Bobby Likis: How Often to Change Oil When Car Is Rarely Driven
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.พ. 2014
- Kelly from Alabama calls in and asks Bobby, along with his guest co-host Terry Elm, how often she should change the oil on her late husbands pickup which is rarely driven. Bobby and ASE-Certified Master Technician Terry Elm give her a great response on not only changing the oil, but how to keep the car in good condition.
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Endless money pits channel had lab results done after various time and mileages. The lab results showed that even after 18 months with little use, oil doesn't suffer from water inclusion or a change in viscosity. Changes come to oil after miles driven, which is the most important factor. The lab results showed an optimum of just over 7'000 miles to change the oil. Time made little or no difference. The only people to benefit from more regular oil changes than 7'000 miles are the garage owners.
I would agree with you, that’s what I tend to do, but to be fair it does depend on what type of driving you’re doing the 7000 miles on a motorway driving here at 70 miles an hour in top gear. The engine is not doing a lot of work per mile
I agree. EMP made a good case. 3- 5K kms/yr and I use synthetic.
The engineer who built to motor for the GTR says lab results suggest 2k. Was this recommendation for a gas engine? Which gas engine? What oil? What conditions? What type of fuel and additives and detergents? It's all individual. The safest is 3-5k
My wife drives under a mile to work. The engine does not warm up at all and it is a twin turbo V6. It is our vacation vehicle. I change the oil in the Spring and the Fall regardless of mileage...which is very low. I have had people tell me I am nuts. I remind them that my cars all run like tops at well over 100k miles. This is cheap maintenance for an underutilized vehicle.
You better change your wife (if she doesn't want to walk or change her job). Something doesn't add up in your story. Your wife makes roughly 500 miles a year, where and how often do you go to vacation so your vehicle has 100k+ miles?
@@igorpotocnik7231 Nope. We have been going on cruises lately so not much driving. I think she is at around 12k after over 2 years. I go into the office 3 days a week in my Veloster N so the mileage is not so high on it either.
300K is the new 100K, no one should brag about 100K
The vast majority of modern cars doing oil analysis show it's mileage not time that degrades oil. Also, to talk about the "water in the tailpipe," that is more from starting the engine. As it warms up, steam collects on all the metal parts including your very long and volumous exhaust pipes. This is why it is important to bring an engine up to temp to burn all that off. Very little consensation happens in cars stored over winter. My Dad was the king of 2 year oil changes on cars with less than 3k miles annually strictly using modern synthetics. Oil still came out like new. His '68 Torino got an oil change when it was going to be started for the first time which could have been once in the spring or once in 5 years.
Yep. My car is a 1999 model with 60K miles on the clock. Sits in my garage most of the time, maybe I do 500 miles a year. Some 5 years ago I put a good synthetic oil in it. Haven't changed it, I just check the level and it never drops. No oil leaks. That oil is still there and it doesn't look dirty on the dipstick. Changing twice a year when you don't do big miles is bull$hit to make you hand over your hard earned money.
My wifes car had a 12,000 mile or 2 year interval, I changed the oil every 2 years or 12,000 miles whichever came first, we owned it for about 80,000 miles and no issues whatsoever. Always got the oil very hot before the change as per manufacturers advice to ensure the engine fan was running before dropping the oil out the sump. I know 80,000 isn't high mileage but here in UK that's alot of journeys and the car was over 10 years old. She swapped it for a smaller car last year.
@@radiocontrolled9181 Why do you own a car anyway? When I drove my first car less and less and it got to a point where I drove under 1300 miles it wasn't sensible anymore to keep it because it was just one big cost with no real purpose. I didn't need car for the next 10 years until those government criminals made me buy a car (I was prohibited using public transportation) so I could do my job without having PCR certificate because I wasn't jabbed.
@@igorpotocnik7231 I kept my car because sometimes I need to carry bulky things which I cannot carry on my 125cc scooter or my bicycle.
@@radiocontrolled9181makes sense. I currently don’t have one, but during the winter months… I wish I did!
