I do it in the fall when changing over to winter tires. My logic is that I want the oil to be as fresh as possible in winter as the conditions are most demanding for the oil then. Not only is the temperature colder but it's like 90% stop-start city driving and the engine gets proper warm maybe once a week. But the posts in this thread have made me think, maybe it's better to change it in spring because the winter puts a toll on the oil. I drive a lot more in the summer too.
Best time of the year to do an oil change?
- Thread starter FCD
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Mine pretty much always gets up to temperature, but still it runs very rich until the automatic choke ( bi metallic coolant operated choke ) disengages, so it noticeably dilutes the oil, because always the oil pressure is higher when the engine has fresh oil in it.
If it's low annual miles then I always change oil in the spring. The oil will still be good come next winter.
Mercedes always said to change brake fluid in the spring, so thats when I do it and along with my trucks oil. I only change it once a year. On my car, I do it whenever it is needed.
Around here, the best time of the year is on any dry day when it's neither blazing hot nor bone chillingly cold.
We do enough miles on our daily drivers that once a year drains won't work for us.
Even if I get stuck with a mid-winter change, we will usually catch a dry and fiftish weekend once or twice in January and February, so that's oil change time.
I really dislike laying on cold concrete and as I sometimes tell my wife, I've certainly gotten older.
For you, a spring change might be best, although in your climate it probably makes little difference.
Incidentally, you might want to just dispense with the automatic choke on your car.
You don't really need it and after you bring the engine to life with a couple of shots of the accelerator pump on a cold morning, you really don't need it at all.
We do enough miles on our daily drivers that once a year drains won't work for us.
Even if I get stuck with a mid-winter change, we will usually catch a dry and fiftish weekend once or twice in January and February, so that's oil change time.
I really dislike laying on cold concrete and as I sometimes tell my wife, I've certainly gotten older.
For you, a spring change might be best, although in your climate it probably makes little difference.
Incidentally, you might want to just dispense with the automatic choke on your car.
You don't really need it and after you bring the engine to life with a couple of shots of the accelerator pump on a cold morning, you really don't need it at all.
How about both spring and fall.
Originally Posted By: 4ever4d
How about both spring and fall.
This - Every six months, regardless of mileage. That is what I do with my fleet. Usually works out to less than 5K for each vehicle.
How about both spring and fall.
This - Every six months, regardless of mileage. That is what I do with my fleet. Usually works out to less than 5K for each vehicle.
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Best for the car, or best for me?
Best for me is winter. Once the GND freezes up I don't worry about jacks/jackstands sinking into the ground. I'm not drenched due to heat and humidity. Around 20F is "best", although I don't like if it's windy.
Best for the car is when it's due. IMO winter driven calls for shorter OCI's. As would hard work. Since I can't read the oil I tend to stick with 5k or 10k.
Best for me is winter. Once the GND freezes up I don't worry about jacks/jackstands sinking into the ground. I'm not drenched due to heat and humidity. Around 20F is "best", although I don't like if it's windy.
Best for the car is when it's due. IMO winter driven calls for shorter OCI's. As would hard work. Since I can't read the oil I tend to stick with 5k or 10k.
In USA/Canada, change oil every 6 months is still recommended. Oil is cheap there, $25 already good like Mobil1. In Europe, oil and gasoline cost 2.5x more, once a year in spring/April is sufficient. Oil usually get thinner over time and the wear and TBN dropped is less in summer. In most case, the condition of ACEA standard oil is still good after 10k+miles, some longlife oil are actually 2 years OCI rating. So far, it works fine in my brother Toyota Auris. At 120k miles 2010 1.8L hybrid (notorious for burning oil like Prius 2010-2013), only burn 1L per year/10k miles with Toyota 0w-20. My 2015 Auris hybrid 1.8L with similar engines but redesign piston rings and piston has negligible oil consumption in 10k miles OCI at 70k miles now. However, almost all VW Golf my colleagues have, burn some oil. From 1.4TSI to GTI 2.0 TFSI, they all burning oil at least 1 L between OCI since they are new. Something to do with the built quality of the engines. The 1.8L is wellknown to have very low wear sonce 2003, although some certain year especially in Prius 2010-2013 is sensitive to OCI and oil type
