Because of health I now drive very little - less than 1000 miles per year
I have a year 2000 Micra MKII manual 1.0
Is it still necessary to have a full service every 12 months? If not which bits should I still get done?
For instance it seems to that I might not need an oil and filter change based on miles, but shoud the oil and filter be changed anyway based on 12 months
Thanks for any thoughts on this
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If I was running the car you describe I would be trying to run it very frugally.
I would establish a contact with a small garage, even a single man operation and have him carry out an oil and oil filter change annually. Parts like pollen filters and spark plugs can be left much longer than this and "your man" will be able to advise.
I dare say you will get conflicting advice on this one.
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As Mrs Mad has driven cars with low mileages over 30 years I have a simple maintenance regime:
evrey year oil and filter change.
Check air filter.
Check disks and pads and brakes . Check brake pipes for rust and flexibles.
Check exhaust for leaks/rust. Check underneath of car for rust...
Change brake fuid every two years.
Use long life antifreeze and check annually.
Regular use of wxoil to prevent rust.
Works for me: takes 2 hours/year under pit...
Edited by madf on 08/11/2008 at 18:35
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Ha my dad does 12,000 a year and thats all we, do though the brake pipes etc usualy do need replacing. With old cars it is not simple worth doing a full service, spark plugs can last for 30,000 miles etc so why change them every 1k?
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I see no reason to change the oil and filter every 1000 miles - the year old oil in a sealed engine low mileage engine sump will be little worse after a year than if it had been left in a tin, and any way at that mileage the rest of the car will wear out before the engine - but don't take any notice of me I don't depend on your business to survive.
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I agree with 12 month oil and filter changes, but not about the engine `being sealed`.
The sump oil is open to the atmosphere, via the void above it and will contaminate with condensation from fuel burning and bore wash with petrol if on cold short journeys.
My late Father had a car doing about a thousand miles a year - never warmed up. there was a distinct whiff of petrol from the sump oil on changing.
Regards
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Agree oil and filter change yearly; the cost isnt enough to worry about versus the potential problems.
As for other items, then due to mileage its actually more in need of attention rather than less. Brakes/tyres etc especially due to lack of use. Corrosion shouldnt be a problem if not stored ina garage when damp after run etc.
But my best advice is sell it and use taxis. Its not worth the expense and worries for 1000 miles a year!
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Still would recommend 6-monthly oil changes on this engine regardless of use. Only £25 from the fast-fit boys and if the car is getting lots of cold starts it'll need good lubrication to keep that cam-chain in good order.
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If the car does 1000miles a year and you change the oil every 6 months, you might as well change the oil every time you fill it with fuel.
I would change the oil once a year and have it serviced at a garage every 3 years.
On so many cold starts, with petrol sloshing around the bores, that is why diesels are so much better for low mileages.
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Still would recommend 6-monthly oil changes
It depends how the OP is planning to use his car. If he's going to just drive it a mile or so into town every day then I'd say yes. But if he's mainly going to use it to visit some friends in the next time then 1 year's interval is fine.
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Nissan say 18000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first.
I'd follow what the manufacturer says.
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Ford say may Fiesta needs 5/30 I ignore that put 10/40 in it because it is better oil for my engine as its not new.
However I am sure every year will be fine, I mean if its doing 1000 miles a year it would take 10 years to get to 10,000 miles and I am sure no camshaft of chain wear will happen in that time the car will most likely to be full of rust by that time too as them Micras do have a bit of habbit of getting rusty underneath (many have new sills now).
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I ignore that
That's less than shrewd.
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I recall reading Ford specified that oil for valve stem lubrication. Emission controls mean engines are built to much tighter tolerances. Using a heavier oil could mean it's not 'thin' enough to slip down the side of the valve stems thus starving them of lubrication.
I've certainly used 'heavier' oils in old engines with a thirst for the stuff, but I'm a firm believer in doing what the manufacturer recommends - they spend more on researcch and development than what I do.
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Its been fine in my dads for the past 12,000 miles no mechanical problems at all (apart from clutch slave).
On the Zetec you do need to use the 15/30 stuff it is vital or the valves could burn out. On my old Endura unit though there it is what I call a loose engine e.g not much tolerence, you can even run it off 20/50 as my mate has done for years. I DO NOT recomend this!
My dad used to run his Zetec Escort on 10/40 and sure enough he did eventualy have valve problems.
Ford did originaly say 10/40 for the 1.3 Endura if I remmeber correctly and the manual actually says it can be used. I think the general feeling is that Ford got fed up of having lots of different engines needing different types of oil so they said 5/30 for both the Zetec and Endura units.
On my old Fiesta (with worn piston rings) I used to put 10/40 in it but it just caused a lot of blue smoke, 20/50 actually cured it (at least short term!).
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I'd like to know how exactly a 50-year-old engine comes to require such stringent oil specifications. It's built with a hammer and some nails, so the tolerances even when new can't be that great.
If relatively modern engines only require 10w40 semi then I'm damn sure a unit that was designed at a time when the cheap 20w50 was considered exotic can get away with it.
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Regarding the Fiesta oil , I ran an Endura E fiesta for a while and thought el cheapo 10/40 would be suitable too.
After some research I found out that ford recommends 5/30 semi........even the guy in the parts shop was surprised(he told me any old "muck" will do in them fiestas), so to be safe I used 5/30.
As for the Micra, these are tough little engines which will take a certain amount of abuse...but the oil change I would not neglect....could you not get a spanner savy mate to do the oil and filter once a year?
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6 monthly oil changes?
Bad joke after 500 miles.
But after a winter of stop start driving and oil never warmed up, a change is essential imo..
And I always use manufacturer's recommended grades except son's old 1993 1.1 Fiesta which drank oil so uded Castrol High Mileage for Older Cars.. which it consumed less of over 35 k miles - but not low mileage...
When you can buy a second hand 44k miles immaculate Lexus for under £1700 there are limits at which excessive maintenace costs make no sense... Big petrol execs with low mileage make sense at 1,000 miles a year....
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There is just no need for 5/30 in the Enduras and in fact Ford originally recomended 10/40 but when the Zetec-S came out they changed it to 5/30 so all Fiesta petrols used the same oil regardless of engine type.
Having said that my dads is now producing a puff of blue smoke at start up which I suspect might be the steam seals but that is probably more to do with the fact my dad ended up running the engine dry for about 1 minute a year ago.
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will most likely to be full of rust by that time too as them Micras do have a bit of habbit of getting rusty underneath (many have new sills now).
yeah, my last micra from 1994 needed new cills and also welding on the suspension front and back
I think the update in 1998 was supposed to help with this
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