Are you planning on performing an oil change on your car and you are asking yourself how many miles can you go over an oil change? If this is the case, you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic as well as learning the oil change intervals.
- Engine Oil
- Oil Types
- Viscosity
- Intervals
- How To Flush?
- Conclusion
Having your oil flushed on time is quite an essential thing to do since you never know how long will this oil going to last before it starts creating some damage inside of the engine. As you know engine oil is there to lube the components inside of your engine and if it’s not in check, your engine will get damaged and the components will wear off prematurely.
So, tracking your oil changes is one of the best things that you can do for your car. Even before a purchase of a vehicle. Learning when the oil was replaced and at what intervals will give you a good representation of the overall condition of the vehicle. Delayed oil changes are doing nothing good to the car and they will sooner or later bite you by the hand. Oil changes are one of the essentials. But more on that a bit later.
First, we are going to learn what is engine oil and the different types of oil. Then we will talk about the oil viscosity and how many miles can you go over an oil change? Later we will learn what could happen if you delay the oil changes and if you should do it or not. We will also learn how to change your oil quickly and effectively and so much more. If you want to learn more, follow along.
What Is It, And How Many Miles Can You Go Over An Oil Change?
Before we dive into how many miles can you go over an oil change, let’s first discuss some of the basics. Namely, what is engine oil and what is its purpose inside of the internal combustion engine, and what makes it so special? So, let’s get into it.
Engine oil is an automotive lubricant that was specifically designed to be used on internal combustion engines. The engine oil is not something like your cooking oil or any type of other oil. But the engine oil is quite special and serves a great purpose.
And the main purpose of the engine oil is to lubricate the components inside of the engine block and also the engine heads.
The engine oil is usually found in the bottom oil pan of the vehicle and then when you start the car, this oil is disbursed around the whole engine with the help of the oil pump. The oil pump is collecting the oil and is pushing it around the engine. It is making sure that it lubricates everything and no component is left without proper lubrication.
And trust me, this is the most important thing. Since what’s the use if you have engine oil in your car and it is not delivered where it needs to? There is none. But thanks to the oil pump, the engine oil is delivered where it needs to and makes sure that nothing is forgotten.
In addition to this, engine oil also dissipates the heat out of the engine block. Meaning that the engine oil has a positive effect on the overall engine temperature. Maintaining it in check all the time. But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will get there in a bit.
Why Changing The Oil Regularly Is So Essential?
So, how many miles can you go over an oil change? We’ll get there, lets’s first learn why changing the oil is so essential for you as a car owner. As we learned above, changing the oil is an essential thing. But what are the reasons behind this practice and why the oil has to be changed regularly? Let’s find out.
Engine oil is really important. Especially its cleanliness. As you know, the engine oil goes through countless cycles of heating up and cooling down. It is bashed against the cylinder walls and in the crankshaft. Its life is a real pain. But that is its job.
What is important though is that the life of the engine oil is limited. Meaning that you cannot run the same oil for decades and it needs to be flushed at specific intervals. But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will get there. The important thing, for now, is to know that it needs to be replaced on time.
If you don’t replace the oil on time, you will start to face the consequences of these actions. Meaning that you will reduce the life of your engine if you delay these changes. And you probably don’t want that. Instead, you want your engine to last as many miles as it possibly can.
That’s why oil changes are essential. Replacing the oil on time will give your engine a prolonged lifespan of more than 100,000 miles in some situations.
But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will get there in a bit. Let’s first cover the types of engine oils that are out there.
Engine Oil Types, How Many Miles Can You Go Over An Oil Change?
But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will explain that a bit later. Let’s first learn the engine oil types. As you know, there are a couple of oil types that are marketed out there and you should know them.
Knowing the type of oil can deliver you the best performance for your engine and will increase the engine life as well. Meaning that with the proper oil, you will have extended engine life and enjoy many more miles than on average. So, what are the different types of engine oils that are out there? Let’s elaborate.
Mineral Oil
So, how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will cover that in a bit, lets’s first learn the first type of engine oil. The first type of oil that we are going to cover is mineral oil. As we all know, mineral oils are produced from natural solutions. Like crude oil for example. The oil is usually a by-product of the oil refinement.
