Motor oil change intervals on a non daily driver

[nottheoilguy]

I had my car down to my tuner and we were talking what motor oil I use and how often I change it.

I told him i was using GC 0w-30 and i don't remember his exact wording but it was that it is more or less too thin of an oil for our cars and oil consumption would be increased and that parts won't be lubricated as well. He said i should really use a 5w oil. Thoughts? I've been using it for years now.

The other issue is that my car my only get driven 3,000 miles a year, but never is left stored for more than a month. I have been just changing my oil once a year for the past 3 years. He said that oil has a "shelf life" once it's in the car and that it should be changed every 3-4 months regardless. He said deposits and such will collect in the bottom of the oil pan and the oil seperates and when I go to start the car after sitting, the "deposits" are getting distributed through out the motor. Thoughts?

I'm thinking I gotta sell my stash of GC 0w-30 and switch to Rotella t6 5w-40 (my second choice) after the conversation.

 

[Bullet]

My mom has a 2001 Camery with like 35k miles. I change the oil about once a year or year and a half. I used Mobil One, but that last time I used PP.

 

[edwardh1]

mom 98 buick 53000 miles

 

[hsd]

I have a 71 240z with 63k miles that I keep in storage 10 months out the year and drive aprox. 100 -200 miles per year in nice weather. I only change oil about every 4-5 years (400-800 miles) using conventional 10w-30 Valvoline. Been doing this for the last 25 years and it still runs fine, so based on my experience frequent oil changes based on time are not necessary.

 

[Barkleymut]

Most "tuners", mechanics, and guys that just know a lot about cars really are not experts on oil. Your tuner fits into this group. Does oil distribute deposits throughout the engine? yes, for a short while until it is collected by the filter. And yes the additives do separate from the oil if the car sits for weeks. But what do you think happens once the oil starts pumping a millisecond after the engine is turned on? Thats right, the additives get mixed in perfectly within seconds.

Oil will last over a year in any car, it will last at least 5 years in a sealed container on a shelf, it has been proven hundreds of times. The incorrect opinion of a tuner should not sway your judgement.

 

[Trav]

What kind of engine are we talking about? GC isn't exactly thin oil, its one of the heavier 0w30 oils.

 

[electrolover]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy
I had my car down to my tuner and we were talking what motor oil I use and how often I change it.

I told him i was using GC 0w-30 and i don't remember his exact wording but it was that it is more or less too thin of an oil for our cars and oil consumption would be increased and that parts won't be lubricated as well. He said i should really use a 5w oil. Thoughts? I've been using it for years now.

The other issue is that my car my only get driven 3,000 miles a year, but never is left stored for more than a month. I have been just changing my oil once a year for the past 3 years. He said that oil has a "shelf life" once it's in the car and that it should be changed every 3-4 months regardless. He said deposits and such will collect in the bottom of the oil pan and the oil seperates and when I go to start the car after sitting, the "deposits" are getting distributed through out the motor. Thoughts?

I'm thinking I gotta sell my stash of GC 0w-30 and switch to Rotella t6 5w-40 (my second choice) after the conversation.


It sounds like you have a good thing going. This guy is clearly an idiot because he said a 5w will protect better than a 0w. Just smile and nod and keep doing what your doing.

 

[nottheoilguy]

Originally Posted By: Trav
What kind of engine are we talking about? GC isn't exactly thin oil, its one of the heavier 0w30 oils.


I should have given more info in the original post. It is a 2006 subaru sti that is stage 2 makin ~375 hp & 425 ftlbs torque at the wheels. Being that it is more of a performance engine the oil situation should be different than just a "grocery getter" i'm guessing.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy
Originally Posted By: Trav
What kind of engine are we talking about? GC isn't exactly thin oil, its one of the heavier 0w30 oils.


I should have given more info in the original post. It is a 2006 subaru sti that is stage 2 makin ~375 hp & 425 ftlbs torque at the wheels. Being that it is more of a performance engine the oil situation should be different than just a "grocery getter" i'm guessing.


I think if it were my STi, I would be tempted to run M1 0w40 or T6 5w40.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy
it is more or less too thin of an oil for our cars and oil consumption would be increased and that parts won't be lubricated as well. He said i should really use a 5w oil.

He said that oil has a "shelf life" once it's in the car and that it should be changed every 3-4 months regardless.


He's pretty much wrong on both counts, IMO. Do more reading/searching here if you want more info. Remember, the 0 in 0W-30 is the cold number. Once hot, a 0W-30 and a 5W-30 should perform pretty similarly.

Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[fdcg27]

GC is some thick stuff.
Don't let the SAE grade fool you.
It meets current Mercedes and BMW requirements, which require an oil that's thick at operating temperatures.
There is at least one good UOA of GC from a turbo Subie in that forum.
A number of turbo Subaru owners have seen good results with T6, and there are some UOAs in that forum.
M1 0W-40 should also work well and has a more modern formulation than GC. Many members consider this the go-to oil for demanding applications.
Once a year should be fine for the miles you put on the car, maybe even every other year using an oil that meets Mercedes/BMW requirements like GC or M1 0W-40.
You could UOA your annual change and then decide whether a two year interval was suitable.
The oil doesn't age any more in the sump than it does in the bottle.

 

[Zaedock]

I concur with the masses here regarding your tuner. GC is a fine oil. You may need to step up to a 40wt, but I would run/test the GC first to see how it holds up. If it works, running a higher viscosity lubricant would only cost some HP.

