Is TIME between oil changes of 0W-40 as important as miles between? ...

Mark.core™ · 01-03-2006, 10:08 AM

For the first time ever I have used less miles in the time suggested. The time is about up (a few months or so) - Can I leave the oil in still with no problem and just worry about the mileage more?

DYOS4 · 01-03-2006, 10:25 AM

RKA · 01-03-2006, 10:46 AM

6 months or 5K is what I generally use. But I'm more liberal with the time requirement, only because I don't do any "around-the-town" driving with the S. It's also garaged, so the temperatures it's exposed to are pretty consistent (less water condensation inside the engine). When I do drive it, it's usually run on the highway, and the engine has ample time at normal operating temps. So I'm not as concerned about the moisture build up in the oil.

If I did more local driving, I would probably stick with 6 months (which admittedly might still be very conservative).

surfnturf · 01-03-2006, 04:58 PM

New oil is much cheaper than new engine parts, so just change it every 3k miles (I don't care what you synthetic guys say with the 5k intervals, seems much safer to me to do it every 3k and have fresh oil inside) or 6-7 months max. I usually end up changing the oil about every 4 months because that's how long it takes me in normal driving to do 3k miles with my car.

RKA · 01-03-2006, 05:06 PM

Scroll down the page and take a look at the pictures Mark P posted of his cams at 150K run on synthetic. I don't know how often he changed the oil, but I guarantee you it wasn't every 3K...because that's just lunacy with synthetic. There are more than enough oil analyses floating around to support this as well.

If you want to change the oil more often, so be it. But if you're advising others to follow in your footsteps "because it's safer", you should very well expect responses like this...or worse.

kiNGMak.:.OEM · 01-03-2006, 06:04 PM

BoneStockS4 · 01-03-2006, 08:53 PM

Mark.core™ · 01-04-2006, 07:25 AM

cars and put it in his own car? .. the people would take their cars in for oil changes way early .. the story may have been embellished to prove a point .. but that always stuck out in my mind

RKA · 01-04-2006, 09:11 AM

The oil in my Audi gets used for 3-4K before I pull it out...probably less. It's probably got a ton of life left in it...I could just throw it in the Honda and run it for a few thousand miles (since I'm not too particular about what's in the Honda). Problem is...I don't enjoy changing oil. So if I put fresh synthetic in the Honda, it's good for 6 months. If I dump the recycled oil out of the Audi...I'm back under the Honda in 3 months changing the oil! No thanks! :-P

01-03-2006, 10:08 AM	#1
Mark.core™ Elder Member Account #: 44671 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: London, England Posts: 34,304	Is TIME between oil changes of 0W-40 as important as miles between? ... For the first time ever I have used less miles in the time suggested. The time is about up (a few months or so) - Can I leave the oil in still with no problem and just worry about the mileage more? __________________ Mark.core New Jersey & London

01-03-2006, 10:25 AM	#2
DYOS4 Elder Member Account #: 33816 Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 12,014	My mom sometimes doesnt drive enough so I change it every 6 months or so. __________________ GIAC X, SLs, Borla, H&R+Bilsteins, Piggie SS. AIM - DYOS4

01-03-2006, 10:46 AM	#3
RKA Member Account #: 2062 Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 67,038	Yes... 6 months or 5K is what I generally use. But I'm more liberal with the time requirement, only because I don't do any "around-the-town" driving with the S. It's also garaged, so the temperatures it's exposed to are pretty consistent (less water condensation inside the engine). When I do drive it, it's usually run on the highway, and the engine has ample time at normal operating temps. So I'm not as concerned about the moisture build up in the oil. If I did more local driving, I would probably stick with 6 months (which admittedly might still be very conservative). __________________ 2005.5 A4 Avant 2.0T Quattro 6MT APR 91/93/100 \| APR Exhaust \| 19" BBS RS-GT's \| Carbonio \| Hotchkis \| Partridge-in-a-pear-tree Others: 2006 TL on the block 2001 S4 sold 2000 A4 sold * September 11th, 2001 - Never Forget *

01-03-2006, 04:58 PM	#4
surfnturf New Member Account #: 87881 Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 262	Think of it this way. New oil is much cheaper than new engine parts, so just change it every 3k miles (I don't care what you synthetic guys say with the 5k intervals, seems much safer to me to do it every 3k and have fresh oil inside) or 6-7 months max. I usually end up changing the oil about every 4 months because that's how long it takes me in normal driving to do 3k miles with my car.

