Frequency of Oil Changes
Right now, I change the oil/filter yearly, but it seems a waste when there is only few hundred miles on the engine.
Thanks,
Pierre
34410
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Right now, I change the oil/filter yearly, but it seems a waste when there is only few hundred miles on the engine.
Thanks,
Pierre
34410 -
Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
Using information printed in my owners manual, it says to change the oil yearly if the mileage accumulation does not meet the oil change recommendation.
This is from my 96 Corvette's owner manual. -
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
If you check the archives I think you will find some comments from Duke on the changing of engine oil. I believe he stated that oil sitting in the engine over the winter does not degrade and oil changes should be based on milage not age.
That said I drive my 63 about 1000 to 1500 miles a yeear and always change the oil before putting the car away for the winter. Its not that big a maintainance item to change once a year.
The link listed in one of the earlier emails reflects the opinion of one person based on the performance of new cars. The older car engines do not run as clean as the newer cars so I would dismiss those comments.Comment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
I drive my old cars about 3,000 miles a year each. I change the oil once a year just before the winter when I won't be driving it as much. The oil won't deteriorate just sitting. It's better to have clean oil in there while sitting. It will be ready for the Spring.Comment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
I would go with the annual change, not because you'd have to, but oil's cheap. This also gives you a reason to get under the car and inspect other items that might need attention.Tom Hendricks
Proud Member NCRS #23758
NCM Founding Member # 1143
Corvette Department Manager and
Specialist for 27 years at BUDS Chevrolet.Comment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
Pierre:
Duke (and probably a few others as well) recommend changing oil and filter just prior to annual winter storage. However, for cars driven very infrequently (like your 300 - 500 miles per year) I think they said that "every other year" was probably a sufficient oil/filter change interval.
There have been a few times where I did not drive my car very much, and I changed oil and filter every other year....and had no issues whatsoever.
However, I would periodically check the oil to make sure it does not appear contaminated or smell of gas. If either of these, I would change immediately and check for issues.
LarryComment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
What Larry has just said is very important. Gas contamination of oil is a real problem on our older Vettes, what with the current crap gas we are getting. I have done everything I can to reduce hot soak of the AFB on my 63 L-76, and I still have some gas smell in the garage after shut down It's no where near as bad as before when I could even see the fuel boiling out of the Venturis. I was refused recycling of my oil at the local Auto Parts store due to the gas smell, so I'm stuck with about 5 gallons of drain oil from my frquent changes from last year. Think I will see how it does with the weeds on the Foreclosed houses in the area.
Stu FoxComment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
I believe changing oil annually (before storage for cars not driven in winter) is a good frequency for occasionally driven cars that accumulate a few hundred to a few thousand miles per year.
I have also said in the past that engines without PCV systems will contaminate and dilute the oil faster than engines with PCV systems.
The other thing to consider is how the miles are accumulated. If 500 miles is accumulated 5 miles at a time between colds starts, the oil is probably contaminated/diluted. If the average trip is 25 miles, then the oil will be in better shape.
Oil color is some indication of oil quality. If you only drive 500 miles per year, it's accumulated at least 20 miles at a time between cold starts, and the oil still looks as new, then I think it's reasonable to go another year, and then perform the same evaluation.
I've started this evaluation on my cars since my annual mileage is dropping and may be as little as 400-500 miles per year, average trip length is 20-25 miles, and the oil still looks like new. So in some cases I've delayed the change until the next year.
Duke
P. S. If you have an oil furnace, and the oil isn't too dirty, why not just dump the used crankcase oil into the heating oil tank. The old homestead in Seattle that I grew up in had a 600 gallon oil tank, and it got filled in the fall and probably a top off in February. My understanding is that lots of used engine oil is mixed with the No. 6 fuel oil that ships use. Home heating oil is typically No. 2, but a gallon of slightly used engine oil in 300-600 gallons of No. 2 isn't going to do any harm. Dump it in just before you have the tank filled, so it gets thorough mixed. My California home is heated with natural gas, so I don't have the option.Comment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
I agree that the "every 3 months or 3000 miles" hoax that the quicky oil change industry has foisted on consumers is bunk, but you have to look at the car, and the driving habits.