 

[skyship]

Check the Castrol web site oil finder or your handbook to confirm the oil is listed. As long as it lists X/30's and not X/40's everything is fine.
It sounds like you have been talking to an Iffy or Eazy lube salesman, because unless you park outside next to a stormy breakwater or in some place known for frequent sand storms, one year is fine. In fact 2 years is OK if you use a good full synthetic and keep the car in a garage.
For an older engine that has both 30 and 40 grades listed, the 40 might be better as regards oil consumption.

 

[Panzerman]

I have a Dodge 2500 I use for towing, it has the Lifetime warranty, till 2077. I hardly ever drive it, pretty much, just for towing. The warranty requirements for Dodge is, is never to exceed 6 months or 6,000 miles, so I change it ever 5 months to stay on the safe side. Sometimes it has less than 1000 miles on it in 5 months and its still brownish gold. If warranty wasnt involved and I didntn buy my oil cheap, Id go 1 year.

 

[skyship]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy
Originally Posted By: Trav
What kind of engine are we talking about? GC isn't exactly thin oil, its one of the heavier 0w30 oils.


I should have given more info in the original post. It is a 2006 subaru sti that is stage 2 makin ~375 hp & 425 ftlbs torque at the wheels. Being that it is more of a performance engine the oil situation should be different than just a "grocery getter" i'm guessing.


That does make a difference in oil viscosity terms sometimes, you might want to join a type specific forum and see what other owners use because the oil finders are for normal engines and you might well need to step up a grade or two or even use a race oil of some type. 375 hp is not much in hp terms and you might be able to use the same oil as is recommended for the normal engine, BUT you should check and the OCI will need to be reduced due to increased high temp shearing and possible fuel contamination. Just a wild guess but Castrol edge 5/40 might be better if the original spec is an 0 or 5/30.
Not sure how you can use 375hp in the US, but overtaking might not shear the oil too much, but you might still get some fuel contamination.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy

I told him i was using GC 0w-30 and i don't remember his exact wording but it was that it is more or less too thin of an oil for our cars and oil consumption would be increased and that parts won't be lubricated as well. He said i should really use a 5w oil. Thoughts? I've been using it for years now.


Well, he doesn't understand the oil grading system, that's my first thought.

The number before the "w" is the cold performance of the oil and is not in reference to the oil overall being "thick" or "thin", but rather how much it thickens as the temperature drops. An oil with a "0" before the "w" thickens less as the temperature drops than an oil with a 5 before the w, which thickens less than an oil with a 10 before the w.....etc.

At operating temperature, a 5w-30 and a 0w-30 are both "30" weight oils (as defined by the SAE range for a multi-weight motor oil) with the oil we are speaking of specifically, GC 0w-30 being on the very heavy end of the scale, almost in xW-40 territory. This oil is probably the heaviest readily available 30-weight lubricant on the market.

Quote:
The other issue is that my car my only get driven 3,000 miles a year, but never is left stored for more than a month. I have been just changing my oil once a year for the past 3 years. He said that oil has a "shelf life" once it's in the car and that it should be changed every 3-4 months regardless. He said deposits and such will collect in the bottom of the oil pan and the oil seperates and when I go to start the car after sitting, the "deposits" are getting distributed through out the motor. Thoughts?

I'm thinking I gotta sell my stash of GC 0w-30 and switch to Rotella t6 5w-40 (my second choice) after the conversation.


You are fine doing what you are doing (the change limit given by most oil manufacturers and car OEM's is one year) assuming you get the car up to operating temperature for a while when you do take it out.

GC is an excellent oil. Do you have an oil cooler? Do you track your oil temperatures? Ultimately this is what will determine whether you need to step up a grade or not. Elevated oil temperatures in a high power density application (which you have) are the driving factor behind needing a heavier lubricant. If you don't have an oil temperature gauge, I suggest getting one.

 

[bigdawg74]

Originally Posted By: nottheoilguy
I told him i was using GC 0w-30 and i don't remember his exact wording but it was that it is more or less too thin of an oil for our cars and oil consumption would be increased and that parts won't be lubricated as well. He said i should really use a 5w oil. He said that oil has a "shelf life" once it's in the car and that it should be changed every 3-4 months regardless. He said deposits and such will collect in the bottom of the oil pan and the oil separates and when I go to start the car after sitting, the "deposits" are getting distributed through out the motor. Thoughts?

Thoughts? Your tuner may know about tweaking HP out of a motor, but he doesn't know scheisse about oil.

 

[aualtima3.5]

Meh. I have a car I drive once every 7-10 days, maybe less in the winter. I change the oil every 3-3500 (lots of short trips).

Same for my mother's cars. They see very few miles, mostly short trips, inside of motors still clean. Her 'nice' car had oil in it for 2 years and just over 3k miles.

Unless you have a warranty requirement, I would just leave it. Run it for atleast 20mins every few weeks if short trips between, youwill be fine.

 

[nottheoilguy]

Can anyone post a link where I could more info on oil lifespan (shelf life) while in the engine?

Should I do a UOA on the current oil I have in the car because it's almost been a year and 2,000 miles?

 

[nottheoilguy]

It gets driven and brought up to temperature pretty regularly at most maybe it will sit for 4-6 weeks, but not often.

I do not have en oil cooler installed on the car.

I would rather by on the safe side with the oil I use and how frequently I change it than pay $6,000 for an engine rebuild. So if the rotella is a safer choice i have no problem using it.