Raidercop

Better to change oil before winter slumber or Spring for the driving season?

Kevin A Jones

Best to change it when your Oil Life Monitor (OLM) directs you too.
However, if your oil life expires during winter due to time (one year) as opposed to mileage, then I'd wait until spring when you start driving it again. As no use losing the 3-4 months oil life on your new OLM clock while it's not being driven.

Mayor111

I change the oil at the beginning of every Vette season (April) regardless of mileage. Fresh oil while driving in the Spring / Summer and as Kevin stated, let the old oil sit in the car over the winter while its not being driven... Also, may I suggest doing your own oil changes. 1) You know its done right, 2) You learn about your car and 3) Its saves you a few bucks for something you can easily do yourself.

99vetteran

Change it every 3 to 4k miles no matter what time of year. I would change it before winter if its close to the mileage or oil life in your setting.

dvilin

I change it in the Spring after the Winter storage.

av8or

I change out the contaminated oil immediately before putting the car to bed for the winter. I've done this with all my seasonal cars... just personal preference. If we get some warm, dry days during the winter months, I will drive the car for an hour or two, generally on a controlled access highway to get the oil temp up to cruise operating temps.

Red08

I always change mine just before I put it away for the winter. That way the engine has fresh oil in it, and next spring, its ready to go.

Raidercop

Ok...well in my case, I'll drive the car during the winter on nice days (if we get any) or at least fire it up and let it run for a while. I still have about 30% left on the meter so I'll wait till Spring and do it along with my clutch fluid together. And I'll be doing it myself as someone here mentioned.

eboggs_jkvl

Do it when the DIC says 0. It'll start to nag at you around 7%.
Do it at least once a year. The DIC will be at 0% when you reach the year on the calendar. You might have 5 miles on the car or 3,000, or 7500 miles, the DIC watches the mileage too. I sincerely do not recommend that you change the oil every 3,000 miles, this is not 1960, and we are using synthetic oil that can do 10,000 miles and not blink. The 7500 was my mileage when I got to my DIC at 0 and it was due to the actual mileage number. I took a few trips that year.

Elmer

Kevin A Jones

While driving your C7 during nice winter days is great, there's no need to start up your engine periodically during storage, in fact that does your engine more harm than good.

Raidercop

How does that do your engine more harm than good? I was always told your hoses, seals, gaskets need that.

Vetteman Jack

I change mine when I am prepping it for its winter nap. It is just my preference to do it then rather than keeping the old oil in the car for 3-4 months over winter.

vader86

I change it when the OLM goes below 10%, which for me is right about now, when DST expires I basically put it up except for really nice days.

C4 gets once a year change in summer, not based on mileage as I barely get 3K on it a year.

Bill Dearborn

I cringe when I hear that old statement, do it yourself so you know it is done right. In most cases doing it yourself means the most inexperienced person available is doing the work. That is a recipe for more failures rather than fewer failures, even on a job as simple as changing the oil.

Bill

Bayshore Vette

I am amused at the assumption that most everyone has a lift to get under the car and simply change the fluids. I'm lucky to have a simple two car garage, but will leave the fluid changes to the pros.

Kevin A Jones

Starting and letting your engine idle then cut off, can leave un-burnt fuel to seep into your cylinders which is not good for the engine/cylinders walls.

Elk

As well as increasing moisture in the oil which will not be burned off until the spring when you drive the car and it reaches full operating temperature.

Additionally, the seals, etc. are perfectly fine as the car sits parked for four or five months. This is extended parking, not storage.

As for when to change oil, change it when you like. Nothing suggested in this thread is going to make any real world difference.

NortonCO

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With use, contaminants accumulate in motor oil, increasing its acidity over time. Various additive packages are designed to counter this effect, but there's no denying new oil is cleaner than used oil. I realize GM doesn't echo the recommendation, but my other American-made fun car's Owner Manual explicitly states "the engine oil and filter should be changed prior to storage, as used engine oil contains contaminates that may cause engine damage." Both cars have supercharged internal combustion engines, so their oil is probably affected similarly by use. I, therefore, choose to err on the "safer" side of performing more frequent oil changes to both cars. Oil and filter costs are relatively trivial for the peace of mind they give me. Obviously, YMMV.

To be "good" for the car, it needs to reach operating temps for not only coolant, but also oil. This takes time that some might not spend, shutting the car off before everything gets hot. This tends to increase condensation (i.e., moisture) in places where you don't want it.

orca1946

Better to let it rest rather than a short warm up during the winter storage time.

Avanti

Nothing of mine is put to sleep, but if it were it would be done with clean (least contaminated) oil at nap time. You can reset your "Oil Change" indicator any time YOU wish to match your change schedule. As long as it is sooner than GM recommends your warranty is good. They don't care if you do it "too much."