5k miles/yr with short trips, severe driving?

[skip029]

As the title states, would you consider this as severe driving?

I live in Wisconsin, so I get all the 4 seasons but I hardly drive anywhere except to and from work which is about 1-2 miles away (city driving).

I just hate it that I'm doing the 3m/3k OCI.

 

[Clevy]

Yes. I consider that severe.
Severe is roughly defined as short trips where the oil doesn't get up to operating temp long enough to burn off any fuel and condensation that inevitably finds its way into the oil.
Lots of stop and go in traffic,extended periods of idle etc.
3000 miles is a bit short though. Most any API certified oil and many uncertified ones can easily do 5000 miles in those conditions.
As tig,and many others have pointed out you can do a rough little test of your oil.
Use the dipstick to drip a few drops of oil on business card type paper. If the oil blot smells strongly of fuel,and will flash burn with flame,or there is a ring of crud encircling the droplets then it could be time for either an oil change,or a good run onto the highway for 20-30 minutes. Then try it again.
If the same thing happens to the drops of oil again I would change it.
Not scientific but indicative of what's in the sump.
Yrmv

 

[bradepb]

Time matters, a lot of manuals will tell you every 6 months or by a certain mileage. I would change it twice a year.Probably October and march.
Only be about 2500 miles but two oil changes a year is certainly not excessive and yes I would say 1-2 mile trips is severe . The oil never gets hot to burn off moisture and contaminants.

 

[demarpaint]

Check your owners manual for their severe service interval. In most vehicles that type of service calls for 6 month OCI's since it is considered severe service. If you're using a good oil and want to stretch it to a year get a UOA to see if you can do it safely.

 

[dparm]

Definitely severe driving.

You can stretch that OCI out a bit by periodically going for a 20-30 minute highway drive to burn off any contaminants such as moisture or fuel.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: skip029

I just hate it that I'm doing the 3m/3k OCI.


Why?
Nissan dealers here charge $20-25 for a dino OC...so that'd be $50/yr...again, why would you hate $50/yr for such basic maintenance?

 

[Vikas]

are you guys not able to *walk* one or two miles?

 

[Gabe]

People drive more than they think.

A 2 mile commute would only be around 1K per year. Where is the other 80% coming from??

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys not able to *walk* one or two miles?


Not when you're carting equipment and materials between various job sites.

 

[randomhero439]

Personally, i would do every 4 months.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
are you guys not able to *walk* one or two miles?



Plenty of cities without a good sidewalk infrastructure.

 

[Cutehumor]

one mile would serious consider bicycle or scooter (unless we are talking interstate here then I wouldn't do it)