Changed my mind about skipping oil changes at regular intervals

Used to think going 8,000 miles between oil changes was fine because the synthetic oil bottles say they last that long. Well, my 2015 Ford Focus started making this tapping noise near the engine around mile 82,000. Took it to my buddy's shop in Portland and he pulled the valve cover off. Sludge city. He showed me the buildup on the camera and said modern engines run hotter and need changes closer to 5,000 miles if you do a lot of stop and go. Cost me $400 for a flush and new gaskets. Has anyone else gotten bit by following the bottle recommendations instead of what the manufacturer says?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarag2824d ago

Switching to every 4,000 miles fixed the tapping in my old Honda Civic.

jordan_young24d ago

Dude I learned this the hard way too. My old Subaru Outback got to around 90k miles before the oil pickup tube clogged up from sludge. Cost me a grand for a new short block. Now I just change synthetic every 5k miles no matter what the bottle says. My mechanic told me that modern engines run way hotter and the oil breaks down faster than you'd think, especially if you do a lot of city driving. The extra $20 per change is nothing compared to a rebuild. You doing the 5k interval now or sticking with something else?