Oil Change Interval ?

[donjetman]

I do extended oil changes and used oil analysis is so we might all learn something, and I find it interesting.

I'm trying to figure out how long I can/should go between oil & filter changes with our 140k new to us 07 Yukon Denali w/6.2 L92? The main tool I use to help me determine this is used oil analysis(UOA).

I've been doing UOA for 10 yrs on various vehicles. Here's a link to one of our vehicles that I've had for 10 yrs and have done 10 UOA to:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...-14-500-miles-toy-fj-cruiser-4-0l#Post4918507

We bought this Yukon last Oct. w/130k miles off a used car lot without any mx history. I figured out real quick that it burned and leaked a lot of oil. It had good oil pressure and drove like a dream. I am a DIYer. I fixed the leaks by changing the rear main seal and oil pan gasket. I cured the oil burning by installing the new improved driver side valve cover and performing TSB 10-06-01-008M. I made a lot of posts here w/pics last Nov & Dec when I was doing all this work. There is a lot of gunk/crud built up inside the engine from its prior life.

https://f01.justanswer.com/ebrock63...il+Consumption,+MIL+ON,+Engine+Runs+Rough.pdf

I cleaned the spark plugs, installed new wires, installed a catch can, and installed a remote engine oil bypass filtration setup utilizing 1 Amsoil EaBP90 spin-on filter. Before I fixed everything, the catch can was catching about 1oz of oil every 100 miles. Now it catches 1 oz every 2000 miles. I went 8000 mile without adding any oil.

Here are the results of the first UOA. The oil is Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 5-40w that is SN rated w/8000 mostly hwy miles(25% remaining) and a NAPA 47060 Platinum oil filter. I did not change the oil and filter when I took the sample. I always wait till I see the results first.
Wear Metals(ppm)
Iron - 39
Chromium - 1
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 6
Copper - 10
Lead - 9
Tin - 0
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Contaminant Metals(ppm)
Silicon - 31
Sodium - 31
Potassium - 3

Multi-Source Metals(ppm)
Titanium - 1
Molybdenum - 51
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 37

Additive Metals(ppm)
Magnesium - 835
Calcium - 1311
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 980
Zinc - 1212

No Contaminants

Fluid Properties
Viscosity 100C - 13.4
Total Base # - 2.58 KOH/g
Oxidation - 40 abs/cm
Nitration - 14 abs/0.1mm

The Lab, Oil Analyzers Inc(Polaris Laboratories), suggested that I change the oil because they thought the OXIDATION was high and that the total base # and Silicon were at moderate levels. I know that the oxidation wasn't TOO high because the viscosity was still at a normal level(13.4). This oil when its new is 13.8. When oxidation is too high, the viscosity will thicken.

I changed the oil, again w/Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 40w, and the filter with Fram XG10575. The EaBP90 bypass filter was drained, replenished, and re-installed.

I plan to give her another 8000k mile run, then send in another sample.

I alway cut open my old oil filters. Here are some picks of the NAPA Platinum 47060 oil filter at this oil change. Notice all the carbon in the bottom of the pleats. I think the Mobil Delvac 1 synthetic oil is slowly cleaning things up.
View media item 27790View media item 27793View media item 27792View media item 27791

 

[Tonyrodz]

I do extended oil changes and used oil analysis is so we might all learn something, and I find it interesting.

I'm trying to figure out how long I can/should go between oil & filter changes with our 140k new to us 07 Yukon Denali w/6.2 L92? The main tool I use to help me determine this is used oil analysis(UOA).

I've been doing UOA for 10 yrs on various vehicles. Here's a link to one of our vehicles that I've had for 10 yrs and have done 10 UOA to:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...-14-500-miles-toy-fj-cruiser-4-0l#Post4918507

We bought this Yukon last Oct. w/130k miles off a used car lot without any mx history. I figured out real quick that it burned and leaked a lot of oil. It had good oil pressure and drove like a dream. I am a DIYer. I fixed the leaks by changing the rear main seal and oil pan gasket. I cured the oil burning by installing the new improved driver side valve cover and performing TSB 10-06-01-008M. I made a lot of posts here w/pics last Nov & Dec when I was doing all this work. There is a lot of gunk/crud built up inside the engine from its prior life.

https://f01.justanswer.com/ebrock63/cec66346-04c1-48e0-98a6-74c35af2c84e_2014+Engine+-+Oil+Consumption,+MIL+ON,+Engine+Runs+Rough.pdf

I cleaned the spark plugs, installed new wires, installed a catch can, and installed a remote engine oil bypass filtration setup utilizing 1 Amsoil EaBP90 spin-on filter. Before I fixed everything, the catch can was catching about 1oz of oil every 100 miles. Now it catches 1 oz every 2000 miles. I went 8000 mile without adding any oil.

Here are the results of the first UOA. The oil is Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 5-40w that is SN rated w/8000 mostly hwy miles(25% remaining) and a NAPA 47060 Platinum oil filter. I did not change the oil and filter when I took the sample. I always wait till I see the results first.
Wear Metals(ppm)
Iron - 39
Chromium - 1
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 6
Copper - 10
Lead - 9
Tin - 0
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Contaminant Metals(ppm)
Silicon - 31
Sodium - 31
Potassium - 3

Multi-Source Metals(ppm)
Titanium - 1
Molybdenum - 51
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 37

Additive Metals(ppm)
Magnesium - 835
Calcium - 1311
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 980
Zinc - 1212

No Contaminants

Fluid Properties
Viscosity 100C - 13.4
Total Base # - 2.58 KOH/g
Oxidation - 40 abs/cm
Nitration - 14 abs/0.1mm

The Lab, Oil Analyzers Inc(Polaris Laboratories), suggested that I change the oil because they thought the OXIDATION was high and that the total base # and Silicon were at moderate levels. I know that the oxidation wasn't TOO high because the viscosity was still at a normal level(13.4). This oil when its new is 13.8. When oxidation is too high, the viscosity will thicken.

