Oil Change twice yearly? With Low Mileage

[schnellman]

I won't enter into the brand debate here, but I will say that I change my oil twice a year to allow for what I consider proper oil weight in the summer versus in the winter.

[d18mike]

For what its worth, I put about 4-5K a year on my car and store it for 5 months. I change it once a year (Mobil 1). My mechanic jokes that he could rebottle and sell to the next customer. It's pretty clean at that point. I just do it every spring for piece of mind.

[Brucelee]

Use Red Line 5-40 and change once a year.

Should be more than fine.

Good luck

Originally Posted by d18mike

For what its worth, I put about 4-5K a year on my car and store it for 5 months. I change it once a year (Mobil 1). My mechanic jokes that he could rebottle and sell to the next customer. It's pretty clean at that point. I just do it every spring for piece of mind.

sadly, your motor oil, even when unused, losses it's lubricating properties over time. Over the course of a year, humidity, temperature changes, and yes, even ground level ozone can alter the chemical makeup of you oil.

I've heard 3 months as the rule, but 6 doesn't seem all that bad. 1 year? to each his own, but at 13k to replace a motor, if you're going to gamble, play it on the safe side.

just my .02

[Paul]

I ran my 0W-40 M1 17 months and over 11,000 miles and an oil analysis indicated I could have gone at least another 1000 miles.

Originally Posted by Paul

I ran my 0W-40 M1 17 months and over 11,000 miles and an oil analysis indicated I could have gone at least another 1000 miles.

Great for you. You also drove a considerable amount (reducing moisture build up, and keeping the chemicals in suspension). I glad it's working out for you, for me, an additional 80bucks a year is piece of mind.

[Paul]

Porsche has been recommending long oil change intervals since the 914. When will people learn that US car owners have been brain washed into 3 months/3000 miles oil changes?

Originally Posted by Paul

Porsche has been recommending long oil change intervals since the 914. When will people learn that US car owners have been brain washed into 3 months/3000 miles oil changes?

agree. Unless you're driving 10k in 3 months, I don't see a need to change that often

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Paul

Porsche has been recommending long oil change intervals since the 914. When will people learn that US car owners have been brain washed into 3 months/3000 miles oil changes?

I don't see that being advocated here.

[Jake Raby]

For my updated engines I require oil services every 5K miles or every 3 months. Fuel and coolant intrusion into the lubricant has negative effects on these engines, even if they don't see much service time.

[mptoledo]

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

For my updated engines I require oil services every 5K miles or every 3 months. Fuel and coolant intrusion into the lubricant has negative effects on these engines, even if they don't see much service time.

OK, Mptoledo is scratching his head???

Is that for the break in period or are you talking your permanent maint schedule? I get the 5k miles for an oil change, but i don't quite get the 4 times a year. I will store mine for 4 to 5 months out of the year so that would be about 2 times a year which "might" equate to 10k miles(more like 6k of non track, joy riding/road trippin). Is that for a special kind of oil?

[Boxster33]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will probably just change the oil once a year right before storage. Jake's response about changing every 3 months worries me since he is the Boxster engine guru :dance: . He did mention his updated engines, not sure if it applies to the original engine.

[mikefocke]

I know you do oil analysis so help us understand the basis of this interval.

[Jake Raby]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

I know you do oil analysis so help us understand the basis of this interval.

It is impossible to "Over service" an engine...

The more we see lifters that are filled with crud and worn variocam components from low mileage engines, the more frequently the oil services seem to be necessary.

The ring tension of the M96 is very low, this makes for fuel intrusion into the oil and that fuel is not lubricant, its a solvent..

Anyone can see how I have come to these conclusions.. Do the oil services at different times and compare the used oil analysis.

Very compelling post, Paul - thanks for sharing that. You live in a cool climate, and service and drive your car regularly, which has kept the acid levels down, and your chemicals "in suspension".

The only argument against changing it more often is the extra 80 bucks it costs...which for me, isn't a good enough reason. (no need to call Al Gore, Pep Boys loves my used oil). If it were any other engine, any other car, I might be inclined to extend it, but having had two engine failures in less than 80k miles I'm more than happy to spend the money and take the time to change it. Maybe not for everyone, but it works for me.

[JFP in PA]

One major flaw in the argument: We run Castrol Syntec 10W-40 oil in our customer’s cars, and collect UOA’s to determine the correct change interval. The exact same oil in one car had a TBN of 6 after 8,000 miles; another had a TBN of 3 after 5,000 miles……….. How the car is driven matters (and varies) more than most think, and can significantly shorten the oil’s expected life; so basing your oil change interval on someone else’s UOA is wishful thinking at best. If you do not have data on your car, change the oil more frequently, no more than 5-6 K miles…….………

[Brucelee]

What is this WINTER you speak of???

[mptoledo]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

What is this WINTER you speak of???

It's a annual tradition in ohio where you find a good women, gather 3 months of food, 3 months of fire wood, 3 months of beer, buy the NFL and College football ticket, pay your cable bill up and make babies, or at least practice doing it