Interesting article. I do my vehicles once a year since they don't accumulate many kms (the cars about 3000 each as one is for winter, the other for summer) and the truck is lucky to see 1000km a year.
Makes sense. Does anybody check for a "best before" date when they buy oil at the store? I would think especially with synthetics, that it might never go bad until you put it in an engine and add all of those combustion by-products to it, heat and cool it, add condensation, etc.
until you put it in an engine and add all of those combustion by-products to it, heat and cool it, add condensation, etc.
Yes, supposedly those conditions put a lot of acid into the oil and if you let it just sit without any circulation or oil changes the acid corrodes bearings.
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I use synthetic in all my vehicles and engines like mower, generator, etc, except the Pontiac, it leaks a bit if I do that. I change the oil when it loses colour due to usage, except for my on road vehicles which I do based on mileage.
__________________
63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
The maintenance schedule for my VW Golf recommends changing the oil every 15,000 kms. To me that is far too long, but I do notice that my oil does not drop or get discoloured. Tight tolerances, low-tension rings, precise fuel metering (so no fuel wash) all add up to cleaner oil for longer.
Now as for older carburated vehicles, especially the older 261 sixes without an oil filter, oil changes need to be more frequent. The best way to determine oil 'soundness' is to draw a sample and send it in for oil analysis. That will reveal whether your oil change schedule is good or not.
__________________
67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
So Cam, a VW TDI, Ive had 3, all were 15,000km synthetic oil changes, never ever added oil between changes.
__________________
63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
