NEED ADVICE REGARDING OCI ON THIS VEHICLE

[mossad]

My mother's car is a 2000 Dodge Stratus with the 2L engine. Nothing special. My concern is this: In a 3 month period, she only puts between 800-1000 miles on the engine by driving it 5 miles to work, then driving it 5 miles back home, and various short trips around town to and from the grocery store, visiting family, etc…
The car is outside all the time in the Midwest, so it experiences extremes in temperatures of hot and cold. The only cover it ever has is a carport. The reason I've been changing the oil (using conventional) every 3 months is that I'm concerned with the many short trips that the oil breaks down quicker due to this, and doesn't get heated up very often. Would I be safe to extend her OCI out to 4 months or even possibly 5 on conventional oil that is getting so few miles on it?

 

[BigAl]

I would change it twice a year, spring and fall. It would be good to take it out for a longer highway run once in a while to burn off the condensation. If she's only driving it a few thousand miles a year in the Midwest, engine life won't be what kills it.

My elderly mother drove about 1,500 miles a year and lives in Illinois. Her car lived entirely outdoors. She just got rid of her 1980 Caprice witn 32,000 original miles and it ran just fine.

 

[BigAl]

No edit function . . . I forgot to add that she had the oil changed twice a year.

 

[Quest]

IMHO every 4mnths with good quality conventional oil should do fine (GTX, Chevron, PetroCanada, etc.), citing the moisture accumulation as well as gasoline dilution (due to frequent cold starts and insufficient warmup time) due to short trips.

 

[mossad]

Quote:

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IMHO every 4mnths with good quality conventional oil should do fine (GTX, Chevron, PetroCanada, etc.), citing the moisture accumulation as well as gasoline dilution (due to frequent cold starts and insufficient warmup time) due to short trips.

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Yes, the answer I expected, and I want to be on the safe side. The fuel delution and condensation is a concern, so I think I will not go over 4 months, but I will extend from 3 months to 4. Twic a year for an oil change? Well, I suppose the car would live, but my mother loves this car, and I don't want to neglect it. I'd rather error on the side of changing the oil too soon vs waiting too long.

 

[m2200b]

She's driving 4k per year - why would you ever change more often than 2x a year - fall and spring. I know you don't used oil analysis
but the only way to see what that winter and short drives do is to do a used oil analysis and that $20 will be saved many times over the life of her stratus if you can safely switch from 4 or 3X OCI to 2X OCI.

 

[RD400]

I vote for twice a year changes as well.

 

[zrxkawboy]

ditto 2x per year

 

[mossad]

To be safe, 3x/yr. Car gets many many short trips in the winter, barely heating up the oil. Spent way too much money on a vehicle to turn around and neglect one measly 11.00 oil change.

 

[Cutehumor]

I change oil twice a year every six months with 5k/yr with my dad's sentra. Every March and September. Before it gets too hot for the summer and before it gets too cold for the winter.