3K oil change intervals for our LR4s?

[Jimmy Brooks]

I’ve always done 10k oil changes and I’m at 110k right now on my 2010 HSE LUX. Fingers crossed she keeps running strong. Curious question but does anyone know if drive style affects the Notorious timing chain. Knowing the issue is still on aluminum, I always assumed it was just a matter of time.

 

[jlach993]

I’ve always done 10k oil changes and I’m at 110k right now on my 2010 HSE LUX. Fingers crossed she keeps running strong. Curious question but does anyone know if drive style affects the Notorious timing chain. Knowing the issue is still on aluminum, I always assumed it was just a matter of time.

No idea....but i baby my truck. Always let it idle down itself after starting, no jack rabbit starts and putting on the handbrake and letting it roll in neutral before shifting it into park. However sometimes i do floor the **** out it on the weekends on a hot engine....

 

[Stuart Barnes]

Well according to LandRover
"
Maintenance must be carried out at intervals not to exceed 16,000 miles (26,000 km) or one year, whichever occurs first. Should the vehicle have a high proportion of short journeys or operate in severe conditions, Land Rover recommends that the maintenance procedures be performed at intervals not to exceed six months.
Please refer to Owner's Handbook for Service Recommendations if vehicle is used extensively off-road or under severe conditions."

For me the key here is the "high proportion of sour journeys" take from that what you will.

Stuart.

 

[John Robison]

With the correct oil and filter, The 10k intervals are OK for most people, most of the time. The problem is, most isn't all, and if you are one who isn't ok, no one is buying you a motor.

There is a widely held misconception that motor oil degrades in a linear fashion. It does not. Oil can be perfectly good for x miles, and then seemingly fall off a cliff and be unfit for use 1,000 miles later. Therefore, the fact that your oil is good at 10k does not mean it will still be good at 11k. And if it fails a bit earlier, due to use cycle or whatever, and 10k is too much . . .

That is why I suggest a slightly more frequent change. Even 9k would give more assurance, but it is hard to manage 9k intervals, where 7500 becomes "3 for2" and is easier to count

These engines will not develop sludge building and will be clean inside, even as the oil begins to break down and you move into chain damage territory. If it were my truck, I would err on the side of slightly more oil changing than necessary.

 

[John Robison]

I was also advised By Land Rover specialist to change the oil every 3k or 3 months in order to hopefully prevent the timing chain issue on my 2012 LR4 with 75k miles but he also recommended to run 10w40 high milage fully synthetic oil all year round (I live upstate NY where temps go down to 0 degrees) vs 0w20 winter or 5w20 summer that the dealership use.

All this was by phone call as I wanted him to check my LR4 for the possible timing chain issue as the engine has a ticking noise but he said to run the thicker oil and see if it quiets down first. He didn’t seem to run to take my money so I believed what he suggested.

I’ve been running the 10w40 for 1.5k miles so far and the engine seems a little less noisy, but might be also psychological...I plan on changing it at 3k miles and send an oil example to get tested.

I added a video of the engine running before changing to 10w40 if anyone has an opinion about the timing chain noise?

It’s interesting to see that so many Land Rover specialist have so many different opinion on this matter...

With all due respect, there are many opinions on this because there are a great many uninformed people out there with good intentions and limited understanding of the underlying theory. That is a problem with the auto trade in general, not just this post. Anyone can set up shop as a mechanic, and anyone can have an opinion. It's hard to know who to trust and why.

Most passenger car engine oils are not designed for 10,000 miles running in a high stress environment. The small timing gear and potential high rpm make these motors high stress. In addition, the variable valve timing system depends on a predictable viscosity to work right. The oil needs to be formulated in a way that it won't produce sludge with age. Finally, the engine has plastic and other components that need additives for preservation.

Changing oil, and using some other oil, does not solve those problems.

Modern engines don't use winter/summer oils. The 5-20 versus 0-20 is an evolution the spec, not a winter/summer choice. Furthermore, oils with "0" labels are not automatically thinner than a "5" oil. This is a situation where the rating does not translate as you might think. The "0" oil is more stable over a wider range. Either oil is thin enough for winter and thick enough for summer, in the correct application.

While you can fill your engine with a thicker oil, and reduce running noises, you are not assured of preventing metal on metal wear on those gears. The absence of noise in this case does not equate to absence of wear.

I strongly suggest you use the correct rated oil. If a lesser rated oil (and that is what your stated choice is) would do the job, don't you think LR would be using it too? Given the non-linear breakdown of the oil, 3k is a waste. 10k is good for most situations. 9k will be good for more, and 7500 will cover almost any situation, short of operating in the wild where grit contamination becomes a concern.

 

[wthammett]

**** that, every 10K with full synthetic, no problem at 183,000 miles

 

[Quijote]

**** that, every 10K with full synthetic, no problem at 183,000 miles

That's great to hear.

 

[John Robison]

**** that, every 10K with full synthetic, no problem at 183,000 miles

As I said, the 10k interval works for most people. But as a service manager I see lots of vehicles, and I have seen enough where 10k didn't work to be cautious. Sometimes it's owner error - people assumed there was wiggle room, and they actually went 12k a few times too many. Other times its usage pattern - maybe lots of short trips, or prolonged idling. That experience leads me to be more cautious, but I don't want to be wasteful, hence my comments that 3k is not needed but 7500-9k is prudent. Obviously if the 10k pattern works for you, no need to change.

 

[cperez]

Modern engines don't use winter/summer oils. The 5-20 versus 0-20 is an evolution the spec, not a winter/summer choice. Furthermore, oils with "0" labels are not automatically thinner than a "5" oil. This is a situation where the rating does not translate as you might think. The "0" oil is more stable over a wider range. Either oil is thin enough for winter and thick enough for summer, in the correct application.

Your responses, reasoning, and even tone have generated a lot of credibility in my mind. Is it your position that my 2013 5.0L engine could safely transition to 0-20 Castrol? I'm in the Mid-Atlantic (DC, so hot summers and fairly mild winters), work from home so no daily commute, and I enjoy road trips of 3-8 hrs one way (under normal, non-'rona circumstances). I drive about 15K mi/yr. 5-7500 oil change intervals w/Castrol Professional OE. Current odo ~70K.

Up until now the consensus seemed to be that 0-20 was a ploy to imperceptibly improve MPG. If it is actually an improved oil spec that's a different matter. Thanks for any advice.

 

[ktharper]

I don't post often but would like to put my two cents in. The newer oils are great, I believe they are. I use the best Castrol I can get for my 2012 5.0L. Oil changes on this car are super easy, of course I do my own. I change my oil very often, 3-4K. Too often? Not for me. The oil is still in great shape after 3K so why change it? Because it is dirty and all that crap in suspension causes wear. Call me simple, I just like clean oil. I've got 135K on this one and put over 200,000 on my KV6 Freelander, 300,000 on my car before that. Don't mind catching flack for what I believe in.

Thanks