2 year OCI?

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I have a full size V8 pickup that I tried to park when gas hit $1.75 a gallon. Since 2003 the truck has only been used when a truck is needed so I do less than 1500 miles a year. I drive it about once or twice a month to lowes 5 miles down the road so there is a couple short trips, then every couple months I drive it 50 miles one way to work or to work at moms house.

With such low miles do you think 2 year OCI is ok or should I go with 1 year OCI?
 
Short trips are hard on oil.
I'd go synthetic and change it once a year as it's not a big expense.
 
Originally Posted By: Colt
Short trips are hard on oil.
I'd go synthetic and change it once a year as it's not a big expense.


I agree with Colt in his statement. I would however add that twice per month take your truck on the highway/freeway for about a couploe hours to get the oil nice and hot to absorbs moisture. On my truck I only drive my truck on the weekends but when I do it's on the freeway to get the job done all at once while fooling around with my buds.

OH by the way you talk about high gas prices! One gas station in my hood want $4.83/gallon of regular. I'm not kidding folks.

Durango
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Sell it if you don't use it.


He just finished saying he does use it a couple of times a month though. It's obviously needed to pick up large things (hence the trip to Lowes)
 
We've had several farm trucks that were on a two year OC cycle without any issues over a 20-30 year period. In addition, if your air filtration system is in good shape, you could skip the oil filter change periodically too. But, if you changing the oil anyway, oil filters are cheap enough to change oil at the same time.

I think that a major factor to consider for low use vehicles is vermin control. Watch for wasp nests in the air filter housing, mouse nests on the top of the engine, and chewed spark plug wires. Rodents love spark plug wires for some reason. I've also seen chewed rubber sections of brake and fuel lines.
 
Originally Posted By: Colt
Short trips are hard on oil.
I'd go synthetic and change it once a year as it's not a big expense.


+1.
 
Two years would be just fine on a quality synthetic. One of my absolute favorites is Mobil 1 5W-40 Turbo Diesel Truck. It is a very robust oil, with a stout additive package and high TBN, to combat acids. It's proven to produce some of the lowest UOA wear numbers on extended drain intervals. Other oils that come to mind are Mobil 1 0W-40 and the entire line of Mobil 1 Extended Performance (extended drain) oils. Not to mention certain Redline and Amsoil products.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Two years would be just fine on a quality synthetic. One of my absolute favorites is Mobil 1 5W-40 Turbo Diesel Truck. It is a very robust oil, with a stout additive package and high TBN, to combat acids. It's proven to produce some of the lowest UOA wear numbers on extended drain intervals. Other oils that come to mind are Mobil 1 0W-40 and the entire line of Mobil 1 Extended Performance (extended drain) oils. Not to mention certain Redline and Amsoil products.



+1 If you plan on doing the 2 year OCI use a very high quality oil like the ones mentioned by cujet.

I would use your favorite oil and do 1 year OCI's personally, it would be pennies a day to make sure you protect the engine.
 
tommygunn, I would put in high quality oil like Pennzoil Conventional or Mobil Super and a good filter and change it every summer. I personally will not allow my oil to go beyond 6 months in my jeep, which is also driven sparingly now. I love my jeep and oil is a cheap way to keep the inline 6 working like a charm.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Sell it if you don't use it.

X2,
crazy2.gif
 
Two years on a good synthetic would be fine, the bimonthly 50 mi drives are going to keep moisture in check, I would not drive it more just for the sake of doing so...

My '93 Lightning is coming up on two years and about 2.5K mi, I'll change it this spring when the weather breaks...
 
Originally Posted By: Malo83
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Sell it if you don't use it.

X2,
crazy2.gif



I can't sell it because I need a truck a couple times a month and I want to be the old guy at the car show 40 years from now with the truck I bought new in 1995. It is a red 96 Dodge 1500 5.9L 4X4 with the sport package and still looks good after all of these years with only 82K miles. I used to drive it about 7500 miles a year when gas was $1.25 a gallon, but at 15 mpg I have to drive my Honda to work 100 mile round trip. I do currently have PP 5w30 in the engine with a oversize Motorcraft Fl1a filter, so I use pretty good stuff. I will have to sell the tires before they wear out because rubber gets old and brittle with age.
 
There is nobody who can tell you for certain if 2 yrs is OK or not. Opinions are like nostrils...most people have a couple and when you look close, they're not very pretty.

Your best bet is to pull a used oil analysis after a year and go from there. If it's shot or nearly so, change it. If not, go the second year.
 
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