I may only put on 100 miles on my Corvette in a year. GM says to change oil at least once a year. Should I follow this rule? (it is filled with synthetic) Can I leave the filter on and just drop the year old 'new' stuff? What do you folks think?
Oil change interval
- Thread starter greaseball
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I would follow their instructions and change it as recommended. It probably wouldn't hurt to go farther, but why risk it?
Plus, this is a Corvette we're talking about. If you really only put 100 miles a year on it, then it sounds like you've got enough spare income to afford one oil change per year on it. (This is a pittance compared to the cost of insuring a car that is seldom/never driven.)
Personally, I'd recommend putting more miles on that car each year. I think the car will suffer more long-term damage from never being driven than it would if you put at least a couple thousand miles a year on it.
Just my two cents.
Plus, this is a Corvette we're talking about. If you really only put 100 miles a year on it, then it sounds like you've got enough spare income to afford one oil change per year on it. (This is a pittance compared to the cost of insuring a car that is seldom/never driven.)
Personally, I'd recommend putting more miles on that car each year. I think the car will suffer more long-term damage from never being driven than it would if you put at least a couple thousand miles a year on it.
Just my two cents.
Kestas
Staff member
I agre with AstroVic about using this car more often (unless this car is a trailer queen). Time will take its toll considerably more than wear.
Perhaps greaseball can dump the old fluid and use it in another car?
Perhaps greaseball can dump the old fluid and use it in another car?
I would recommend that you drive that Vette a bit more. I had a neighbor "I lived there for 24 years" wore out 3 vettes and is on his third one 2004.He likes Vettes.
Maybe not, but condensation buildup certainly isn't a "good" additive. (There *IS* a reason why Chevrolet - and almost all manufacturers for that matter - use the "X miles or one year, whichever comes first" recommendation.)
Unless of course his Corvette is kept in a climate controlled environment and the engine is perfectly sealed from outside contaminants.
Find the UOA from the very infrequently driven Porsche in the UOA section, that had its factory fill in for 5 years. The Iron ppm was slightly elevated (as expected), but hardly enough to be of much concern.
That is a 'catch all' to cover off the users who only drive 1 mile a day, every day, or idle all the time and don't actually do much driving. Not really applicable to someone who only drives the car once a year.
If you are only putting 100 miles on your Vette each year, why not just get rid of it? I mean really!
Lets say you run the car once a year and put 100 miles on it. This is not even one tank of gas. So the next yera when you start it up, you will be running on crap gas (even if starting with good gas. The insides of the motor will not have any useful oil film, and startup wear will be much greater than typical startup wear. The rubber boots on the drive line will crack unde not-being-used. All in all, you will find the car will last longer if you put 2,000-5,000 miles on it than if you put 100 miles on it each year. Tires will take a flat spot set so that during you 100 miles of use, you will feel that the tires are out of balance, the brake fluid will be saturated with water vapor and if you try a hard stop from (say) 150 MPH you may even loose the brakes from boiling the fluid.
Use the **** car! Or loan it to someone who will.
Lets say you run the car once a year and put 100 miles on it. This is not even one tank of gas. So the next yera when you start it up, you will be running on crap gas (even if starting with good gas. The insides of the motor will not have any useful oil film, and startup wear will be much greater than typical startup wear. The rubber boots on the drive line will crack unde not-being-used. All in all, you will find the car will last longer if you put 2,000-5,000 miles on it than if you put 100 miles on it each year. Tires will take a flat spot set so that during you 100 miles of use, you will feel that the tires are out of balance, the brake fluid will be saturated with water vapor and if you try a hard stop from (say) 150 MPH you may even loose the brakes from boiling the fluid.
Use the **** car! Or loan it to someone who will.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
If you can afford to have a Corvette toy & insurance payments, then you can afford the once-a-year $30 synthetic oil/filter change.
I'd change oil and filter once a year, just as a precaution.
If I did 5 year intervals, 95% chance I'd be just fine. I just DON'T like that other 5%.
You can do the filter every year, or every other year, or, actually, in your application, you can leave the filter on from now until the time you die of old age.
Most filters will last 15K or so in on-road applications, and this garage queen will only get to 8200 miles on this filter, assuming you're 18 and live to 100.
If I did 5 year intervals, 95% chance I'd be just fine. I just DON'T like that other 5%.
You can do the filter every year, or every other year, or, actually, in your application, you can leave the filter on from now until the time you die of old age.
Most filters will last 15K or so in on-road applications, and this garage queen will only get to 8200 miles on this filter, assuming you're 18 and live to 100.
The insides of engine will rust away from absence of oil film. What was a longest trip you take it to?
Does it get to normal operating temperature at all?
Does it get to normal operating temperature at all?
There was a previous poster last year who described the effects of limited driving on various models of Porsches.
Apparently, it is not unusual to note evidence of spalling on the camshafts of various models of Porsche which are driven fairly infrequently (and by infrequently, we're talking 1-2K miles per year, which is far more that the 1 hundred average annual mileage you are putting on your car.)
In fact, this phenomenon (according to this poster) is evident on alot of Porsches today, simply because their owners don't tend to drive them that much.
