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Do you really need to have oil changes at certain time intervals even if you dont put on the mileage.?
I have not had my car a year and is due for oil change at 10K but only have 7K.
My service guy wanted to do the service but I told him I wanted to wait. He said one year or 10K, but I think he was just wanting to do some warranty work . I was there for some free inspection thing.
First of all I assume you're running full synthetic and not primarily short-tripping your vehicle, correct? If the answer to either question is no you should probably rethink your 10K interval.
To answer your question, I'd do it once a year, I think that's adequate if your not surpassing the service interval in that amount of time.
But why would an oil change be considered warranty work?
Do you really need to have oil changes at certain time intervals even if you dont put on the mileage.?
I have not had my car a year and is due for oil change at 10K but only have 7K.
My service guy wanted to do the service but I told him I wanted to wait. He said one year or 10K, but I think he was just wanting to do some warranty work . I was there for some free inspection thing.
If your car is under warranty, and not taking it in for warranty work will void the warranty, you need to take it in.
That said, if it were my car, I'd change the oil once per year regardless of how many miles were on it. Over the course of 5 years, you're only adding about $50 of total expense. I'd gladly pay that to make sure I had clean oil in my car.
The last two cars I have recommend 5K chnages and its is specific that it does matter if synthetic or crude based.Crude based oil doe not wearout its getts contaminated and its additive package to clean wear out just as synthetic does.
The last two cars I have recommend 5K chnages and its is specific that it does matter if synthetic or crude based.Crude based oil doe not wearout its getts contaminated and its additive package to clean wear out just as synthetic does.
You're right.
So many people argue about dino versus synthetic oil, and completely miss the main point. The primary problem is contaminants, not the oil itself.
I would like the OP to reach over about 3 feet from the driver's seat, open the glove compartment, and take out the Owner's Manual/Maintenance Schedule. Car maintenance should not be a mystery, and luckily the vehicle's manufacturer has provided an easy-to-read guide telling you what to do, and when to do it.
While nobody will currently be able to give specific advice on this mystery vehicle's maintenance, I can tell you that almost all maintenance procedures list both an odometer mileage value and an elapsed time value, with a "whichever comes first" notation.
In other words, if the maintenance schedule lists a 10k oil change interval, it very likely also states..."or every 12 months, whichever comes first".
If you would reveal the actual identity of the vehicle, I and others can probably be much more specific with our advice.
(Hint: When asking questions about maintenance or repair, it is extremely important to mention the make, model, model year, type of transmission, and engine type/size)
And, as duster noted, that 10k oil change interval is only practical if you are using synthetic motor oil. Are you?
Personally, I usually change my oil every 4k miles, and under no circumstances would I go more than 5k miles between changes. Those who extend their oil change intervals and who do a lot of short-trip driving will inevitably wind up with damaging sludge in their engine, and that type of damage is not covered by warranty because it constitutes owner negligence.
So--how about telling us the make, model, model year, engine type, and transmission type of the car, as well as a description of its usual driving patterns.
And...does the vehicle mfr specify the use of synthetic oil, and if so...are you using it?
Last edited by Retriever; 06-22-2012 at 01:41 PM..
A 10K oil change interval does not always require synthetic. I owned a Jaguar S-type with the 4.0 V8. The owners manual specified oil change interval was 10K miles, using the spec'd oil, which was dino. Many BMWs spec a 10K oil change interval and the oil standard is not synthetic.
The correct answer depends on a lot of variables but the biggest is how is the car driven. Is it driven in short trips? When it is driven, does it run at full running temp at least 30 minutes? In short trips where it doesn't get to run at least 30 minutes at full temps, the PCV system doesn't have near enough time to cook off any contaminants or moisture. Sludge will be yer friend in this scenario and cause issues later including a failed oil pump because the pickup screen will get clogged. If the car is driven over 30 minutes each time, then time means nothing to the oil, just usage. We now have, since the PCV system were mandatory, an enclosed crankcase system where free roaming oxygen isn't allowed like the cars previous to the PCVs. We no longer have the oxidating effects of that oxygen to destroy the oils properties. So time means nothing, mileage/usage does.
FWIW, I have a Lincoln Mark 7- one of seven built with a 5.0 making 325 HP factory. It's a collector car worth a bunch of bucks. The oil that is currently in it is now 5 years old with less than 2000 miles on it. I take to the lab at least once a year and have the oil run thru spectroscopy and particle counts. It's fine. Probably next year it'll get fresh but there are no elevated acids, wear metals, particulates, and the inside of the valve covers are still factory clean.
I have not had my car a year and is due for oil change at 10K but only have 7K.
My service guy wanted to do the service but I told him I wanted to wait. He said one year or 10K, but I think he was just wanting to do some warranty work .
1 year or 10K sounds like a reasonable schedule,i hope you asked the service manager if refusing the 1 year oil change interval will affect your warranty.I would have done the oil change as theres more going on with oil than just the mileage numbers,contaminants can get into the oil and start to deteriorate various components, also as its the cars first oil change i'd be concerned about small metal bits floating around in the oil.
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