My Oil Change Interval Debate Rant

[RonMaiden]

Odd stories. I used M1 in my 400hp Eclipse that saw 400+ timeslips at the strip over 8 seasons,autocrossed a few times a year and M1 never let me down or my turbos;also used it in my Type R which was autocrossed quite a bit and now I use it in my 13 year old 4Runner and it burns a normal amount but never has more than a half quart low after 8000 mile changes which is great for a 174,000 mile vehicle which sees off road regularly.

Maybe I've been lucky but using it with no ill effects since '93 can't be all luck.

[UnleashedBeast]

Originally Posted by RonMaiden

Odd stories. I used M1 in my 400hp Eclipse that saw 400+ timeslips at the strip over 8 seasons,autocrossed a few times a year and M1 never let me down or my turbos;also used it in my Type R which was autocrossed quite a bit and now I use it in my 13 year old 4Runner and it burns a normal amount but never has more than a half quart low after 8000 mile changes which is great for a 174,000 mile vehicle which sees off road regularly.

Maybe I've been lucky but using it with no ill effects since '93 can't be all luck.

Now let's compare what you just posted in relationship to the years in questions.

Mobil 1 made a huge change in 2005-2006 for the worse. Their once "fully synthetic" formulations that were top tier were re-formulated with hydrocracked petroleum with less aggressive additive packages. It was no longer the bullet proof formulation that made Mobil 1 the #1 choice in America.

[TiStick]

Originally Posted by RonMaiden

Odd stories. I used M1 in my 400hp Eclipse that saw 400+ timeslips at the strip over 8 seasons,autocrossed a few times a year and M1 never let me down or my turbos;also used it in my Type R which was autocrossed quite a bit and now I use it in my 13 year old 4Runner and it burns a normal amount but never has more than a half quart low after 8000 mile changes which is great for a 174,000 mile vehicle which sees off road regularly.

Maybe I've been lucky but using it with no ill effects since '93 can't be all luck.

I'm glad that your experiences are positive. It seems like you are on top of your maintenance and modifications. For me, I have found other options that I trust, and in the long run don't cost me much more. Actually, they cost me about the same because I'm not topping off down the road.

[dyn085]

I'm willing to give Amsoil a shot, considering the positive word of mouth that I have seen not only here but also heard first hand in the non-internets world. Considering the interval that I run oil (which I have honestly never had an issue with), a better oil will serve me...um...better.

As for cost, I consider it relatively irrelevant. Even at $10 a quart and $12 a filter, that (minus shipping, etc.) only adds up to a total of $84 for 10,000 miles of protection for my OCI. That's less only $,084 per mile for piece of mind. I can't beat that by enough to justify something cheaper. A $30 Jiffy Lube change at 3k miles would be technically $100 for the same mileage period, with crappier oil, an additional oil change (inconvenience), and so on.

As for the 'it's just a FORD FOCUS'-maybe yours is 'just a FORD FOCUS'. I may not be driving a Bentley to work, but my Focus is still a nearly $30k msrp work car. Considering that this car has the potential to be the last 'work' car I need to buy for a very long time, I will probably take care of it. I would rather spend a couple of bucks now for peace of mind and longevity. Don't diss my ride just because you bought a cheap version. I can assure you, my car is nice enough for me to take care of. To each his own.

[TiStick]

Originally Posted by dyn085

As for the 'it's just a FORD FOCUS'-maybe yours is 'just a FORD FOCUS'. I may not be driving a Bentley to work, but my Focus is still a nearly $30k msrp work car. Considering that this car has the potential to be the last 'work' car I need to buy for a very long time, I will probably take care of it. I would rather spend a couple of bucks now for peace of mind and longevity. Don't diss my ride just because you bought a cheap version. I can assure you, my car is nice enough for me to take care of. To each his own.

Get out of my mind!!!

I was going to say something very similar to that in the "Walmart" posts.

FTR, I paid about the same for my Ti as i did for my Z06. Price paid is not an accurate descriptor of value. I can overpay for junk just as I can underpay for quality. The trick is to do more of the latter!

[dyn085]

Originally Posted by TitaniumStick

Get out of my mind!!!

I was going to say something very similar to that in the "Walmart" posts.

FTR, I paid about the same for my Ti as i did for my Z06. Price paid is not an accurate descriptor of value. I can overpay for junk just as I can underpay for quality. The trick is to do more of the latter!

Did you catch my earlier post about the Z06? It was a throwback to the SRT-8 post...absolutely no one got it.

[UnleashedBeast]

Originally Posted by dyn085

As for the 'it's just a FORD FOCUS'-maybe yours is 'just a FORD FOCUS'. I may not be driving a Bentley to work, but my Focus is still a nearly $30k msrp work car. Considering that this car has the potential to be the last 'work' car I need to buy for a very long time, I will probably take care of it. I would rather spend a couple of bucks now for peace of mind and longevity. Don't diss my ride just because you bought a cheap version. I can assure you, my car is nice enough for me to take care of. To each his own.

I agree 100%. I just sold a 2009 Shelby GT500 with 700 rwhp and bought a 2012 foci Ti loaded. I miss the power, sound, and feel of the GT500, but for comfort, mpg, and technology.....the Foci Ti wins hands down.

[TiStick]

Originally Posted by dyn085

Did you catch my earlier post about the Z06? It was a throwback to the SRT-8 post...absolutely no one got it.

I think I missed the SRT-8 post. Most things Dodge bore the crap out of me.

FWIW, my Z06 had more the 2x the power/weight ratio as my Ti. But, I could only legally use maybe 1/10th of it's potential. The Ti I can mash on and make girly sounds while it revs loudly thru the newmission mod with a big smile on my face!

[dyn085]

OMFG! This is epic...Get in a comfortable chair with something to drink, and enjoy this thread from beginning to end. Just a warning, don't drink anything that will burn when it shoots out your nose-that sucks. And no milk either, that's just gross.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=287658

[dyn085]

Crap, I just realized that I'm about to derail this thread. Don't comment on that link here, people! I get sidetracked easily!

So yeah, um, oil change interval...