i use the oil/filter change reminder feature on the navi because i hate having the window sticker. for some very odd reason, it reset itself at 3k miles instead of popping up the reminder.

long story short i changed my oil today after 6k miles. its not even synthetic oil that i used. im sending in my oil to a lab, and im expecting the worst.

what kind of damage did i do to my engine waiting this long? i've been driving the car fairly hard this past month also. the oil isnt very dark, but its darker then it usually is. also i've always had a slight coolant leak into my engine which reaches about 40ppm at around 3k miles. thats not a bad level, but im guessing thats going to atleast double this time around. thats going to mess somethings up.

any input would be appreciated.

 

I'm sure you'll be ok. Just keep a better eye on it in the future.

 

You didn't do any damage. The service manual recommends that you change your oil & filter every 7500 miles.

My father drove his '72 Datsun pickup for 40,000 miles without ever changing the oil. He just kept topping up as it burnt off. He sold that truck ten years ago at 240,000 miles, and I'm sure that truck is probably still running today.

 

Double post.

 

Triple post.

 

most oils, even non-synthetics will go for at LEAST 10,000 miles without showing many signs of breaking down. Changing more often is for peace of mind.

This has been proven time and time again through analysis.

 

Yes you dont have much to worry about, the manual recommends 7.5k OCI's and thats not even with syn, so 6k is okay.

 

The maximum for warranty purposes is 7500 miles the owners manual states 3,750 or 90 days [even if not driven] for maximum engine life.

 

thanks for the info everyone. ill be able to sleep a little easier tonight. im not worried about the warranty, i have too many other things that void it to worry about the oil voiding it. lol.

 

I can attest to that fact. I've driven my honda accord 10k miles between oil changes many times with no ill effects. The proof? It has 220k miles on it and runs just like new. You're Z will be fine.

 

A properly running engine will not have any problem running 6k on one oil change.

But the coolant leaking into the engine would kind of concern me. Even small amounts of antifreeze in the oil can cause bearing damage.

 

I have 8700 miles and 1 oil change... was going to get one this week. Oil pressure is still good so I doubt there's any breakdown.

 

6,000 miles is no big deal. The motor will not self-destruct at 4,000 miles.

 

My 350Z consumes oil so........... If I didn't check the oil for 3000miles my engine would self destruct lol.

 

Yes it is important to know your car. Good point. Not ALL cars can go 6k miles without changing oil

 

Only in the US they change oil every 3k miles. outside of the US its about every 8-12k miles.. most people just top it off so pressure is right.

 

went to the drag strip yesterday and even sprayed. the car ran like butter. lol. its like it was at home when at high revs. very nice.