every 3k. Full Synthetic. What i cant understand is there is no oil in the world that can last 10k and still be healthy for the car. I believe that 5k is the max that one should go to change the oil on there cars especially if they are modded and running the motor at a higher level then stock. If anyone has seen an oil change at even 5k miles they will see it is pure black indicating that it is overdue. I recommend every 3k it costs me 38 bucks at a local guy i know in socal that does full synthetic oil changes with top end oil. I feel better and so does the car.

While every situation is different, the folks at Blackstone labs might disagree with you. Several of my friends send their oil in for analysis and the Blackstone guys tell 'em to go longer between intervals. The actual color of the oil is not nearly as important as what chemicals and metals are in it.

[CHECKERED]

Since synthetic oil doesn’t break down, but gets dirty from combustion, I change every 5-7K depends on how dirty the oil is, or every 6 months since I don’t drive a lot. In 6 months the oil has accumulated water from combustion and humidity and therefore should be changed.

[RAudi Driver]

Every 3k for me. I know, it's waste of money. I hear that all the time. But wait till I go and sell it and see how many of your guys are going to want a car that had 3k oil change intervals.

[FastB7S4]

I recommend every 3k it costs me 38 bucks at a local guy i know in socal that does full synthetic oil changes with top end oil.

$38 for a full synthetic oil change? That doesn't sound right. The cost of oil alone should be around $45 at the minimum (9 qts at $5/qt) What brand of oil are you using?

[zachf88]

Every 5k miles or 1 year... which ever one comes first (1 year for me!)

[RAudi Driver]

$38 for a full synthetic oil change? That doesn't sound right. The cost of oil alone should be around $45 at the minimum (9 qts at $5/qt) What brand of oil are you using?

I think, or I hope that he is referring tothe labor only.

[FastB7S4]

I think, or I hope that he is referring tothe labor only.

yeah but he says the guy does full synthetic oil changes with top end oil so to me that implies that the cost is inclusive of oil and labor.

[RAudi Driver]

I saw that too but was giving him the benefit of doubt. however, he might be getting dino oil and not even know it, as he didn't seem to know the brand of oil going into his car.

[Fleet Admiral]

$38 for a full synthetic oil change? That doesn't sound right. The cost of oil alone should be around $45 at the minimum (9 qts at $5/qt) What brand of oil are you using?

Try more like $8/qt for REAL FULL synthetic, ie: Motul, ELF, Lubro Molly, Pentosynth.

None of this US store bought isht like mobil. From what I heard, 0w40 is no longer group IV, meaning it's crap. And Porsche no longer endorses it. Could be just rumor, but I'm playing it safe and sticking to the euro blend 5w40 and go 8,000mi intervals.

Oh, and if we burned alcohol for fuel, the oil would stay newer looking, longer.

[Silver B6 S4]

3 months or 3k miles. It's a waste of money, but it's my car. ( I do it on 3 of the 4 cars I own. I haven't changed the oil in the GTO in a year, but I think I've only put 50 miles on it since then.)

[abe]

Although I am a new guy and haven't changed the oil yet, I like the 5K interval myself. That way, when the ODO hits a 5 or a 10 (5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, etc.) you do oil and rotate tires. Just makes it simple.

My car with 2.2K miles on it is telling me to change the oil at 4900 miles. Right on target, I suppose.

I am going to send in the oil to blackstone just before the 2nd oil change at 10K miles, just to see.

[Midniteoyl]

For what it's worth, I heard that Mobil1 is going to start using a group IV base stock again.

I can still find 5w-40 in gal jugs at Walmart and bought several.

5-7500k miles is where I change at, btw.

[Audi0s]

5k nothing more. I know they say they can go 10, but its cheap insurance. I sent my recent oil change to blackstone, everything was fine, and they said push it to 6500...But that only works out to less than 1 more a year. Even at 3k it only works out to 1 extra oil change. I can see it happening more often on a car with more stressed oil, and a smalled crankcase, Like the really worked 1.8s... mine used to only take 3.8 quarts. But in our cars, with 10 quarts of oil, even the 5k is overkill. But play it safe, go 5.

[charliemike]

Bingo. I'll be lucky to have put 5,000 on the car in one year. As it stands now, January 2008 - Present - less than 3,000 miles.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that. I put 13k on my car in the last 9 months and I work at home

I need another car to use as a beater or I'm going to have 100k on my S4 before I know what hit me.

