oil change intervals

[lebrunseven]

when using parrifin-based oils: it is REAL CHEAP insurance to change oil & filter at no more than 4,000 miles, checking level between changes. Maybe years ago you could drive longer between oil services, but there are 2 major differences between an older V8 & a hi-tech DOHC 16 valve engine: the old engines ran at a much lower operating temp; and there were quite often push-rod designed cylinder heads, and 2 valves per cylinder.... fast forward to a modern engine (like the toyota engine in the elise)- they run much hotter (to keep the emissions in check), and there are many more moving parts in the heads. If you wait 8,000 miles to change the oil, believe me, there will be 'pudding' inside your engine , greatly reducing the oil galleries- and one can conclude your engine will wear out quickly- w/ increased oil consumption. I just had 2 customers w/ v6 24 valve dohc engines go over 10 thousand miles before the first oil change- guess what- one needed to be replaced as it then began consuming 1 quart per 250 miles; the other was barely saved by flushing the engine block and removing the heads & having them boiled to get rid of the sludge! It looks just like chocolate pudding when you pull a valve cover....... So, oil is cheap- if you want your Elise to last, change it as required- no more than 4,000 miles!!!

[billstock]

Why not use synthetic?

[Ridgeman580]

Continuing to change oil at the standard 3,000
mile interval makes sense, even though the
top synthetics are rated for longer intervals.
Remember that the oil in your oil coolers (either
one or two coolers are in your Elise) are not
recommended to be drained by Lotus and by
changing your oil every 3,000 miles in the standard
manner, will result in getting the older crude replaced
before it can get dark and dingy, translating into much
less protection. If you think about it, the fact that you
are paying for a few more (oil and Filter) changes each
year is cheap insurance for keeping your engine in
excellent condition.

[emperor91108]

The life of an oil is affected by the contaminants that get into the oil. Since this is different for everybody based on where and how you drive the car it can be different for everyone even if it is the same car. The only way to really determine you oil change interval is by doing an oil analysis such as the ones Blackstone labs performs. They are only $22.50 and is well worth the money for the peace of mind.