I used to own a '94 Mercury Villager... it was a daily driver, but kind of a family "beater". I had 3 small kids at the time, all very close in age so I was very busy and didn't pay much attention to the car unless something broke on it. It got neglected big time. I let it go 100k without changing oil. Finally sold it with 249k miles on it... still running great!

 

(On a related note...) There's a big discussion currently on a lube forum, about oil filtration media--the pleated fiber stuff--filtering so well that it removes the additive package in the oil (i.e. zddp, moS2, etc.) If your filter media has TOO small of a micron filtration rating (2m for example) it can actually filter the good stuff out of your oil in addition to the wear particles. I guess I'd never considered THAT before......??

 

Even when my bike was stock, it pretty much still is, it would darken the oil to a black within a few hundred miles. Quicker than my diesel pickup. It looks like a porter through the sight glass.

The KLX makes oil black in a hurry. No need to worry.

 

Is this being reported by Tribologists, or, just people speculating? I don't know how big a molecule of the largest additive particle is, but, 2 microns is pretty big when discussing molecules. I mean, one red blood cell is 7-8 microns across.

Before I'd believe anything about filters being "too good", I'd have to see scientific proof...otherwise, it's just internet noise.

 

My step father never changed oil in any of our equipment or trucks for work... he was a cheap SOB, but I can say we never had a failure due to lubrication in all my years growing up... I change my oil for everything I own way more than anyone reasonably should, but I'm practically an OCD perfectionist.