Oil changes for low mileage vehicles?
Discussion
We all know the reccomended intervals - 6000 miles or 12 months - but my car has done probably no more than 2000 miles since its last service and has been stood for over 6 months since then. The oil looks good, smells good and as far as I can see is probably okay for another 6 months or so longer. Anyone think this would be a problem? Its a common rail turbo diesel, so it does want a decent oil in it I guess, but even still...
Rubin215 said:
It was in the ground for millions of years and it never came to any harm, but dozens of people will soon tell you your engine will rot before your very eyes if you don't change it in the next five minutes...
This is what my customers struggle to understand. Oil doesn't need to be changed as often as people say, and certainly not with the right filters on.Your oil in the car should be fine.
bulldong said:
This is what my customers struggle to understand. Oil doesn't need to be changed as often as people say, and certainly not with the right filters on.
Your oil in the car should be fine.
It depends on the engine. Older motors and modern diesels will tend to get a fair bit of soot in their oil, which is far too fine to be picked up by a filter. If your car has a carburettor the build up can be substantial and quick.Your oil in the car should be fine.
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1033/dies...
davepoth said:
bulldong said:
This is what my customers struggle to understand. Oil doesn't need to be changed as often as people say, and certainly not with the right filters on.
Your oil in the car should be fine.
It depends on the engine. Older motors and modern diesels will tend to get a fair bit of soot in their oil, which is far too fine to be picked up by a filter. If your car has a carburettor the build up can be substantial and quick.Your oil in the car should be fine.
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1033/dies...
ks unless there is a problem with the engine.Ozzie Osmond said:
The question isn't "how long?" or "how far?"; it's "what's the use cycle".
From what I've read from the Oilman, I agree with this. Each heat and cool cycle reduces the lubricating efficiency of the oil. This is a much bigger affect than length of time sitting doing nothing. With technological advances of modern day oils, I would hazard a guess that two years is fine for a low usage car.- For a low mileage car which does 5 miles every day I'd be making an annual oil change.
- For a low mileage car which does 35 miles each weekend I'd change the oil every 2 years.
Having said that, I probably average 2000 miles a year in each of my cars and will get them both serviced each year. The first is a run around cheap car which gets used most days with short drives. The second is my P&J TVR so it will get serviced annually no matter what.
Depends on the value of the car too.
As in let's say you had a series 1 e type c£100k now if you did 35 miles every weekend but changed the oil bi annually it would be an act of value destruction.
Let's say on the other hand it was a £3k car let's say any £3k car.... Um no it wouldn't matter one jot.
Now as car in question is not similar to e type series one and more akin to £3k car then it's within the servicing schedule it will be fine. If it's been standing for 6 months for 5-10 seconds the engine will have no oil in the top half of the engine causing huge wear (all relative) to the moving parts. Solution tale out the spark plugs drop a teaspoon of oil into each cylinder wait a few minutes to allow the oil in cylinder to get to the edge of the piston. Turn the starter over for a bit 5-10 seconds wait then do it again.
Put plugs back in fhen start up normally.
As in let's say you had a series 1 e type c£100k now if you did 35 miles every weekend but changed the oil bi annually it would be an act of value destruction.
Let's say on the other hand it was a £3k car let's say any £3k car.... Um no it wouldn't matter one jot.
Now as car in question is not similar to e type series one and more akin to £3k car then it's within the servicing schedule it will be fine. If it's been standing for 6 months for 5-10 seconds the engine will have no oil in the top half of the engine causing huge wear (all relative) to the moving parts. Solution tale out the spark plugs drop a teaspoon of oil into each cylinder wait a few minutes to allow the oil in cylinder to get to the edge of the piston. Turn the starter over for a bit 5-10 seconds wait then do it again.
Put plugs back in fhen start up normally.
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