12 month Interval on oil ?

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by DGXR
Many people run oil for 2 years or longer but they don't usually go 2 years right off the bat. Maybe they've done it in other vehicles with good results. Or maybe on their vehicle they've already done 16 months, or 20 months, and now they are comfortable going even longer. My concern would be oxidation, which has a time factor. Oil sealed in a bottle is only exposed to that small amount of air sealed inside the bottle. Oil inside an engine is not only whipped around tremendously, but it's exposed to constant airflow through the PCV system.

I agree. I checked via UOA and have no doubt the oil can easily stay in the sump for well over 2 years under the conditions I operate my Jeep under. Anyone concerned about keeping an oil in the sump as long as I do in this vehicle should verify for their themselves via UOA to see how the oil did, or can do. For less than the cost of an oil change the UOA takes any doubt out of the equation for me. And there's the bonus of knowing how the air filtration system is doing, and if there's coolant or excessive fuel in the oil. Win win.

 

[jdw1222]

Originally Posted by 77Se7en
Originally Posted by jdw1222
Curious as to how bad oil could get in 12 months with really light use ? Has anyone ever sent a lab sample on low mileage/low hour oil after a year or so?

I know oil holds contaminants but does it really go bad with time ? If it still looks clear is it ok to leave longer than 6 or 12 months?

Still good, if your use and vehicle is on-par with national average.
Other than that, you told us nothing about the oil, vehicle or engine used. You left-out all the juicy stuff that creates a multitude of discussions.
This topic has the potential to reach 100 replies. Wait - that's too many.... maybe 25.


Well- I kind of left out intentionally in hopes to get some generic info first. The details your looking for is kind of a mix of everything. Using synthetic rotella t6-5w-40 in a suzuki outboard motor. Being a crazy year last year the boat barely got used. Has maybe 20 hours on the oil,and it looks clean, but at this point the oil has been in service for almost 2 years.

I know some say to change every season regardless of hours, but is this a waste?
and yes, I know the argument of why risk a expensive motor for the cost of an oil change, just trying to figure out if the oil really "degrades" from sitting after use.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by jdw1222
Well- I kind of left out intentionally in hopes to get some generic info first. The details your looking for is kind of a mix of everything. Using synthetic rotella t6-5w-40 in a suzuki outboard motor.

We thought you were talking about a car.

Should have posted this in the Boat/PWC Lubrication subforum:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forums/13/1/boat-pwc-lubrication

 

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by jdw1222
Originally Posted by 77Se7en
Originally Posted by jdw1222
Curious as to how bad oil could get in 12 months with really light use ? Has anyone ever sent a lab sample on low mileage/low hour oil after a year or so?

I know oil holds contaminants but does it really go bad with time ? If it still looks clear is it ok to leave longer than 6 or 12 months?

Still good, if your use and vehicle is on-par with national average.
Other than that, you told us nothing about the oil, vehicle or engine used. You left-out all the juicy stuff that creates a multitude of discussions.
This topic has the potential to reach 100 replies. Wait - that's too many.... maybe 25.


Well- I kind of left out intentionally in hopes to get some generic info first. The details your looking for is kind of a mix of everything. Using synthetic rotella t6-5w-40 in a suzuki outboard motor. Being a crazy year last year the boat barely got used. Has maybe 20 hours on the oil,and it looks clean, but at this point the oil has been in service for almost 2 years.

I know some say to change every season regardless of hours, but is this a waste?
and yes, I know the argument of why risk a expensive motor for the cost of an oil change, just trying to figure out if the oil really "degrades" from sitting after use.





I know lots of people will say color doesn't tell anything on here (so they can argue that black oil that gave a good uoa is still good. Personally I'm going to change the oil if it's black, and if it looks like I just put it in there a year later (because of lack of use) I'm going to leave it there.

