Oil change every ~8000km or every 6-8 months?

[clevernickname]

Sorry I know this has been asked a lot but I could've sworn the consensus was you just need to change oil when the light comes on as it takes into account driving style. (don't track it btw, temps fluctuate between -2 (winter) celcius to 30 (summer)

Ford dealer recommends every 6-8 months though, even if I only drive it about 8000km a year.

I got it done March 1 2017. I only drive 8000km a year. Should I wait til when the light comes on or do it every 6-8 months?

edit - sorry wrong thread. pllease move to mechanical one. i can't delete.

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[jasonstang]

Manual says 12 months or 10000 miles whichever comes first. My oil meter usually hits 0% before I hit 10000 miles as the car is not my daily.

 

[mustang1]

if its mostly short trips and its cold its probably better to get the oil changed more frequently.

 

[codemanstang]

damn i been changing it ever 5-6k but i also sit in a lot of traffic and do quite a few WOT pulls all the time.

 

[clevernickname]

So no one here waits for the light? It's better to base it off kms/miles travelled?

 

[mustang1]

So no one here waits for the light? It's better to base it off kms/miles travelled?

How far is your commute ? if the car is driven mostly highway miles, I would just wait for the light. But if you have a short commute where the engine oil doesn't get hot, I would follow the dealership recommendation and change it sooner, such as 6 months or 3000 miles.

 

[clevernickname]

I work from home, so I'm usually just driving to places within 10-30 minutes from my house or going for drives. Not much highway driving in the US sense, but I also don't drive during rush hour either.

I'm usually driving somewhat spirited but nothing crazy.

 

[JackBauer]

i change it based on 6500 miles or 6 months. so 2 oil changes a year isn't too bad, wont break the bank and the motor is happy. mine is a daily driver however i probably only put about 10k miles a year.

 

[RayJHT]

The only reason I can see you changing your oil because of time is if it sits for long periods of time. Like months. If not you just base it off the miles you put on the car. The dealer will always tell you to come in that is how they make their money. I have only changed mine once but I was 3K early because I wanted to dump the conventional stuff. I'm getting close to my 10K if I can.

 

[Memphis9s]

Oil that sits for a long time can collect water through condensation. I would recommend every 3 months if you like your engine.

 

[clevernickname]

4 times a year? interesting..

 

[mustang1]

Your car doesn't sound like short commutes. Some people drive a few miles to work. And their oil doesn't get hot enough to evaporate off water vapor and then the oil gets dirty faster. GT350 owners have a proper oil temp gauge so they can easily see how long it takes to reach operating temperature.

 

[69mach1-395]

I'm trusting the OLM for guidance...

 

[Coyote Red]

I dd mine and long 80 mile round trip 3 days a week taking care of a stroke patient, I work in the medical field. I change every 5000 regardless, usually 45% left on my meter.

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