Yearly Oil Change Interval Requirement

[cycloxer]

I have a 2006 Chevey Colorado with a 3.5l engine. I am running 5w30 Pennzoil Platinum. I used to drive the truck 12k per year, but now it is used sparingly around town with an occasional short highway trip to a store. I'm putting 3k miles on it per year.

Chevy says you need to change the oil at 12 months at a minimum.

Why is that? What happens if I go 18 months or even longer to say 24 months?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Oil gets degraded over time due to moisture in the crankcase. This is more of an issue if you're mostly short tripping though.

 

[Oregoonian]

IMO....Since its a synthetic....running it to 5K....or 18 months....will nit do any harm.

If your stuck on the 12 month change....I'd suggest going to Mobil 5000 conventional....and change every year. Its a good oil and very reasonably priced at Walmart ($12.97 for a 5 quart jug).

It would be a waste of a good synthetic (PP) dumping it at only 3000 miles.

 

[Pajero]

ditto

 

[CATERHAM]

Time is really not much of a factor if you bring the oil up to temperature every time you start the engine to burn of condensation and any fuel that may have gotten past the rings into the oil.
This is more of an issue in the winter months.

Running a synthetic oil like PP I suspect you can go at least 18 months or 5,000 miles with the way you are driving.

 

[cycloxer]

Okay good info. Most of the time I drive it 20 minutes down to the store and 20 minutes back - a mix of back roads and highway. It is only occasionally that I do short in-town trips. I know they aren't the greatest for the truck, but I am also not going to just drive around town burning up fuel for the heck of it!

I figured 18-24 months would be fine on the synthetic.

 

[CATERHAM]

20 minutes of running time to the stores and 20 minutes back home is plenty long enough to get the oil hot in the spring, summer and fall; likely so in the winter as well.
So 2 years and only 6,000 miles should be a piece of cake.

In the winter I'd check under the oil filler cap for any signs of condensation and if done at all I'd go 30 months or 7,500 miles.

 

[bigt61]

It usually takes me 4 years to get 5k miles on a couple of my cars - that's when I change it. Just keep it topped off - it will be fine.

 

[cycloxer]

Perfect. It seems as thought the truck gets driven frequently enough that the condensation gets burnt off. I have never seen any. I am all for proper oil changes, but I also don't like spending the time and money to needlessly change the oil. I am at 18 months now. I'll give it another 6 months and see how things look.

 

[Jim Allen]

I regularly run oils out to 2-3 years on my cars, trucks and farm equipment and verified the process with oil analysis and gradually working my OCI's out. Will likely pass four year intervals on some equipment at some point the way things are looking. Works just fine. Oil can't read a calendar but as said above, this only applies if, when the truck is run, it gets plenty of warmup time to bake out moisture and fuel dilution. Bear in mind any warranty requirements as well, if that is a concern.

 

[diver1972]

Originally Posted By: cycloxer
What happens if I go 18 months or even longer to say 24 months?
Over several years, you'll save both labor effort and money.

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Oil gets degraded over time due to moisture in the crankcase. This is more of only an issue if you're mostly short tripping though.
I think that's more accurate.

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
20 minutes of running time to the stores and 20 minutes back home is plenty long enough to get the oil hot in the spring, summer and fall; likely so in the winter as well.