Can oil be run for 2 years in a Corvette that get 500 mi/yr?

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Apr 9, 2005
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Location
S AZ.
I have a garage queen. 2012 Corvette with the LS3 engine. I only do about 500 miles a year. I use only Mobil 1 full synthetic and a quality oil filter, usually the Mobil 1 filter. Lastly I live in S. AZ. a relatively dry climate and always make sure the oil reaches 212 when I do drive and I don't push her very hard any more, old age (mine) and the scary folks driving around this area.

My gut tells me I can probably go 2 years.

What say you?
 
Two years is fine....I only do about 900 to 1000 miles per year on my Ferrari. Its 11 quarts. I just have all fluids changed every two years...power steering, transaxle, coolant, brake and engine oil.
 
Two years is fine. I've done that on my kids' cars and my motorcycles. Oil doesn't spoil. It's oil, not milk.

Be mindful of the age of your tires. With that low of miles per year, they could age out before they wear out. I recently replaced my boat trailer tires. Still looked new after 15 years (low miles and garage kept), but the rubber was getting noticeably hard.
 
If this is your prized collectors Vette I would change it once a year just in case. If it was my favorite car and I did my best to keep it new thats what I would do. If it was just another car to me than I would do it every 2.

One thing about any machinery is its best to work it than to let it sit. When a machine sits for a long period of time more can go wrong than starting it up and letting it run for a little while. If it were my Vette I would start it up and let it run at least every few weeks or take it around the block.
 
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2 or 3 years.
This is what I'd do. Pull a sample of 2 year old oil and send it off to get tested.
Maybe it's bad, maybe it's good for another year or 2.
 
One thing about any machinery is its best to work it than to let it sit. When a machine sits for a long period of time more can go wrong than starting it up and letting it run for a little while. If it were my Vette I would start it up and let it run at least every few weeks or take it around the block.

It’s never a good idea to just start up an engine and let it idle. If you start the engine, then always take it for a long enough drive to fully heat up the oil.

Everytime I start up my Corvette I take it out for at least a 45 minute drive. But I also like to drive mine a lot, it’s a 2018 with 66,000 miles on it.
 
If it is ten 50 mile rides a year, 2 years is fine.

But if it is 250 two mile rides, I would change annually.
Not sure what the difference is in your examples.
As long as the engine gets up to temperature, whenever it is driven, it shouldn't matter much. At only 500 miles a year, miles are miles.

Edit:
Oops... I read it as Two 250 mile rides, not 250 Two mile rides... My bad
 
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Not sure what the difference is in your examples.
As long as the engine gets up to temperature, whenever it is driven, it shouldn't matter much. At only 500 miles a year, miles are miles.
The difference is, with two mile rides, the oil never gets up to temperature to evaporate condensation. I monitor oil temperature in my 2022 Corvette, and it takes about 10 miles for the oil to get up to temperature. It lags coolant temperature.
 
2 years is absolutely no problem what so ever and I would have no issues going 3 years or more. UOA testing clearly shows that oil does not break down, shear or degrade in the sump over a period of years, that oil TBN remains at normal levels to combat acids, and that it will protect just fine for a long period of time.

Put another way, engine wear is a function of use, not time.
 
The difference is, with two mile rides, the oil never gets up to temperature to evaporate condensation. I monitor oil temperature in my 2022 Corvette, and it takes about 10 miles for the oil to get up to temperature. It lags coolant temperature.
Oops... I read it as Two 250 mile rides, not 250 Two mile rides... My bad
 
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