Oil change question
 

The Boxster's been in garaged storage all winter with the battery maintainer on.

I ran it a couple of times during the winter, long enough to get up to temp and then some.

I think I should have changed the oil before storage, but I didn't.

Now that I want to put it back on the road, should I change the oil before starting it again, or run it up to temp and then change the oil?

Why?

Thanks. Norm

Change the oil the way it sits. I don't think you should have started the car while it was in storage. Even though you allowed it to warm up, the car needs approximately a 10-15 miles of road time to basically burn out or evaporate the contaminates from the oil. The cold start-up is the worst; extra fuel is injected to keep the car running and to warm the engine as fast as possible, and that extra fuel will wash past the rings (because they haven't expanded and sealed) and into the oil. Condensation from the heating and cooling of the engine in cold weather also will find it's way into the oil. That moisture will collect at the bottom of the sump.

I would not worry about warming up the oil before draining it, 0w40 will flow just fine.

Run the car 'til it's warmed up and all the gunk and particulates (mostly soot and silicates - very bad) are suspended. That's the point of an oil change... to remove the particulates and chemical contamination (gas, moisture, etc.) from the motor. The lubricating qualities of the oil far exceed even the most generous oil change schedule - but you want to get the 'dirt' out.

It's also best to swap the oil prior to storage, for future reference. Then park it and leave it!

:cheers: