[2001 ZTS]

CanadaSVT,Oct 23 2004, 02:53 AM Wrote:Normal is 10k/6months, extreme is 5k/3months. ...anyone could tell if it's the part or the owners fault for the breakdown.

Exactly, from what I've read here people are changing their oil more frequently than they check their oil.

If people actually do weekly checks of all fluids as prescribed in the manual then nobody should be "surprised" at an oil change to find their oil is black and filthy, they'd catch it long before it got to that state.

If anyone here has "black and filthy oil" in less than 5000km/3 months there is something seriously wrong with your car (not your type of driving) that a new filter and a couple litres of oil will not resolve no matter what kind of oil it is.

If that it is indeed the case that you have filthy oil in 3 months you had better find out where your coolant resevoir is located and check it for milkyness and/or discolouration because you have serious mechanical issues, likely blown gaskets.

By changing too often you may actually flush away evidence of oil starvation somewhere in your engine. If you did your oil changes with normal changing frequency (6mo/10,000km) and regular checks against a white tissue you'd be able to tell: "thats funny, something ain't right". Flush it away like some of you do then you'll never know, till it is too late.