Since I retired and then moved to the PNW my driving habits have changed considerably . Now I can go a few days without driving , then drive a total of 8 miles on a day , then once a month get the Hyundai Sonata GDI 2.4L out on the interstate for a 25 mile drive somewhere . Now 8 months and just under 2,000 miles on the current fill (M1 5W30 EP) and the oil due to the GDI engine is getting dark . Most likely the TBN / TAN of the M1 5W30 EP is holding up but I would imagine even this oil has limits being short tripped (in spite of the occasional interstate run) . Previously driving to work each day I would hit the OCI mileage first before the time limit I set (6 months) . Looks like that has flip flopped in retirement and now perhaps best to just change the oil every 6 months and call it good . *Some may question why I use M1 5W30 EP and the reason is I buy on roll back WM price of $26 per jug . Anyone find themselves in a similar OCI situation now due to new life circumstances ?
Now King of Short Tripping
- Thread starter ChrisD46
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Same here, my wife retired and the usage of our 08 Liberty changed drastically, with a lot of short tripping now and limited highway use. I did an UOA after her driving 6 months with the new usage pattern and that seems to be a good OCI now, unless we make some road trips and I'll tweak accordingly. I'd suggest a UOA at the 6 month mark just to see what's going on, you might be able to tweak it a bit.
I had a 2013 Optima with the same engine. I changed the oil every 5,000 miles. The used oil definitely had the look of being loaded with soot and had the gasoline smell. There really isn’t a need to use an extended performance oil. Any Synthetic 5W30 or a 5W40 Euro oil will work for you. If you feel that evert six months works for you then, go for it.
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There are months out the year when I will have a much shorter tripping type commute and I’ll tell yeah, I much prefer the longer easier commuting. I’d change that oil sooner than later with short tripping a Hyundai DI engine. Just my opinion. Great idea to jump on the Mobil1 on rollback!
Ever since COVID I've been driving less than 5k miles a year and most recently less than 4k miles. The the majority of those miles are highway. I just change yearly now.
I short trip my Civic quite often and in the wintertime I change the oil very frequently. I use the Mity Vac and just do a pull and re-fill and keep the same filter. I found it was much less money buying oil than running the car idling to help it get hot in the wintertime. It sits outside and when it's below zero for several days I will even put a battery tender on it. I would rather spend a little money on an oil change then worry about it sludging up from short trips. My mom had a Buick that was frequently short tripped and it had a lot of sludge under the valve cover from not changing the oil. I figure it's better to pay a little more for frequent changes when short tripping.
Patman
Staff member
The interesting part with my Civic is that since I bought it I have been putting almost exactly 35,000 km per year on it, but that has continued at this exact same rate even though I retired in May 2023. It never gets short tripped. The one big difference is that my average fuel economy has gotten a lot better because I don’t get stuck in bad traffic as often.
My teenage daughter’s Elantra is a hardcore short tripper/beater situation. It gets driven 1 mile to school and 1 mile back daily. And goes 5 miles into town and back for errands periodically. Hardly ever goes on the highway or leaves the city limits.
Since new, Mazda goes less than 5000 miles/year but they almost all short trips. I change twice/year anyway. I do it myself and it’s cheap and I avoid doing it in a snowstorm. I’m with you. The green oil is for the Pontiac. Couldn’t help myself.
I do OCs on my nieces 2013 Optima 2.4 (which is nearing 160K on what I presume is the original engine.....it was bought used and has the original color dipstick). It used 20 weight and even 30 weight oil but once I started putting 5w40 in it the oil usage declined to almost nothing. I haven't used 0w40 in it because QS Euro 5w40 (and the Total 5w40 bought on CLEARANCE at AA) were such good deals.
I can use some short tripping. I'm on a 43K miles a year schedule now.
<120 miles per day.
What vehicle?
Ram 1500 5.7
Future daughter-in-laws '21 Tucson is short tripped, currently less than 5k per year. The oil I took out at the 1 year 6k point was disgusting. It was a Kendal semi syn. I changed her MM to 6 months / 3k OCI. Last change was at just over 2k miles and 6 months. I used the Mobil FS that I got on sale through the deals posted. The 5W-30 Euro L that was in it from my last change was getting dirty but much better than prior. Still also had a light fuel smell to it but again much better than prior. That will stay on the reduced intervals unless driving habits change.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
I just signed-on to do another school year transporting Special Needs kids for around 30 hours per week. At age 73, I can easily afford to re-retire, but seven years of doing this has been hugely rewarding. Plus, the free top-tier Blue Cross and $26 hr pay is good. It's brought big-big smiles to my two daughters and grandkids........ that's where the money I earn goes.
The bad news?.....32 miles per day accumulate on my 2019 Hyundai. So I keep a digging shovel behind the rear seat, in case I need to bury it and call Uber for a ride home.
The bad news?.....32 miles per day accumulate on my 2019 Hyundai. So I keep a digging shovel behind the rear seat, in case I need to bury it and call Uber for a ride home.
Smart OCI strategy as well as moving up to Mobil FS .
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
I can recognize that oil anyplace. I was not sure one could still purchase it in its original blends. Brad Penn "green" racing oils from the old Kendall Refinery from many years ago. The "green" oil was one of the very first highly sought after domestic oils lots of DIYs used
exclusively for those shorts blast of energy down the quarter miles before the days of Royal Purple. Of course Amsoil and Red Line were also being made and sold back then.
Trying not to hijack this thread but that was the last of my Brad Penn. I got a great deal on cases from a warehouse in Buffalo when I lived there. Now Penn Grade 1.