The bottom line, is that EVERY TIME a cylinder is ignited, a minuscule amount of contaminants get into the oil. If your oil change interval is recommended at 6,000 miles, it does not matter if you put 6,000 miles in a year and change it, or put 2,000 miles a year on it, and change it after 3 years. The OLD myths don't apply anymore! (like change every 3,000 miles like the quickie oil change facilities try to get you to do)

Modern engines have a much more accurate, non-arbitrary oil change interval method; our 2014 Cruze has a dashboard indicator for when EXACTLY to change the oil. It counts the number of engine cycles/revolutions to announce WHEN to change the oil. Time is not a consideration whatsoever. I just realized (today in fact) when I checked our oil change indicator, it said our oil is at 53%. I checked the sticker on the windshield, and it said oil was last changed about 13 months ago (and counter was reset then). Our dashboard did NOT flash with the warning: WARNING: CHANGE OIL IMMEDIATELY! at 12 months. Time came & went.

I fully plan to WAIT w/o any hesitation until counter counts down to 0% before I change the oil, which would likely be around 26 months on oil.

Anybody can do the exact same thing on ANY engine. Just go by MILES!

GOOD rule of thumb:

If your recommended change interval is based on conventional oil, you can easily (& safely!) DOUBLE your oil change mileage interval.

If based on semi-synthetic, I would not hesitate changing FULL synthetic oil at 1.5 times recommended mileage change interval.

At my 1st oil change on my Ryker at 6,000 miles, I use will FULLY synthetic oil, and change again at 15,000 miles, regardless of how long it takes to get there (probably a few years).

Popcorn

KC61 wrote: ↑

Fri May 03, 2019 4:06 pm

Popcorn

Popping corn, like oil changing is best guided by science, rather than just hype.

If that's what the manual says then great. I tend to go by what the manual/factory says. I know the time related changes used to be due to the fact condensation can build up in the crankcase on short drives or if starting and stopping the car a lot. Not sure if that's still an issue on modern engines or not.

Ryk600 wrote: ↑

Fri May 03, 2019 5:58 pm

If that's what the manual says then great. I tend to go by what the manual/factory says. I know the time related changes used to be due to the fact condensation can build up in the crankcase on short drives or if starting and stopping the car a lot. Not sure if that's still an issue on modern engines or not.

It is. If you indeed drive VERY short trips, especially up north and/or in cold weather (in which it takes longer for oil to heat up), then yes, use common sense and change your oil at sooner than recommended miles, but unlikely a year would be that soon.

But if you mix in long trips with short ones, then there is no problem. I can't imagine anyone taking ONLY short trips, but I suppose some do.

But I cannot imagine ANY Ryker owner having theirs only as a utility vehicle, taking only daily very short rides. We want to RIDE!