Extending Mainenance Intervals?

[fedmax]

An out of the box kind of question....

If you run your 996 TT as a daily driver summer & winter, you do not track the car and rarely use the full power the car offers why should you stick to the 20'000km (15'000mls) maintenance intervals? What harm would it do to extend it by 5000 (3000mls) or 10000km (6000mls)?

Any thoughts appreciated ;-)

[JFP in PA]

You should be thinking more in the direction of shortening the intervals. UOA's on oils show that they do not have a prayer for making 15K miles, the oil is sheared to death, the additive package is long dead, the oil is contaminated with all sorts of crud (dirt, fuel, acids, etc.).

Using a really good full synthetic (no, I am not going to engage in an oil brand/weight war, so don't even think about it), the best you are going to get before the oil is toast is in the realm of 5-7K miles. Change it more frequently, not less..............

Edited November 6, 2011 by JFP in PA

[fedmax]

I'm with you with the oil, no kidding there but I add 1 liter every 3000km so by the time the car hits the 20'000km maintenance interval almost 7 out of the 9 liters of oil the car has are relatively new so I cannot imagine a big issue with a high quality oil. Nevertheless of course it makes sense to change the oil more often...

[JFP in PA]

I'm with you with the oil, no kidding there but I add 1 liter every 3000km so by the time the car hits the 20'000km maintenance interval almost 7 out of the 9 liters of oil the car has are relatively new so I cannot imagine a big issue with a high quality oil. Nevertheless of course it makes sense to change the oil more often...

Do your self, and your car, an enormous favor: Next oil change, send out a sample of your "relatively new" oil for analysis; then you will understand why this does not work; and why you should be changing out all the oil sooner...............

[RFM]

I can agree with JFP, refill is no solution nor alternative to extend oil exchange(s).

[fedmax]

thanks will do, very curious about the outcome :)

[fedmax]

As promised I took a sample at the last oil change in december and sent the sample to an oil test service to analyze, I'll post the result as soon as I get it.

[RFM]

Nice, this is getting interesting.

[fedmax]

Wow, these guys are fast. Here is the (german) test result, the interpretation of the test result and the Bing Translation of it:

Diagnosis of the current lab results

Iron has slightly increased. Copper due to wear or non-ferrous metals corrosion increased slightly. These changes are not uncommon, they should however be observed further through trend analysis. You should observe the further change with the next analysis. All other data obtained are within the allowed or expected values.

Overall Score: Normal

Details in Attachment.

OilCheck.pdf

[RFM]

The result looks good, an analysis may indeed never hurts. They are fast there too, it's a German lab for something.

[jsmith996tt]

Was this the oil after 20,000km, with a new quart added every 3,000km?

Joel

[fedmax]

Was this the oil after 20,000km, with a new quart added every 3,000km?

Joel

Yes!

[JFP in PA]

Was this the oil after 20,000km, with a new quart added every 3,000km?

Joel

Yes!

Mobil 1 must be using an entirely different formula in Europe.

Edited January 22, 2012 by JFP in PA

[fedmax]

I checked my FillPro App on the phone, in average over the last 30'000km it was just one liter (1 quart) every 5000km. For this particular sample over 20'000km it was 1 quart every 4000km.

[JFP in PA]

I also checked your data against 35 UoA's pulled at random from our data base, coming exclusively from Turbo's over a period of 3 years; while your VI, 40C, and 100C viscosities look like nearly fresh oil, and your TBN values looks equally good, the average of the reports I pulled at random are a mere fraction of those values after an average of less than 4,000 miles. I also see much higher fuel and water intrusion values as well, which I would expect from a Turbo car.

Edited January 22, 2012 by JFP in PA

[fedmax]

I also checked your data against 35 UoA's pulled at random from our data base, coming exclusively from Turbo's over a period of 3 years; while your VI, 40C, and 100C viscosities look like nearly fresh oil, and your TBN values looks equally good, the average of the reports I pulled at random are a mere fraction of those values after an average of less than 4,000 miles. I also see much higher fuel and water intrusion values as well, which I would expect from a Turbo car.

Interesting...what oil did these cars use? What fuel is used? How have they been used during that time? (race track, sunday drives, commute). What tuning stage do they have?

My car's oil life:

- As a day to day driver I rarely use the power the car has to offer.

- I only use 98 octane or higher fuel.

- I only fill up with the same Mobil 1 0W40 oil that is used during oil changes

- I never use the car for short distances, usually it's 30min or longer drive, a lot high ways

- I never rev the car over 3000rpm before it is warm