Oil change on very low mileage vehicle

[Jerry1]

DW's car has never been driven much. It's a 2017 with 23K miles on it. My practice has been to have the oil changed and the tires rotated annually. However, this year she (we) didn't even drive that vehicle 1K miles. Is there any real point in changing the oil, let alone rotating the tires with such low usage? Thinking I'll just go another year and service it then. We could focus on driving it a bit more instead of always taking my car. Plan a trip or two to help get some miles on it.

 

[ziggy29]

I would pass on the tire rotation, but I'd still change the oil.

 

[skyking1]

How is it stored? if it is inside a garage and not subject to the larger temperature changes, you might push synthetic oils out to 2 years maximum.

 

[RetireeRobert]

I'd second the advice, if stored in garage, change oil maybe yearly at most or every 18 months, especially if using synthetic oils. But would advise drive the car maybe every other week for half an hour and ten or fifteen miles. Driving helps keep various parts lubricated and burns off condensates, keeps battery charged up, and help keep tires from developing flat spots from long-term parking and disuse.

 

[Jerry1]

The oil in it is synthetic. It's stored in our attached garage. Never gets too hot and never gets below freezing. We keep water in the garage and in the winter it gets really cold (nice) but doesn't freeze.

 

[triangle]

I would check tire pressures and skip the rotation. I might delay the oil change, but I would not wait for 2 years. Assuming the car will not be driven a lot in the months to come then I would be tempted to change the oil but not the filter, to get most of the benefit without the hassle (assuming you are doing this at home). If this 1K is from a lot of short trips, like 50 short trips along with a few long trips, then I would probably change it soon out of caution (just my opinion).

 

[Cortina]

Why does one do tyre rotation ? (Here we just don't - period) - answer : to compensate for differing wear rates. Wear rates caused by doing miles - no miles = no wear = no need to do !
But I would change the oil - maybe pushing it out to 18 month gap rather than 12 (small "gain")

 

[old medic]

If this 1K is from a lot of short trips, like 50 short trips along with a few long trips, then I would probably change it soon out of caution (just my opinion).

YES.... many short trips will kill a car... Dad learned the hard way. His truck was drove every day... not quite 2 miles.... never enough to fully warm up and evaporate the moisture from condensation... actually made the condensation worse. Had he changed oil yearly, I wouldn't have had to change the engine.

Oil change is cheap insurance and would suggest you take the car out for a spin every couple weeks

 

[427Vette]

I own several collector vehicles and lots of equipment that sometimes hardly gets used. I struggled with this same concern. It didn’t make any sense to dump out good synthetic oil and replace it if the vehicle hadn’t been driven hardly at all. I know that the oil and vehicle manufacturers recommend changing it annually but I think they want to sell their products as well. I decided to get some oil analysis done instead. This is where you take a sample of your oil and send it off to have it tested. They check for viscosity, acids, fuel dilution, coolant, metal etc.in the oil. I had oil from several of my modern collector cars along with my older collector cars, even a 1954 Ford tractor tested. Some of the oil was a year old and some 3 years old. The analysis's all came back that the oil was fine with no viscosity break down. The old Ford tractor showed a slight fuel dilution which I expected especially with 3 year old oil. Other then that there was no real reason to change the oil at all.

I am assuming your vehicle is modern and in good mechanical condition. I would not worry about changing the oil with only 1000 miles on it. However if it makes you feel better just do it. The oil manufacturers will appreciate it.

 

[street]

^ thanks for your investigation and testing. I also beleive there would be no damage done if you are using synthetic, you should fine.

I'm actually getting my oil changed this morning on my everyday ranch pickup. The mileage got away from and I'm over about 500 miles on a recommended 5000 mile change. It gest synthetic so not really over concerned but I never ever let in go beyond 5000 miles before changing. I messed up but I should be fine also.

 

[Kerfuffle]

We are in the same position. Our 2019 car has just 8,000 miles on it. We asked our dealer who said to at least make sure you change the oil annually.

 

[jim584672]

DW's car has never been driven much. It's a 2017 with 23K miles on it. My practice has been to have the oil changed and the tires rotated annually. However, this year she (we) didn't even drive that vehicle 1K miles. Is there any real point in changing the oil, let alone rotating the tires with such low usage? Thinking I'll just go another year and service it then. We could focus on driving it a bit more instead of always taking my car. Plan a trip or two to help get some miles on it.

I wouldn't bother with it. Oil doesn't degrade in just a year.

 

[38Chevy454]

Agree with the previous answers that you can pass on the annual oil change. I have several classic vehicles, stored inside garage, and I never change them based on calendar. I change based on mileage. I have some that are 5 years old oil, oh the horror!


That whole annual oil change regardless has some merit *if* your car is subject to big temp fluctuations and is not driven on long enough drives to get the oil and rest of drivetrain up to full operating temp in order to evaporate out any condensation moisture. From your description that is not the case for your wife's car. It is stored inside and you do drive it enough to get fully warmed up. Save the time and money and let the oil stay for another year.

