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I'll go either 6-7 months or ~7,500 miles, whichever comes first. I also change my own oil so I can understand maybe someone not wanting to pay if they think they can get a few more months/couple thousand miles out of a change. But I'm also in a climate that is very hot, dusty and travel over a mountain twice a day as well.
We really don't need two vehicles (because my wife rarely drives), but the wife insists on having two.
Usually one vehicle gets driven and the other sits. While I do trade off after a while, neither gets driven many miles. On the oil change window sticker there are two suggestions for the next oil change. Mileage and a date. How important is the time period between oil changes?
For example: Our 2013 Malibu only has about 4200 miles on it. The oil change reminder sticker says it is due for a change at 6400 miles. However the date says August 10, 2014. Should I wait for 6000 miles or take it in sooner because of the length of time?? If the time period is important, why?
If the vehicle is out of its warranty, then you can follow a reasonable schedule such as perhaps 5,000-7,000 miles or six months (whichever comes first). The oil/filter type and change should be in the owner's manual.
The world is flat and anyone who thinks differently is wrong.
Oil analysis isn't expensive to get done. Science is amazing like that. And yes, it does go bad sitting in the engine. Six months is a general recommendation. If you drive the car once a week 50 miles one-way to town to do church and do your shopping, I wouldn't hesitate to ignore the six months and do it once a year. On the other hand if you drive it two miles to work, two miles back, short errands, then you're never going to really get it hot enough to burn off condensation that builds up. Or you could just pay for oil analysis and know for sure whether the world is indeed flat.
This !!
The oil change interval in my car is 10,000 miles. That is a lot of miles so I have decided to start doing oil analysis. There is an additional test you can do that actually shows how much life the additives in your oil have left. Letting you know if you can reduce or increase your oil change interval.
They actually have a person that looks at your results and writes a personal message based on your results, trends, and comparisons to other engines. This test can reveal fuel in your oil, water in your oil, silicas (dirt) in your oil (intake leak), or wear metals showing up indicating things like a cam shaft wearing abnormally.
The only way to know is sending your oil to a lab. It is $25 plus $2.86 in shipping.
It could actually save you money. What if you find out that your oil after 3000 miles had TONS of life left in it? How much money would you save by SAFELY pushing the interval to 6000 miles?
tmozer,
As you seem to not keep your car(s) for a decade, and don't put many miles on either, I rec'd an annual oil&filter change, with good quality filter and full synthetic oil once a year.
The manual for your car says the same...
The 'Oil Threads' are like political threads, but since you aren't keeping some rare/emotionally attached super car for years, the annual O & F change, based on your lower mileage, should serve you well.
Imo, the full syn oils of today, combined with a quality filter, provide for an easy annual service based on your lower mileage. This ain't rocket science or bench racing...
GL, mD
The answer is simple, read your owner's manual. I am willing to bet it recommends either a certain mileage or a minimum of once a year if the mileage is not reached.
Anyone who has a car manufactured in the last decade or two and is getting the oil changed every 3,000 miles is flushing money down the drain.
Only cars I could see doing that are cabs and tow trucks, that's about it. 3k for a non-commercial vehicle is such a waste of money because of backwards thinking. 3k on dino oil is a waste, when I used dino oil, I was going to 5-6k miles on a change.
I have the oil changed every 3,000 miles. This amounts to every 4 months on the Subaru (98 k mis) and twice a year on the Buick (176 k mis.). The garage also does a safety check as part of the service.
Oil won't go bad sitting in the engine for many many years (probably eons). You will be dead by the time your oil goes bad from age. Anyone who thinks oil will go bad from sitting for 6 months, or even 6 years is just...wrong.
The spices in your cabinet don't expire for years....oil lasts much longer than spices. And I have spices that expired 10 years ago...I'm not dead yet .
Actually, many spices do need replacing before a year at minimum - they don't "spoil" but they either lose their flavor or get strong and bitter. That said, I have a winter "beater" that I only put maybe 2-3k miles on a year so I change the oil once or twice a year.
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