Drain interval - Special Case

[Bamaro]

I have a 70 Camaro that only gets driven around 1000 miles per year. There are NEVER any short trips. If I start it, I drive for 20 miles or more so the engine never gets shutdown until it has been at full operating temp for awhile. After a year, the oil (Valvoline Max Life 10w-30) looks as good as new. Seems like a waste to change it but I dont want to harm the engine.
Any opinions if it is safe to keep the same oil for a year or more?

 

[JonS]

If it were mine, i would change it once per year. Or if i wanted, i would chage it out half way thru the year. It's pretty cheep insurance.

 

[pscholte]

Bamaro,

You probably COULD go more than a year, but since you use dino oil, are you sure you WANT to? With dino the cost is low enough to justify changing despite the few miles you put on the car. If you want to try superextended oil intervals then doing UOAs is a MUST. They will clearly show you the state of contaminants and additives in your oil. I know we have members of this board who go a year on their oil, but I believe few, if any, use dino.

[ August 04, 2003, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: pscholte ]

 

[Patman]

Another thing you could do is drain that oil once per year, but catch it in a clean container and use it in another vehicle. I know a few people who do that. I even did that once myself. I drained the oil out at just 500 miles in my Firebird because I wanted even fresher oil for winter storage, so I put that 500 mile Mobil 1 into my mom's car (and ran it for 5k)

 

[Steve S]

Change it out! dino oil is cheap .

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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I drained the oil out at just 500 miles in my Firebird because I wanted even fresher oil for winter storage, so I put that 500 mile Mobil 1 into my mom's car (and ran it for 5k)

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You gave your mom's car an oil-transfusion?

I hope my kids won't pull the old switcheroo on me some day!

 

[Pablo]

I say do an analysis -

I'm sorta wacko, I have had the same oil in my Toyota PU for over 2 years

- less the 2000 miles or something...it is synthetic, but still I oughta change it, but it looks so clean.

 

[wulimaster]

quote:

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Originally posted by Pablo:
I say do an analysis -

I'm sorta wacko, I have had the same oil in my Toyota PU for over 2 years

- less the 2000 miles or something...it is synthetic, but still I oughta change it, but it looks so clean.

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I have left the same oil in my toyota PU for over 4 years before and changed it out last year. I use Amsoil 10w30 with a bypass and extra large full flow.

 

[widman]

I say change it. change is cheap. Any moisture inside the engine is causing rust on the block. that they eats the rest of the additives, leaves less protection, can even deplete the package of the new oil.