yes - sorry this old chestnut.
I would appreciate a word of advice from you trusted back roomers please.
I am usually in full agreement with the Servicing and oil change principles recomended by this site i.e if you want engine longevity then complete an interim oil change at 6 monthly intervals etc.
My wife drives a Corolla 1.4 VVTi and only does about 5K miles a year. The majority of these miles are completed on journeys when the car has time to warm up correctly and I would not consider them to be short stop start journesy with the engine always cold.
Do you think it is still worth completing the interim change ?
This would be due soon and the oil still looks really clean - will I be wasting my money.
A view from you would be appreciated.
Cheers
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I don't think you ever waste money by feeding an engine with clean oil, it's really a matter of balancing the cost against the actual benefit to the engine. My personal opinion is that twelve months is too long for a single fill of oil,whatever the annual mileage but you will no doubt get more scientific advice from other members.:-))
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As long as the engine does get fully warmed up (about 8 miles to get the oil hot) for most runs, I would be happy with an annual oil and filter change PROVIDED you use a good quality oil. ACEA specification B4 would be ideal, B3 at a pinch. Use whatever viscosity is recommended by the vehicle maker for the operating coditions you will be applying. It's the corrosion inhibitors you will be needing most in this case.
659.
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Thanks for the advice 659 - having said what I did earlier I am not sure the oil is getting truly warm (journeys are about 5 miles each way with a stop in between).
I will go for the interim change to be on safe side.
What exactly is the problem with the oil not getting to operating temperature - is it the production of condensation in the engine that mixes with the oil and becomes acidic ?
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What exactly is the problem with the oil not getting to operating temperature - is it the production of condensation in the engine that mixes with the oil and becomes acidic ?
Both! Anti wear additives kick in at 40-50 celcius I think, so you don't get full advantage. Also like you said, you 'use up' the anti-acid properties of the oil quicker.
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Agreed. Other than condensation, a considerable volume of acidic water is produced as a by-product of combustion; some of this will find its way past the rings into the sump. The acidity, in moderate amounts, can be neutralised by the inhibitors in the oil, but you need high sump (oil) temperatures to vaporise the water and expell it via the engine breather. If the water stays in the sump with residual acid, engine wear due to journal corrosion will be the result. "Oil is cheaper than bearings".
659.
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If the water stays in the sump with residual acid, engine wear due to journal corrosion will be the result. "Oil is cheaper than bearings".
Interesting thread this. I do about 5-6k miles a year, made of journeys of at least 8 miles and a few long 150+ miles trips but still change my oil annually with GTX Magnatec.
But what I want to ask is, in light of the above statement, is this where engine wear from infrequent oil changing observed most, in bearings? I understand that what is said above is more to do with acids and moisture and that oils which have turned to sludge for example may produce different effects, but what suffers the most?
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I change (sorry - have changed - I'm too lazy to crawl under cars these days) the oil in my Honda every 4,500 miles: half the interval recommended, as I would like to keep this car for some years.
Today I decided to follow the advice of several posters here, so gave National a try, for their £16 (they now add £1 for 'disposal')Duckhams semi-synthetic QXR change.
I was impressed. The service was friendly and quick and I watched while it was done. For £16 I'd say it was an absolute bargain. If I've any doubt at all, it was the use of a Unipart filter, but I find it hard to believe that using a non-Honda filter for the next 4,500 with fresh oil, would be worse than sticking with the Magnatec my Honda dealer used (with a real Honda filter), until the next scheduled change.
So, to answer the question, yes. I would still change the oil and filter twice a year, regardless of the mileage you do. And with an oil/filter change available for as little as £16, I'd say it's worth it for the peace of mind, alone.
As an aside, I tried online to find the technical specs for QXR and failed utterly. Is BP trying to bury the Duckhams brand?
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An acquaintance in the motor trade advises that if the car is not used that often, or for short trips, that an 'italian tune-up' is performed before the oil change takes place.
This will ensure that the oil picks up a lot of the carp which is starting to 'sludge'.
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Renault recommend 2 years or (IIRC) 12k miles for wife's Clio so I change annually which is approx 7k miles, really dont think I need to do it more often than that. Likewise my motorcycle get an annual change whether even if it has only done a few hundred miles over the year, my Mondeo is serviced at between 10 and 11k miles, slightly short of the recomended 12.5k which is approx 8 months currently.
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5000 miles a year made up of 5-mile trips with stops amounta to "severe usage". 659FBE is right: it's 8 miles or more before the engine gets up to full operating temperature.
My cars do about 5k a year each, but all on longer trips; I give them fresh oil every six months, come hell or high water. Thus, I spend on average about £1.20 per week per car instead of £0.60 for annual changes -- cheap comfort.
Here's a quote from the MB E-Class Owner's Bible (slightly modified to make sense):
"Oil-change intervals are inversely correlated to engine life; short oil-change intervals result in longer engine life. Following the severe service interval (around 3,500 miles) with conventional oils and the 7,500 mile interval with synthetic oils would benefit the engine greatly."
I am reminded of the MB W126 that I drove with 370k on the clock. No engine rebuild, no leaks, sweet as a nut -- with a documented history of oil changes at 6k intervals on the dot (sometimes eight times a year). It had thrived on long-distance trips as a professional chauffeur's car.
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HJ featured this in the DT a few weeks ago, highly recommended. BMW ran a car 1,000,000 miles changing the oil every 7,000 miles. HJ recommends Mobil 1 and Quickfit will do a Mobil 1 and filter change for £40 so you don't even need to get your hands dirty! (Roger Jones, of this forum, kindly told me about this facility)
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HJ featured this in the DT a few weeks ago, highly recommended. BMW ran a car 1,000,000 miles changing the oil every 7,000 miles. HJ recommends Mobil 1 and Quickfit will do a Mobil 1 and filter change for £40 so you don't even need to get your hands dirty! (Roger Jones, of this forum, kindly told me about this facility)
Yes, but what make of filters do they use?
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They get them from Unipart. I have persuaded them to use OEM filters supplied by me, which they are happy to do with "customer's own filter" marked on the invoice. They are understandably reluctant initially because of corporate liability worries, but a little reasoning is all I needed to apply. Now that I've gone back a dozen and more times, there's no problem.
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