recommended oil change is every 5,000 miles - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Perfectlap · 07-19-2013, 07:28 AM

OMG not another oil thread!!

I love oil threads.

Oil with high zddp content can do 5K miles.

Oil with low zddp content should do less than 5K miles.

People who rationalize by saying "I've been using a low zddp oil at the factory recommended interval for years now and have had no problems" are simply saying their engines do not YET show symptoms of engine woe. There was a letter to the editor of Excellence magazine this year where this issue was specifically addressed and the engine expert answering the question said they are seeing a lot of problems on engines that had low zinc oils like mobil1 left in for longer than ~3-4K miles. They advocated for oils with ~1350 ppm of zddp or at least 1250 ppm.
Seems to me that If your oil has this, it will typically boast about it. If it doesn't disclose it, probably a reduced zddp oil. This is probably why its getting harder and harder to find out who has how much. This is important because its not so much the zddp level going in, but how much was left when the oil came out.

so if you save on buying a reduced zddp oil at Wal-mart, inherently its a short life span oil. Not worth the savings imho.

Johnny Danger · 07-19-2013, 08:04 AM

If a person only drove his or her boxster 2k miles a year (or less), what would be the time frame that one should allow the oil to remain ?

thom4782 · 07-19-2013, 08:12 AM

My rule of thumb is 5000 or once a year whichever occurs first.

Meat Head · 07-19-2013, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thom4782

My rule of thumb is 5000 or once a year whichever occurs first.

This is my schedule also. I have changed from Mobil 1 to Castrol. After much reading and speculating

I think Castrol holds up better than Mobil 1.

mountainman · 07-19-2013, 08:29 AM

I have 3 porsches and drive a lot I do all of them at 5K which translates to 2 to 4 oil changes per year per car. I buy oil and filters in quantity and can do a change for about $50. I have bought oil and I have bought engines. OIl is much cheaper so I see no reason to shimp on oil changes.

BYprodriver · 07-19-2013, 08:32 AM

Anyone remember the old Fram commercials? You can pay me now,or you can pay me later!

Johnny Danger · 07-19-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

Anyone remember the old Fram commercials? You can pay me now,or you can pay me later!

Fram Oil Filter Commercial- 1972 - YouTube

I couldn't resist adding this one.

Ricardo Montalban for Chrysler Cordoba 1977 - YouTube