As ironic as it might sound, it does appear as if some cars will deteriorate faster from lack of use than if they are driven with a fair level of frequency.
If I were you, I'd start driving that 'Vette and having a ball!!
Apparently, it is not unusual to note evidence of spalling on the camshafts of various models of Porsche which are driven fairly infrequently (and by infrequently, we're talking 1-2K miles per year, which is far more that the 1 hundred average annual mileage you are putting on your car.)
In fact, this phenomenon (according to this poster) is evident on alot of Porsches today, simply because their owners don't tend to drive them that much.
As ironic as it might sound, it does appear as if some cars will deteriorate faster from lack of use than if they are driven with a fair level of frequency.
If I were you, I'd start driving that 'Vette and having a ball!!
X2
I have a 58 Plymouth I'm in the proces of restoring; I rarely drive it, but have forced myself to put at least 500 or so miles per year on it to keep seals etc intact. I drop the oil/filter every fall.
Chris
Chris
Just like your favorite film star, engine oil begins to wear with age. That is because this complex lubricant is actually more than just oil. It is the combination of base oils and chemicals that serve as performance additives. These additives must be present in the proper amounts to guarantee maximum protection and performance for your car. While present they serve many functions in your engine such as creating a thin layer between metal parts when your engine is off and oil returns to the pan, protecting the base oils from oxidative and thermal breakdown, preventing deposits that can cause premature wear and providing anti-corrosion protection that neutralizes acids formed in the combustion process.
For this reason, a 3 month/3 K interval makes sense, and I see no reason that anyone should go much further than 4 months if you feel a need to extend time. I think that people are getting brainwashed by the car manufacturers stating you can drive these ung@dly distances on the oil which in reality is the bare bones minimum to keep your vehicle within their warrenty limits. Sure, your vehicl won't break down from oil related failure, but is it as clean as my sweet precious engine that gets that sweet golden goodness every 3 months? Doubt it. Your engine may even last just as long as mine, but I doubt it will run as good as mine.
For this reason, a 3 month/3 K interval makes sense, and I see no reason that anyone should go much further than 4 months if you feel a need to extend time. I think that people are getting brainwashed by the car manufacturers stating you can drive these ung@dly distances on the oil which in reality is the bare bones minimum to keep your vehicle within their warrenty limits. Sure, your vehicl won't break down from oil related failure, but is it as clean as my sweet precious engine that gets that sweet golden goodness every 3 months? Doubt it. Your engine may even last just as long as mine, but I doubt it will run as good as mine.
"Just like your favorite film star, engine oil begins to wear with age."
Well, I'm not sure about that. Eight years ago my then 16 year old son and his mother and I were watching Grumpier Old Men (also known as Grumpy Old Men 2), which was the sequel to Grumpy Old Men. It was filmed in 1995, Sophia Loren starred in it, and she was 61 years old at that time. My son all of a sudden blurted out "That Sophia Loren is HOT". I pointed her age out to my son and commented that his mother was not that old. He said "I don't care. She is hot".
Well, I'm not sure about that. Eight years ago my then 16 year old son and his mother and I were watching Grumpier Old Men (also known as Grumpy Old Men 2), which was the sequel to Grumpy Old Men. It was filmed in 1995, Sophia Loren starred in it, and she was 61 years old at that time. My son all of a sudden blurted out "That Sophia Loren is HOT". I pointed her age out to my son and commented that his mother was not that old. He said "I don't care. She is hot".
Off Topic
But Sophia Loren is truly beautiful lady. Classic beauty. Probaly always will be.
But Sophia Loren is truly beautiful lady. Classic beauty. Probaly always will be.
Off topic - what was the name of the film she was in back in the 50's with Anthony Perkins? She was a farmers wife who had married an older man and fell in love with his son, (Perkins). She was a babe -
Okay - On topic -
I had a 1970 Chevy truck some years back that I parked and let sit for three years without driving. Finally, I thought I should start it up. Checked the dip stick and the oil had turned to tar - black, thick and nasty. After a lot of draining and flushing - finally got it started. From then on it smoked and burned oil which it had not done when I parked it. That's one.
My Dad has a couple of tractors that are only used every now and then, (Maybe 20 hours per year). About two weeks ago, I was rebuilding the carb on one and took the valve cover off to see if the motor had any sludge buildup. No sludge - but enough rust flakes to fill my coffee cup. That's two - and that would be a terrible thing to do to a Vette!
Okay - On topic -
I had a 1970 Chevy truck some years back that I parked and let sit for three years without driving. Finally, I thought I should start it up. Checked the dip stick and the oil had turned to tar - black, thick and nasty. After a lot of draining and flushing - finally got it started. From then on it smoked and burned oil which it had not done when I parked it. That's one.
My Dad has a couple of tractors that are only used every now and then, (Maybe 20 hours per year). About two weeks ago, I was rebuilding the carb on one and took the valve cover off to see if the motor had any sludge buildup. No sludge - but enough rust flakes to fill my coffee cup. That's two - and that would be a terrible thing to do to a Vette!
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