As always, your best source of information is the owner's manual for the required engine oil service interval that is required to maintain warranty coverage even if the car is long past its new car warranty. My newest car is the 1991 MR2, and the recommended oil change interval to maintain warranty coverage is every 7500 miles or once a year, whichever occurs first, and the requirement is conventional (non-"synthetic" oil), so I use 15W-40 CJ-4, same as what I use in all my cars.
New Corvettes for more than a decade have had sophisticated monitoring systems that keep track of oil quality and contamination, and easy driving in cool weather combined with Mobil 1 can mean up to 15,000 miles before the system says a change is necessary, BUT THE ONE YEAR WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST DEAL IS STILL REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN YOUR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.
Circa early nineties I drove into my Mercedes dealer's service department in the afternoon to talk about some warranty work. My service advisor, the shop foreman, and the service manager were attending to a similar 190E that had an ominous ticking noise. Later my service advisor told me that the car had about 25K miles and there were no records that the oil had ever been changed. No doubt, MBNA, would have been fully justified in denying warranty coverage for any damage to the engine because the owner was a frigging MORON!
The warranty coverage oil/filter service interval for the Merc is every 7500, but I don't recall the time limit - probably six months to a year. Back then I was driving it daily about 15K miles per year, and I changed the oil/filter every 5000, which averaged about four months. I did the work myself and the dealer never asked for any records or receipts. Of course, I never had an internal engine problem, and if you removed the oil fill cap in the cam cover it was obvious that the interior of the engine was squeaky clean - not coated with black sludge!
As with most things automotive, you look at the engine technology and best available engine oils, all of which have substantially better oxidation resistance than oils from the the distant past, the way the vehicle is used, the manufacturer's recommended change intervals, then apply a little common sense.
Modern emission controlled engines (anything with an O2 sensor and three-way catalyst) have very precisely controlled fuel flow, both during warmup and normal operating temperatures, and they are also designed to warm up to operating temperature very quickly. This is a big change from carbureted engines that typically run richer than necessary all the time, and if old enough they lack the good crankcase ventilation that began in the sixties with PCV systems. Take these factors into account along with manufacturer's recommendation and your particular driving habits.
DukeComment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
Duke,
With all due respect I believe the 3000 mile OCI predates the quicky lube industry. As a youth, back when one took their car to a SERVICE STATION for oil changes, the 3K mile interval was in vouge. I'll have to go look at the 1970 Owner's Manual and if I can find the Owner’s Manual for the 1937 Cadillac it will be interesting to see to see what it calls for OCI, but way back when oil and engines were both far from what they are today, the 3K interval was drummed into us.
No doubt the quick oil change industry has done a lot to perpetuate and spread this myth, but I suspect they didn’t start it – and it may well have had a solid foundation once upon a time.TerryComment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
Terry the 70 owners manual information on oil filter changes is every other time. I have never followed the 70 owners manual on the oil filter change, filter was changed with every oil change.
Always punched a hole in the oil filter and drained it before removing when the oil was hot.Comment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
The 3000/3 months may date from the fifties. The Chevrolet recommended interval for my '63 is every 60 days or 6000 miles - yeah, 60 days - with a new filter every 6000 or six months. Back in those days I changed every 90 days, which was typically 3000 miles and a new filter every other change.
Modern cars certainly need much less frequent changes due to better fuel flow management, tighter ring seal, and quick warmup. Just look at any new car manufacturer's recommendation for warranty coverage, and the warranty may cover the powertrain for up to 100K miles or ten years.
Also, the oxidation resistance and additive package (C-category) of today's oil are much better than in the sixties, plus we're not driving them everyday, so a change interval reflecting the better oil and easier driving environment is reasonable.
DukeComment
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Re: Frequency of Oil Changes
I just bought Walmart oil (CI-4/SJ) in a two gallon jug for $17.00, that's the best price I have seen in quite a while. The auto parts stores are around $3.70-4.00/QT..
Anybody noticed the price of gas lately, summer is here!!
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