Drain now or later?

[exranger06]

2006 Ford Ranger 4.0 SOHC
I have M1 0w30 AFE in it right now. It's been in there almost a year (last oil change was Dec 30, 2008) and has under 4k miles on it. I will be refilling it with more M1 0w30 and will probably continue with 1 year OCIs, but I don't want to do it every December. I was thinking of leaving it in for a few extra months until spring so I can change it every spring thereafter.
The truck doesn't ever really do any short trips, it just sits in the driveway a lot. When I do drive it, it's on the highway for about 20 mins/17 miles.

Would it be OK to leave it until March?

 

[Turk]

Hummm. Are you planning on keeping this Ranger a long time?

If so, change it!

If not, it would not matter as much and you can wait.

 

[pbm]

I'd extend a month at a time...and 3 years from now you can start changing every March.

 

[EPHIOS]

Yeah, you should change it NOW! Unless you are using the Mobil 1 EP, you can stretch it a lot bit. Remember, manufacturers alway state, change your oil every 3000 miles or 3 months, WHICH EVER COMES FIRST (or 5000 miles/6 months, which ever applies).

 

[hate2work]

If you're going to keep the truck, and want to stay with 1 year OCIs, change it now, and then every 11 months for the next two years. By 2011 you'll be changing it in August

 

[Hermann]

IMO, due to the fact that the engine is getting warmed up good each run it will make no difference. The only thing that is going up in smoke is your warranty if you are under 60K. If my warranty didnt require 5K changes it would be in for 15K as my trips are all 10 miles or more and most are 30 miles.

 

[mcrn]

You could always change the filter and top off. Then stretch it out a little longer just for insurance. Plus you could always send off a sample when you change the filter.

 

[mcrn]

You could always change the filter and top off. Then stretch it out a little longer just for insurance. Plus you could always send off a sample when you change the filter. Or change it now and switch to EP and then stretch it out next year. Or like was said above just change now and then change it early.

 

[iunderpressure]

I believe time does very little to breaking down oil. Drive the truck for 30 miles or so and you're okay to wait the extra time.

I think the oil companies put a time limit on oil to sell oil. Someone like you doesn't go though much.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: Hermann
IMO, due to the fact that the engine is getting warmed up good each run it will make no difference. The only thing that is going up in smoke is your warranty if you are under 60K. If my warranty didnt require 5K changes it would be in for 15K as my trips are all 10 miles or more and most are 30 miles.


My warranty is already expired. I made a post the other day about what I did when I was still in warranty:

Quote:
Do what I did when my truck still had a warranty: Keep 2 different oil change records: One set of records you use to show the dealer in case you ever have to take the car there, and the other set of records is the real version of the stuff you actually did.

The dealer version shows you changing the oil every 5k miles with 5w30.
The actual version shows you extending OCIs with 0w30 or whatever you actually do.

Don't forget to actually buy 5w30 so you have receipts to show them. Use the 5w30 in some other car or your lawnmower or something. Problem solved.


I suppose I'll change it out this weekend. It's starting to make feel a little itchy. I'll just change it every fall from now on, before the bad weather sets in. Thanks everybody.

 

[Billy_D]

Originally Posted By: mcrn
You could always change the filter and top off. Then stretch it out a little longer just for insurance. Plus you could always send off a sample when you change the filter.


+1

 

[SilverC6]

I'm on a annual change on one of my cars and I schedule it in the fall.

The intent is that the car can sit over the winter without having all those nasty contaminants down there in the oil pan.

 

[Geonerd]

Heck, I think you're fine! The oil won't age or oxidize significantly just sitting in the crankcase, half frozen. And so long as the engine gets thoroughly warmed up every so often, condensation won't be an issue either.

IMO!


OTOH, we all know how maddening that 'itch' can be. It's a common side effect of reading BITOG and can overpower even the strongest will.

 

[Leo]

I don't really see the difference between the oil sitting at the bottom of the sump vs sitting in a bottle. So my vote is, leave it in!

 

[Gary Allan]

Keep in mind that the time/mileage recommendations pretty much assume a daily driver. It doesn't or rather can't factor the vehicle that makes trips of more than adequate length at low frequency.

Time will destroy this thing before engine wear @ 4k/year.

 

[Superbuick96]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
2006 Ford Ranger 4.0 SOHC
I have M1 0w30 AFE in it right now. It's been in there almost a year (last oil change was Dec 30, 2008) and has under 4k miles on it. I will be refilling it with more M1 0w30 and will probably continue with 1 year OCIs, but I don't want to do it every December. I was thinking of leaving it in for a few extra months until spring so I can change it every spring thereafter.
The truck doesn't ever really do any short trips, it just sits in the driveway a lot. When I do drive it, it's on the highway for about 20 mins/17 miles.

Would it be OK to leave it until March?

I have the same truck and with the same SOHC 4.0 and follow the factory recommendation of 6 month OCI's. with the recommended 5w30...But thats just me. If I were you I'd change it now then again in the spring and do your annual oil change in the spring like you want to. BTW. how does your 4.0 like the 0w30?

 

[raffy]

I am in a similar situation to exranger06 with my Saturn. It also is only driven about 4K miles per year or so. I follow the owner's manual recommendation of changing every 3K miles or so (sometimes once every 2.5K) even though I'm using Amsoil 5w30. It stays in the crankcase for 8 to 9 months typically before I change it.

I just changed the oil on Monday and will send a sample of it to Blackstone for analysis and will post the results here when they come in.

So basically I'm hearing it would be OK to do annual oil changes on vehicles not driven much every year (for vehicles out of warranty, of course)?

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: Superbuick96
BTW. how does your 4.0 like the 0w30?
Runs great on it, about the same as 5w30. It accelerates slightly better now, but it may just be placebo effect. Gas mileage is about the same too. I just keep using it for peace of mind when I start it up on snowy mornings.

 

[1WildPig]

I've got a '97 Ranger with a 4.0 engine that'll probably only see once a year oil changes with low mileage...I just put in Maxlife Syn Blend 5w30 ... I prefer to change my oil just before cold weather sets in to have the oil at it's strongest during cold temps...around here, cold weather is usually pretty constant after the end of November but I had just recently acquired this truck and it had already been nearly a year the best I could tell from a window sticker, so I put a half quart of MMO in for about 600 or so miles and changed it out with just nearly 4k on it's last change...so far so good. So, my opinion is to change it just before cold weather sets in and every year about that same time.

 

[zulu]

Since your trips aren't brutally short, I'd say change the filter, top it off, then wait till spring. Plenty of UOAs show adequate TBN retention even at 1+ year OCIs if the bulk of the time is parked.