[dsy1]

Now that many of us are working from home and not driving much, we don't put many miles on our cars. For a general purpose vehicle (not a classic or high-performance car, just a daily driver) when would you change the oil? I have three vehicles that went less than 700 miles in each of the last two years. One has synthetic, two have conventional oil. Every year? Every two years? Every three years? Oil still looks clean on the dipstick, seems odd to change it after less than 1000 miles.

 

[Rich-L79]

On my daily I change it once a year if I don't hit a mileage limit. On the classics that sit a lot more (probably less than 200-300 a year) my oil analysis guy said they can go two years between changes so that's what I've been doing for those. He said modern oils have a much better shelf life or crankcase life than ever was the case 20, 30, 40 years ago. And such a small amount of driving isn't putting any meaningful amount of harmful contaminants in the oil. Now, drive something 10k miles and the let it sit for 2 years? Not a good idea.

It IS important to use quality oil. That doesn't necessarily mean synthetic, just a tried and true name brand. I use varioius forms of Valvoline in all my vehicles. Super duper synthetic for the modern dailies and VR1 for the hot rods and quality conventional for the truck.

 

[oldcutlass]

I do once a year. The price of an oil change is cheap insurance against expensive repairs.

 

[71350SS]

Once a year for me but I may change it to 2 after reading Rich's post above.Also I always change it before I park it for the winter just so its clean and ready at start up and the dirt is out of the motor & not sitting in the oil pan for 3 to 5 months at a time.

 

[dsy1]

We don't have "winter" here in San Diego so my cars get driven all year, but low miles per month. My 1971 C20 pickup now has been 2 years but only about 950 miles since I changed it last. I guess I will change it soon.

 

[dsy1]

My tires are about 10 years old too, but barely worn. I suppose I should be thinking about replacing them also.

 

[Rich-L79]

My tires are about 10 years old too, but barely worn. I suppose I should be thinking about replacing them also.

You know, you have to use some common sense too. I have tires on the L79 car that I put on it in 1984 and they are just fine. Never see daylight outside of a few drives or car shows. They haven't a single crack in the rubber anywhere and still have plenty of tread. Now, any tire I buy nowadays would get replaced well inside of 10 years regardless of wear. Like so many things, tires are not what they used to be. I had tires on my trailer that were darn near ready to fall apart after about 7 years. They had tons of tread left but that tread was likely to come off soon from the looks of them.

 

[pannetron]

Once a year for me, too. Change it in the fall so the engines sit in cleaner oil over the winter.

 

[SSuper Dave]

I drive my daily about 2,200 miles a year, all stop and go, and can't tell you the last times I was over 45 mph. I do mine every 6 months, and its jet black when I drain it.

 

[shovelrick]

On my DD I do a oil & filter change every 5,000 mi. with syn 5-20 in my 1 owner 09 Ram with 58K mi., and 05 Express 2500 syn blend 5w30 every 5,000 mi., Now I'm rethinking my Chevelle since reading Rich's post

 

[68Chevele]

I look at it like this. On the hwy a lot 3-4 thousand miles change oil, but if your like my wife and drive a few miles a day, change the oil every 6 to 9 months if it needs it or not. Lot of contaminates in oil that never get warmed up enough over oil from hwy use.

 

[shovelrick]

Now that I think of what 68 said about every oil change instr. I've ever read said XXX miles OR X months, new Harley engines too

 

[64SS427]

The question is how do you come about those low miles? Oil doesn’t get dirty from sitting in a crankcase.

Short distance drives, never fully warmed up? Change it often.

Not driven daily, but warmed up fully when it is driven? Late model I go 5k,old stuff maybe 2500.

Devin

 

[c4racer]

On my late model LT1 camaro i was getting 3K per year and changing it yearly. But with covid I drove it about 2K in 18 months and changed it at that point.
I was tired of the oil monitor yelling at me to change it. That’s a 10 quart change of dexos2 so not cheap.
I felt ok with that interval. Not much stop and go in that drive cycle. A few longer trips. Car sat way more than I would have liked. My 71 camaro hardly got any use at all. I drove it maybe 300 miles last year.
The new one is almost 5 years old and has just under 15K miles at this point. Need to drive that one more for sure. Too many options. Haha

 

[Bob Tiley]

I use Mobil 1 15w-50 and think it will have a long crankcase life. I change it every 3 years with low miles.

 

[cv67]

Caminos oil is getting changed this weekend. 3 yrs old bet it doesnt have 30 miles on it. Sadly hasnt been started once this year thats going to change.

DD, 1500 truck has maybe 150 miles on this oil change and is black already. Short trips around town, surprised. So thats getting one too. Almost 190k but always kept the oil cllean. One 4 change since new, rest never went over 3k since day 1.

 

[billdini]

Just for acid in the oil reasons if dyno oil every 6 months, synthetic once a year.

 

[The Camaro Guy]

Oil doesn't spoil. I keep my cars forever it seems, 1, 43 years, 31, 32, 21,15 yrs low miles except the 69 I have had for 43 yrs, the 31 yr one has 56K original miles and never been rebuilt. I use VR-1, 20-50 and change about 2 or 3 years, never had a engine failure. My XTS Caddy when the computer tells me as with my 05 Vette. No extremes in weather or dusty environment helps.

 

[72soft-top]

Any vehicle that has an oil monitor, I typically follow (these typically alert me at 6-8k miles). If DD don’t have monitors, I change at 5-6k miles. Classic cars with <1k miles go 2-3 years. Use Mobil 1 on DDs.
Oil maintenance for me has always been based on usage not time durations.

 

[hydro462]

New Wix filter and 6 quarts of 10W30 Mobil 1 oil twice a year no matter how many miles. Once in December and one in May..

No additives, unless I get a real dirty motor. Then I use a quart of Shaler Rislone before and after each oil change..