1st oil change at 10,000 miles?
JK Freak
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 526
Likes: 1
From: Auburn Hills, MI
This article comes to mind -
Saturn Rental Car Never Gets Oil Change, Engine Carnage Ensues After 30,000 Miles
Saturn Rental Car Never Gets Oil Change, Engine Carnage Ensues After 30,000 Miles
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Wescosville, PA
It's not a Jeep but I one owned a late-80s Mazda 626 that didn't have a single oil change between about 120K miles and over 200K when I sold it. I did add oil from time to time due to it leaking or burning it. This was in the 90s, probably had a Fram filter on it all that time. The thing that finally killed it was an electronic ignition module and me being sick of looking at it. I only paid $250 for the car, it was just supposed to get me by for a few months until I could get my other car sorted out, and I wound up driving it to work every day for about two years. Just wasn't worth it to me to change the oil.
Now I'd like to see some example of an engine failure due to not changing the oil. I a concede that never checking the oil, letting it run low our out of oil, that kills an engine, and invariably you top it up when you change it. Possibly after a long enough time the filter would get clogged or part of the filter element would rip and wind up lodged in a passageway or in the oil pump. And certainly there is an actual real mileage limit whereby the oil would completely lose its ability to lubricate properly, but that's way, way more than 10K miles. Probably closer to 100K miles. And it would depend greatly on the conditions under which the engine was run.
Now I'd like to see some example of an engine failure due to not changing the oil. I a concede that never checking the oil, letting it run low our out of oil, that kills an engine, and invariably you top it up when you change it. Possibly after a long enough time the filter would get clogged or part of the filter element would rip and wind up lodged in a passageway or in the oil pump. And certainly there is an actual real mileage limit whereby the oil would completely lose its ability to lubricate properly, but that's way, way more than 10K miles. Probably closer to 100K miles. And it would depend greatly on the conditions under which the engine was run.
JK Freak
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 542
Likes: 10
From: Austin, TX
I bought the car as "salvage" after it was rear ended and totaled, when my other car needed a repair that would take me a couple of weeks at least to finish. Then soon after I fixed my other car, our main "family" car developed a serious problem so we had to use the junk car with the trunk tied closed with a rope as a family car for a pretty good while. We were beyond broke and most of that time lived in an apartment and had nowhere to work on a car. I mean, this was over 20 years ago. When you always think you only are going to need this car to run and get you from point A to point B for another month or less, maintenance is not important as long as it is working. Especially when you absolutely need that $25 to feed your family.
Point is, the car ran probably 80K miles with no oil change, about half of which was after I bought it.
JK Newbie
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
JK Freak
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 542
Likes: 10
From: Austin, TX
Funny. My dealer thought they were Santa Claus offering to give me my first oil change for free... Now maybe Jeep does pay for the first three and the dealer pockets the money for 2-3.
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Western MA
When I worked for a Hyundai dealer we had a lady bring her car in for a knocking noise from the engine. It was a 2005 Elantra. It had 36,000 miles. She thought her husband was getting the oil changed, he thought she was getting the oil changed as she was primarily driving it. They bought it new. Never had an oil change. Motor was junk. I've never seen so much sludge in an oil pan and valve cover than what was in that car.
I use Mobil1 extended mileage 15000 5/20 in my 08. I've noticed by 5k the oil is turning black. So I've been doing 4-5k oil changes. With a NAPA Gold filter. You're crazy if you think you can go 10,20k on one oil change.
I use Mobil1 extended mileage 15000 5/20 in my 08. I've noticed by 5k the oil is turning black. So I've been doing 4-5k oil changes. With a NAPA Gold filter. You're crazy if you think you can go 10,20k on one oil change.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 166
Likes: 2
From: Tucson, AZ
My dealer pays for my oil changes and tire rotation (12 JKR) for as long as I own the vehicle. I didn't pay anything until I had them put in synthetic, so now pay $30. They want to change the oil every 5K. I only drive it 3K+ a year so I bring it in once a year for oil changes and rotation. Jeep says oil should be changed at least a nice a year, so that is what I do. They seem to be happy with that, and I don't cost them much money.
JK Newbie
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Hicksville, NY
You should take one for the team and never change your oil again and see how many miles you get out of your motor lol. I agree that 10k miles is fine for changes, but seriously 200k? I doubt you would see 50k before the engine seized. And yes, there are motor failures all the time due to oil not being changed.