Pro tip: my old beater's oil went from black tar to honey gold after I switched to 5k changes, here's what actually made the difference | Auto Maintenance - The Design Community Hub
Pro tip: my old beater's oil went from black tar to honey gold after I switched to 5k changes, here's what actually made the difference
So I drive a 2007 Corolla with about 187,000 miles on it and for years I was doing oil changes every 7,500 miles like the manual says. Last spring I pulled the dipstick and the oil was straight black sludge, like coffee grounds almost. I started changing it every 5,000 miles instead, and after about 3 changes over 6 months the dipstick oil actually looks golden again. Thing is, I don't think the shorter interval was the whole story. What really changed was I quit using the cheap $4 filter from the parts store and went to a better one that actually holds pressure, plus I stopped topping off with whatever jug was on sale in the garage. The inside of my valve cover looks way cleaner too when I peeked in with a flashlight at my buddy's shop in Tacoma. Has anyone else seen a real difference just from filters, or am I fooling myself that the brand matters that much?