01-03-2006, 05:06 PM	#5
RKA Member Account #: 2062 Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 67,038	"I don't care what you synthetic guys say..." Scroll down the page and take a look at the pictures Mark P posted of his cams at 150K run on synthetic. I don't know how often he changed the oil, but I guarantee you it wasn't every 3K...because that's just lunacy with synthetic. There are more than enough oil analyses floating around to support this as well. If you want to change the oil more often, so be it. But if you're advising others to follow in your footsteps "because it's safer", you should very well expect responses like this...or worse. __________________ 2005.5 A4 Avant 2.0T Quattro 6MT APR 91/93/100 \| APR Exhaust \| 19" BBS RS-GT's \| Carbonio \| Hotchkis \| Partridge-in-a-pear-tree Others: 2006 TL on the block 2001 S4 sold 2000 A4 sold * September 11th, 2001 - Never Forget *

01-03-2006, 06:04 PM	#6
kiNGMak.:.OEM AudiWorld Senior Member Account #: 87076 Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,485	you should be EVEN safer and change it@1500miles.personally i change it after everytime i drive __________________

01-03-2006, 08:53 PM	#7
BoneStockS4 Junior Member Account #: 39123 Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,725	I got a very clean bill of health from an analysis done on Mobil 1 0W40 after 11K of use __________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________ 2002 Nogaro 6spd S4 with Sport Package click here for my photo albulm -Neuspeed RS10's with 235/35/19 Bridgestone RE050 Pole Positions (summer) -RS4 Replicas with 225/40/18 Dunlop Wintersport 3Ds (winter) -Stasis Motorsports with 700F/800R springs, corner balanced -Intrax front sway bar, Intrax 22mm rear sway bar -EPL stage 3 custom tune :) -K16/K04 Buehn Engineering hybrid turbos with ceramic coating, port and polishing, and turbine clearancing -AWE Intercoolers, Twin2, DTS -ASP 3" downpipes w/cats -VAST ceramic coated exhaust manifolds -Clutchmasters Stage 4 clutch and lightweight flywheel -Stasis high bias 4:1 center differential -Stasis Motorsport 14" 6-pot Alcon BBK -Stasis Tracksport rear brake kit -RS4 motor mounts, RS4 tranny mounts, VAST snub mount -RS4 grill, M3 lip spoiler, Euro tail lights, XM Radio -APR bi-pipe -710N BPVs, Walbro fuel pump, Samco IC hoses -Toyguy shifter -otherwise BONESTOCK... Been there, done that: -CPP front upper control arms (RIP after 20K) -Meyle "OEM" upper control arms (RIP after 17K) -Tracksports with 600F/700R/touring valving -Tracksports with 700F/800R/sport valving -Tracksports with 550F/650R/sport valving Interesting Trivia: -Clutchmasters flywheel weighs 13.95lbs.

01-04-2006, 07:25 AM	#8
Mark.core™ Elder Member Account #: 44671 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: London, England Posts: 34,304	Wasn't there a story on here of a BMW mechanic that would use the old synthetic from some of the cars and put it in his own car? .. the people would take their cars in for oil changes way early .. the story may have been embellished to prove a point .. but that always stuck out in my mind __________________ Mark.core New Jersey & London

01-04-2006, 09:11 AM	#9
RKA Member Account #: 2062 Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 67,038	I thought about doing that with my Honda.... The oil in my Audi gets used for 3-4K before I pull it out...probably less. It's probably got a ton of life left in it...I could just throw it in the Honda and run it for a few thousand miles (since I'm not too particular about what's in the Honda). Problem is...I don't enjoy changing oil. So if I put fresh synthetic in the Honda, it's good for 6 months. If I dump the recycled oil out of the Audi...I'm back under the Honda in 3 months changing the oil! No thanks! :-P __________________ 2005.5 A4 Avant 2.0T Quattro 6MT APR 91/93/100 \| APR Exhaust \| 19" BBS RS-GT's \| Carbonio \| Hotchkis \| Partridge-in-a-pear-tree Others: 2006 TL on the block 2001 S4 sold 2000 A4 sold * September 11th, 2001 - Never Forget *

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