Oil question: How long in between oil changes

[BigChiefSmokem]

So my stang is no longer a daily driver, and my oil was last changed 10/10/2005 with synthetic and i've only put approx 1000 miles on her since the last oil change... does oil go bad, and how long does that take... Since i've obviously not meeting the 3-6 thousand mile oil change mark, how often should i change my oil now?

 

[timeless2]

Oil doesn't go bad. It can be tainted by pollutants. Moisture is now your worst enemy.

What is your climate like? Lots of warming and cooling? Is the car stored in a climate-controlled environment?

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

Oil doesn't go bad. It can be tainted by pollutants. Moisture is now your worst enemy.

What is your climate like? Lots of warming and cooling? Is the car stored in a climate-controlled environment?

Car is stored in a garage not attached to the apartment when not in use. Garage is in a row of about a 5-6 garage structure. Car's driven (fairly hard) 1-2 times a week short distances.

 

[timeless2]

You're driving her once or twice per week and you are in a decent climate as far as temperature fluctuation goes.

If it were me, I'd probably just change it every 4 to 6 months, since your mileage is so low, but you still drive it. It doesn't sound like you have that demanding of a situation.

Remember, it hurts a car to drive it and kills a car to let it sit.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

You say if it were you, you'd change it every 4-6 months, any particular reason why, if the oil level is fine and the oil still looks good?

And i know what you mean, i think it kills ME more to let her sit, but getting it out 1-2 times a week at a minimum, typically on the weekend, is great now that i have a beater. Makes it all the better when i get to pop the garage door open to drive the stang. Like fat kid in a candy store.

 

[timeless2]

You say if it were you, you'd change it every 4-6 months, any particular reason why, if the oil level is fine and the oil still looks good?

You are probably driving it pretty aggressively and not in a particular pattern. Also, the coastline climates have a tendency to be humid, so I wouldn't discount moisture from getting in there. It's likely to be there, even if the car gets driven 1 or 2 times per week.

It's just my take.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

So about time for me to change the oil then...

 

[hognutz]

http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#The 3000 Mile Fact

just search the interent you will find all kinds of useful info. you don't get much on here because 90%

 

[timeless2]

So about time for me to change the oil then...

Heh, don't take my words as gospel. It's just what I would do if I were you.

This topic is pretty subjective, so everyone will have their own little spin on it. Do what you feel makes you feel like you are doing the best for your car, considering how you drive it.

And yes, an official analysis will result in a data-driven solution.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#The 3000 Mile Fact

just search the interent you will find all kinds of useful info. you don't get much on here because 90% of people are brainwashed into 3000 mile bs.

without oil analysis there is no exact way to know. I mean if you don't run a real expensive synthetic 6months, 1 year just do research and use a rule of thumb you are comfortable with. if you want to know for sure have the oil analyzed and then you will know 100% how long you need to wait between changes on average.

Yeah ive changed the oil every 5k just like the manual says... I try to get my friends out of the 3k brainwashed crap and to follow their manual, but it doesnt work...

 

[hognutz]

yeah the manual is a blend I do belive. so 5k is a good rule of thumb.

If you switch to strait synthetic you can even go longer. as far as the time factor I am a bit ignorant there. since I don't analyze my oil I don't know what time frame you should really use. I am sure the info is out there. I do 6 months mainly because it makes me clime under the car ever six mounths and just check things out.

 

[sgarlic]

Isn't Florida considered to be under the "severe operating conditions" in the maintenance guide? If that's the case, you should be doing 3k changes anyway per Ford. Of course, that's per Ford, so take it for what it's worth. A big bottle of Motorcraft is only 10 bucks anyway, so 10 bucks every 3 months is fine for me, regardless of mileage. I put 1900 miles on the car last year I think, and had Mobil 1 in it almost the whole time.. my UOA showed it was fine.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

When you say the car is driven short distances... Does it have time to warm up fully? If the engine never fully warms up the oil will accumulate water and volatile compounds VERY rapidly.

 

[Mike97gt]

Ok I have to chime in on this longer oil change interval thing.

can you go 20k on a oil change.. YES

can you do it with a regular oil and the same filter... NO

check out amsoil website about extended oil changes and you will see why you have to do it will a quality synth oil and with a filter designed for it.

even if you have the right oil for extended oil changes you have to change the filter every 5k miles OR IT WILL CLOG AND YOU WILL RUN UNFILTERED OIL

filters are not meant to be for 20k miles and this is the fatal ( for your engine) mistake many people make with extended oil changes.

you will not have any warning if the filter clogged but when it does your bypassing the filter and running pretty much sandpaper Thur your bearings. So if you want to do extended oil changes use the right oil for it and change your filter and top off every 5k.

and now for the car that had the oil in for 6 months.

99 percent likely it's fine. but if you are going to have a test run crack your drain plug loose and have them run the test on the first quart of oil that comes out. many of the contaminates will collect at the bottom of the pan.

 

[Skidawg]

10/10/5 is not that long of an interval. Synthetics are likely fine up to a year. I wouldn't even think about a change for you until at least the 6 month mark.

You're mileage is fine.

svttech76's post is a great one and well explained.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

Right but svttech's post doesnt really apply to my situation.... We're talking time intervals here, not high mileage between oil change situations.

Kilgore, Yes the engine certainly has time to warm up during my drives.

 

[Mike97gt]

Right but svttech's post doesnt really apply to my situation.... We're talking time intervals here, not high mileage between oil change situations.

Kilgore, Yes the engine certainly has time to warm up during my drives.

yeah sorry I got a little off track when the 3k oil change thing came up.

I think you should be fine with the oil you got, but since this is how you will use this car all the time I think you should send it out to a lab and find out for sure.

 

[Wiredawg1]

Just my 2 cents. I live in Florida and run Amsoil. Have been running 1 year oil changes for years with no problems at all. FIlter changes at 6 months. I love the stuff. Cuts down my jackstand time, and in the long run does save me money. I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do, so don't hose me down here gents. I've just had good luck with the stuff.

 

[poorcollegekid]

i got the mobil 15,000 synthetic in my car and i only drive it like 3k a year...and i change it once a year. it says either every 15k or a year...so i do it once a year.