OCI for 2004 Volvo S40

Mechanician said:
The reason a time interval is applied is the way the low miles were put on.
if the 1,026 miles were put on in short 3 mile drives - the oil is probably done.
If the miles were put on in 100 mile trips - the oil is probably still in great condition.
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That’s not exactly the case. The idea of a mileage/time interval is to approximate the actual degradation of the oil over either or both time and mileage. Weather ultra short trips or longer distances caused it to happen is baked in. Beyond that, the wise manufacturers offer us guidance for severe conditions to shorten intervals. The question on the table is weather oil that has essentially been unused for three years must be discarded because that time has transpired. I say not, but others point out that the oil could have accumulated moisture, or that it has simply degraded over time. Then there are some true zealots who think that you have a hard and fast rule, therefore it should be followed.
 
I agree with Mechanician, it depends on the application. Time will have little effect on the oil, but the moisture and combustion by-products from when it did run will all effect it. The use plays heavily on the condition of the oil.

I put less that 2000 miles on my dump truck and VW Beetle per year. The truck get warmed up and used hard, towing equipment and hauling. The Beetle goes to the store and back. In both cases, I try to change the oil at least once per year, but the realistic schedule is 18 months to 2 years.
 
goingplacesanddoingstuff said:
Oil doesn’t “degrade” in 1-3 years. That’s just silly. Time basically doesn’t matter on these timescales.
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It actually does degrade as soon as the byproducts of combustion come into play. So it’s a different scenario for an oil sitting in a sealed container on a shelf for 3 years compared to one that is inside your engine.
 
Recognizing that the frequency of oil change intervals is a common question, I read somewhere that some new vehicles have the ability to monitor the oil/driving style/oil condition, and advise accordingly to change the oil, versus simply time or miles driven. Can anyone chime in as to which vehicles may have this capability? Both my relatively new Merc and BMW vehicles trigger the oil change light based on fixed time/miles driven. Seems like a relevant question given the title of this discussion.
 
Unless you plan to drive the car, I wouldn't worry about it. It's a 20 year old car that gets driven 350 miles per year. Why worry about the oil? What's the worst that can happen if you never changed it again? It will start to smoke in 20 years? Change it every 5 years if you're worried about it.
 
TomYoung said:
That’s not exactly the case. The idea of a mileage/time interval is to approximate the actual degradation of the oil over either or both time and mileage. Weather ultra short trips or longer distances caused it to happen is baked in. Beyond that, the wise manufacturers offer us guidance for severe conditions to shorten intervals. The question on the table is weather oil that has essentially been unused for three years must be discarded because that time has transpired. I say not, but others point out that the oil could have accumulated moisture, or that it has simply degraded over time. Then there are some true zealots who think that you have a hard and fast rule, therefore it should be followed.
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Not exactly is correct - that is why I used the term probably.
As moisture, and combustion by products build, due to short trips, the oil will degrade.
A boutique oil will probably resist the degradation better.
The cost of UOAs, or long extra trips, is probably better spent on an oil change.
 
Certainly in the long history of BITOG forums, someone has done a UOA after having oil in the crank for a few years or even more. Just go hit the search bar to get your answer but I'm in the same camp as oil is fine after several years. Just a long drive once in a while to burn off the moisture buildup.
 
Brad_C said:
I put some Mobil 1 0w30 in a beaker and put a flat cover over it. That left the spout area on the beaker uncovered. I then put it on the shelf in the garage away from all natural light and checked back every year. I wouldn't go past 3 years. It noticeably darkened in the first year and by the end of year three it was looking like aged compressor oil. I threw it out after 6 years.

Look it might have been ok, but how much is a yearly UOA vs just a change every couple of years?
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IMO, the oil in the beaker should be considered as a control sample. It does not reflect the contaminants that's in the oil after it has been cycle through the engine, even with minimal use.
 
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AZjeff said:
Have we seen analytical evidence of oil degrading in a year or is it an IMO thing?
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Even know you quoted me, but you obviously still missed the "IMO" in the quote. There is no need to get personal here and in OP's case, the oil has been in the engine for 2 years with a little over 1K miles which some would argue that it is worse than fresh oil just sitting in the engine with no miles. With respect, you take care of your car your way as I do with mine.
 
ecotourist said:
I'm in much the same boat. I put about 500 km or so on the Honda Accord every year and my last oil change was in January, 2022. I used Castrol Edge 5W-20. The oil looks perfect on the dip stick. I even take it on a long drive once a year or so. I'm going to change it as soon as we get a nice day. 3 years is long enough.
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Nonsense.
That oil is fine for at least another 3 years or more.
 
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