"3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first"
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Unless you have owned an engine from its very first oil change, then the amount of miles & the way those miles were accumulated on that engine make all the difference.
To this post,
I would say the milage on the engine was more important than the year of the vehicle
OIL CONTAMINATION, is just as destructive as the miles.
As an engine runs, the up & down movement of the pistons & rings causes the cylinder to wear out.
As the age of the engine increases, the wear of the cylinder increases with it.
As an engine runs , it creates combustion gases.
These gases are blown by the piston rings into the lower engine.
This is rightly called of course "blow-by gases"
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/blowby.htm...
Because the blowby is in a gaseous state, it collects on ALL parts of the lower internal engine.
This is the oil reservoir area and the oil pump
And as the oil is pumped through the engine to the bearings that protect vital engine parts of the engine , the contaminated oil is pumped through with it.
Although PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) does its part to remove it while it is still in the gases state, to reintroduce it to the reburning process again, the PCV is not active when the engine is off
So, not only can engine oil become contaminated by only driving a few thousand miles a year, it's the time an engine is NOT circulating the oil that can also do damage.
WHY?
Contaminants in the oil are mainly contained in moisture.
This moisture arrives in its biggest form when the engine & the oil cool off. Condensation.
Oil & water don't mix , so when it all comes to a standstill , the little tiny droplets of moisture gather, like suds do when turning to one big bubble.
It sits in a little spot on a metal bearing and begins its chemical reaction to eat away any protective coating , eventually rusting & pitting the metal. Which eventually can cause a bearing to fail, a lifter camshaft mating surface to wear faster etc..etc...
When someone recommends an oil change at so many miles " or so many months " , this is the reason.
http://www.maintenanceresources.com/refe...
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/blowby.htm...
The same mechanic has taken care of my 2006 Ford since new......66,000 miles on it but my driving habits changed and now I only use it about 5000 miles a year. Mechanic and I discussed and decided - if no repair needed - he should give it an oil & filter change once a year and check over the entire car: rotate tires, check brakes, filters, lube hinges & locks, etc., etc. As Ford recommends, we use semi-synthetic oil which could go longer - but hardly a big expense.
One thing I try to observe: some of my use is short hops to the the store: just a couple blocks . . . but I always take "the long way home" to warm it up completely to full charge battery, get the oil hot enough to rid of contaminents, dry-out the exhaust etc.
Your owner's manual will show two general driving conditions, 1.) normal and 2.) severe. Yours looks like it fits into the severe category because of the short trips and frequent stops. I suggest follow the shorter oil change interval and I commend you for using synthetic but beware that not all synthetics are the same. I use superior synthetic that offers at least a minimum of 16,000 kms or 6 months whichever...and drive similar distance as you do but do not have a Mazda.
change your car whenever it gets to 8000-10,000 km. i would change it at around 6 or 7 if you drive fast and rev out the engine frequently. if you drive civilized then you can go closer to 10k with no problems. do not forget it is a japanese car
You can change the oil and filter every two years IF you are using Mobil1 Extended Performance full synthetic motor oil.
AMSOIL is rated for once a year oil change. I have done this and ran it to over 10,000 miles with oil analyzed testing plenty of life and additive left.
The "4 months" is for the benefit of the shops and oil companies. Oil doesn't degrade if it sits idle in a container (like your oil pan).
Change it every 5K.
Change the oil twice a year no matter what, just tell the mechanic to change it and pay the bill.
Oil changes depend on how much you drive and HOW you drive. Anybody who gives you advice without asking about your driving patterns is somebody that doesn't know anything about modern motor oil. Read this post to understand how it all works.
http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/whe...
oil needs to lube internal parts so when in doubt just look at it, feel it for viscousity, smell it
I own a 2008 Mazda 3 and I drive it on weekdays for 4 KMs only . So yearly I drive no more than 8000 KM .
Before this winter I want to use synthetic oil for my engine which itself should be good for 8000-10000 KMs. But oil change schedule always comes with some duration as well say 5000 KM or 4 months , whichever comes first.
What do you suggest for my car , is it OK to change my oil every year once because I am driving it very less ??
i own a garage ..use fully synthetic and change it and filter once a year ..you will have 100%protection
Every six months or between semesters in school.
