Frequent oil changes actually INCREASE engine wear. During the startup just after the oil change, for some seconds the engine runs almost without oil, until the pump pulls it from the oil pan and pumps it where required.
I switched both of my cars to fully synth. It's been about a year now. Started with Mobile 1 Extend, but after reading a bunch of good stuff from unbiased oil geeks at bobistheoilguy dot com I switched to Penzzoil Platinum. 30% cheaper to boot. It's good for us cold weather drivers to run full synth as it's much easier on the engine wear on cold starts. Also engine that are prone to slugging don't sludge with full synth. Most conventional oils start to breakdown after 3k especially the cheaper ones. I switch mine now around 6-7k, but could probably go farther, although one car is still under warranty and don't want to give the stealership a reason to void it. Fully synth is created in a lab not from dinosaur waster so it's in essence molecularly perfect. And yes Amsoil is the best but at 3X the cost and not being able to buy at a regular store I see no need for now. Part of the reason they ran it for so long in a diesel truck is that diesels run for ever, just ask Mercedes, they have many records of owners going 400k plus.
It's a scam, no doubt. I've worked in heavy machinery sole purpose was to apply tons of pressure on steel to punch out metal parts. The housing which held the gears and bearings was never disassembled for lubing in over 20 years. In fact, the manufacturer claimed it would never require a re-lubing.
If you change it yourself, just fill up the new oil filter with oil before you install it. That's what I do. In the cold weather in Canada I have seen all kinds of condensation gunk in my oil (5w50 synthetic) and the PCV system is fine. Even in 20 degrees below freezing, with this 5w50 the oil light goes off right away when you start it. That's nice to see. And I change it every 5000km or less, that would be 4000 miles or so, me thinks. Have you ever pulled the valve covers on an old engine only to see it CAKED and blocked with black sludge? That's someone who never change their oil. I have seen it. Forget the fairy tales.
I only change my oil if and when it turns dark brown or black...signifying that its filled with contaminants/dirt, etc. I now use synthetic in my 2 cars and I only need to cahnge the oil like once every 12-15 thousand miles. Shows you how good these synthetics are.....
lots of junk science in this thread. either follow the manufacturer's recommendations for oil type, viscosity, change interval, and service type (normal or severe), or get a used oil analysis at the end of the manufacturer's interval and get a professional opinion on whether the oil is good to go longer or not.
Are you people serious? Let's put things in perspective a bit... A qt of name brand motor oil runs about $2.50. Most engines only need 4 qts. That's $10.00 a change. Throw in a decent filter at $4 and you're up to $14. Every 3 months and the total each year is $56. This does not include labor since any retard can change the oil in a car. So we are considering a class action lawsuit against the major oil companies because they "scammed" us into believing that we need an oil change every 3 months. Yet America does not think twice about filling a 5,000 lb 6.0 litre V-8 with $80 in gas every week so the soccer moms can take their ONE kid to and from school every day. Besides, if giving false information is a basis for a class action lawsuit, then where do I file my claim against Mr Bush and his oil cronies?