Driving less, anything to keep car in good shape?

[Omahaug]

I currently commute 15 miles all highway (>65mph) to work, then 15 miles all highway back, there's no traffic ever and I do this 5 days a week.

I'm exploring a job in the city which would require I commute by bus. I will likely no longer drive my car until the weekends since I would be leaving earlier and coming back home later during weekdays.

Anything I should do to pre-empt any problems with oil or anything? Should I drive it some week days at night in circles until it heats up to operating temperature? All fluids are clean and recently changed and I wash and wax the car regularly. The car has about 65000 miles (8th gen Civic).

There's a very real chance I'll not reach the mileage to change my oil within a year, maybe two or more. Should I just change the oil anyway? If not should I change it at a lower mileage?

 

[Nick1994]

You're thinking a bit too hard. Just drive it on the weekends, it'll be fine.

Choose your mileage for an oil change (like 5,000 miles) and change once a year, or at that mileage. Whichever happens first.

 

[901Memphis]

Some cars have a healthy parasitic drain, if your voltage is low after sitting for 5 days you may consider setting up a battery maintainer if you have a garage, otherwise nothing else should have issues sitting 5 days besides the battery.

 

[SumpChump]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
I currently commute 15 miles all highway (>65mph) to work, then 15 miles all highway back, there's no traffic ever and I do this 5 days a week.

I'm exploring a job in the city which would require I commute by bus. I will likely no longer drive my car until the weekends since I would be leaving earlier and coming back home later during weekdays.

Anything I should do to pre-empt any problems with oil or anything? Should I drive it some week days at night in circles until it heats up to operating temperature? All fluids are clean and recently changed and I wash and wax the car regularly. The car has about 65000 miles (8th gen Civic).

There's a very real chance I'll not reach the mileage to change my oil within a year, maybe two or more. Should I just change the oil anyway? If not should I change it at a lower mileage?


Change oil every 6 months and use a battery maintainer in winter.

 

[Rolla07]

You will be fine. Id change oil once a year.

 

[Ducked]

There's a school of thought that says you can go 3-4 years if you're on low miles, provided that when you do use it, it gets up to temperature.

 

[bigt61]

If you're using a quality full synthetic, I'd say just change your oil at 6000 miles, even if it takes you 3 years to get there. Keep the oil topped off. Don't drive the car just to warm up the oil, that's a waste of time and money. Drive the car when you need to go somewhere, period.

 

[KrisZ]

Are you there to serve the car or the car to serve you?
Every manufacturer has the OCI set either by mileage or time. Stick to the severe service and don't be a slave to your vehicle.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

I try to drive my low milage trucks once a week. I don't leave it on, but I exercise the parking brake to keep it freed up. Was changing M1 oil every 5 years or so but changed after 2 or 3 years the last time. Am still kind of thinking that changing the oil before milage expiration is a waste. There's another guy on this forum who changes the oil in his truck only every 5 years or so and doesn't have any problems. It's important to look around under there every so often. The oil companies will tell you to change it every year but I've never been given a good reason. If you know of one I'd love to hear it. But I'm inclined to believe it's a waste of good oil.

 

[Omahaug]

Thanks guys. I think if I wait a year I'll just end up changing good oil so I'll probably wait until a lower than usual mileage limit is reached.

I'm just paranoid because I feel like cars want to be driven and if they don't that's when bad luck happens and problems start to crop up.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
Thanks guys. I think if I wait a year I'll just end up changing good oil so I'll probably wait until a lower than usual mileage limit is reached.

I'm just paranoid because I feel like cars want to be driven and if they don't that's when bad luck happens and problems start to crop up.

They can if they sit for a long period but driven two days out of the week isn't that bad.

I've heard parking on the street during slow months and not kicks can wreck brake parts