I have gotten all kinds of responses on how to break in my new targa 4s. From drive like a bat out of hell to 2000 miles under 4k rpm.
I have read while reviewing these responses that you should change oil at 3000 miles, other comments say let the oil get old it is better for the engine. My salesperson says 18,000. My guess is that nobody has done any studies to show in routine driving what is best for the car and that everyones strong feelings are just their variety of old wife tales. I still would like to know what you think for a new car with mainly commuter driving, no racing. Thanks
drjay2
PS My first attending in my internship some 45 years ago-told us that most people who have no complaints probably never need a physical until they die. Then they no need one. I would say that everyone should get a chest x-ray every year (yes I am a radiologist) and that way I can afford my next porsche.

 

I change the oil and filter once a year.

 

3000 miles on mineral oil cars, 5000 on synthetic. If I do a track day, I'll change all fluids before going.

 

Well, lets see....if the engine burns the amount of oil that Porsche states as normal ( 1 quart every 600 miles), then you will replenish your oil every 6000 miles, so all you have to do ir change the filter once ub awhile.

For those of use that have an "improperly" running P-car that burns no oil, then I would suggest once every 6 months or 5 - 10,000 miles depending on how you drive and where you drive. Primary reason for change is to remove contaminants. The more cold starts you have, the more acid buildup there is.

 

Maybe I am crazy, but I only change it when the manufacturer suggests, which is ever 15K. I don't track my car though and it's a daily driver. I do, however, drive "spiritly".

 

The averge car will probably not notice that oil is changed, even every 50,000 miles. I knew a guy that swore that oil never had to be changed....only the filter. He drove his Dodge for more than 150,000 miles on the original oil over 7 years. Car seemed to run fine when he sold it. He only added about 10 quarts of oil over the entire period and that was because of a small leak.

 

I change my oil every 10,000km (~6000 miles); this part of the world can get fairly hot and the extra caution never hurts.

 

Exactly how I feel. The extra $200 or so twice a year is nothing compared to buying a new engine when Porsche denies the warranty claim.

 

Every 10K miles or at least once a year. Mine isn't a DD so no 10K but every year.

 

Between 7,000 and 10,000.
Usually twice a year.

 

Well , for what it's worth .
I'm a Mechanical Engineer by profession and no one will convince me that if you beat the heck out of an engine ,new or "broken in" it will last as long as one driven more sensibly.Or that old, dirty oil is better for an engine than clean oil .
If the above were true, then race car engines should last forever ( at least if you NEVER changed their oil ) Lol

I do believe that today's Synthetic oils do not break down as quickly as the non-synthetic oils. Having said that, even if the oil does not break down,dirt and corrosive acids will start to accumulate in it .
That is what will damage the engine in the long run.

I will continue to change my oil AT LEAST once a year ,regardless of milage .
To me, that's cheap insurance .

If you want to know what can happen , read up on SLUDGE caused engine failures . Toyota just settled a class action law suit replacing failed engines with as low as 50-60 k miles on them . Ditto Audi with their 4 cyl. A-4 cars (sludge caused engine failures at ~ 60 k miles due to their 10 k synthetic oil change recommendations )The oil is probably OK, but unless it's drained out , the dirt accumulates inside the engine , blocking proper oil distribution to vital engine parts .

And from what I read on this forum regarding breaking in procedures and oil changes, I would never dream of buying a used car . Lol

 

I am curious, is there a way they can get rid of the sludge? i.e. flush it out?

 

I think this is what JCS is talking about...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_sludge

 

Holy cow, this is what engine sludge looks like
http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm

 

Turpentine. Lol

The biggest problem is that unless you take the engine apart , there is no way of telling how bad it is ,until some sludge is dislodged and prevents some vital area from being properly lubricated. When that happens, catastrophic engine failure can occur within a few minutes, usually without warning .
Many failures actually occured just a few miles after an oil change was done and the synthetic oil ( which acts as a detergent ) loosened up the sludge .

The best is to prevent it from forming in the first place , by using synthetic oil and frequent oil changes (not just changing the filters as has been suggested )
Sludge consists of micro particles which are not removed by the oil filter .

Engine sludge build up is also greatly increased by the use of these so-called "high performance " oiled type air intake filters ,since these filters are not very good at capturing dust particles below ~ 3 microns.
There have been several discussions on the subject .