[chaos2984]

i do every 3k. Full Synthetic. What i cant understand is there is no oil in the world that can last 10k and still be healthy for the car. I believe that 5k is the max that one should go to change the oil on there cars especially if they are modded and running the motor at a higher level then stock. If anyone has seen an oil change at even 5k miles they will see it is pure black indicating that it is overdue. I recommend every 3k it costs me 38 bucks at a local guy i know in socal that does full synthetic oil changes with top end oil. I feel better and so does the car.

omg dude do you not know anything about german cars. Ok for starters 3k is way to soon. My oil is still fresh looking. And being black doesnt mean its bad. It all depends on the additive package in it. And If your paying 38 bucks for an oil change somethings fishy there. Unless you get a discount on mobil one. And yes you can go longer than normal oil changes simply because all german cars hold more oil than a tipical engine can hold. usualy a tipical v-8 can hold around 5-6 qts ours holds 10 qts count them 10 and a normal v8 can go 3-5K hence audi says 10k miles but figure 7-10 but i would change it at 5-6 myself. If you have more oil in the resivior the oil doesnt get broken down as fast as normally does with less oil. hence you can go farther on an oil change than normal.

For the record unless you track the car or drive the wheels off 3K is way to soon you are wasting your money. I did 5K on my b5 s4 and the engine was clean as can be and i had it for 40K miles. And i did valve covers before i sold it and it was spotless in there.

But hes right if you do more city miles thats gonna eat up your oil more than hwy. hwy miles are easy miles. Stop and go is killer on engines.

[channad]

5K

[Veereihen6]

Do you guys take it to the dealership, a local mech, or DIY for oil & filter changes? (I'm assuming no one skips filter changes right??)

[Mr. Corey]

I usually change mine every 3k even if its a waste of money. I like the reassurance that my car has fresh oil in it.

[Audi0s]

omg dude do you not know anything about german cars. Ok for starters 3k is way to soon. My oil is still fresh looking. And being black doesnt mean its bad. It all depends on the additive package in it. And If your paying 38 bucks for an oil change somethings fishy there. Unless you get a discount on mobil one. And yes you can go longer than normal oil changes simply because all german cars hold more oil than a tipical engine can hold. usualy a tipical v-8 can hold around 5-6 qts ours holds 10 qts count them 10 and a normal v8 can go 3-5K hence audi says 10k miles but figure 7-10 but i would change it at 5-6 myself. If you have more oil in the resivior the oil doesnt get broken down as fast as normally does with less oil. hence you can go farther on an oil change than normal.

For the record unless you track the car or drive the wheels off 3K is way to soon you are wasting your money. I did 5K on my b5 s4 and the engine was clean as can be and i had it for 40K miles. And i did valve covers before i sold it and it was spotless in there.

But hes right if you do more city miles thats gonna eat up your oil more than hwy. hwy miles are easy miles. Stop and go is killer on engines.

Its not only German cars, most cars now take 6 quarts minimum, due to the EPA requiring longer intervals to reduce waste and hazardous oil. Thats why all of a sudden everyone can go at least 10k. I thought it was odd how they used to want you in every 3-5k for oil changes, but once the free maintenance came out, 5k on dino oil is ok...yea right. All BMWs took 6 quarts min since at least 2000. The Benzs have taken at least 6 for a long time. At least the bigger ones have been (not that c230 POS)

[Midniteoyl]

I thought it was odd how they used to want you in every 3-5k for oil changes, but once the free maintenance came out, 5k on dino oil is ok.

Well, the '3000 miles' thing never came from the OEM' or the dealers. That came from all the 'Jiffy Lubes' and look-a-likes. The only time I have seen 3000 miles in a manual was for sever duty... taxi, cop, towing, etc.

Oh, and more oil isnt always better...

[RAudi Driver]

Depends. My school of thought is as follows.
4k-5k intervals are my standard, however if the car has been doing a lot of highway cruising I'll change at 3,000. This is because (as the owner manual states) the car consumes a lot of oil on the highway and I frequently top off. This makes me worried about mixing old/new oils.

Topping off is your problem and one of the causes of your car burning more oil. Stop filling at the middle of the dipstick.

On another note, the problem with running your oil for an extended period of time is that you lower the flashpoint of the oil (fuel getting mixed with the oil). That mixture ends up vaporizing in the crankcase, leaving through the PCV valve and reentering into your intake manifold where it burns and solidifies on your valves and other parts.

