Carpokes Porsche Forum

My GTS 4.0 is coming up on it's FREE one year service. The car has about 8K miles on it. I am a bit uncomfortable with annual/10K mile oil changes. My previous Box S had about every six month /5K mile oil changes. Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

Stormy_Monday wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:46 am My GTS 4.0 is coming up on it's FREE one year service. The car has about 8K miles on it. I am a bit uncomfortable with annual/10K mile oil changes. My previous Box S had about every six month /5K mile oil changes. Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

As with many other maintenance items, much depends on use and individual preferences.

Following Porsche's guidance of a minimum of every 12-months or 10k miles (whichever comes first) will keep you safe.

However, I'll change the oil/filter in the GT4 more often than that due to track use. Miles driven and type of driving are my primary guides. I changed initially at about 2,200 miles which seemed right to me considering break-in was complete and the car was about to go on track where it gets driven hard. Odometer is about 9,500 now and oil/filter has been changed three times and will get done again mid-summer.

Stormy_Monday wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:46 am My GTS 4.0 is coming up on it's FREE one year service. The car has about 8K miles on it. I am a bit uncomfortable with annual/10K mile oil changes. My previous Box S had about every six month /5K mile oil changes. Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

I have no concern with 10k miles.

My BMW has oil change notifications based on driving data logged by the computer.

The last oil change notification occurred at 16k miles !!!!!

I worked for a company which had a very large vehicle fleet of cars, vans and trucks. We regularly sent oil samples from the vehicles for testing to determine levels of deterioration.

Essentially we found that synthetic oil maintains full specifications far beyond the 10k mark.

audi4t wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:05 am

Stormy_Monday wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:46 am My GTS 4.0 is coming up on it's FREE one year service. The car has about 8K miles on it. I am a bit uncomfortable with annual/10K mile oil changes. My previous Box S had about every six month /5K mile oil changes. Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

I have no concern with 10k miles.

My BMW has oil change notifications based on driving data logged by the computer.

The last oil change notification occurred at 16k miles !!!!!

I worked for a company which had a very large vehicle fleet of cars, vans and trucks. We regularly sent oil samples from the vehicles for testing to determine levels of deterioration.

Essentially we found that synthetic oil maintains full specifications far beyond the 10k mark.

Synthetic is definitely awesome!

audi4t wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:05 am

Stormy_Monday wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:46 am My GTS 4.0 is coming up on it's FREE one year service. The car has about 8K miles on it. I am a bit uncomfortable with annual/10K mile oil changes. My previous Box S had about every six month /5K mile oil changes. Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

I have no concern with 10k miles.

My BMW has oil change notifications based on driving data logged by the computer.

The last oil change notification occurred at 16k miles !!!!!

I worked for a company which had a very large vehicle fleet of cars, vans and trucks. We regularly sent oil samples from the vehicles for testing to determine levels of deterioration.

Essentially we found that synthetic oil maintains full specifications far beyond the 10k mark.

My '90's 3 series had this feature.

Bear in mind that I believe the current oil change interval in Europe is now 2 years or 30,000 km (almost 20,000 miles). So 12 months or 10k miles with today's oils is probably quite fine.

Yes - I believe the EU mandated to auto manufacturers that oil change intervals had to be extended for a number reasons e.g. reduce oil consumption (purchase) and a
recycling mandate among them

Remember when 3k miles was the norm

audi4t wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 11:19 am Yes - I believe the EU mandated to auto manufacturers that oil change intervals had to be extended for a number reasons e.g. reduce oil consumption (purchase) and a
recycling mandate among them

Remember when 3k miles was the norm

I do. And I was a fanatic about following that regimen.

Considering no synthetic back then, it was a wise thing to do.

I'm confident these new extended intervals are backed by good technology, science, and research. I'm also sure they offer a perfectly rational balance between longevity, maintenance cost/effort, carbon footprints, marketing appeal, and who knows what else.

I, however, am stuck in my ways and couldn't bring myself to go 10k on a Porsche -- especially one with a turbocharger, or one tracked or driven hard. It's synthetic oil, not magic oil. I never heard anyone with a worn out motor wishing they had changed their oil less often. But I'll admit I'm a professional cynic, borderline neurotic, who can't help but wonder if the marketing and public relations departments are smothering the engineers.

Tom

I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer and obviously oil changes sooner rather than later should be beneficial most of the time.

I’ve experienced a tech not tightening the drain plug after an oil change and oil leaking, but that’s another issue

However, it’s of no benefit for a manufacturer to extend oil change intervals if they aren’t confident the motor and oil are capable.


Turbos do operate at high temps and my 2008 BMW 135i is a straight 6 tru twin turbo not the later biturbo - it now has 73,000 miles on the odo and doesn’t burn a drop of oil.