Winter storage - Redux

[goatdude]

I'd like to read some opinions on winter storage (4-5 months duration) and how this period of inactivity relates to oil. Some people feel strongly that oil should always be changed after a vehicle comes out of storage. Changing oil prior to storing according to this theory is a waste since it will be dumped anyway and storing with old oil is no problem. I have always put by car away with clean oil and changed it when it needed to be after it hit the road the following year.

I don't like the idea of having any acids that have accumulated in the oil laying on the internal engine surfaces and possibly causing pitting, etc.

 

[drive it forever]

Just use some cheap store brand oil/filter like wal-marts tech 2000 products (your dumping it anyways in the spring?). Cheap insurance. Oil over time that is used and sits idle can sludge. Also, use a 5w30 over a 10w30 for faster oil circulation when you start it for the first time in 5 months and add some stabil to the gas.

 

[Patman]

If a car is going to be stored for a number of months, make sure it's got fresh oil in it for the storage period. Do not start the engine during the storage time unless you are going to drive it for a half hour or more.

In the spring, that oil is still going to be like new, so just drive it to your normal interval, there is no need to waste perfectly good oil by draining it out with zero miles on it.