If I did have one, I doubt I’d drive it more than three times a month unless it was really cold or wet.
I am a retired autoworker who worked in QC engine division for the last 10 years. Simple question, Who do you trust, the design team that designed-built and tested that engine, or someone trying to sell you a service ? Fun fact every modern car/truck has an oil indicator oil change light that will come on in your dash when the engine oil needs changing, put there by the designers of the engine. I would suggest after initial break in of a new vehicle which has special oil in it to only use synthetic oil for long engine life and faster oil uptake in cold weather plus far superior lubricating of critical components. Usually a vehicles oil needs changing every 10 months to once a year.
Those are just timers and mileage counters. They aren't checking the quality of the oil.
This is an interesting call, but some people don't think things out very well. There was no information about the total mileage on each vehicle, or what kind of car her daily driver is. But logic says, split up your driving between the two vehicle a little more and you'll hit the oil change interval for the truck much sooner. That's the recommendation that they came around to eventually.
3000 miles with synthetic blend would be about right for the truck. Driving infrequently is one of the definitions of severe duty. So is primarily short trips. The truck hits both of these markers.
No one ever damaged an engine because they changed the oil too soon.
I have a 15 year old Saab that I only drive a few thousand miles a year. I do fill it with synthetic once a year. It’s fine.
There's plenty of equipment out there that only gets the oil changed once a decade. They still work fine. Run an oil analysis on 1k mile oil that's 3 years old and it will come back good - if you drain it it will be golden yellow. The water is in the engine regardless of how often you change the oil - there is no correlation there. The only reason manufacturers recommend annual oil changes is to cover their butts when people have a lot of idle hours.
The advice of changing the oil twice a year for low mileage makes no sense to me, the manufacturers generally say every 10,000-12,000 miles or once every one or two years, whichever comes first. Why would you change it more frequently than the manufacturer advises and throw money and good oil away.
@@roasthunter Manufacturers sell vehicles. They surely want to sell them as often as they could. Long fluids changing intervals certainly help reducing lifespan of vehicles.
@@igorpotocnik7231 they run dealer networks that thrive on selling oil changes at great expense. The idea of changing oil twice a year if the car isn't being used is terrible advice unless you have money to waste.
Baloney! I have a 2001 Silverado that I rarely put more than 3000 miles on a year. I only change the oil once a year (synthetic) and so far, no oil-related problems. Mind you, I have replaced the tires 3 times, not because of wear, but because of dry rot. But the engine does not leak or burn oil at all. I might also add that I change the brake fluid and power steering fluid once a year as well (drain the reservoir and refill). Further, as I pull a trailer to camping spots in the summer (not many miles, as I live in Wyoming), I drain the tranny pan and replace with fresh fluid at the end of each summer.
I agree, I would personally ignore the advice of changing it twice a year unless you like throwing money and good oil away. People could check with an oil analysis of 3000 mile oil and see it's good for longer use. TBH at 3000 miles a year you would be ok to delay for 2 years in my personal opinion.
He says: not to get too technical after going absolute technical “ bananas” on her 😀
I only drive my 2016 Maserati Gran Turismo about 3,000 miles per year, I have the dealership change the oil (and oil filter) once a year or 3,000 miles whichever comes first.
My daily driver 2014 Volvo S60 T5, since I drive mostly highway driving I can push that to 5,000 mile intervals but I am still a fan of 3,500-5,000 miles.
For reference my 2005 BMW 330i I have owned since new and changed the oil every 3,000 miles, 221,000 Miles on the odometer and she has not given me any problems in the (almost) 20 years I have owned it.
She only need to change it once a year! Word
Different perspective. 2004 Avalon. Original warranty was only 36000 miles or 3 years, whichever happened first. Wanted more. 3 other of the same model in the family got at least 250k miles. 19 years later. Only 127,000 miles so far. Now, I am doing only 3000 - 4000 miles a year. No one talks about lubing underneath. I do it. No more than 3 years between changing radiator fluid and transmission drain. No more than 3000 miles on change oil and use factory oil filter. Will do the first engine clean out on the next oil change. It is the starting of the engine and the initial throwing of particles that wears out the engine. That is why you use the factory filter. Use the highest quality air filter. Use the highest quality fuel filter. I keep cleaning the fuel injectors. Have not had to clean the bolt on catalytic filter. A catalytic filter can be cleaned rather than be replaced. Mine is spray painted with a high temperature orange spray paint.
