Successful 15,000 mile oil change intervals

[daway]

Originally Posted by JCL

Many of use Castrol 5W-30 from the dealer, and the OEM filter, because they are not expensive, and the quality is fine.

Agree entirely with your plan to do a first oil change on your new-to-you vehicle. After that, however, I wouldn't do anything at 5000 miles, unless a year was up. That is 3 times as often as the pictures showed, and they showed the results over a much longer test cycle. You are out of the free maintenance period, so it is really up to you. People only opt for intervals of 7500 miles because it is an interim change between the dealer-supplied 15,000 mile changes (assuming high annual mileage). You could run it to 10,000 miles without any worries at all, you would be 5,000 miles in front of the factory recommendation, which was made on a poorer oil than is available today (check the API specs for your 2001 model in your manual, and what is sold now at the dealer, such as API SL).

I just don't see the point of checking the filter at 5000 miles. If you are going to open it up, just replace it even if you don't change the oil. Or you could just leave it.

Just my $0.02.

Hi JCL,

Thanks for the info! We do not drive to much so that was why i was thinking about ever 5,000 miles (should have wrote, sorry). I will see how many miles (and the date) we put on the X and go from there. Maybe i will go up to 10,000 miles and see how the filter and oil looks. Since we bought it on June 20th we have gone 1,020 miles as of today (We take the bus to work in dt MPLS). I bought my 1993 Range Rover back in 04/05 w/ 54,800 miles and it has 71,900 as of today (17,100 miles) and that is are only ride up to the X. I am starting to part out the 93 Rangie so the X5 (dodi) will be my only ride in tell i save up for a early to mid '70 911 Targa. Cheers!