OCIs and FCIs for infrequently-driven vehicle

[Greg123]

I'm putting about 2,500 to 3,000 miles a year on my 4 cylinder Nissan Frontier. It's not my daily driver. It has 15K miles on it so far. I've decided to take control here and will start doing my own oil changes, and am looking for some advice. In my zeal, I have already bought the oil and filter for the next change: a Fram Ultra Synthetic filter and 5 quarts of Super Tech Full Synthetic oil (hey, it may be overkill, but it was only $17.50 at Walmart!). I've been having the oil and filter changed every 3,000 to 3,500 miles so far, but that equates to once every 16 months or so on average.

I'm open to going longer or shorter between changes or changing the filter less frequently than the oil, or reverting back to dino oil (although again for the price, the synthetic I got was still darn cheap compared to a lot of dino oils), or doing a UOA to home in on what to do. I'm not sure extended OCIs are appropriate with such little driving, but I do extended changes on my car, so again I am open to suggestions. I don't want to be too OCD on frequent changes if I can do my pocketbook and the environment some good.

Some guidance would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if this is TMI or it's been covered elsewhere ad nauseam.

 

[PimTac]

If the truck is short tripped a lot you could do a annual oil change and change the filter every other year, especially with the Fram Ultra.

 

[Carbon12]

Synthetic is often cheaper than dino since many major brands have rebates. Last time I looked Pennzoil dino was about $19 and cost more than the ST syn.

In your situation I would change oil and filter annually using synthetic oil and a quality filter. One year is long enough to accumulate gunk such as condensed fuel and moisture.

Edit: most "Dino" is a synthetic blend, but still not always the value a full syn can be after sale or rebate

 

[JLTD]

UOA after the first year. If it's still good, repeat at year two. The Ultra is rated at 20,000 miles so theoretically could go several years...although I'd change every three at the least.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I would service the oil annually plus a month or so, depending on when I felt like it.

 

[Snagglefoot]

As long as it's a honey brown colour I won't change it, even if it's over a year.

 

[Job]

You are in it about $30 sounds like. What was the cost of shop service? If change every year and recycle there is no harm done.
Age, if you are older waiting three years to tinker may cause loss of zeal and realistically there aren't that many three year periods left. F younger, you have time.
Moisture, people say it burns off , but it is still in there while burning off.
I am looking to put a Frantz in my Toyota four cylinder truck just for the heck of it. That takes out some moisture and by changing just the element you could probably go two or more years. It takes a bit of zeal to install which I don't have right now. But it is sort of escape fun.

 

[dareo]

Once a year would be a taking great care of it imo

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Farnsworth
Moisture, people say it burns off , but it is still in there while burning off.


The PCV system removes the burnt off moisture, so that's why it's important to take long drives once and awhile to evacuate the guts of moisture. Also why maintenance schedules say to do short OCIs if the car is short trip driven, driven and idled in traffic, etc. Those conditions don't burn off moisture and fuel dilution like a long drive at full operating temperature.