Oil age doesn't seem to matter

[skaughtz]

I stumbled across this article describing how Blackstone tested old(er), low mileage oil and determined that miles matter way more than time.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/motor-oil-age-doesnt-matter-as-much-as-mileage-study

Anyway, what other forum would I link it? Now argue!

 

[Leo99]

I've always gone by miles.

 

[Oillover]

Now argue!

No arguments here.
Only respectful discussions.

 

[skaughtz]

No arguments here.
Only respectful discussions.

I think I have been hanging out in the filter forum too much recently

 

[Corollaman]

Interesting because so many people do the 6 month/5,000 mile oil change. Sometimes I only get 3,000-4,000 miles, but still change it by the sixth month. Maybe I'll extend out the time on my intervals.

 

[Merek]

I don't lose any sleep over it, the last oil changes in both of my cars were at 69 months and my truck was 29. I want to go at least 5k miles before changing.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

There's nothing to argue about, Just pick one of these two plans and set a maximum limit on your OCI.

I've been driving for 56 years and never had a job that involved increased idle-time (hours). So mileage counting was my keeper.

For about 2-3 years my aged Chevy S-10 lost the speedometer and odometer readings. I was averaging 12k per year for years with this engine. So I knew when to change my oil and that was every three months.

 

[Propflux01]

Mine is changed by mileage. Time is irrelevant.

 

[Oliveoil2]

I don't lose any sleep over it, the last oil changes in both of my cars were at 69 months and my truck was 29. I want to go at least 5k miles before changing.

I love this! How many miles on your vehicles? Do any of them use oil? I once went 4 years on a sedan that was rarely driven.

 

[Bud_One]

My truck (Chevy 2500HD , 6.0 gas) will sit for multiple weeks without running .
It's OLM (rated for SM conventional oil) will trip at 15% which sometimes is 14 to 16 months and roughly 4k to 5k miles.
I agree, time is not an issue .

 

[daves87rs]

Either every 6 months or by miles…..

 

[GMBoy]

I go by miles on regularly driven vehicles but for cars that sit (like my classics) then I do a 1-2 yr change only because I don't want to risk fuel dilution, corrosion and other by products that may stay in the oil due to short drives or starting them occasionally. The oil additives can still get used up quickly under those circumstances. That is why driving is better than sitting and you shouldn't start a vehicle to idle it a bit and not drive it to temp.

 

[Merek]

I love this! How many miles on your vehicles? Do any of them use oil? I once went 4 years on a sedan that was rarely driven.

Both Honda Civic's so they are not particularly hard on oil, 97 has 225k and 99 w/ 275k. If they were GDI or anything of that nature I'd certainly change them a lot more often.

My truck is 04 GMC Sierra w/ 5.3 120k and before all that afm junk.

 

[WataG]

I work from home so I've been doing yearly oil changes on the daily Honda CRV that only gets 3k miles/yr or so. The two other cars just sit around most the time and I do either 1 or 2 year intervals. After two years the oil was still newish looking but seemed almost cloudy or something, not sure if I should do 1.5 years or what. Probably put 500 miles on either of them, put synthetic in and didn't drive them enough.

 

[CR94]

Mine is changed by mileage. Time is irrelevant.

Yes, total time in the engine is irrelevant, but time spent running under adverse conditions (cold, very hot, or contaminated) is not. Manufacturers list maximum allowable time as a simplified way to cover frequent short trippers. Oil is going to be in worse shape in the engine that is used only for 1000 two-mile trips in 500 days between oil changes than in one that covers the same 2000 mile total as 50 forty-mile trips, even if the latter takes several years. Most vehicle usage patterns are somewhere on the continuum between those hypothetical extremes, of course.

 

[Propflux01]

Yes, total time in the engine is irrelevant, but time spent running under adverse conditions (cold, very hot, or contaminated) is not. Manufacturers list maximum allowable time as a simplified way to cover frequent short trippers. Oil is going to be in worse shape in the engine that is used only for 1000 two-mile trips in 500 days between oil changes than in one that covers the same 2000 mile total as 50 forty-mile trips, even if the latter takes several years. Most vehicle usage patterns are somewhere on the continuum between those hypothetical extremes, of course.

Since my intervals are at 5K, any oil today will satisfy those needs of extreme or severe service in my engines.

 

[thastinger]

I change my mowers at the end of the mowing season, don't want to combustion by products sitting in the sump all Winter. If they got ANY use during the Winter, then I would go by hours instead of time.

 

[Jetronic]

I stumbled across this article describing how Blackstone tested old(er), low mileage oil and determined that miles matter way more than time.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/motor-oil-age-doesnt-matter-as-much-as-mileage-study

Anyway, what other forum would I link it? Now argue!

Time starts to matter when the car is short tripped. Not so much if at all when the engine can get hot most of the times it's started

 

[ATex7239]

Well… since BS doesn’t really measure fuel dilution and kinda makes up viscosity ranges as they go there is a good chance they won’t think time matters. A super diluted short-tripper dropping out of viscosity (J300) range doesn’t necessarily show up on the radar if not properly measured. My cholesterol is never high if I don’t check it or make up the ranges, right? That is how this works?

 

[kschachn]

Also remember that the conclusions drawn in that article are based on and reflect data from a UOA which isn't the definitive test of all aspects of motor oil performance. Anything they state is within the confines of their specific analysis and the limitations of the method. For example the article says Blackstone measures "additives" which they do not.

One should be careful about drawing global conclusions from a limited test.