dburgjohn

My 92 has gone 9 months since it's last oil change, but only has 750 miles. Is there a time to change even if you have not run the miles? I use Mobile-1 oil

Thanks

pwrful c4

I would change it every 3 months or 3000 miles which ever comes first.

dchildress

I own a couple of "quick-lube" shops. The danger with not changing your oil during storage is acid formation caused by condensation within the motor. This condensation mixed with the by products of an internal combustion engine (blow by) and engine wear particles creates an acid. I believe this acid is hydrochloric acid, but I cannot remember for sure. I will find out and let you know. In my opinion (remember what they say about opinions) if you drive the car often enough and get it up to normal operating temps, the condensation will "evaporate" through the PCV or breather system change when the oil change light comes on. If you run the car hard when you drive it, change it every 3 months/3k. If your car sits 3,4,5 months at a time.....buy a few cases of oil. I change mine every 2500 miles, but it is what I do for a living. My 94 is basically my daily driver when the weather is good and my boys are with my ex-wife.

vader86

If youre not putting that much on the car, just change it once a year.

As long as you use Mobil 1 synthetic, you'll be ok.

VenkmanP

Your manual says to change it every 7500 miles or 12 months.

I change mine once a year if it hasn't had the miles for a change.

As low of miles as you have, that's basically storage, so the question you should be asking is how to take care of an engine in storage. There's a lot of information on the web about how to do that.

rocco16

Clean oil has no contaminants, it won't hurt your engine.

An engine not run cannot get 'new' air, which carries the moisture that condenses, into it. So moisture/condensation is not a factor in an engine that just sits. How does air/moisture get inside an engine, anyway?? and what forces it in?

I guess it boils down to this:
Would you change the oil in an engine that was a daily driver and had 750 miles on it? Neither would I.

You might ask Jay Leno if he changes the oil in all his cars every 90 days. If he does, ask him if I can have the "old" oil....

Larry
code5coupe

froggy47

Don't waste your time & money. You are a once a year oil change guy.

VenkmanP

If it was a daily driver that got 750 miles a year I'd probably change it every couple months. 1 mile trips are hell on an engine.

Z51L9889

I average 1500 miles/yr. I use full synthetic (Mobil 1/Castrol Syntec) and change it once a year.

rws.1

You have asked a question generating a wide range of opinions.
You have not stated whether your car is stored for the winter or your 750 miles are spaced throughout the year. IF you goal is to maximize engine life, I would recommend a minimum drain interval of once per year.

Chris_G

My vote is once a year.

newbecorvetteguy

I'm pretty much a 3 month 3000 mile believer. For as little as you seem to use it I'd think once a year would be fine though. jmo

SHINOBI-X

those 1 mile trips kill a motor faster than most people think.

in my vette i change it every 2500 miles. why so soon? it doesn't burn oil for its mileage and its because i drive it HARD! i drive it VERY HARD! the oil is turned to water after 2000 miles of my driving.(not really water) just to be safe i change it 3 months or 2500 miles.

now on my other car i change it every 300-500 miles because it sees very high oil temps constantly with every drive out and makes 2 times more hp/tq than my 84' vette. i drive it mabye 500 miles in that 3 month period. i have a oil temp gauge that i installed about a year ago and i do see 280 temps VERY often. i use MOBIL 1 in both these cars.

JrRifleCoach

larryfs

the mobil 1 is really good stuff. it doesn't turn to water. 280 oil temps are NO problem for M1.

once a month, take it out for a good blast and get it up to temp. at least let the oil hit 200+.

Dartvader

Why not change the oil fairly often,(every 3 months)? It is not that expensive, and you are obviously not spending that much time in the car. Might as well spend some quality time under it.

Dartvader

Why not change the oil fairly often,(every 3 months)? It is not that expensive, and you are obviously not spending that much time in the car. Might as well spend some quality time under it.

Aquaman92

I drive my 92 2500 to 3000 miles and change it once a year along with a KN filter.

rick lambert

Condensation forms whether you drive it or not.I'd rather error on the side of prevention-oil changes are fairly cheap whether synthectic or Dyno.But in the future you might consider running that puppy at least once a month.Obviously the main advantage of synthectics is there's no
need to change it as frequently as dyno. I just happen to be one of those 3/3000 guys-old habits are hard to break.

dchildress

Air comes into the engine via a breather system. This system is usually controlled by a PCV (positive crankcase ventilator) valve that lets pressure out of the engine when it is running. The buildup of heat and the motion of the pistons creates pressure and unburned gases. In the old day a breather on a valve cover would regulate this pressure into the atmosphere but was very polluitive (?). Modern cars vent this pressure into the intake of the car to be burned off via PCV. When a PCV goes bad pressure can build up inside engine and cause blow by and rough running if valve is stuck closed. If it is stuck open, oil could be sucked directly into the intake via the vacuum of the intake itself. Chyrsler products are VERY bad for the latter sitiation. Air gets into the engine via a breather that is usually one-way valved and comes from the air box. When the engine cools, cooler air gets pulled in the breather. That is where the moisture comes from. If you do not get the motor up to a temp where moisture can evaporate and be vented, this moisture can start to build up and create the acid I mentioned earlier in this thread. That is why short trips are harder on engines than long ones. It takes an everage of 7 minutes to get a motor to oper. temps. In a perfect world, you would start your car and go straight to the expressway for 50 miles, get off and shut down your engine. That condition is known as "normal operating conditions" in your owner's manual But we all know we don't live in in a perfect world.



I have been told that some of the steam from the exhaust you see when the car is cold is some of this moisture "burning" off as the the water will evaporate LONG before the oil will.