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Exactly. But everyone is different.
Me? I’m with you. I don’t like to waste resources and time. But there are many things too that I overthink, similar to this thread.
Less than 200 Miles a year, Change Oil every 6 months?
- Thread starter Ang
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Me? I’m with you. I don’t like to waste resources and time. But there are many things too that I overthink, similar to this thread.
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Yeah four pages in I’ll back my original recommendation. Annual oil changes.
Very true. Even my Kohler 20-RESA generator exercises 1x a week on it's own, just to get the juices flowin and the moisture out of the engine. Although, they could have put a stainless steel exhaust on it ! Within a month of owning it, it started rusting. Had to spray it with 2,000 degree exhaust header ceramic paint ! That got me mad. Paid big bucks for that whole house generator, and they throw a riding mower exhaust on it. Plain ole steel. A lot of humidity in NY. That exhaust didn't stand a chance if I didn't spray it. At least a riding mower is in a shed, this thing has a bit of water layin in the bottom of the unit at all times, from rain and humidity. Maybe I'll drill some weep holes in the housing to let the water out.
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Maybe treat the car as a classic in storage or awaiting restoration and kick it over every week to get oil going? Fuel stabilizer in the tank? Ang. already has it on a trickle charger. Am I on the right track?
This is where low mileage survivors come from. If someone didn’t do this, we’d never have sweet antique economy cars come up for sale in immaculate condition.
annual changes are better in this case imo. Oil doesn’t degrade sitting there. I left oil in my ‘91 Toyota for 3 years. It had 2,000 miles. This is what it looked like.
annual changes are better in this case imo. Oil doesn’t degrade sitting there. I left oil in my ‘91 Toyota for 3 years. It had 2,000 miles. This is what it looked like.
Wow ! That is some clean oil for 3yrs/2k. I'm about ready to store an 06' Camry 4 banger for 3 years with fresh oil. Got the car cheap. Fixed it up a bit, and will store it under the house deck ( asphalted). Putting a high quality outdoor cover on it with a Noco 2 Genius hooked up to the battery. The tires will be sitting on these plastic curved things that prevent flat spots. I have no intention of changing the oil, or starting it. Has new coolant/antifreeze also. She's 13 yrs old and can't drive till she 16 in NY.,on a permit license. Question to my BITOG friends : Once car is covered, will be VERY hard to gain access to start it. Is it acceptable NOT to start it for 3 years ????. Will any damage to engine or tranny seals happen ???? Has a new water pump in it also, and new hoses. Enzyme stabilizer has been installed and the tank is full., ran the engine awhile to get the treated fuel to the injectors..... The car will be shaded from direct sun at all times. Anybody who is familiar in this situation, please reply. I have the utmost trust in my BITOG friends 
I'd be worried about mice or other critters getting in and making a nest (apparently the air filter area is a popular spot). This apparently is a common issue with people who store vehicles. Some even have the issue with cars they drive infrequently.Wow ! That is some clean oil for 3yrs/2k. I'm about ready to store an 06' Camry 4 banger for 3 years with fresh oil. Got the car cheap. Fixed it up a bit, and will store it under the house deck ( asphalted). Putting a high quality outdoor cover on it with a Noco 2 Genius hooked up to the battery. The tires will be sitting on these plastic curved things that prevent flat spots. I have no intention of changing the oil, or starting it. Has new coolant/antifreeze also. She's 13 yrs old and can't drive till she 16 in NY.,on a permit license. Question to my BITOG friends : Once car is covered, will be VERY hard to gain access to start it. Is it acceptable NOT to start it for 3 years ????. Will any damage to engine or tranny seals happen ???? Has a new water pump in it also, and new hoses. Enzyme stabilizer has been installed and the tank is full., ran the engine awhile to get the treated fuel to the injectors..... The car will be shaded from direct sun at all times. Anybody who is familiar in this situation, please reply. I have the utmost trust in my BITOG friends
Absolutely this. The car is not designed to be essentially unused, and counting physical deterioration, depreciation, the cost of that oil change and the fact that nothing with that engine has any real collectibility today, you would be literally thousands ahead each year using UBER for those 200 miles. The vehicle is being wasted. Best wishes.
Thanks for asking that question. I have that covered already. The tailpipe will be sealed with steel wool, and I made a nice home for the mice in the rear part of my property. Ran out of $$$$ to complete landscaping, so I had over 600 yds of wood chips placed over the weeds. The chips were free, some spots are 5' deep ( leveled off some of the property as a bonus ). The average depth is 3'. The mice love it !!!! Used to get mice in my 2 sheds all the time...no more. I guess they just make their homes in the chips, and I add chips as they disintegrate. Property looks decent now without the weeds.
There is no algorithm to keep the fuel fresh at this mileage level.
I doubt that it is getting sludgy at all.
I would leave the oil in for 2 years. 6 month oil dumps are nonsense, like oil is going degrade in 6 months. I would be far far more worried about the gas.
I’m more concerned about the time get takes get to the next refuel. If the tank was filled today it will take 1 to 2 year before it’s gone. Fuel setting untreated will degrade much faster than oil. A yearly or bi-yearly oil change and fresh 1/4 tank of gas max every six months would be easy and cheap. Which is what I’d be looking for in a rarely used vehicle.
I don’t think that will work. The car is currently using half a tank a year or thereabouts. That gas is sitting any way you slice it. You could use Stabil, or you could empty the tank, but an empty tank will readily corrode.
Everything corrodes and erodes on a vehicle just setting. Tires, rotors, gasket/seals, plastic parts, etc. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the fuel tank.
Agree completely. I would say that the owner is actively destroying that car and to your point, is encouraging failure in all kinds of ways
Moth balls or urinal pucks in a partly open ziplock bag, under the hood, keep mice away for me. I don’t think providing them a home will keep them from checking out your car.
My vote for the original topic is …. changing the oil every 2 years is more than enough.
JHZR2
Staff member
Doesn’t much matter.
The answer is no. Don’t change it every six months. That’s just a waste. Annually is also a waste - do it every two years. Make sure where the vehicle is run, it goes over 30 miles. I know you say this isn’t really a viable thing, but I don’t see why. Just make it happen sometimes. This will ensure all fluids are truly up to a working temperature for a reasonable amount of time.
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JHZR2
Staff member
Does for me in my low use vehicles. Diesel longer for sure.
Not really.
Not really. Rotors can rust over if they get wet. Things degrade from the sunshine in certain climates. But vehicles will stay nicer longer if used and kept out of sun and rain. As someone who has ten cars that get sporadic or very low use, I can unequivocally say that it isn’t as big a deal as folks make out. Sure, it’s essential to get to full operating temperature, and you don’t want fuel to sit too long, but it’s actually a recipe for keeping things nicer and newer longer. So long as you don’t let it bake in the sun.
The 1.5-3 mile drive is concerning, but I know from experience that a good syn oil can allow for full non-severe OCI if the vehicle is run to full thermal soak every so often.
OP, you’ll need to do a UOA to validate if you have fuel or moisture issues. If not, you’ll be more likely to go long durations in the OCI, but I’d still want to change the filter every other year.
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