VERY helpful! Thank you!
Not true. There are some videos where they make scientific tests on the oil of seldom used cars, and there is no much change. Don't waste your $$$ on unnecessary oil changes.
Great video, i hope you are both happy and healthy.
My aunt gave my wife her 1986 mazda 626 in 2000 with 30,000 miles on it. Uncle had passed and she never drove it for years at a time. Upon receipt, i changed everything i could. It lasted another 10k before it leaked like a stuck pig and smoked. Junked at 40k miles.
I drive my 97 LT1 Camaro SS around 2000 miles a year. I change the oil/filter once per year with quality 5w30 synthetic. It still looks golden and fresh. I used to do it x2/year but it seems wasteful and unnecessary.
The give away here that your chainging out oil that looks golden and fresh. That means your pissing money away
I have a 2003 Z06 that I drive around 1000 miles a year. A slightly used LS6 engine is around $6-8,000. I’d rather spend around $60 on an extra oil change every year than replace my engine.
@@TheMacster555 You better sell it, you probably walk more than you drive. For 60 bucks you get a decent pair of sneakers.
On her mileage, I would think once a year would be fine
At 1:47 he makes a terrible error. He says the moisture coming from the tailpipe is from condensation in the oil. No, 99% of it comes from combustion of gasoline. When you burn gasoline it turns to CO2 and H2O. Equal amounts of those 2 gases is the product of combustion......CO2 is a gas and H2O is mostly in the gas phase as well, but some of it is liquid and that's what you see.
its more like a general condensation all around the engine even in the exhaust. so not that terrible imo.
More like the exhaust system is holding the condensation..Why they rot out..People don't start them once a week and 30 mins. To heat up the exhaust...
Let’s not forget blowby. These are gases that pass by the rings. Hc , air and water pass by the rings on the compression stroke and Hc, Co2, Co, Nox and water pass by on the power stroke. If the engine doesn’t run long enough the pcv system won’t have enough time to evacuate these gases, in turn the oil absorbs them and chemically becomes more corrosive and sludge forming. Great video, thanks.
@@juanfavela6597 ,, Well said... You know what you're talking about
What he said about having the car regularly inspected is great, if the person doing it is good and isn't a thief. The vast majority of recommended repairs I see are BS.
That's exactly what I'm going to start doing. Change it in March and change it in September. Forget about the miles.
Use to change oil in my vehicle at around 5000 miles. Didn't matter if it was 6 months of driving or 16. Conventional oil and added if it got low before oil change. My current vehicle I drive maybe 3000 miles in a year. Owners manual recommends 0w30 or full synthetic 5w30 if the outside temps get below -22. So I use a synthetic 5w30 year round and change once a year. Used 0w30 the first time I changed the oil. Thought it was a bit overkill.
Might try a synthetic blend as I don't think that was a thing back in 2003 when my vehicle was made.
I have a 2007 Ram that has sat a lot from my retirement. (2006) All these years, it has been driven about 20 miles a week. Change once a year with, so called, long distance oil. Too late to change program now! If I owned a turbo car I might change it more often, like each month. If I owned an Eco- boost, I would sell it.
I change my 84yr old mother's 2012 Jeep Patriot 2.4L oil one time a year with Mobile 1 and a good filter. She maybe drives 2500 miles a year if that. It's fine, car is 10 years old with 25k miles and the oil looks great. There is no reason for me to change it twice a year with less than 1500 miles on the oil. Some of these youtube automotive folks are getting carried away with these oil change intervals on low mileage vehicles that get driven regularly but not a lot of miles in a year. Mobile 1 doesn't "spoil" like milk.
