hi,
My 1997 Altima is being used very lightly for the last 6 months now - only racked up about 1500 miles or so. Should I get the oil changed done now? Or can I go for a month or two more? The manual prescribes a time interval of 6 months or 5000 miles for light usage.
thanks,
Change oil at least twice a year. If you live in a reezing winter temperature area , change oil in spring to remove the oil contaminted by water condensation from inside the engine during winter.
DANiel Montreal
Yeah I'd second what the Montreal guy said
Running only some 1500 miles a 6 months / 3000 miles a year, a once a year oil change would be plenty ok in MILD CLIMATES only
If your place has severe Winters (pretty much all of USA except California, Florida, and the Texas/Luoisianna etc near coastal regions, then by changing your oil in Spring and Autumn (="Fall"), you can use the recommended Summer and Winter grade oils
......but if you live in an area surrounded by Orange tree groves and Palm trees, and where Summer and Winter engine oil is the same, then
3000 miles between changes sounds okRemember to change the oil filter at the same time too. Do it with a nicely warmed up engine, so all the old oil drains out well
After replacing the sump bung and re-filling with new oil, start the engine and just let it IDLE, do not rev it up un-necessarily when it first fires up. With some cars it takes quite awhile, sometimes even
30 seconds, for the oil filter to become re-filled the first time, and for the low oil warning light to go out. (mostly old English cars, which run a higher pressure, but lower pumped volume, oil system)cheers
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Catherine Jemma.......(Keeper of The Gem of Amara) Outback Western Australia .... snipped-for-privacy@agn.net.au.knickers
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