80% of the oil everybody uses in the US is manufactured/refined here in Texas. It is shipped through Galvaston and, from there, is delivered to different places in the US (that's why Texas always has some of the lowest gas prices). In other words, all oil is the same..the only thing that is different is the additives that companys put in the oil..oil can last over 3,000 miles...the 3K thing was done in the 60's to 70's. Oil manufacturing has come a long way since then and can last around 5,000 miles..even when oil is black, it's still good..believe it or not..the oil companies have not changed the 3,000 mile interval as they make more money with more frequent oil changes..this is true..I've seen it on TV and read it on mags..my step dad is a supervisor for Coastal Refinery in Corpus and he told me the exact same thing

 

True, the 3k thing was more from back in the 70s. I just like to change mine every 3k (2k on the GSX, it eats oil) as my Dad has literally thousands of quarts of oil that companies around here throughout because of mispackaging, being dirty, overstock, etc. Having a dad that was in the garbage disposal business is good... I don't think we've bought detergent or bleach for twenty years because the companies just through the stuff out.

I don't know what additives Royal Purple runs... but that stuff is like the greatest of all time. Saw a Speed Channel episode where they made 12whp on a truck from just changing from old, used regular oil to Royal Purple. Amsoil same way. Good ish.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hamhead)</div><div class='quotemain'>the companies just through the stuff out.
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you mean throw. not to be picky but it just is hard to read when your thinking through..

We have a oil shortage and these people are just throwing it out due to overstock?!?! that sucks! could have been used if somebody would have taken good care of it/better inventory... jeez.. but its cool you get free oil..

OH and ontopic i just change my oil every 3-3.5k, as somebody said, for piece of mind. i know all that junk about oil lasting longer than that

 

I have put 4-5k on my tib since i had it. havent changed the oil yet.. And i doubt the people I got it from had changed it in a while. Ya think i should change it???? A transmission flush has probably never been done either. smile.gif

 

Like I posted ealier, oil can last longer then 3,000 miles so you should be OK..depending on how long you've had the oil. I would change it right around now, if I were you..

 

BUUG you should prolly change your oil now, esspecially since you dont think the previous owner changed the oil right before you got it. As for the tranny flush you dont need a flush if its working perfect. if your worried about it just change the tranny oil...

 

While 5 to 6 thousand miles is ok between changes... things I would do.

I would change the filter at 3 thousand and then top off what you needed to bring it back up (remember to start the car to fill the filter back up first)

Make sure you check your oil consumption on a fairly regular basis. I check my oil every other fill up (every two to three weeks or about 700 to 800 miles)

 

definetly check + maybe change trans fluid because mine was black whn I got it (that can't be good for tranny)

 

I am going to try to find the article that I was reading, but I think it was from some kind of consumer reports or something. It said that changing your oil every 3000 miles is a scam. It was designed for the oil and cars that were out in the 60's and 70's, not the 2000's. It says to go by what your owners manual says.

Edit: Ok, I remember where I found it. It was in the current issue of Maxim. They had an article about mechanic scams. I don't have the magizine any longer, but I know the person that wrote it had some kind of credentials. He wasn't just some crack-pot. smile.gif

 

If you want the least amount of viscocity, and therefore the least amount of wear and better performance, its better to change it every 3k. On a stock Tib maybe not as much, you might get away with 5k-5.5k, which is what the el-manual states. But as you put more horsepower through a motor, the demands on the oil increase. My GSX goes through oil every 2k, and I mean its in pretty bad shape after 2k miles. Besides, oil is only like a few dollars a quart anyway isn't it? I've never bought any, seems like it would be worth the twenty or so bucks every 4 months.