@@MybackHurtz1 I agree. Think a lot of it is fear generated by some turbo powered cars. If not into speed, don't want one. I am up there with your Mom. Glad you are looking after her. We need more care than her Jeep or my Ram! She must be rather a sport driving a Patriot!
Modern cars don't get as much condensation INSIDE as older ones. THE pcv plumbing is way longer now and the diferencial breathing from dilation and contraction of fluids. In other words, external air don't get to go all the way INSIDE, hence humidity stop at the plumbing... You can change it every 2 years no problem, as several manufacturers orient, as most german cars nowadays do.
what year do you consider as an older car?
@@faithahora I think not much of the year, but high usage and lack of maintenance. There's plenty of good cars that were made in the 90s. But Average car is old at 7 years. As I said, you can still find 20 years old vehicles in great shape. You need to dig with knowledge.
@@tomasnokechtesledger1786 ,, My 1997 Honda Accord is still a new car
Ok so how many miles is safe to go past the oil change inspection sticker??
Age and non-use is the worst thing for a vehicle. And also, the human body.
Twice a year on a permanently parker car? I guess US cars are actually even worse than I thought. Thats crazy, water condensation doesn´t damage an engine, the motor oil gets saturated by debris from the combustion cycle which is why its eventually to be changed. I´d say a "parked" car should still have its oils changed 3 times per decade because of the oil additives that might chemically degrade. Oil doesnt get old, its juice from plants that grew while dinos grazed...
I change mine once very few years due to low miles. It's fine. There's zero reason to change oil based on age aside from the issue of lots of idle hours not showing up on the odometer.
@@knurlgnar24 So true, wish mileage didnt exist, it should be running hours like in aviation.
Age is hard on any machinery but wear is wear, I'd far rather buy a car that's 20 years old with 3,000 miles on it than one that's a year old with 30k or 5 years old with 130k. Seals and rubber can be replaced, and seals and rubber parts are a lot cheaper than rebuilding an engine or transmission that's been pounded every day up and down the highway. Another big thing for me is finding a car that's never been wrecked. bumps and bruises aren't a big deal with a careless or young driver who's gotten on several collisions and his cheap insurance company has paid for the repairs is never a car you want to own.
I have four diesel trucks, none gets more than a 100 miles or so a year, they run only synthetic oil, and they sit in the garage when not in use. The same with my cars. Being retired, there's no longer any money for long trips so when they sit, I'm saving money.
I'm certainly not going to change the oil on a car that got put away with a fresh oil change last year and never got driven, or never did anything but drive around the block every few months to keep the rust off the rotors. with the trucks, it costs me $125 to change the oil myself, and another $30 for a fuel filter at the same time.
I would think that after all these years of refining oil they could come up with an oil that lasts longer than a year when it sits without it becoming a threat to the health of an engine.
My show car is a 2013 V6 Mustang. I drive it at least once a week. Commute in Dallas suburb traffic over 4 miles so engine always gets warmed up if driven.
I'm only doing 500 or 600 miles a year on Mobil 1.
The oil looks & feels fine at 3 years.
Should I switch to a cheap oil and change more often?
Cheaper oil, 6 monthly change is much better.,
Jeez the woman asks 2 questions, one is vary simple, She asks "how often should I change the oil and _stuff like that."_ emphasis mine. Stuff like that? Hmm. Question 1: how often should I change the oil, and question 2 is is quite vague: how often should I do _stuff like that._ The first question is a simple question and should get a simple answer, "once a year," but instead it gets a long complicated answer, and also, I think, wrong answer. Both questions get answered _way way_ too much. How often to change the oil? They say once in the spring and once in the fall. I donlt think that changing the oil twice a year instead of once is going to compensate for the fact that she drives the vehicle only about 2000 miles per year instead of 4 or 5 thousand. I don't think the thing to do if the mileage is that low is "change the oil an extra time." I tend to think the thing to do is make sure it goes on a fairly long trip once in awhile, at least 30 minutes long with speeds over 50 mph for about 20 minutes of each trip. At least one long trip for every 5 short trips, under 15 minutes long. Get the vehicle hot, and doing some heavy breathing. I don't think that doing an extra oil change will compensate for never getting the vehicle hot, on a long trip. But even it did, it would be easier to simply get the vehicle on that long trip once in awhile. As far as the second question goes, _how often should I do stuff like that,_ the answer is "different vehicles tend to require different stuff, on different schedules. Look in the vehicle's owners manual to find out what stuff needs to be done, and how often it needs to be done." That's all. The long winded answer was totally unnecessary.
