I have a 2011 honda accord that takes full synthetic 0w-20 oil. I use honda brand full synthetic oil and don't drive this car that often. I do take it a few miles a couple times a week to exercise the engine. It has 15,000 miles on it now. According to my manual I should change the oil every 7,000 miles and it has an indicator light when it's time to change the oil. If I was to use mobil 1 full synthetic I could in theory wait until it has over 15,000 miles. I have only put on about 3,000 miles since my last oil change which was over a year ago by a few months. I checked the oil and it is still a nice golden yellow color and the oil level is normal. Can I wait until I have at least 7,000 miles on it to change the oil even if it is 1.5-2 years as long as the oil looks clean and the level is good?
How long can you avoid changing full synthetic oi
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I too use 0w20 full synthetic in my Civic and would at least change it annually. At 3500 miles take a oil sample and send it in and find out.
At least Once per yr and also check manual. You cannot go by the oil color.
The oil and car companies all tend to say change the oil every 12 months regardless of distance. That is the safe bet, but I suspect it's incase people are very short trippers and never warm the oil up, and maybe they also never check their oil level or tire pressure.
You could always get an oil analysis to see how things are going.
I once had a few vehicles in my collection, not all got used much, but they were all well looked after. Full synthetic, high TBN Euro grade oils, regular inspections of levels and pressure, fully warmed up when used.
Some of these vechicles, more for sport than daily driving, I changed the oil every 18 months and it came out clear and golden looking. I suspect I could have gone 24 months, but I didn't push it that far.
You could always get an oil analysis to see how things are going.
I once had a few vehicles in my collection, not all got used much, but they were all well looked after. Full synthetic, high TBN Euro grade oils, regular inspections of levels and pressure, fully warmed up when used.
Some of these vechicles, more for sport than daily driving, I changed the oil every 18 months and it came out clear and golden looking. I suspect I could have gone 24 months, but I didn't push it that far.
I would probably go 2 years
Originally Posted By: SR5
Some of these vechicles, more for sport than daily driving, I changed the oil every 18 months and it came out clear and golden looking. I suspect I could have gone 24 months, but I didn't push it that far.
Originally Posted By: SR5
Some of these vechicles, more for sport than daily driving, I changed the oil every 18 months and it came out clear and golden looking. I suspect I could have gone 24 months, but I didn't push it that far.
You drive it a few miles to warm up the engine - bad juju ... That's short tripping it. So that's severe service, so that's change at 3,500 or something.
If you want to delay changing, so 40 miles or leave it shut off. Oil lasts for years if not used. So you could go two or three years, but not if short tripping it ...
If you want to delay changing, so 40 miles or leave it shut off. Oil lasts for years if not used. So you could go two or three years, but not if short tripping it ...
The latest thinking for time based oil change intervals is that 2 years is perfectly OK if you are using a major brand full synhthetic oil and most of the German car companies have adjusted their OLM's to that new figure.
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
Switch to a conventional 5w20 and change it once a year.
But I have no doubt you could go easily two years on the oil you have now.
My local Honda dealer used 5w20 on my 2013 Accord in late 2015 - I had free oil changes. You had to ask for 0w20 and it was a $10 surcharge.
But I have no doubt you could go easily two years on the oil you have now.
My local Honda dealer used 5w20 on my 2013 Accord in late 2015 - I had free oil changes. You had to ask for 0w20 and it was a $10 surcharge.
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Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
You drive it a few miles to warm up the engine - bad juju ... That's short tripping it. So that's severe service, so that's change at 3,500 or something.
If you want to delay changing, so 40 miles or leave it shut off. Oil lasts for years if not used. So you could go two or three years, but not if short tripping it ...
+1 Running it for a few minutes isn't exercising the engine; it's simply diluting the oil and potentially humming up the works. Find something nice you want to see that's a decent highway trip away and either drive there, have someone drive you there or have someone take your care on a long trip without you every couple of months to keep the engine and all other mechanicals "exercised", the battery charged and all other kinks worked out.
//
Also, color is not 100% meaningless. As someone just mentioned, a clear-amber oil will be more indicative of a healthy oil than jet-black oil in a gasser. Oil analysis may reveal that TBN remains high and other physical parameters still indicate substantial life left in a SUBSTANTIALLY darker oil (emphasis on 'substantially',in case that wasn't obvious) just as with a clear amber oil, but a jet black oil in a gasser is likely indicating something differently than a clear-amber oil. Be it fuel dilution, a new add pack cleaning up what previous oils left behind or some other issue, a darker than normal oil for a make of car and type of oil should be considered unusual.
