interesting cooments from this guy on a forum i frequent....

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=583602

 

Which cooments are we looking out for?!

 

the fact that this guy has quite a bit of evidence that oil doesnt need to be changed but every 20K miles or so

 

That depends greatly on the type of oil used.

 

Really the oil change intervals depend on three things:
1) How you drive... short hops or longer hwy miles... the short hops are engine killers,

2) Where you drive... colder climates like Canada or the northern border States need a lower viscosity oil ( anti-gelling) to deal with the colder climates, lower latitude States need higher viscosity (thicker) oil to dispel heat buildup in the engines.

3) The type of oil you use is a major decision... Synthetic doesn't break down like conventional engine oils do, it is designed to last longer and pull more crap out of the lube stream than the organic crude. Viscosity is crucial, choose the right one, thicker oil in cold climates will seize and engine, as will thinner oils in the heat.

My 2010 Si FA5 was originally sold to me with 5W30 OEM engine oil. I ran it like that for the first 2 oil changes. No biggie. I got an average of 8500 Kms out of an oil change ( about 5K miles). I switched to Acura synthetic 5W30 last fall and ran the car through the winter, with no heartaches, even when the temps dropped to -30C and the car wasn't plugged in ( block heaters are a must in most of Canada), she started and purred every time. I am due my B1-2 service in 4 days, life meter is down to 5% and she is still pulling strong as ever. I have clocked well over 11K Kms on this oil change. Yes the oils is dark, yes it looks like it needs changing, and yes it will be changed, but the fact is that the oil change from full conventional to full synthetic did extend my oil change interval. My car is now 2 years old and I have run almost 40K Kms on the clock ( about 26K miles).

My $.02