This means that these oils are fully natural. Even though, they need to be disposed of like with any other oil type. This doesn’t mean that you can pour the oil into the ground whenever you finish flushing it.
Mineral oils at the moment are not as used as they were used in the past when they were irreplaceable for any internal combustion engine. This is the case because engines have evolved immensely over time and these oils become something that a modern engine doesn’t really like.
Mineral oils usually don’t last like other modern oils and often lack some of the properties that are essential for a modern engine to run right. Even though, they are still recommended on older types of engines that are designed to run with these oils.
Similar to modern engines, they don’t like modern oils that much, and using zinc-rich mineral oil on your classic motor is the key if you want to increase its life and make sure that your motor runs well for the years to come. But how many miles you can go over an oil change? We will get there, let’s first cover the semi-synthetic and synthetic oil types.
Semi-Synthetic Oils
Before we learn how many miles can you go over an oil change, let’s first learn the second type of oil and that is the semi-synthetic oil also marketed as a synthetic blend. But what does this mean?
This means that this oil is a mixture of mineral oil and synthetic oil. The synthetic properties that are inside of the oil are improving the characteristics of the oil. Making it perform much better when it is mixed with synthetic than on its own.
There are many components that are inside of the engine oil that we cannot see and these components are boosting the oil and helping reduce wear and tear of the internal components.
Meaning that this oil lasts for longer miles. But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will learn that in a bit. The important thing is that with the semi-synthetic oil, you will be able to go double the miles in comparison to the classic mineral oil and also with less engine wear and tear.
So, if you own a vehicle that is built after the ’80s. This is the oil that you want to look for if you want to get the best for your vehicle. In addition to this, it is quite an affordable option to purchase. Making it ideal for everyone’s budget. Now let’s move on to the last oil type that is important for you as a car owner.
Fully Synthetic Oils
And the last type of engine oil that we are going to cover is the fully-synthetic one. This oil is really heavy duty and was patented by the Germans in WW2 for use on the eastern fronts where the temperatures get well below zero and starting heavy equipment especially in the winter can be a real struggle.
Mineral oils are too thick at these temperatures so something else had to be created to tackle these temperatures and that was the fully synthetic oil.
This type of oil doesn’t contain any mineral oil and is fully produced out of synthetic compounds. Making it extremely durable and able to keep its viscosity in extreme situations. That’s why it is so demanded in racing applications and other types of situations that require something really special.
But since recently, these oils also started to be marketed for regular use in commuter cars. These oils are marketed as fully synthetic or long-life oils. Meaning that they last for quite a bit of time more than your regular semi-synthetic or mineral oil. But how many miles can you go over an oil change? We will cover that in a bit.
The important thing with this type of oil is that not only works for a lot more miles than semi-synthetic and mineral oils. But it also has some additives that increase the engine life and make sure that the engine that is running this oil lasts quite more than your regular engine that is using mineral or semi-synthetic oil.
The downside is that these oils are quite more expensive than your regular semi-synthetic oils, so you can keep this in mind when buying motor oil for your car.
Oil Viscosity, And How Many Miles Can You Go Over An Oil Change
Now before we dive into covering how many miles can you go over an oil change, let’s first cover something really important. And that is the oil viscosity. This is a really important thing that you need to know if you are trying to learn what is the right type of viscosity that you can use on your vehicle. Why I’m saying this?
Well, I’m telling you this because not every oil works on every vehicle out there. Meaning that if you put the wrong viscosity oil, your engine could potentially struggle to keep up and work with this oil. So, you need to be aware of the climate where you live in. If you live in cold climates you need a specific oil for your place and if you live in some hotter climate, you also need something different that will perform well in this climate.
So, to understand the viscosity, you need to understand the numbers on the oil jug. Let’s say the oil is 5w30. What does this mean? These are the characteristics of this oil. The first two characters are indicating the winter viscosity and the second two are indicating the performance in hot weather. W indicates the winter season.
Meaning that this oil works well in places with a moderate winter season. If you need something more extreme, you should opt for oil that is 0w20 let’s say.
The second two letters are indicating the performance in hot climates. Meaning that if the number is bigger, the oil gets thinner when it reaches operating temperature. 5W40 is quite thinner oil on normal temps than 5w30 let’s say. 10w40 is even thinner.
