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SMS

Alan wrote:

Then this is a recent change.

It isn't recent.

"normal" stop and go driving, short trips, etc. are
considered to be severe service by every manufacturer of
every car I've bought. And the recommendation for that is
the shorter oil-change interval.

No, it's the oil change industry, such as companies like Jiffy-Lube,
trying to convince people that nearly all driving qualifies at severe
service. The vehicle manufacturers make it pretty clear what constitutes
severe service, and it isn't stop and go driving by itself. It's solely
short trips, because the moisture in the oil never gets vaporized.

The 3000 mile myth has been passed on from generation to generation,
even as oils have progressed from single-weight non-detergent oils, to
multi-weight detergent oils.

Since more frequent oil changes don't have any negative effect, the
whole "cheap insurance" rationalization took hold. Of course if you
carry that to it's logical end, why not change the oil every 1000 miles,
or every 500 miles. There is as much evidence that 500 mile oil changes
are beneficial to engine life as there is that 3000 mile oil changes are
beneficial to engine life.

Read:

"http://www.cartalk.com/content/advice/oilchanges.html"
"http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm"
"http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=yd&subject=yd_myth&story=ydMyths &referer=advice&aff=national"
"http://nordicgroup.us/oil.htm"

"Changing the oil every 3,000 miles is a very American thing to do. In
Europe, people would look at you and think you're crazy. It's a good
example of how the oil industry (well, at least certain parts thereof)
have kept the consumer uninformed/uneducated in regards to the true
quality and performance of their product."