How do you adapt service schedules to low mileage vehicles?

[NismoNVT]

I see mfgs list normal schedules for average customers and special service schedules.

If you have a low mileage vehicle, most of the schedules I see push them into the "extreme/special" use service schedule.

For select vehicles that means replace the diff fluids at 2 years. Is that necessary or is this the way?

 

[Jetronic]

it depends. you can acquire low mileage by sitting in traffic a lot. taking off from a stop is very hard on diffs. I had a customer with an early diff failure, that truck almost never came out of 1st gear as it was used for green upkeep along the roads (truck was owned by the city). severe service could've helped....

 

[Lubener]

I see mfgs list normal schedules for average customers and special service schedules.

If you have a low mileage vehicle, most of the schedules I see push them into the "extreme/special" use service schedule.

For select vehicles that means replace the diff fluids at 2 years. Is that necessary or is this the way?

I go strictly by mileage not time on my infrequently used vehicles.

 

[billt460]

I go strictly by mileage not time on my infrequently used vehicles.

I do the exact opposite. I change oil and filter every 6 months, regardless of mileage. Most owners manuals define that as well.

 

[kebabaluba]

I change my oil after 5000 kms (3000 miles), i believe that is half of the original OCI. I do it because i split commuting between my car and my motorbike thus each vehicle gets lower annual mileage.

 

[Propflux01]

I depends. If the car sits in the garage and doesn't get driven much, provided it gets its full heat up and such, I go by mileage, normal service. If its stop and go traffic, short trip kinda stuff, then 3K/Severe service.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Our Nissan doesn't get driven too much. I just do a yearly oil change. It's 3 years old and only has 14000 miles on it. I will change the CVT fluid and filters as that seems to be the way to make these transmissions last.

I've only put about 2000 miles on my F-350 this year and I last changed the oil in 2021. I don't plan on changing the oil for another year or so ... or if I fix the leaky head gasket.

 

[Lubener]

I do the exact opposite. I change oil and filter every 6 months, regardless of mileage. Most owners manuals define that as well.

I have had UOA's done and was always told I could go further. When my infrequently used vehicles are used, they are always used for atleast a ten mile run.I refuse to change out clean oil and go 2-3 years on an oil change when 3k-4k miles have accrued..

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Currently I go by the lesser of 1yr or max of 10k miles. I'm paying good money for synthetics after all.

 

[jstert]

my desert sw, 2014, ex-hertz, toyota yaris gets oil and filter changes every 18ish months, which works out to about 2k miles. it gets driven about 4-5 months per year at various intervals with some highway jaunts then sits garaged on a battery tender. it got kendall and valvoline semisyn 5w30 at a decent goodyear tire franchise for just $20 until last year’s service at a reputable independent japanese car garage when all fluids, brake pads, battery, spark plugs, etc. were changed, plus 4 new yokohama tires and an alignment. it got tgmo 5w30 then.

i got it at 40k in 2016. i was able to see some service records and door jamb stickers showing various oci at no more than 10k mile intervals, not ideal but the yaris’ 1.5 liter engine and 4sp conventional auto trans combination is fairly bullet proof, which is exactly why i chose this particular car from the hertz sales lot.

 

[PimTac]

Keep it simple and stick to mileage. 5000 mile oil changes. While you are changing the oil check the air filter. That will give you a rough estimate of when to change it. Check for anything else out of the ordinary. Cabin air filters are easy to replace and cheap. I do mine every two years. Check the tires during the oil change.

 

[jeepman3071]

Depends on a lot of factors. Most daily driven cars it would be perfectly fine to change the oil based on mileage alone if they are brought up to operating temp, but there are many severe service vehicles where time/use would be a better measurement to go by.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

On my father's car I basically go yearly to maybe 18 months, but it's still not at 3K miles for the OCI even with me driving it off and on with my car in the shop. The oil still looks good and is a translucent amber but I'll probably change it soon...

I try to do my mother's car within six months or less before the "change-oil-soon" light automatically (Ford-Mercury) comes on and she runs to the mechanic, despite the fact she barely drives 2K a year...

 

[KrisZ]

I switch to month, it works for my motorcycles, no reason it would not work for cars/trucks.

 

[Joel_MD]

My elderly mother has a house in the Minneapolis area, but spends most of the year in the Houston area. She keeps a 2008 Chrysler minivan in the garage at the Minneapolis house. She probably averages 1k miles/year on this car.

In September 2019, she had this car serviced before heading back to Houston. Due to the rona, mom didn't return to her Minneapolis house until the summer of 2021. During that period I spent a weekend at mom's house and drove the car a little. When she finally got back into the minivan, she immediately took it to the shop to get serviced. After changing the oil, the mechanic pointed out that the oil only had 48 miles on it, lol. If I hadn't driven it, the OCI would have been more like five miles.

 

[KrisZ]

@Joel_MD your mother is a wise woman and knows how to take care of her vehicles.

 

[Leo99]

I go by miles. Due to Covid, I went from driving 20k miles a year down to about 6k a year. Change my oil every 10k miles or about 24 months. Very few of my miles are short trips.

 

[BLND1]

Whew… I get rid of vehicles that don’t get driven frequently… solves the problem.

 

[JWC86]

Depends, is it low miles because it’s sitting or because it’s used for a low speed application? Or idles all the time? Or ?

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

I see mfgs list normal schedules for average customers and special service schedules.

If you have a low mileage vehicle, most of the schedules I see push them into the "extreme/special" use service schedule.

For select vehicles that means replace the diff fluids at 2 years. Is that necessary or is this the way?

I take car of my (elderly) mother's vehicle. I doubt she puts 3,000 miles on it a year. Might be closer to 5-600 a year now.

I change the oil every 6-9 months. I'll do the plugs in a few weeks. I rotate the tires every year.

I try to drive it myself (or get my daughter to drive it around) once a month.

Other than that, air/cabin filters, I shake out once a year. I'll do the coolant and power steering and brake fluid shortly.

Driving the things helps the most.