Change oil before each trackday, novices too?

[Michael_vroomvroom]

Yes misundertand. These not real numbers: Lets say ford says change at 5000mi. street driving. What to many HPDE guys do? I hear people changing after an event! One day on track is maybe 200miles? Is 200 track miles = 5000 street miles? I think we can agree that track miles are harder on car than street so the change number is going to be less than 5000miles. So do you change at 2000 street miles + 1 or 2 trackdays? Why guess? An oil test will tell you based on your actual use. That is all I am saying. You will spend the least on consumables, waste only the oil your need, keep your motor in good shape.

I like that idea for later. I'm guessing that with you tracking cars for so many years, things do not change that much from trackday to trackday once you've had a new car out on the track a few times, while I'm hoping things will change a lot for me from trackday to trackday now at the start. ;-)
Don't know if there's anywhere I can get such oil tests done cheaply (or at all) here in Spain or Europe though. I'll ask the question in the European forum later I think.

Have you cared to note how the built-in "oil life remaining" monitor corresponds with your oil tests? In 4,000 miles, my oil life went from 100% to 6%, and -20% of the oil life lost was at my first (and only so far) trackday, where it dropped from 30%+ something (possibly 36%, I'm not sure) to 11%, after about 150 miles on the track. So obviously the algorithm considers trackdays quite hard, perhaps taking up to 25% of the oil life. Based on that one observation, I could have 4 first-time trackdays per oil change, if no other driving, but I have no idea how well the algorithm used corresponds to real life.

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[saleen367]

You have to remember the algorithm uses a number of engine sensors and parameters for its criteria. The reason "track days" are so hard on oil life has nothing to due with the car being on the track but how the engine is used for that time period; I.E. load, RPM, throttle position, Oil temp, coolant temp, etc. Miles driven really is insignificant to oil life. It's how those miles are driven that is the greatest factor. The oil use reminder in the Mustang that Ford uses is as much of a gimmick to generate revenue for their dealerships service dept as it is a bonafide tool.

As a side note, we maintain a fleet of about 40 vehicle where I work. Maintenance is mandated by the corporation (a Fortune 100 company) and is scheduled at 15,000 miles. Rarely is it changed prematurely, but often 1 - 2k late because of scheduling issues. We've never had an oil related failure.

 

[fatbillybob]

I


Have you cared to note how the built-in "oil life remaining" monitor corresponds with your oil tests?.

No because I never bothered to understand how they work in the cars I have. The earliest of those were mileage clickers. Hit 5000miles the light goes on. The most sophisticated have sensor to monitor things like dielectric changes in the oil itself plus miles, engine conditions etc etc. I do not know what Ford monitors. Oil test test more parameters gives more though expose of your oil's condition. I think OLM's are a way to take factory minimums like a 500mi statement and refine them for what the car feels is heavier use say towing or amount of high rpm driving etc. I consider the oil test as the gold standard so work back from there. But if the OLM parameters are good then for the occasional HPDE guy or summer season towing the trailer and family to yellowstone national park the OLM is a good tool.

 

[HeelToeHero]

I haven't tracked at all this year (thanks covid), but I did track my '17 GT in 2018 and 2019. 2 track days a year and 8000kms on the oil total. Mobil 1 5w-20 and I sent the oil out both years. Reports both show the engine is healthy and the oil was plenty happy to go that long. Oil life usually read in the 40 to 50% range.
I've never overheated the oil tracking (avoid getting into the yellow).

As a novice I'd err on the conservative side but probably not required to change every event. All depends on your climate, your oil, and the kind of daily driving the car sees off track. As other said the best way to know is get an analysis to be sure.

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