Oil changes

[bowtie_dude]

How much does the TIME between oil changes matter? Its been about 4 months since my last oil change, but I've put less than 2000 miles on the car since then. I plan on getting it changed this week, but I was just curious how much of a factor time was in the life of oil if the miles are low and not very hard.

[balthazar]

For a car that accumulates VERY low miles in a year (less than the amount normally recommended until your next change), the rule of thumb is change it every 12 months anyway. I believe this is supposedly because combustion develops acids in the oil that are detrimental over longer periods of time. If the car goes zero miles in a year, the oil probably can sit in there indefinately.

[Intrepidation]

I change the oil in our cars every 3 months or 3,00 miles, whichever comes first...usually the latter.

[bowtie_dude]

For a car that accumulates VERY low miles in a year (less than the amount normally recommended until your next change), the rule of thumb is change it every 12 months anyway. I believe this is supposedly because combustion develops acids in the oil that are detrimental over longer periods of time. If the car goes zero miles in a year, the oil probably can sit in there indefinately.

Cool, thanks. I doubt I'll go a year between changes, but I just wanted to make sure waiting 4-5 months wasn't going to cause any serious problems.

[loki]

For a car that accumulates VERY low miles in a year (less than the amount normally recommended until your next change), the rule of thumb is change it every 12 months anyway. I believe this is supposedly because combustion develops acids in the oil that are detrimental over longer periods of time. If the car goes zero miles in a year, the oil probably can sit in there indefinately.

the last part... depending on what kind of car it is i bet the gas sitting in the tank would be worse to use in the engine than the oil. hehe.

personal habits make me change mine every 4 months, at least, unless i somehow drive a whole lot more in 3 months than i do now, or obviously the oil is bad looking.

[balthazar]

Yup- gas goes bad very fast. You are supposed to use fuel stabalizer if the vehicle is going to sit (I believe) 6 months. I bought a car that had sat 15 years; the gas had.... solidified into an inch-thick layer of cracked crustiness. I had it boiled out, used a length of chain, tried coating it- could not get it to stop oozing Slurpee mix into my fuel filter. Ultimately had to find another tank.

[daves87rs]

Usually I change the oil at 3/3000...

But since I live close to work-it can take a while to get to 3000 miles...

I wait no longer than 6 months to replace the oil...just to be on the safe side....

[Sixty8panther]

Yes, true.

But as crazy as it sounds my Super 88 started and drove on

the 23 year old gas in the tank, not well but it did run & drive.

[Drew Dowdell]

Does synthetic help with the time factor at all?

[daves87rs]

Does synthetic help with the time factor at all?

Yes, but not that much....

[balthazar]

Agreed: if I am correct in my recollection, the acids are by-products of combustion; those should occur in either 'dino' or synthetics.

[daves87rs]

Agreed: if I am correct in my recollection, the acids are by-products of combustion; those should occur in either 'dino' or synthetics.

Yep, with the synthetics it just takes longer for that to happen...