I know that everyone on the board suggests changing the oil every 3000 miles. I was wondering why considering the synthetic oils available today. With oils like Amsoil, Mobil1 and Royal Purple, can someone explain why you can't go 5000 or even 7500 miles between changes? I change mine every 3000 with Royal Purple, but a buddy of mine was wondering why I did it so often. I didn't really have a great answer.

Thanks!

 

You can go 5 with a good filter. With as rich as these run, they tend to get a higher than normal carbon content and the filter can't keep up..

Tighter engines can extend longer. My dad runs 10K drains with a filter change at 5K in his 03 Suburban. He has 130K on it and runs like a top. Dyno at 100K was the same as 20K...litte better, actually.

 

I agree, 5000 is good with a synthetic and a good filter, be it a Mobil 1 or a K%N 3001.

 

Yeah the filter is the weak point. It's not the oil that wears out the filter just cannot hold enough crap to go much longer.
However...LR does recommend 7500 mile PM's and the guy I bought my trk from always took it to the dealer for service and I have 170k on mine.
I use M1 and change mine every 5000 miles.
BMW and MB also use synthetic's and can go well over 15k between oil changes. My Sprinter Van (FedEx) is a MB and the maintanice moniter tells me when to change the oil (M1) and I go 12-13k in the summer and 14-15k in the winter, and that's as a delivery van that runs non stop 12 hr's a day and is rode hard 5 days a week.
And a good answer for you buddy would be you change it so often because you love you trk so much.

 

I agree, there are other companys that suggest going up to 15,000 miles between oil changes, but they are not Rovers and their really rich running engines.
Sure, the dealer, per Rover, tell us we can go to 7500 miles on changes but not because the engine reallyt can but because it lowers the maintance cost that they use when advertising to help seel more units. This has been a well known program in the industry for years.
Go to 5000 mile while using a synthetic oil and a top line filter or 3000 miles on regular dino juice.

 

Although my BMW recommends a 15,000 Mile oil change I still change it every 4,000 thousand anyway just as a precausion.
Also the LR V8 has a problem with oil delivery to the rear of the camshaft and the lifters so if the galleries get sludged up becuse the oil is contaminated the lifters start to stick and the lobes can wear away from the back of the engine. So more frequent oil changes are a good idea.

BobZ

 

To determine frequency,factor inthe type or mix of driving you do: Highway/City, and environmental conditions: Dusty or not as dusty, Humidity, etc. I do all my oil changes at the 5k intervals on the speedo. Makes it a lot easier to keep track of when you have several vehicles.Vehicles that don't get driven as much have increased frequency. If you use Mobil 1, I'd push changes out quite a ways: 8k or so. That's my opinion.

I don't see how these vehicles run any richer than others. Mike can you please elaborate? They use computer controls to maintain a certain air/fuel mixture at the O2 sensor, and need to pass emission requirements in most metropoliton areas.

Use a good oil filter (that means stay away from Fram). Motorcraft oil filters are great and easy to find. Napa 'Gold', and other parts houses' premium filters are usually very good quality. I use a alot of AC Delco as they're good and cheap. Probably not as good as Motorcraft, but cheaper.

 

People have too much going on for them anymore and so I think trying to detremine when you should change your oil based on driving habits and conditions is not really going to work. Just follow the oil change sticker on your windshield.
As for why Rovers run rich, most of the contamination comes in based on cold starts and warming up the engine. Rovers run open loop full rich till you hit operating temp and just poor the fuel to the system with no control from the 02's or Ecu at least till the temp hits around 210.
This old Buick 215 engine was never designed to run with todays management system and although they are good, as such, when warm, they suck when cold.

 

Thanks for the input, Mike.

 

MOBIL1, K&N FILTER BUT IT MAY TAKE 6 MOS TO GET 5K MILES.
IS THIS OK?
2003 DISCORERY 92K