Oil Change Intervals (Winter Storage Advice)
 

Hey guys. Just need advice on the following oil change interval options.

I drive about 10,000KM (about 6000 miles) per year.

My question is, how should i go forward with oil changes.

Option 1
Change oil in November/or (when i put it in winter storage)
Change oil in May *6 month interval* (I bring out the car usually in March/April so i would drive with the oil that was in storage for 1-2months)

Option 2
Change Oil in November/or (when i put car into storage)
Change Oil in March/April (when I bring car out of storage)

My issue with Option 2 is that I would drive almost 8 months with the same oil when I heard you should change oil every 6 Months if you don't reach your necessary miles.
While option 1 it would be an evenly 6 month interval.

So advice would be much appreciated.

I will be driving about the same as you. 10K/year in the warmer months

I plan on doing the oil first thing in the spring and around August/September.

It's overkill but not by too much.

So I'm just going to do this starting from this year. (Assuming all changes are done on the 1st day of the month)

Change Oil in December (Before Storage)
Change Oil in April (When Taking out of storage)
Change Oil in August

That way my intervals will be every 4 months.

I don't think it would make a damn bit of difference to the car ......;)


humfrz

This is easy... Drive more! :)

seriously, what Humfrz said.... you'll be fine w/ any of those plans. The three changes a year scenario is probably overkill.

Funny, after I responded I googled "oil changes and winter storage"

Your response was pretty much the same on a Miata forum. :)

Oh okay. So I will probably than just do the oil change before winter storage and oil change when bringing out of storage :w00t:

I just wanted reassurance that 7-8 months in between would be fine.

From my understanding oil itself doesnt significantly age. Therefore the interval is irrelevant if the engine isn't in use.

I do the same mileage as you and I will store the car immediately after an oil change and fuel stabilizer. Also using a battery tender.
Some time during summer I do an oil change at 5000 km then the next before storing. Two changes a year in 10000 km.

Bradley, so then would I be fine with using the oil that was in storage? Because I'd prefer option 1.

Option 1
Change oil in November/or (when i put it in winter storage)
Change oil in May *6 month interval* (I bring out the car usually in March/April so i would drive with the oil that was in storage for 1-2months)

I just heard people say moisture builds up so it's why I'm confused about it.

Anyways if you are doing it that way, than I think I'll do the same since I like that method the best. Just feels like such a waste of new oil to e drained out when I didn't even use it.

The main killer while storing a vehicle over winter is temperature swings. Try and keep the area where you store it a some what stable temperature. Large swings can cause condensation and that is where you will get your issues from.

The issue with moisture is almost the same as people that take frequent short trips in the winter. The sudden heat causes condensation when in contact with the freezing air.

The best thing to do (not that I have) is to never start the car even once all winter.

Otherwise condensation is released, or specifically from the oil, when oil temps exceed 100'C as it will with normal use.

I am not sure how you store a vintage Bugatti but this is a normal car.

This is a pretty big topic on BITOG.


General consensus: As long as you use synthetic, and basically get the vehicle to operating temperature if you start it during storage times you won't degrade the oil and can basically go all your storage time and use it like normal mileage wise.


The only way to be sure though, is if you get the blackstone test. Condensation was brought up earlier in this thread, and that is the main worry (why you're bringing the vehicle to operating temp when / if it is started).


Personally, I just go off mileage and use a good oil. Even doing regular oil changes is probably overkill according to all the testing on current synthetic oils.


You're not storing the car for years at a time in this situation. I don't think starting it up / driving it here and there during "winter storage" is a bad thing since it gets all the parts moving for a little while at least.

Leave the current oil in the car, and change it in the spring. No reason to change it now, park the car, then change it in the spring. You're wasting money.

I realize you're more concerned with time than mileage in this thread, but FWIW I just added this post to my blog today which you might find interesting. It includes all the oil analysis results from my oil changes, which I do every 10,000 miles (~16,000 km), which for this latest change, happened 6.5 months apart.

http://www.seriesblueadventures.com/...-oil-analysis/