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

Our cars have also been low mileage for the last year or so and also full synthetic oil.

I'm going to change in oct-nov. Only difference is one car gets 20 minute drives multiple times a week now, and other has had a few >1 hr trips but always driven a few times a week.

I don't think my cars need it, but I was used to 3month or 3k mile changes for so long I just view it as cheap insurance if there is any condensation and if Chicago has a serious cold snap this winter.

 

[Sunset]

...........
I'm actually getting my oil changed this morning on my everyday ranch pickup. The mileage got away from and I'm over about 500 miles on a recommended 5000 mile change. It gest synthetic so not really over concerned but I never ever let in go beyond 5000 miles before changing. I messed up but I should be fine also.

I would not worry with synthetic, my Toyota recommends oil change with synthetic every 10,000 miles.

 

[Sunset]

I wouldn't bother with it. Oil doesn't degrade in just a year.

Right, otherwise all those oil bottles in the store should have a best before date stamped on them

 

[brett]

What I find odd is the difference between countries.

My BIL ran Volvos in the UK for years. Changing oil like we do in NA is not common. Indeed, it was not stressed in the owners manual. It got changed only when the oil became very obviously dirty.

Big difference when he came to NA, purchased the same model Volvo and was quite surprised to read the oil change recommendations. The frequency was all very new to him and he could not understand the differences.

 

[Sunset]

What I find odd is the difference between countries.

My BIL ran Volvos in the UK for years. Changing oil like we do in NA is not common. Indeed, it was not stressed in the owners manual. It got changed only when the oil became very obviously dirty.

Big difference when he came to NA, purchased the same model Volvo and was quite surprised to read the oil change recommendations. The frequency was all very new to him and he could not understand the differences.

Dealer profits from getting the customer in 2x per year

 

[CRLLS]

Never ask your dealer. The answer will almost always be twice per year minimum. Does your car have a oil life monitor? "Some" cars include a time factor in their algorithm and can be trusted. Some go strictly on miles driven. Some included driving conditions. It may be hard to determine which type your car may have. Check your owner's manual to see if the oil change period has a recommended time in addition to relying on the oil life monitor.

Is you engine warranty still in effect? (Hyundai's and Kias are 10 year/100,000 miles) If so, follow the owner's manual explicitly. Otherwise you may be declined coverage if you need it. If you are out of warranty, I don't see any harm in delaying the oil change for a few years if the oil stays clear and not cloudy. Cloudy indicates moisture mixed in the oil.

 

[Jerry1]

Is you engine warranty still in effect? (Hyundai's and Kias are 10 year/100,000 miles) If so, follow the owner's manual explicitly.

Hum, good point. It is still under the drivetrain warranty. The manual does say that the oil “must” be change at least annually. I’ll have to think if it’s worth taking the risk. Probably not. Annual is in October.

 

[ncbill]

Most of my vehicles are new enough to use synthetic oil, but are out-of-warranty, and aren't driven more than a few thousand miles a year

So I change oil in those once a year.

Those that are old enough that they've always used regular oil get it changed twice a year.

I am bad about rotating tires...just had to buy a pair for the minivan.

 

[street]

I would not worry with synthetic, my Toyota recommends oil change with synthetic every 10,000 miles.

Yes, exactly!! It it just old habit to change but with synthetic 10000 would be just fine.

 

[brett]

Dealer profits from getting the customer in 2x per year

They did not do it twice a year in the UK. Often well over a year. Sometimes two depending on the mileage.

I never did change the oil on my Solara this summer. Only use if for 3K miles at the most last summer. Same this year. Oil is very clean. It has a indicator for change oil but I have always changed one a year. It has never come on. Unlike our 2006 Accord it does not show the percentage of oil life remaining.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

I have had a garage queen for almost 20 years. Average 200 miles in about 6 trips each year. I change the oil about every other year. Couple times when guy below in pit starts to drain oil he has yelled out “hey, somebody already change this one?”. Says the oil looks brand new.

 

[OldShooter]

... If this 1K is from a lot of short trips, like 50 short trips along with a few long trips, then I would probably change it soon out of caution (just my opinion).

YES.... many short trips will kill a car... Dad learned the hard way. His truck was drove every day... not quite 2 miles.... never enough to fully warm up and evaporate the moisture from condensation... actually made the condensation worse. Had he changed oil yearly, I wouldn't have had to change the engine. ...

Yes. The risk is all abut the evil combustion byproducts remaining in the oil because it never gets hot enough for long enough to boil them off.

In my COVID case last year we hardly put any miles on the cars but living in the city virtually all trips involved10 minutes or more of freeway time. So I did not worry about the byproducts accumulating. That's a different use case than @oldmedic's father.

I have not heard of any synthetic oil claims relating to accumulation of combustion byproducts. I'd be interested in links or citations. AFIK synthetic's main claims to fame are high-temperature stability and better viscosity curve with temperature.