But how many miles can you go over an oil change? That’s what we are going to cover next.
How Many Miles Can You Go Over An Oil Change?
Now we came to the important bit and that is how many miles can you go over an oil change? And the answer to this question really depends. Let’s elaborate.
If you purchased a new vehicle from the dealership, this means that your car is under warranty. So, you need to follow what the dealership tells you to do if you don’t want to lose your warranty. Meaning that whenever your car is close to the service interval, you need to take your car to their place and flush the oil.
On the other hand, if the car is out of warranty and you can do whatever you want, the best time to flush the oil is every 6,000 miles. This interval is the standard when it comes to changing the oil and most of the oils that are synthetic blend also semi-synthetic will require flushing on this mileage.
Mineral oils are useful to be flushed every 4,000 miles or less. Since they are lacking the additives that are increasing the engine life and keeping the oil health in check. Mineral oils burn far quicker and this means that they will lose their lubricating characteristics far quicker than your regular oil. That’s why flushing it more often is the best.
When it comes to fully synthetic oils, the situation is quite different and these oils are really more liberal when it comes to oil changes. These oils can be even pushed up to 15,000 miles as some manufacturers claim.
The best thing is to learn how many miles can you go over an oil change and make sure that you change the oil on time. Which is the case with synthetic oils is about 10,000 miles. This is the sweet spot.
What If I Go Over An Oil Change Quite More Often?
We learn how many miles can you go over an oil change. Now let’s see if it is useful to change the oil more often. Changing your oil more often is not a bad idea but it is very beneficial for the engine. The engine loves clean oil and will benefit greatly from running this oil instead of oil used for who knows how many miles.
This is the case because engine oil over time starts to burn and lose its lubricating characteristics and this greatly affects the oil’s overall performance. You just don’t want to have oil like this in your engine. At the moment the oil starts to go black and develop some contaminants it is recommended to be replaced.
I’m saying this because these contaminants will degrade the rod bearings inside of the engine far quicker than you have previously anticipated. In addition to this is the problem with the oil being too thick.
As you know, when the oil gets too thick, it will not work quite well. The oil passages will get blocked and the oil will not reach where it should reach. This will deteriorate the engine health much quicker.
So, if you really want your engine and want this engine to serve you far into the future. Replacing the oil every 5,000 miles is a good idea. This is the case if you run semi-synthetic. On fully synthetic oil, the best thing is to replace the oil every 10,000 miles or so. Meaning that these oils last quite a bit more than the semi-synthetic. But still, it is best to flush the oil at 10,000 miles.
How To Change The Oil DIY?
We learned how many miles can you go over an oil change. Now let’s see how you can change your oil DIY.
DIY oil changes are the essentials if you are one of those guys who want to change their oil regularly and not use any oil that is usually poured in the big service centers where they are changing the oil on hundreds of cars each day.
Doing this stuff at home will save you some money but will also allow you to run your car with the oil you want. If you want the best you get the best. So, how this process is done? We will attach a video for those who want to learn how to perform these oil changes at home using common tools. And who can explain it better than CrisFix himself?
Cost To Change The Oil?
We learned how many miles can you go over an oil change. Now let’s take a look at how much money oil change usually costs? And luckily for you. It isn’t much.
Depending on where you take your car to flush the oil. An oil change for most cars is about $100 or less in some cases. If you decide on flushing your oil at home is even cheaper and could cost you about $50 for the oil alone.
Some oils can be more expensive than others. So, its the best to learn how many miles can you go over an oil change and get proper oil for your car.
Conclusion To How Many Miles Can You Go Over An Oil Change
In this article, we covered quite a bit when it comes to how many miles can you go over an oil change.
First, we learned what is engine oil and why it is so important. We learned all of the engine oil types and as we can recall, there are three types. Mineral oil, semi-synthetic also known as a synthetic blend, and fully synthetic oil. Then we also covered the oil viscosity which is extremely important to know.
Then we discussed how many miles can you go over an oil change and we concluded that the best are the recommended intervals of about 6,000 to 8,000 miles. But it is often useful to do an oil change earlier if you want to extend that engine’s life.
Approved Tools
These tools have been tried and tested by our team, they are ideal for fixing your car at home.