Yeah he answered that question like a politician. Get to the point and be concise
I as a viewer enjoyed his detailed explanation
Wow, I think Bobby let Terry speak for about 20 seconds in the almost 6 minutes. Then again, it is Bobby's show. Says a lot about him though.
Absolutely inspirational and informative
Start the damn thing once a week for 30 mins..As you need to keep it lubricated. Never mind the Exhaust system is where the Condensation comes from..Why they rot out if you don't drive them...
Great question :)
Condensation is why water comes out the tailpipe?!? Has nothing to do with burning a hydrocarbon and actually creating H2O (and CO2) from the fuel? LOL.
Thank you! it's so very informative.
This is very much my trouble since im not using my motorcycle very much but still i use it by the required temperature to burn those moist, now im saving money since in the past i was oil changing it every 4mos even though it havent reach its mileage
I run my long stored 98 K1500 in April and November for 1hr to let it burn off condensation, lube the bearings, and cycle old gas thru!
I'm lucky i have a 1994 dodge dakota with 82.,000 miles and besides brake pads/rotors/radiator and 2 water pumps everythkng else is original including brake lines and ujoints which scares me when driving but seems ok when i check things. BUT i have always changed my oil twice a year for about 30 years now and engine runs great for an old vehicle with low engine miles that never goes on the highway in the past 10 years.
My car is 20 years old. Runs like the day first driven. If someone wants to change his oil every 10,000 miles, it is his decision. Doesn't affect me. Same response to changing it every 2,000 miles. I have read comments about car dealers/mechanics/insurance companies/attorneys/contractors/doctors/dentists ripping off other people my entire life. Somehow, I manage to find the decent, hardworking ones.
In the midst of all the arguing and opinion slinging, I never read about people who lubricate: the following under the car with AT 205:
rubber seals
rubber bushings
boot
top of strut
tortion bar
cv axle
rubber control arm bushings
I also never read about people lubricating under the hood.
Why not? I guess because the car manufacturers don't care about parts drying out and cracking within their 3 year or 36,000 mile warranty period, whichever first happens. 36,000 miles is about two years average driving. That is about 10-12 years at the rate I am driving. If I were to change my oil every 10,000 miles, it would be about every three years.
I agree late model high miles is the way to go,lower price and a good track record. Wouldn't have to worry about a lemon, guess they still happen.
question do i need to change oil if i reach 1 year but not reach the 20k km? my car is 17+++ only and my next change oil is 20,000km but i dont always use the car do i need to change the oil? its synthetic oil
The additive package that protect your engine wears out in that time according to manufacturers such as Mobil, Shell, Amsoil. Oil is cheap remember.
i personally would not go over 10 k miles on even synthetic oil , especially if it is not getting driven regularly .
Eczy, change your oil every 5,000 mi (8,000 km) or every 6 months, whichever comes first, no matter what type of oil you use: conventional, synthetic blend, or full synthetic. That's the magic formula. Oil change intervals is a highly debated topic. If you care about your car and want it to last, go with frequent oil changes and you won't be disappointed.
Vague answer. The simple statement "change every 6 mos." without stating a reason other than "magic formula" makes it only your one-person opinion. @@frankg6578
You look onlline and everyone saying every 6 mo; even if you don't drive it "Much". How about at all! Oil in the pan or on the shelf in a plastic bottle, its the same thing. Some people trying to save their livelyhood IMHO
Great point. Merchants aren't disposing of oil that has sat on the shelf for 6 months. Sure, maybe there's a difference after exposure/operation but it sure seems to be a waste going by the "time' factor only.
