Recently, I have not been driving that much each week. Maybe 1 to 5 miles a week if that. When I do drive my car every dayu, I religiously change my oil every 3 months. But now that schedule does not make sense to me if the car is only being driven 1 to 5 miles a week. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and K&N oil filters so oil changes are not cheap either. Can I and how should I adjust my oil changing schedule for my car's usage? Is every 4 months safe while I am driving so infrequently?
Oil change question
Oct 30, 2003
1 Replies
Maybe 1 to 5 miles a
religiously change my oil
to me if the car
synthetic and K&N
how should I
every 4 months safe
You probably know that ONE of the reasons oil has to be changed is due to its accumulation of acids. Engines in cars that are driven only for a few miles at a time do not get hot enough to rid themselves of moisture in the oil, and, over time, develop an acidity. Hence the standard advice to change your oil every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever comes first. Mobil 1 resists the formation of acids and sludge to a greater extent than conventional oil, but that doesn't mean you can totally ignore this consideration. I'm no engineer, but I would think changing your Mobil 1 oil every four months would be fine.
Al Phillips
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