I just thought about this since my 3 months is up and time to change my oil. I hardly drive my car. Probably put about a thousand mile every three months. I know they say to change your oil every 3000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. yeah I am trying to save money right now since 6qts of synthetic (I have a larger oil capacity) is costly.

Is it really necessary to change (well in my case) every 3 months?

~Robert

 

they say that with the idea of if you do a ton of stop and go heavy traffic driving. Idleing for long periods of time can wash down your cylinder walls and get gas into the crankcase. 3 months of doing that everyday will dilute the oil a bit. So if your car actually sat for most of that time, then your fine.

 

That's right, I didn't change my oil until about a year after I bought my car brand new and even at that I had only 1,419 miles on the car. I don't even have 3,000 miles on it right now; lol. Check your oil dip stick, when you take it out, wipe it with a clean white towel and see if the oil is dark or gold. That will help. If it is gold, you don't have to change your oil. If it is dark.....well you know what to do

 

Wait until 3K miles...

 

Thanks that was very informative. So pretty much to sum it all, if it is gold it is good but if it is black then time to change Gotcha

~Robert

 

Also if you park the car outside and there is large temperature changes you will get condensation in your crank just like in the gas tank. So even if you don't drive the car at all you should still change your oil every 6 months or so. But then again you shouldn't be letting your car sit like that. Sell it to someone who will enjoy it.

 

3k miles is completely unnecessary. BMW's run mobile 1 and recommend oil changes every 15k miles.

The reason they say 3 months is because acids build up in the oil. If the car is going to sit a while you should change the oil so you don't have acids just sitting there eating away the metal.

 

I follow the recommendations in the manual. I know. Call me crazy.

 

I would do it once a year if i didn't do 3k miles.

 

once a year that is insane. I try to drive my car every two weeks just so my car won't die. Maybe I should do it at least a week. Thanks for the advice/opinion guys.

~Robert

 

The engine warranty requires legal proof of 180 day oil changes regardless if the car was driven zero miles. The English is legally clear in warranty booklet.

 

1 year. Amsoil. Nuff said.

People need to stop buying the bs oil change companies try to push you.

 

Haha. I'm in the same boat you're in, only I probably drive mine once a month. It's been 1 1/2 years since I've changed my oil. I've meaning to do it sometime this week. I run Mobile 1 0-40w. I like this stuff...

 

from Resolute in the VQ analysis thread:

How many miles should I drive before changing my oil?
If you want to stay in warranty, then follow Nissan’s guidelines. If you’re outside of warranty, or don’t care to follow Nissan’s guidelines while you’re in warranty, then there are oils which have been shown to protect the VQ engine for long drain intervals (over 12k miles). Check the comparison chart for oil samples with a high TBN value for a good option to use. However, if the car sees heavy track time or is FI, then normal oil change intervals may be in order- get a UOA to be sure.

Should I change my oil based on the time, or just the mileage?
As discussed, an oil’s performance degrades with use. Over time, the base stocks succumb to oxidation from heat, which leads to contaminate byproducts, varnish, and corrosion wear. Moisture degrades the base stocks (hydrolysis) and draws additives from suspension (water washing). Contaminates become catalysts for reactions, and can contribute to acid production (sludge). The viscosity Index improvers shear with use, and contribute to acid build-up and eventual base stock degradation. Even if you have low miles, but lots of time between oil changes, additives may fall out of suspension and moisture build-up will contaminate the oil. I personally don't usually go much longer than a year between oil changes, even with low mileage. A UOA will better inform you about when to change your oil by checking for additive depletion, a low TBN, and any moisture build-up.

 

6 quarts?

 

I change the oil in my z every 3 months regardless of the miles driven. I rarely drive more than 1,000 miles every three months. I also have the oil analyzed by Blackstone Laboratories.

 

can you send me $50 cause your wasting your hard owned $!

 

Wow, a little part of my soul just died hearing how little some of you drive your Zs. Mine is a daily and I wouldnt have it any other way!! I try to change every 3-5K depending on how the oil looks and the level and whatnot...

 

What is blackstone telling you? I can't believe they are telling you to keep going like that. Almost all of the reports from there in the VQ oil thread are saying to push more like 7k-10k depending on driving. My oil is going out soon, so I can tell you if my schedule works (7k)

 

I use synthetic and i follow Nissan maintenance guide changing it every 3,750 miles.