Great information from Bobby.
Got a classic car and motorbike that sits most of its life in a shed. Use Penrite 20w-60 Classic for both of them, that has a tacky additive which allegedly prevents corrosion and seizing. It's not a race oil or anything and they get changed once a year, and better than a monograde oil. More often than not it's tires that go out of balance from sitting which causes problems.
Tires don't go out of balance from sitting, it's a much bigger problem than just balance.
So not quite the “92 mile oil change” (Mad Magazine) - but “an 892 mile oil change?” (Every six months or so?)
The secret to a long life for your vehicle is simple.....keep all of the liquids clean and on the full mark ....!
Wouldn't better advice to be drive the car for more than 30 minutes every month than changing the oil more than once a year.
assuming your oil is clean , i would not be changing it for just sitting in your engine .
additives break down but never had an engine blow
You could probably even get away with a partial fill, and then topping up the oil six months down the line to the full line, and that could compensate for the lack of an oil change by adding some extra protection halfway through the cycle. The trade-off is that by leaving extra room to top up the oil, your decreasing the overall capacity of the engine oilinstead of having it right at full line, the entire duration
To clarify, I’m talking about filling to about halfway up the dipstick and letting the car drive for six months. Inevitably some oil will burn so you just fill half a quart or more or you can slowly top it up overtime as well so that you’re constantly adding fresh protection
Our second car gets driven about 6 times a year, but driven about 2 hours each time. Total under 1000 a year. Need an oil change?
Needs a new owner who will drive it, after all it has wheels not pillars.
Drive 2000 a year and change oil twice a year? Nuts. Just because you drive less than 2000 a year, doesn't mean you don't drive it warm every time you drive it.
Buying a used car can be scary
How OFTEN is recommend to change the oil on Toy. Corolla 2012 please? Synthetic oil. I get different answers frm each mechanic ..
You have manual, it's all there, however those intervals are exceedingly long. Scotty Kilmer says synthetic oil every 3000 to 5000 miles. Try 5000 to 7500 miles.
Different engines, here, but my 2011 & 2019 Toyota Camry manuals call for 10k oil changes. Igor's reply may be your best answer, at 5000 - 7500. City/short trips sooner, hwy/longer trips a little longer.
This is golden.
👍
This guy on the left is clueless - condensation from oil-water boil off will not show up in the tailpipe in any significant amount - that is simple H20 as a by product of combustion hitting a cold muffler and/or catalytic converter.
Take your car to the shop 3 times a year? Sounds like a sales pitch!!!
There is going to be some level of condensation in the oil whether it is at 100% life or 80% life. Telling someone to change their oil once every 5000 miles or TWICE every 2000 miles is absurd. 😂😂
The better advice would be to tell them to start and run their engine for 15 minutes a couple times a month no matter how often they actually drive it.
thankyou very informative.
Twice a year is Ridiculous
Sell the truck and it is a GMC Sierra.
A lot of hand wringing going on Here !
This is all BS. I have never followed ANY of the oil change interval BS over 55 years of car ownership and have NEVER had an engine failure. These guys are like most so called experts. They are just bloviating. Just use common sense based on your particular situation.
Jesus lady sell the car let someone enjoy it. It’s costing you money for insurance. Your ruining the car by not driving it.
She ened up selling it 6 yrs back .
She seems to want to keep the Sierra truck out of concern that's she's living in the country and she likes the versatility it gives her. Maybe when she needs to hauls things or just likes the fact it's less likely to get stuck in the mud on the road. She needs to sell both her truck and her car and get something practical like an AWD/ SUV maybe with impressive cargo capacity( ex: Chevy Suburban). Any major hauling she can just hire someone to get that done.
This is not true i have a second car drive it 1000 miles a year i change oil every 3 years... 17 year with me never a problem and i drive it most short trips
She should sell the truck. Why spend 200 dollars a year just on oil changes to drive it 1,000 miles?