Best advice for average drives = change 2x a year.

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
That's what I'm telling people now. I like time-based intervals anyway, it accounts for the short trip driver and the driver who logs long highway runs.

2x a year. Go with one change at state inspection, and once 6 months afterwards. The less people have to think, the better they can execute.

Sounds safe enough, assuming mineral oil.

I now go 1x a year or every 10k miles, whichever comes first, on both cars, on synthetic.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Yes, you can bias it a little toward a shorter winter oci or maybe use a "better" oil. I change viscs for seasons anyway, so that's an easy leap to make.

The thing is that's all just too complicated to offer as advice to the normal group of drivers I help out, like MiL, 20-somthing relatives and even my own age people.

I used to let my mom get a dealer/shop oil change for winter (inspection) with thin winter oil and then drain it (leaving the filter on), replacing it with summer oil 6 months later. Now I just let it get filled with thin oil and add some thickener (MLEP, VSOT) for summer, that's it for a year. She drives maybe 1k a year now.

 

[gfh77665]

For average drivers, 2X/yr. is a good rule of thumb. For me, I simply go 5000 miles with dino in my older rides, and 7500 miles syn. in my new rides. Round numbers, easy & simple just like your plan.

I feel no complusion to push oils to their extream limits just to get the last $0.02 value out of them. They are just too cheap to bother.

 

[White_Monster]

I asked an oil analysis lab technician, whether synthetic oils really have to be changed annually, regardless of miliage and this is what he replied;

"Our data base has many different engines that have various oil change intervals. We do have a few where the owner has kept the oil in use for up to two years but no longer than that. The percentage of those vehicle owners is quite small but we can tell you that the oils we have tested for them have shown average wear for the vehicle.

Most oils can hold up for two years without any major problems especially if the vehicle is driven. You average enough miles, per month, that I don't think you would have any problems. However, if that makes you feel uncomfortable, you can always change you oil sooner."

Interesting huh ?

 

[wytstang]

I received something similar from BSL back in 06'. Since it takes me a year to hit 5k on the stang. Basically in that time period it does not affect the oil. So I only change the oil in my stang once a year (MC 10w30/FL1A w/1 quart added due to rear main leak).