Now for those without FSI, it's not as bad as the fuel helps keep the valves clean. However, thos of us that have FSI engines are F'ed as there is nothing to help keep the valves clean. This is one reason that I change my oil at 3k. Getting the fuel out of the mixture is just as important.

Here is a shot of an RS4 motor with 19k on it.

[eweu]

It's cheaper to send in some oil for analysis than to change your oil too often. You can't tell if oil needs to be changed by looking at it or by knowing how long it's been in there. It doesn't take long to establish the proper interval based on the analysis. Another benefit is that you can see evidence of engine wear long before it becomes a problem. Why play games and "guess" when your oil needs to be changed?

[WinterRunner]

Try more like $8/qt for REAL FULL synthetic, ie: Motul, ELF, Lubro Molly, Pentosynth.

None of this US store bought isht like mobil. From what I heard, 0w40 is no longer group IV, meaning it's crap. And Porsche no longer endorses it. Could be just rumor, but I'm playing it safe and sticking to the euro blend 5w40 and go 8,000mi intervals.

Oh, and if we burned alcohol for fuel, the oil would stay newer looking, longer.

Motul is garbage from what Ive read, and the oil analysis's Ive seen. I stick to Lubro Moly for the RS. I think I may try Pentosin though, heard decent stuff about it.

[WinterRunner]

Topping off is your problem and one of the causes of your car burning more oil. Stop filling at the middle of the dipstick.

On another note, the problem with running your oil for an extended period of time is that you lower the flashpoint of the oil (fuel getting mixed with the oil). That mixture ends up vaporizing in the crankcase, leaving through the PCV valve and reentering into your intake manifold where it burns and solidifies on your valves and other parts.

Now for those without FSI, it's not as bad as the fuel helps keep the valves clean. However, thos of us that have FSI engines are F'ed as there is nothing to help keep the valves clean. This is one reason that I change my oil at 3k. Getting the fuel out of the mixture is just as important.

Here is a shot of an RS4 motor with 19k on it.

Good advise Ed, but what do you mean by filling at the middle of the dipstick? thanks.

[RAudi Driver]

Don't know the reasoning behind it but it seems to do the trick for me. Others have heard this as well.
http://forums.quattroworld.com/rs4b7/msgs/651.phtml

[Fleet Admiral]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that. I put 13k on my car in the last 9 months and I work at home

I put 38k on my brand new passat in 8 months, always used 0w40 from 2nd oil change, back when I assume it was group IV, and did 5k intervals.

I just believe the adatives in the euro/full synth blends is the reason for longer intervals, and the dealers crying foul of paying for full synth every 5k for euro cars. Not that the dealers used full synth to begin with, and cheated their customers, hence maybe part of the reason for the 1.8T sludge issue.

When the manual says 5w40, I use it. 10w30 is a temp substitute only, regardless if one drives 140mph to work each day or not. I don't know if Audi or any other maker even knows the difference in blend quality, but if I recall, the approved list of oils is short for the US because they know the euro blends are hard to come by.

[serumk]

I put 38k on my brand new passat in 8 months, always used 0w40 from 2nd oil change, back when I assume it was group IV, and did 5k intervals.

I just believe the adatives in the euro/full synth blends is the reason for longer intervals, and the dealers crying foul of paying for full synth every 5k for euro cars. Not that the dealers used full synth to begin with, and cheated their customers, hence maybe part of the reason for the 1.8T sludge issue.

When the manual says 5w40, I use it. 10w30 is a temp substitute only, regardless if one drives 140mph to work each day or not. I don't know if Audi or any other maker even knows the difference in blend quality, but if I recall, the approved list of oils is short for the US because they know the euro blends are hard to come by.

I wouldn't recommend anyone use 0w-40 in their B6 or B7 S4 after what I just went through.

[40valve]

I've always done middle of the dipstick thing. I know first time I changed the oil on the S4 I mistakenly went a little over because I didn't check it correctly so on the few runs I made afterward I could smell the oil burning. Pulled some of it to make sure it sits in the middle and everything was back to normal. Now, 3K+ miles later there was no burning issues nor have I had to top-off.

[RAudi Driver]

Another believer^^^ . That's good to know. 1/2 way FTW!

[Jdubya]

7500 here. When my Benz was still under warranty the dealership did the oil changes for free, but would only do then ever 10K using Mobil 1.

[SuperAvant]

I wouldn't recommend anyone use 0w-40 in their B6 or B7 S4 after what I just went through.

huh? Elaboration?