Any SP rated 0/5w-40 for all of them would be great, so consolidate to one oil. I'm using Quaker state euro 5w-40 since Walmart always has it at a great price. I'd change the oil every 2 years on everything but the gti. For that turbo gdi engine I'd change yearly.
Oil change interval with low mileage
- Thread starter need2no
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Are you changing your own oil and how is your health? If you are up to it, I'd echo what others have said about 3000 miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. If that is overwhelming, then change that 2 years to 3000 miles. So some vehicles may keep their oil for 3+ years. It will not hurt them at all. Cars these days are pretty well sealed, so even if you don't change the oil but every few years, they will be fine with their low mileage.
I've been changing the oil in my convertible ('18 Mustang) every year because the maintenance minder was telling me to, and it was under warranty. Warranty ran out April of this year, so I'm no longer going to be dumping PP / M1 with 1500 miles on it. I don't see anything wrong with it going 2-3 years between oil changes spending most of its life sitting in the garage under a cover, driven occasionally.
the age of a synthetic oil means nothing, it's the miles and usage. As long as the engine is ran to operating temperature to burn out any moisture it is good. I change my classic car that I have had since 1981 when the oil changes color from yellow to yellow with a little brown in it no matter how long it has been in. My Dart has had the same oil in for 6 years now,mobil 1 and is in a climate controlled garage so it doesn't change much, Checked it the other day and the oil is still yellow with no signs of moisture in it
I agree -- I hardly drive my Camaro anymore, and only put around 500-1000 miles on it in the past few years. The last OCI I waited 2 years, since it seemed silly to waste perfectly good Mobil 1 and a Fram Ultra that I had on it. I used to do it yearly, and that seemed like a complete waste. I just try to make sure I get it up to temp when I can.
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That's a dream garage right there! Especially with the vertical storage.
But yeah, with indoor storage and lack of temperature cycles and condensation, I see no issue going 2 years.
But yeah, with indoor storage and lack of temperature cycles and condensation, I see no issue going 2 years.
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I disagree with many of the post, every 6 months regardless of the mileage. Short drives and very little mileage is the worst type of driving. Oil becomes acidic and if not brought up to operating temp for extended periods of time these contaminants are not burned off. Oil is cheap, your engine is not.
In a way. Yes short trips especially in cold weather are a good reason for a short OCI but you really can’t predict that the acid buffering capability of any particular oil will be depleted in 6 months, its most likely longer. Oil doesn’t get acidic just sitting there as it requires the products of combustion coupled with heat and water.
Also, driving does not drive off the contaminant of acid, just water. That gets neutralized by the buffers but that capability is finite.
Motor oil changes are usually scheduled based on the time in service or the distance that the vehicle has traveled. These are rough indications of the real factors that control when an oil change is appropriate, which include how long the oil has been run at elevated temperatures, how many heating cycles the engine has been through, and how hard the engine has worked. The vehicle distance is intended to estimate the time at high temperature, while the time in service is supposed to correlate with the number of vehicle trips and capture the number of heating cycles. Oil does not degrade significantly just sitting in a cold engine. On the other hand, if a car is driven just for very short distances, the oil is not allowed to fully heat-up, and contaminants such as water accumulates in the oil, due to lack of sufficient heat to boil off the water. Oil of this nature, just sitting in an engine, can cause problems.
I do the same with a couple of vehicles. Whenever they are driven, they are not short tripped so the oil always gets to full temperature for at least an hour, which is the key to keeping low OCI oil in good shape for 2-3 years.
I use synthetics. The fave ones . Right now running Mobil extended guard park car outside. 98 Buick LeSabre. My oil on dipstick just turns black 3000-3,200 mile range in 6 months. It turning gold too darker by 2,700 miles. Something I've noticed. On its dipstick. That means the oil filter is nearly or fully loaded.
Draining the oil it's black. I do 7 miles one way,7 back. Stop n go for sure traffic. Sometimes idling quite a bit. My car book says 3 months recommended, change oil and filter. I feel that be a waste. My father way back 1992, as I got my license, he used Mobil gas station down our street.now gone. He had a Saturn, 1991 used model low mileage. They used Mobil 1,a true synthetic then. Because it slow burned,as those Saturns burned reg oil kinda bad. Mobil one( not a true synthetic now), could resist acids and corrosion much better than reg oil.so he had the maintenance oil change every 6 months then .the car couldn't have had anymore than 1,800 miles tops on it in that time frame. But the mechanic Thier told him, reg oil even then wouldn't hold up for 6 months in stop n go traffic.if it was 1957,yeah no problem. But it's 1992.
Another mechanic Thier ,reminded me of Jimmie Hendrix but red bushy cut hair..was telling me he liked wix filters. Go with wix or OEM. Stay away from other parts stores filters. Didn't like frame,he mentioned he didn't like the cardboard endcaps.
Today's oils , 6 months would be the new cheap insurance. In that timeframe, acids , carbon dirt, moisture, don't get burned off short tripping. 6 months max
Draining the oil it's black. I do 7 miles one way,7 back. Stop n go for sure traffic. Sometimes idling quite a bit. My car book says 3 months recommended, change oil and filter. I feel that be a waste. My father way back 1992, as I got my license, he used Mobil gas station down our street.now gone. He had a Saturn, 1991 used model low mileage. They used Mobil 1,a true synthetic then. Because it slow burned,as those Saturns burned reg oil kinda bad. Mobil one( not a true synthetic now), could resist acids and corrosion much better than reg oil.so he had the maintenance oil change every 6 months then .the car couldn't have had anymore than 1,800 miles tops on it in that time frame. But the mechanic Thier told him, reg oil even then wouldn't hold up for 6 months in stop n go traffic.if it was 1957,yeah no problem. But it's 1992.
Another mechanic Thier ,reminded me of Jimmie Hendrix but red bushy cut hair..was telling me he liked wix filters. Go with wix or OEM. Stay away from other parts stores filters. Didn't like frame,he mentioned he didn't like the cardboard endcaps.
Today's oils , 6 months would be the new cheap insurance. In that timeframe, acids , carbon dirt, moisture, don't get burned off short tripping. 6 months max
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