I have a 78 Chevy k10 350 which I changed the oil maybe 5-6 years ago and it's still clear. It gets started every couple years hopefully, run until it's warmed up and shut off. Doesn't drive because it has no brakes, exhaust, or tires that hold air, but the oil looks good. I'd like to change it but I've been busy and taking care of 3 other vehicles I actually drive. 05 Silverado, 84 Cutlass and 83 Caprice. All 3 basically get 6 month oil changes now. But they all get around 6-10k a year, the truck maybe gets 20k a year although that's been going up, so it will be getting more frequent oil changes. I'm sort of going by the olm using Mobil 1 5w30 hm EP, olm was going between 3-4k because of idle time and cold weather etc. Now going longer because of summer and some long highway drives, so it will probably go 6k miles. I'd consider longer but I work in very dusty construction sites, so the dust and idling worry me. The truck is at 200k miles and 8500 hours. I want to get 500k miles out of it (my current dailies are both 36+ years old.

 

[jdw1222]

I know every situation is different, and the only way to know for sure would be with a UOA but was trying to get a better idea of "in General" how long would a low use "engine oil" last.

 

[caprice_2nv]

In general I'd say yes. Unless the engine is run very short trips.

 

[JohnG]

To quote my 2018 Mercedes 4 cyl Turbo Oil Life Monitor:

Which type oil? 229.6.
"Next oil change due in 365 days"

To quote my 2012 Chevy Volt owners manual:
Oil change required every 2 years or 24,000 miles. Unless the OLM tells you otherwise.

To quote me:
"I live in Florida, it's too stinkin' hot to work in the garage except around Christmas"
So yeah, 12 months and I don't care how many miles!

 

[anndel]

I usually go 12 months OCI on each vehicle and average about 10,000 miles at 12 months except the 1993 p/u which gets about 2,000 miles. I sent samples from each vehicle to Blackstone Labs and they all came back saying I can go another 10,000 miles. I just change it out along with a new filter once a year.

 

[Silk]

2 1/2 years and about 20,000km (12,000 miles) for the oil in my Volvo...the odo has done the Volvo thing. I'm doing a lot more miles these days as I'm commuting again, but will run to to 3 years, well over 20,000km. I'm using an A3/B4 oil, and know they will go 20,000km no problems, 25 or 30 will be pushing it.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by jdw1222
Curious as to how bad oil could get in 12 months with really light use ? Has anyone ever sent a lab sample on low mileage/low hour oil after a year or so?

I know oil holds contaminants but does it really go bad with time ? If it still looks clear is it ok to leave longer than 6 or 12 months?

I go three years on a very infrequently used vehicle. Several oil analysis were done over the years and was told each time I could go even longer between oil changes.Take your car out for a good drive once in a while and you will be fine going longer.

 

[Gene K]

What was it something like 4.5 years and 14,000 mi on M1 0W-40 factory fill in a Porsche Flat 6 that Patman ran a few years ago? If I remember right it looked like it could have went to at least 20,000 mi at that rate.

 

[mahanddeem]

I'd say 1 hour and $50 less in wallet twice a year can fit any scenario. Plus the confort of mind

 

[Duffyjr]

Mostly short trips, a lot of starting and idling in the winter and at the end of the year by Lucerne had less than 2500 miles and 37% left on the OLM so I could of went longer but I'm sure I would of starting losing sleep.

 

[Gebo]

My Mom's '97 LeSabre goes about 500 miles per year and gets 2 oil changes in that time frame. $20 each including filter.
Free labor.

Six Month Minimum for me, no matter what. I guess I am really fortunate to have that kind of cash lying around.

 

[RazorsEdge]

We got 9 months and close to 3000 miles on the Schaeffer 9000 oil. Not worried about it, and will most likely be changing it in October, which will be the 1-year mark.

 

[kschachn]

As has already been discussed, oil does not magically degrade by itself. Unless you are operating the vehicle there are no products of combustion.

What happens in that year is vitally important, my daughter used to drive her Accord one mile to school in the depths of winter, a week of operation like that was far more detrimental than driving the for longer distances even if the miles were also much higher. It's not an all or nothing question, what your driving regime is like is more important than the calendar period.

 

[mossietheno1]

This is a 4zz-fe 1.4 petrol driven 3k trips around town oil did 4750 not 87500, over 8 months. the owner manual states under this condition the OCL is 6000km or 6 months. The oil had not broken down but the oil contented too much petrol and had brought it out of spec. The car is started 4 days a week and brought up to temp barely.

So what I have taken from it if your engine is not warming up to get rid of water and rich cold start petrol, then based on your manual you should cut your OCI short. Do take in to consideration how much oil the car has in the sump as this car has 4L~ sump