I only average about 5 k per year as well. However, I think a 2-year OCI for you might be a stretch.

I would strongly recommend that you send in an oil sample to Blackstone prior to your next oil change and pay the extra $ for a TBN test. I suspect your TBN levels would be low (under 1) after 2 years and you aren't doing your engine any favours.

Something tells me, however, that given your fact pattern you won't cough up the money for an independent lab test.

 

100% correct. and just because oil is black doesn't mean that it is bad oil.

 

What does the lab tests on your oil actually do for you? I've read about people doing that but I never really understood why. What useful info comes out of it?

 

You can switch from conventional to synthetic if u want but u jus cant switch cold turkey lol. Here is what u do:

Change oil with a 5W-30 Synthetic blend and new filter. Syn Blend is a mix of conventional and Syn. It helps to clean out what sludge deposits may be in the engine better then conventional. IT WILL MAKE DEPOSITS BREAK aWAY FROM ENGINE, so u need to change it after a month with new filter.

Change syn blend to full syn. Run that for a month too jus to make sure u remove all sludge deposits then Change oil and filter. Now u good to run full syn.

Think of Syn as pure motor oil with no additives. COnverntional oil has additives in it that breaks down after the manufacturer recommend change interval. Synthetic doesnt break down as much or have the same additives. Cuz it has no additives there is more molecular space to add more detergents. Thats why an engine that has been using syn will look cleaner then conventional.

But like i sd before , if u changing your conventional oil regularly then u dont need to switch to syn.

 

2 years was a joke. Perhaps if my car was purchased new, was newer, or had less mileage Id care to change the oil more often. I bought it in 04 and I did change it every few months for a few years. Times change, hell I barely even wash my car anymore. And nope I dont care about whats in my oil. I dont understand why some are so obsessed about testing that crap. It starts everyday thats all I care about.