Oil Change Interval

I'll let the more mechanical minded comment on how oil degrades with age etc, but I will say GET OUT AND DRIVE IT MORE!!!!

 

I think 2 years is the maximum you want to keep your oil regardless of miles... It loses its viscocity and becomes liquid like water, so little protection... Ask yourself, is it worth it for a $300 at a specialist (including oils) to risk damage $$$$ to your Ferrari...?

 

somebody already said: according to laboratory analysis, engine oils sitting X years with only very limited miles ( way less than 3000 ) is having identical chemical composition hence protection with engine oils that is fresh and with the same miles.

so I went by that, change every 3000 miles, regardless of years (even 10 years)

note I have yet to see the analysis report and yet to confirm its authenticity. But my mind tend to agree with the claim.

 

+1 (to 24k-rpm)

Was gonna ask this gentleman what's the scientific basis for this generalization.

 

I do have a personal experience with a redline oil representative, i think he's technician.
On the phone , he said: " it doesn't matter, it ( 5w40) doesn't have a sell by date" when I asked if the oil (new, never opened) is still usable sitting 5 years.

 

Oil change interval for cars that are rarely driven is mostly a personal choice. My daily drivers get changed at 5000 miles. My fun cars (few hundred easy miles) usually every 2 years. I'm sure they could go longer but I like to inspect the cars from time to time. Flush brake fluid which attracts moisture, check brakes for wear, look for signs of leaks and rodents, etc.

Most newer cars now nag you to bring it in for service. I don't like resetting the reminder without having gone through the car. Oil and filters are cheap if you do it yourself. At the dealer, the least qualified person usually does the oil changes. This means, missing bolts for bottom covers, over-torqued filters and stripped drain plugs and sometimes overfilled oil for dry-sump cars. Just my experience.

 

I agree and my research concurs with 2400rpm

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Send an oil sample to Blackstone-Labs. For $30 they will analyze the oil and tell you what exactly what metal is wearing in your engine, the viscosity, and if you can extend your drain interval.

I just got the results on my 2009 F430, with 13,000 miles. It was all good. It's nice to know what your oil/engine is doing inside.


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Total nonsense.

 

You got result from your 430's oil after driving the car without oil change for 13000 miles or you got results from a 430 whose mileage is 13000?

 

the oil doesn't break down with time, but the filter does. dont waste your money on a blackstone test, as it will tell you your oil is perfectly fine, because it is.

 

you are fine going every 24 months with only 5k miles per year

 

Engine oil is a very well documented item in the automotive world, and nothing is Ferrari-specific. Oil lasts a very long time depending on some basic factors, such as heat and operating conditions. Modern oils also hold their lubricating properties far longer than any normal driver needs to worry about. Engine oil does not lose viscosity in any normal use, and unless you have fuel or coolant getting into it, there is little concern for going by mileage unless it's past a few years and then only changing it for common sense practices. Don't take my word for it, do some reading as there is decades of detailed studies out there with all the details and variables for your type of driving. I've wrenched on cars all my life and have sent many oil samples to testing for various reasons. For my vehicles that are limited-use I'll try and do a full yearly service with all fluids, just because I can, and planned on it as a part of ownership. Nobody will question a yearly. Some fluids like brake fluids and similar hydraulic types can absorb water and damage metals and systems, so those are the ones I'd worry most about.

 

I bought my car in February with 12,000 miles on it. It had an oil change a year prior.
I just changed it again to get the oil tested so I could establish a baseline.


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Changing the oil also allows for a thorough inspection of the car at the same time. My home dealership is Ferrari of Atlanta and there is no untrained oil change rookie there.
In the scheme of things, the annual service costs are negligible either at dealer, independent shop or DYI compared to the total yearly cost of Ferrari ownership.

 

well at 1100 a pop if you have 20 cars it can add up if ur only driving each car 200 miles a year etc

 

I used to do all fluids annually, now I do them bi-annually. I only do about 500 miles per year, so it was excessive in my opinion. And I used to enjoy the process much more than I currently do.

 

asked a similar question and a mechanic once told me, "well, it sat inside the earth for a million years, it can sit in your engine one more"
LOL! I think he had a point!