Am I the only one...

"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock) 07/14/2015 at 06:40 • Filed to: None

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Who thinks some modern service intervals are complete bullshit? My car is supposed to have oil changes every 17’5000 miles, that seems way too much. I’m already hearing stories about premature engine failure due to sludge etc on some Renaults. I’ll be changing mine at 10k...

JGrabowMSt > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 06:44

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17.5k miles is high, but really only if the car isnt maintained. The failures are probably from the oil level getting too low and not being topped off. Regardless however, even 10k is more than I would go. Probably 7500-8000 miles at most is what I would do.

Berang > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 06:47

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I thought 3 to 5K was still considered normal.

where am i

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > JGrabowMSt 07/14/2015 at 06:47

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I don’t know though, the oil quality on our Laguna was appalling when we changed it at 10k and those are supposed to go to 15k. It was kept topped up etc so nothing to do with maintenance. The car ran considerably better after the change.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Berang 07/14/2015 at 06:48

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We haven’t owned a car the recommended under 10k in quite a while.

JGrabowMSt > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 06:48

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Full synthetic being used?

Berang > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 06:50

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Yeah but car companies say all sorts of crazy things. Back in the 70s lots of companies were saying their cooling systems would never need to be flushed or topped up for the “life” of the car. I guess that was true in a way...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > JGrabowMSt 07/14/2015 at 06:51

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Yep, all up to Renault’s recommendations. I believe we put Castrol in that one.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 06:51

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You sound like you know more than the manufacturer’s engineers.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Berang 07/14/2015 at 06:56

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Very true. The accountants put them under pressure to keep servicing costs low to make the car sell better. So instead of engineers deciding what the engine will need to go to 200’000 miles or more, they’re deciding what it’ll need to survive until the warranty runs out...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/14/2015 at 06:59

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The engineers dont necessarily decide the optimum intervals. The exact same engine had 12’500 intervals 10 years ago. Accountants want them to keep servicing low, which isnt necessarily good long term, although it might be fine till you’re passing 100k.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 07:00

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17.5K miles?! JESUS! I don't go more than 5,000 between oil changes. I try to do it every 3 months to the day in my car....

BloodlessWeevil > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 07:05

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Are you sure that’s not kilometers? 17500 km comes out to just about 10,000 mi. Which is not outside the realm of possibilities with modern synthetic oil. Also remember that the first interval should be much shorter no matter what is recommended.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BloodlessWeevil 07/14/2015 at 07:15

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17500 miles for sure. The first interval was 5000 I think, which was done. I’m the second owner and it’s on 37k now.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 07/14/2015 at 07:15

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Yeah it’s pretty crazy. It’s done 4k on this oil now.

thebigbossyboss > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/14/2015 at 07:22

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Don’t we all.

jariten1781 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 07:32

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I bet it still has the time based service interval at a year just as it would if the mile one was lower (10k/12k). It’s a trend to have the time interval be the driver and I haven’t seen a ton of issues.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > jariten1781 07/14/2015 at 07:38

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Yeah the time limit is 2 years. I’ll hit that long before I hit 17’500. It was last serviced nearly a year ago and has only covered 4k in that time. I’ve only put 2k on it since April.

McMike > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 07:39

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I read the book in the glovebox, and do what it says.

My Van (and other older cars) get oil/filter every 3K miles (or every year, whichever comes first).

My motorbike’s book says it wants oil/filter every 5K, so I give it to it.

Mrs McMike’s 2003 Honda gets oild every 5K, and a filter every 10K.

I’m sure her next new vehicle will want oil every 7500 or 10K miles or some crazy interval like that.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to follow what the manufacturer recommends.

That said, are you sure it’s 17.5K miles? That’s a really long time. Has there been some engine or lubricant breakthrough that I’m not aware of? We were stuck on 3K mile changes for decades, now we’re using 5-7K miles (some pushing 10K), but 17.5K? That’s a pretty big jump all of a sudden.

—edit—

I googled it and found a handfull of discussions on messageboards asking this same question, and most of the replies recommended the owner do it half way (at 9K mi)

Then I found this Renault PDF , and have no idea what ACEA standard oils are, but it’s all a little misleading. Renault recommends that you oil is changed every 9K, or at least once a year. Then they throw that ACEA bit in at the end.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > McMike 07/14/2015 at 07:45

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Yeah it’s pretty crazy, I wont be following it that’s for sure.

ACEA is just one of many regulatory things for oil. There’s usually an ACEA number that you have to make sure matches up with any oil you buy. The service booklet and counter on the screen both say 17’500.

Shoop > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 07:52

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I’m with you on being skeptical about that first change, but after that, I’m far less worried. I have a feeling the factory oil sucks.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 08:02

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That’s just oblivious to think otherwise

davedave1111 > McMike 07/14/2015 at 08:16

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You’ve misread that. 9k miles/1 yr is for ‘use in certain difficult conditions’.

“We were stuck on 3K mile changes for decades, now we’re using 5-7K miles (some pushing 10K), but 17.5K? That’s a pretty big jump all of a sudden. “

The 3k/3month oil change thing is US only - at least since the days when you had to use different summer and winter oils. 10k’s been completely normal here for 20+ years.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > McMike 07/14/2015 at 08:22

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FWIW, my 2015 Civic has crazy intervals. The computer will monitor your engine life (whatever that actually means, who knows). When I purchased the vehicle, the dealer said that it’s roughly every 10k for a change. But, since the manufacturer's warranty runs out at 36k, do the automakers even care about longevity? as long as you've hit 36,001 they're in the clear, no matter what damage the long intervals may cause.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/14/2015 at 08:32

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What do you mean?

Hiroku > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 08:51

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It’s the same thing with “lifetime” coolant and gearbox oil. Yeah, I’ll be changing those, thank you very much.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Hiroku 07/14/2015 at 13:18

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Yep. My coolant will be getting flushed in August (water pump change is due so it’s necessary). Oil will be done a fair bit earlier too.

JGrabowMSt > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 07/14/2015 at 15:55

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Funky. I’m not totally proud, but I once went 18k miles just topping off my car (old car that was totalled, I kind of wanted it gone anyway). Car just kept freaking running. Sure it ran better on fresh oil once I did get it changed, but I wouldn’t go so far as saying it ran poorly on the old oil.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > JGrabowMSt 07/15/2015 at 16:04

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Ours just had a ton of top end noise and a lumpy idle which the oil change fixed.