For the OP: color isn't likely to play a role in determining whether to change the oil, with so few miles. If he/she puts on some decent road miles between short trips, following the maintenance minder 100% is my advice.
You drive it a few miles to warm up the engine - bad juju ... That's short tripping it. So that's severe service, so that's change at 3,500 or something.
If you want to delay changing, so 40 miles or leave it shut off. Oil lasts for years if not used. So you could go two or three years, but not if short tripping it ...
+1 Running it for a few minutes isn't exercising the engine; it's simply diluting the oil and potentially humming up the works. Find something nice you want to see that's a decent highway trip away and either drive there, have someone drive you there or have someone take your care on a long trip without you every couple of months to keep the engine and all other mechanicals "exercised", the battery charged and all other kinks worked out.
//
Also, color is not 100% meaningless. As someone just mentioned, a clear-amber oil will be more indicative of a healthy oil than jet-black oil in a gasser. Oil analysis may reveal that TBN remains high and other physical parameters still indicate substantial life left in a SUBSTANTIALLY darker oil (emphasis on 'substantially',in case that wasn't obvious) just as with a clear amber oil, but a jet black oil in a gasser is likely indicating something differently than a clear-amber oil. Be it fuel dilution, a new add pack cleaning up what previous oils left behind or some other issue, a darker than normal oil for a make of car and type of oil should be considered unusual.
For the OP: color isn't likely to play a role in determining whether to change the oil, with so few miles. If he/she puts on some decent road miles between short trips, following the maintenance minder 100% is my advice.
Get it good & hot once a month, get a UOA once a year-I would lay money it would be considered serviceable for at least THREE YEARS, as long as there was no coolant, dirt, or fuel contamination.
It also depends on the filter. The media and adhesives are soaked with oil, and that may deteriorate them at some rate. Filter splits are not rare, and I consider splits bad. As far as I know there is no information about life of filters once immersed in oil. If there is then some BITOG member might share. I have went several years on oil on collector car, but always changed the filter at the start of the spring driving season, it got greased at the same time.
Rod
Rod
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
+1
Oil that looks a nice amber when wiped from the dipstick with a paper towel may look quite dark in bulk in the drain pan and even fresh oil ranges in color from the almost water white of Valvoline to the dark amber of Delvac.
One can't rely upon color at all as a guide to change intervals. Color tells you nothing about TBN, TAN, oxidation or even insoluables loading.
An '11 Accord should have the IOLM which will account for a number of operating variables in its decay rate.
If the OP were to ignore Honda's 0% MM or once a year whichever comes first drain recommendation, following the MM and ignoring time would probably be a pretty safe bet.
Still, if the OP paid around twenty large for the car, the cost of an Ultra and a jug of M1 AFE after MIRs on both seems pretty minimal. I suspect that the OP can afford the fifteen or so bucks a year that this would involve and were I the OP, I'd change each fall and call it good.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
+1
Oil that looks a nice amber when wiped from the dipstick with a paper towel may look quite dark in bulk in the drain pan and even fresh oil ranges in color from the almost water white of Valvoline to the dark amber of Delvac.
One can't rely upon color at all as a guide to change intervals. Color tells you nothing about TBN, TAN, oxidation or even insoluables loading.
An '11 Accord should have the IOLM which will account for a number of operating variables in its decay rate.
If the OP were to ignore Honda's 0% MM or once a year whichever comes first drain recommendation, following the MM and ignoring time would probably be a pretty safe bet.
Still, if the OP paid around twenty large for the car, the cost of an Ultra and a jug of M1 AFE after MIRs on both seems pretty minimal. I suspect that the OP can afford the fifteen or so bucks a year that this would involve and were I the OP, I'd change each fall and call it good.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
By that I would be changing my oil every other week.
I think the answer here is a blast down the highway every other week under heavy engine load.
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
By that I would be changing my oil every other week.
I think the answer here is a blast down the highway every other week under heavy engine load.
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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
He is just trolling I would hope most people would know hes a Troll by now.
Keep checking the oil color like you have been. As long as it's a nice tranquil translucent gold, you're good to go. But at the earliest sign of brown entering the color spectrum, change it out!
He is just trolling I would hope most people would know hes a Troll by now.
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