I changed the oil, again w/Mobil Delvac 1 ESP 40w, and the filter with Fram XG10575. The EaBP90 bypass filter was drained, replenished, and re-installed.

I plan to give her another 8000k mile run, then send in another sample.

I alway cut open my old oil filters. Here are some picks of the NAPA Platinum 47060 oil filter at this oil change. Notice all the carbon in the bottom of the pleats. I think the Mobil Delvac 1 synthetic oil is slowly cleaning things up.
View media item 27790View media item 27793View media item 27792View media item 27791

Sub'd. I might learn something. I do mine every 2500-3000 miles.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Interestingly enough I just shortened my interval. Was at 3-4k, now I'm targeting 2.5-3k. Had a small amount of varnish on the internal engine bits, particularly down low. Yeah it wiped up in one swipe but it's still there. Woooo short trips FTW!

I am, however, curious. That's a lot of iron in the report!!

 

[intheburbs]

Full synthetic, every 5k miles. Maybe less if I'm towing heavy. I do that with all 6 of my vehicles, and past ones, and have never had an oil-related engine failure.

I don't see any point in trying to maximize oil life. It's cheap insurance. 5-quart jugs of Mobil 1 at Walmart for under $30. Do that for 200k miles, and you haven't even spent $1000. Hell, even with a quality oil filter added in for every change, you're still right around $1000.

Why mess around? Especially with an all-aluminum engine. I love my Denali, but I recognize that the engine is not as stout/durable as the iron-blocked 6.0 in my Suburban.

 

[SnowDrifter]

^^
I've gotten into many a fight with the folks on the oil forums about it. Just because the oil is serviceable doesn't mean it's necessarily ideal. Thinks like pH buffers break down and allow contaminants to attack your gaskets. And while it can keep most stuff in suspension, you'll inevitably get a bit of fallout and varnish on hot areas of the engine which unless you take that used oil and run a thin film oxidation test on it; you won't be able to catch.

To be frank, I think the oil analasys is borderline abused over there. You don't need it every oil change. That just eats up all those "cost savings" of running OCIs longer. If you want to do it to keep meticulous maintenance records, sure. But I think a periodic one every 30-50k or so is more than adequate for 99% of people. More or less a health check up in addition to your regular inspections.

I dunno... I'm rather liberal when it comes to my maintenance. Do it often, and if it's a choice between early and late, do it early. Even in vehicles with common, known issues in the engine or sealing department - I've yet to experience any of them and I fully attribute that to maintenance.

Chrysler 3.6 with oil leak and PCV issues? Nope. Never had any. Piston slap in my rig? Meh, pretty quiet compared to other rigs I've heard. Oil leaks? What are those? 15 year old gaskets still seal just fine. Infamous rear main seal? Bone dry. AMC 4.0 in an almost 20 year old wrangler that always leaks like a siv? Dude it's from '02 and clean enough to eat off of under there. Only ever replaced gaskets once during collision repair and that was ~7 years ago. etc etc



My point is.... Oil analysis isn't perfect, and there are a lot of things that can/will slip by those tests. It's useful, sometimes critical info don't get me wrong. You can catch failures early before they do any damage, such as a head gasket beginning to fail or a ****** injector leaking fuel and ruining your oil. But it isn't the be-all end-all.


Be smart, use your head, don't just think outside the box - think what the box does

Thanks OP for posting info

 

[iamdub]

First off, I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate your documenting of your findings and progress and your sharing of your UOA and filter results. This is very useful factual info.

My 2 cents is that I'm not going to spend all kinds of money on frequent UOAs or additional filtering devices. Not because I don't agree with them, but because others have already done it. There are many with engines in the same condition as mine that are operated in the same conditions and have reported plenty of data that I feel it's unnecessary to spend my own money and efforts doing my own testing. I figure that if I use the same oils they use and change it at or earlier than the mileages they do, then I should be ok. This doesn't totally apply to the additional filtering aspect since that can be nothing but beneficial. But, again, plenty others go for far longer mileages with just a good stock-replacement oil filter, good oil and sensible OCIs than I expect to go on my current motor.

I change mine at 5K because it's convenient for me. Sure, it could go longer, quite possibly twice as long. But then I'm running oil that's that much dirtier. The oil itself may be structurally sound and have plenty of anti-wear and detergent properties remaining but it's still gonna collect contaminants.

You can prolong oil changes but tires needing to be rotated is something you can't prolong. For our rigs, the ol' ~6,000-mile recommended rotation interval seems to apply just fine. I do that and an oil change every 5,000 miles because:

1: It's a good tire rotation schedule
2: I only have to get the Tahoe up on jack stands once for two different services
3: It's an OCI that's easily within the oil and filter's service lives
4: Doing the services every multiple of 5 is easy to remember

 

[thompsoj22]

To the OP, I also appreciate the posting of your results/testing, i liked your thread on the vehicle when you were getting it back to your mechanical standards and i know by the success you attained by doing all the extensive work yourself you absolutely have skills! But come on man, Pour new oil in that rig every 5k miles and smile when you do it, your vehicle is a success story dont treat it like a lab rat?

 

[Derick]

I'm in the 3-5k club too. Been subscribing to 5 qt of supertech full synth and a quart of MMO. Still get some lifter tick here and there, so that's why I'm still using the MMO.

 

[usnret]

I go with the 5k interval too. Usually keep my vehicles for a minimum of 200k. Have never had an lubrication related problem.

 

[mountie]

I consider the color / clarity of the oil on the dip stick & mileage. Not complicated.