Oil change TIME interval question

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I have a 2013 Infiniti G37x with 41,000 miles on it, bought it recently. I just had an oil change with Valvoline SynPower synthetic. My car is kept in a garage.

I do not drive very much, maybe 3,000 miles a year It's 80% stop-and-go city driving, trips of 15 to 30 minutes. So a ~7,000 mile oil change interval would be over two years. I I think that that would be too long, all the anti-corrosion and acid-neutralizing additives would be used up, though the oil's lubricating properties might still be OK.

MY QUESTIONS:
1. How long a TIME interval is appropriate? 6 months? 9? 12? I don't want to cheap out, but I don't want overkill either....
2. Do synthetic oils have more anti-corrosion additives than dinosaur oil?
 
1. 12-months

2. Maybe... you are buying good oil the rest you take on faith because they don't share their additive package details.
 
Everyone I've ever seen says one year max but it isn't going to seize up if you go 18 months. The annual oil change ritual gives you flexibility on when to do it. If you store the car over winter, do it right before you put it up.
 
Originally Posted By: milosz
oil change interval would be over two years. I think that that would be too long, all the anti-corrosion and acid-neutralizing additives would be used up, though the oil's lubricating properties might still be OK.


You think incorrectly.

There is no harm in going two years on an oil change AS LONG AS when you do start the car, let it warm up and drive it a while.

Time = does not hurt oil
Short, cold trips = kills oil
 
I have a number of infrequently used equipment, over 25 engines on my ranch.

My tree branch chipper (4-cyl Ford industrial engine) gets used an hour a year. Same oil for over 10 years, & it's still clean. I'm not going to change it unless it needs it.
 
It depends on how you drive the car.

If the engine does not get warmed up properly when run, there can be water and other contaminates building up in the oil.

Also, PCV can clog.

12 months max.

Also, be sure to flush brake fluid every 2 years. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, so absords water.
 
It depends on how you drive the car.

If the engine does not get warmed up properly when run, there can be water and other contaminates building up in the oil.

Also, PCV can clog.

12 months max.

Also, be sure to flush brake fluid every 2 years. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, so absords water.
 
Originally Posted By: barkingspider
I would change syn oil every 2 years in ur situation. If u want to change it yearly, use cheap dino oil


This, except not "cheap" dino oil on a one year OCI. Use quality oil. Also if you stick with full synthetic, do yourself a favor and use a Fram Ultra for two years with your low mileage. My M35 (similar motor) has run great since new with a synthetic blend.
 
Like Linctex, but with somewhat less equipment, I let it go until an actual reason to change. I'd run the oil a year and do a UOA. We're all shooting in the dark with a guess ...

Oil stayed in the ground for a few 100,000,000 years. It does not go bad in a year or two. The add pak depletes based on chemistry, not time. Fuel dilution, combustion by-products, etc. That is factored into the usual mileage figure. Look for severe use mileage recommendation and change by that if you do not want to do a UOA ...

It may well be fine for many years with annual UOA. We have a member here with 62,000 miles and many years on his original fill (with by-pass filtration & top-ups). He's running AmsOil, but any really good synthetic should do about the same.

Your oil is prolly good to at least 12,000 miles in mixed use. The big deal is to make sure the motor comes up to op temp and stays there for a while. A 30 minute drive should do it nicely, and you do that, so you are doing OK
smile.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz

This, except not "cheap" dino oil on a one year OCI. Use quality oil.


Please explain further.

Super Tech and Harvest King are some of the "cheapest" oils you can purchase....
...........................but lack NOTHING in "quality".

If you stay with current API certified oils,
you CAN NOT buy "low quality" oil anymore..
 
My last oil change interval was three years. Using PUP 5w30 with Amsoil EAO filter. I wouldn't run dino more than a year, but with synthetics it's different. Again, short trips are not good compared to long trips 20 minutes>. Good luck!


Respectfully,

Pajero!
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz

This, except not "cheap" dino oil on a one year OCI. Use quality oil.


Please explain further.

Super Tech and Harvest King are some of the "cheapest" oils you can purchase....
...........................but lack NOTHING in "quality".

If you stay with current API certified oils,
you CAN NOT buy "low quality" oil anymore..



Its an uphill battle on this forum Linctex to dispel the myth of time hurts oil. I've posted 12k mile UOAs that took 20 months with filters cut apart, I've seen an UOA of 20 yr old oil from a tractor crankcase look good, but still the myth persists that its a certain deadline to change oil or catastrophic damage will occur.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz

This, except not "cheap" dino oil on a one year OCI. Use quality oil.


Please explain further.

Super Tech and Harvest King are some of the "cheapest" oils you can purchase....
...........................but lack NOTHING in "quality".

If you stay with current API certified oils,
you CAN NOT buy "low quality" oil anymore..



Maybe by "cheap" barkingspider meant Dollar General oil. How do I know? If you choose personally to use Supertech or Harvest King in a $40,000 car, it's your choice. I prefer to stick with a major brand dino, like Quaker State, Pennzoil or even Formula Shell for less than $3 a quart or $1.94 a quart when on sale at Home Depot.
 
Thanks for all the advice.

My takeaway from this:

-With my low mileage use, yearly oil / filter changes will do no harm
-Driving 20 minutes or more is much better than a 10 minute drive in terms getting the oil hot enough to drive out water and other volatile contaminants. Residual moisture in the oil promotes corrosion.

FYI Since I bought my first ABS-equipped car in 1999 I've always been a believer in regular brake fluid changes, and in fact my Infiniti manual says to change brake fluid every 15,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first; this seems solid advice. My previous car, a Toyota, the Owner Manual made no such suggestion, but I changed it just the same.
 
3k per year ? I’d change it at least once a year with full synthetic. When it does get driven, try to get it up to full temp Then 20 more minutes of driving, maybe 30 minutes total. Drive it like a Samurai
 
Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
If you choose personally to use Supertech or Harvest King in a $40,000 car, it's your choice. I prefer to stick with a major brand dino, like Quaker State, Pennzoil or even Formula Shell for less than $3 a quart or $1.94 a quart when on sale at Home Depot.


There's so little difference. In fact once highly regarded Castrol GTX has one of the worst/smallest additive packages now.... riding on the coattails of their name.

Harvest King oil MEETS DEXOS SPECS.
 
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