Long term oil changes

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Nov 10, 2014
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Colorado
I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier PU with only 70K miles on it. For the last three years or so I've only put 2500K or fewer miles on it per year. I see this continuing for the foreseeable future. I have been changing the oil every year and the filter (Fram Ultra) every other year. I've been using ST 5w30 for my fills. Would there be any downsides in doing the oil change every two years rather than every year with the same products. It just seems a waste of good oil but I'll continue the yearly changes if it's appropriate. I do take the truck out at least once or twice a month for a run up the freeway to get the oil nice and warm. The truck is garaged and here in Denver we have very little humidity/condensation to worry about. Thanks.
 
I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier PU with only 70K miles on it. For the last three years or so I've only put 2500K or fewer miles on it per year. I see this continuing for the foreseeable future. I have been changing the oil every year and the filter (Fram Ultra) every other year. I've been using ST 5w30 for my fills. Would there be any downsides in doing the oil change every two years rather than every year with the same products. It just seems a waste of good oil but I'll continue the yearly changes if it's appropriate. I do take the truck out at least once or twice a month for a run up the freeway to get the oil nice and warm. The truck is garaged and here in Denver we have very little humidity/condensation to worry about. Thanks.
Ka24de or vg30de?
 
Why what’s it going to do?
I worked at Nissan in that era of the KA and VG engines, they like 10w30 and DO NOT like oil over 3000 miles. They beat up oil and the KA liked to drink oil. PCV set up was not good as well. They got clogged up pretty easy. Valve stem seals were affected by long oil changes as well. So the reason why I’m saying 6 months take it out. If it’s KA, it holds 3.7 quarts so 4 if it’s VG it holds 4.8 quarts so 5. Why let that oil full of condensation and blow by, etc sit in an older engine. The oil is cheap and only holds 5 quarts. I mean come on, why even attempt over 6 months.
 
I can tell you that extending my oil change to a year in my Accord did not work out but it sees primarily sort trips. For that type of use I now max out at 5K/6mo.
 
fwiw, and without any technical analysis, my snowbird 2014 toyota yaris oci is 18mo, 3000 miles, always with 5w30. it is underground garaged on a battery tender in the dry/hot desert sw for about half the year. previously these changes were $20 semisyn bulk kendall or valvoline at a goodyear franchise. last change was $40 tgmo bottles at a speciality independent japanese car garage where i had all the fluids and brakes done too. ($20 semisyn bulk deal was killed by the wuhan flu btw.) i could likely run it out to a 24mo oci, but why? without scientific justification, o.p.’s fully synthetic 12mo, 2500 mile oci seems fine, and even 24mo, 5000 mile oci is likely ok too, but the longer oci would really nag at me.
 

Fahrvergnügen advocates 6 month oil changes. That's 1,250 miles for the Frontier owner here. To me that's overkill. I'd stick with annual oil changes (2,500 miles), but if you're using the short XG6607 filter, it holds so little oil I'd leave it on for three years. I'd also switch to a HM oil. I'm in a similar situation with my Ridgeline being used less than 3K miles a year, with it being in garaged storage for five months each year. I lose no sleep over that.

 

Fahrvergnügen advocates 6 month oil changes. That's 1,250 miles for the Frontier owner here. To me that's overkill. I'd stick with annual oil changes (2,500 miles) but if you're using the short XG6607 filter, it holds so little oil I'd leave it on for three years. I'd also switch to a HM oil. I'm in a similar situation with my Ridgeline being used less than 3K miles a year, with it being in garaged storage for five months each year. I lose no sleep over that.

why use a HM oil with seal swellers. 6 months or 5,000 miles is the proper time and distance for extreme usage which is what the OP does.
 
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