OIL CHANGES: just how often?

Try a search, I remember a pretty detailed thread about oil and break down/moisture and so on... Very informative thread, bottom line for me and based on what I read, annual fluid service is the best. Specifically right before winter storage.

 

A lot depends on how many of these were short trips and how warmed up did they get? You should know this and probably do, the majority of engine wear is during the startup and cold running of the engine. I broke myself of this habit of someone coming over to see my car/cars and starting them up for less than a minute and shutting it off. It's hard to break this because they sound soooo good. The oil never warms up and casts off the water and unburned hydrocarbons that are held in the oil and collects more everytime I start it and never run it to warm. My now current commitment is to only start it if I plan to drive it from 20 minutes beyond being at operating temperature. It also depends where you live and the relative humidity. If I lived in a humid environment I would change it accordingly. Also brake fluid which is also hygroscopic and sucks water out of the small amount of air that is seen on top of the fluid in the reservoir.

To answer your question in short, yes, change the oil at a minimum every year and you will be rewarded in the end.

 

I do every two years. Today's oils are very stable - especially when they're sitting in my 75 degree garage in Southern California. The service manager at Ferrari told me that this is "more than fine".

 

on the cars that get driven less than 500 miles a year, i go 2. on cars that are driven 500 a month, i go annually. im sure i cld go every 2 years even on those.

 

I do it annually, it's pretty easy to do after you have done it once, and have the correct tools.
Additionally, since these cars have under trays, it will give you a chance to see what's going on under the car. Easy to miss leaks when they never hit the garage floor.

 

That, of course, is ideal but with the other cars, other houses, other kids, wife, dog, cat, oh yeah work, travel, I'm now farming out oil changes - least the ones the wife doesn't do.

 

I performed an annual service when I just got my car back in April, the "old" oil we removed (that was used for a year and 10k miles) had a golden color, I am not sure if the burnt oil that has lost its properties would always look as crude oil or the color has nothing to do with it, but this one still looked good.


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