ironporer

I heard the definitive answer this weekend on "Car Talk" on NPR with Tom and Ray Magliozzi (Click and Clack, the tappet brothers). If you have not heard them you should- they are hilarious, as well as informative (both are MIT grads) on the subject of autos.

While most auto and lubricant manufacturers give an interval of appx 7000 miles, most dealers continue to say 3000 in order to make the $30 (for $6.50 worth of oil and filter) and to then find other items that may (or may not) require you to fix and depart with more money.

Their recomendation- every 5000. Hell, if you can't afford $15.00 at Walmart to change your oil every 3-6 months, you should not have a car.

BritGuyTN

not sure the above is the defiinitive answer - i would much rather go with what the manufacturer states in the handbook

i found this resource: www.filtercouncil.org

its certainly not definitive but gives a reasonable idea

certainly it differs from the nonsense of 3-5000 mile changes

there is NO WAY i have the time to get my car's oil changed every 3-6 months

i mean, what have americans historically used for engine lubricatrion - canola oil?!

being cynical i think its a way to further fleece you - i have NEVER come away from an oil change having just paid for the oil change

ironporer

Walmart or many other oil change shops=20 minutes every 3-6 mo. $15 a pop. You must be busy. And tight.

For me, it has always seemed like the cheapest insurance I could buy my car's engine. $15 and 20 minutes twice a year or so. Big deal.

BritGuyTN

I am busy - I have a full-time job like most people and spending my free time on car maintenance is undesirable

I just called BMW USA and they said that the oil change interval is 10-15k miles and that the 3000 miles was for domestic cars

Basically I think this translates to 'domestic' cars (or those built for the US market) are built to be cheap and compromises have to be made on engineering quality.

3000 mile intervals are especially silly since American engines tend to be very understressed (large capacity/low power output) relative to Euro/Jap engines

I just can't understand why something that should be the same in the USA as in Europe, isn't

Pulaski

Hang on! While the US advice to change oil every 3,000 mile is wide of the mark, so is the advice from the UK that a car can run 8-9,000 miles on regular mineral oil. It can't, and the engine is likely to suffer as regular mineral oil degrades over time and miles (much more rapidly than full synthetic oils), and its lubricating effect declines.

The so-called "extended" service intervals that have become the norm for many vehicles in the UK were created to appease the fleet car operators (large corporations and car rental businesses) as fewer services means (i) lower costs, and (ii) less "down time". Lower costs for the fleet operators translates into sales for the manufacturers, so the service intervals have been stretched beyond what is strictly justifiable.

So, can we agree on this once and for all? .....

(A) under warranty what the owners' manual (not the service record book that the dealer sticks in the plastic wallet along side the manual) says is gospel.

(B) if you use a regular mineral oil then 6mths/ six thousand miles is quite adequate, and

(C) if you use a full synthetic (not a blend) then 12mths, and 10-12,000 miles will be OK.

But if you think that longer, or more miles is OK then fine, that's your choice!

Webbie

"Castrol GTX eh ? The oil sliding down the side of the can ? That trumpet plays.... Look out it's spilling on the table ! Move that spanner out of the way - quick there missus !
Marvelous."

http://www.tellytunes.com/adverts_audio.htm

TRPardoe

Your Focus does not necessarily have the same engine as the European variant. There are 3 different engines used in the 2004 Focus in the US.

The oil change interval for a US Focus (& almost all US Fords) is 3,000 miles for the first oil change and thereafter every 5,000 miles. Your dealer may tell you every 3,000 for whatever reason :-)

The only good reasons for changing oil more frequently than the 5,000 quoted are if you do a lot of stop-start driving, which causes more rapid deterioration, or if the vehicle is stored for extended periods.

The Owner's Manual includes exceptions to the rule for particular geographic locations.

The SAE standard is the same in the US and UK. The "10" viscosity is the thinnest the oil gets, the "30" or "40" is the thickest it gets. You should use the one recommended for your vehicle for the location and conditions in which you drive.

Not being able to prove that you have met the recommended service interval, or used the recommended lubricant, may jeopardise your warranty in the event of a related claim.

mattbutt

I checked if i needed to prove oil changes etc and the dealer said that it wasnt a requirement, which surprised me.

I plan on getting it changed every 5000 now anyway, whats 30 mins and 20 bucks every few months?

TRPardoe

Your dealer is not strictly correct.

The time when you will need to "prove" servicing is when you make a warranty claim on an item which could be contested if you had not had the vehicle serviced.

Having said that, if you have a Ford serviced at a Ford dealer, then the service record is maintained in the Ford system and you do not need to keep seperate proof.

If you use "Jo's Fast Lube" you definitely do need to keep service history receipts.

scrubbedexpat099

From the Ford UK web site.

I just do not see why Ford UK would put themselves out on a limb, or any of the other manufacturers. I take the point about fleet servicing but that does not apply to the Ka, Fiesta etc.

Having said that i would be inclined to go with 6 month changes when it is as easy to do as it is here.

3 month intervals is a con.

Ka

Oct '02
Endura E
10,000 miles/ 12 months


Oct '02
Current
Duratec
12,500 miles/ 12 months

New Fiesta
Mar '02
Current
All
12,500 miles/ 12 months
Fiesta
Mar '89
Feb '02
All
10,000 miles/ 12 months

Fusion
Aug '02
Current
All
12,500 miles/ 12 months

Focus
Aug '98
Current
Petrol
12,500 miles/ 12 months


Aug '98
Sep '01
Diesel
10,000 miles/ 12 months


Oct '01
Current
Diesel
12,500 miles/ 12 months

Mondeo
Nov '00
Current
Petrol
12,500 miles/ 12 months


Nov '00
Current
Diesel
10,000 miles/ 12 months

Galaxy

Current
All
10,000 miles/ 12 months

Explorer
Sep '96
Current
All
10,000 miles/ 12 months

Maverick
Aug '93
Mar '01
2.4 Petrol
10,000 miles/ 12 months


Aug '93
Current
2.7 Diesel
6,000 miles/ 12 months


Apr '01
Current
2.0 Petrol
10,000 miles/ 12 months


Apr '01
Current
3.0 Petrol
10,000 miles/ 12 months

Ranger
Jun '99
Current
All
6,000 miles/ 12 months

Transit
Aug '98
Current
All (excl. DuraTorq)
12,500 miles/ 12 months


Mar '00
Current
2.4 DuraTorq Diesel
15,000 miles/ 12 months


Aug '00
Current
2.0 DuraTorq Diesel
15,000 miles/ 12 months

Transit Connect
May '02
Current
Petrol
12,500 miles/ 12 months


May '02
Current
Diesel
15,000 miles/ 12 months

TRPardoe

This is all well and good, but the question was about a US Ford Focus.

The Owners Manual is very specific about Oil and Filter change every 5,000 miles.

If you do not perform this at the specified interval and subsequently have a warranty claim related to the engine then your claim may be denied.

Badge

I don't normally post here.

I change my oil every 3000 miles.

1) Why not?
2) People who Run their cars to 250,000K+ are the ones who did this. It's like taking a shower 3 times a day rather than 1. You end up cleaner, but you don't NEED it.

at the end of the day, oil degrades, and it acts as a detergent cleaning the engine, clean oil works better than old oil. qed.

bm

Pulaski

So why not change your oil every day?

Mineral oil lasts for 6,000 miles before it starts to degrade significantly, full synthetic oil is good for twice that. BM, m'old mucca, you're wasting your time and money.

Badge

sure. But whilst it may not degrade, you are losing gunk and engine debris with the change??

BM

TRPardoe

and.............. don't forget the lifespan of the oil filter. A dirty oil filter may be worse than dirty oil.