Oil & Fuel Synthetic oil break down with time

[Carl Bert]

Was told by my quick lube place that even if I don't put any miles on my car, I still need to change my synthetic oil once a year.

My car doesn't require oil changes until you hit 13,000 miles. I only put about 6000 a year on this particular car. Any suggestions?

I realize this isn't a tractor question, but if it needs to be done every year with my car, then I guess my tractor would need it too. Thanks

 

[kuboman]

Was told by my quick lube place that even if I don't put any miles on my car, I still need to change my synthetic oil once a year.

My car doesn't require oil changes until you hit 13,000 miles. I only put about 6000 a year on this particular car. Any suggestions?

I realize this isn't a tractor question, but if it needs to be done every year with my car, then I guess my tractor would need it too. Thanks

Never understood the once a year business for a engine that does not run. I am sure that the oil you dump in your engine is quite ofter older than a year. My theory is that if it has been used and then is going to sit for the winter then change it before it is winterized. Otherwise use it until it is time to change.

 

[bindian]

Synthetic oil does not break down. It just becomes unpure. We never change the oil in our jet engines on our Boeing 737 airliners. We do change the filters on a regular basis. There are bypassing filter kits out there for your cars and trucks to run synthetic oil on. Just change the filters and if something clogs the filter, it will bypass. I am not sure if it has an idiot light you can hook up or what, as I have not seen a bypass filter installation on a car or truck.........just jets.

I keep Shell Rotella synthetic oil in my diesel generator and just change the filter once a year, when I crank it up to make sure it is ready to run in a power outage.
hugs, Brandi

 

[5030]

Synthetic oil does not break down. It just becomes unpure. We never change the oil in our jet engines on our Boeing 737 airliners. We do change the filters on a regular basis. There are bypassing filter kits out there for your cars and trucks to run synthetic oil on. Just change the filters and if something clogs the filter, it will bypass. I am not sure if it has an idiot light you can hook up or what, as I have not seen a bypass filter installation on a car or truck.........just jets.
hugs, Brandi

Have any crash lately????

Synthetic oli looses it's additive package due to heat/cool cycles and contamination from combustion byproducts. Just like antifreeze changes Ph from neutral to acidic as it ages and undergoes heat/cool cycles.

I bet your company micronic filters/centrifuges the oil and replaces tha additive package on a regular basis.

 

[bindian]

Have any crash lately????

Synthetic oli looses it's additive package due to heat/cool cycles and contamination from combustion byproducts. Just like antifreeze changes Ph from neutral to acidic as it ages and undergoes heat/cool cycles.

I bet your company micronic filters/centrifuges the oil and replaces tha additive package on a regular basis.

None have crashed. Turbines do burn some oil, so we top it off all the time. But we don't change it. We used to take regular oil samples, but the reliability proved that is not needed.
hugs, Brandi

 

[PHILIP8N]

Get an opinion from another quickie lube!:laughing:

I use 5w-40 synthetic in everything, if I do not hit the mileage or hour mark, I change every two years. An oil analysis will help with your decision. Philip.

 

[Storm56]

Was told by my quick lube place that even if I don't put any miles on my car, I still need to change my synthetic oil once a year.

My car doesn't require oil changes until you hit 13,000 miles. I only put about 6000 a year on this particular car. Any suggestions?

I realize this isn't a tractor question, but if it needs to be done every year with my car, then I guess my tractor would need it too. Thanks

If the vehicle is stored inside where it does not see repeated temp/humidity changes everyday I would not worry about it.

When I was in the service in the late 70's I did a lot of research on synthetics. The govt had independent tests done to see about drain intervals, temp etc. One of the tests was done on a gas 454 chev engine in a dump truck. Synthetic oil was put in at 1000 miles then never changed until 60,000 miles, only the filter at 10,000 mile intervals. At 60,000 the engine was torn down and examined for wear, guess what like brand new, virtually NO WEAR on every part.

In the 80's I worked as a field service engineer for a major computer firm and clocked 25,000+ miles every year. I went to synthetic oil and changed the filter at 10,000, as per the test I listed above, and the whole works once a year. Ran the vehicle for usually 150,000 miles, never a problem. I ran 4 cylinder Honda's and would adjust the valves every 25,000 miles. Those motors were clean as a pin inside. A friend bought one from me and ran it another 140,000 miles until the body fell off. He continued with the same schedule I did, that motor purred like a kitten as he drove it to the bone yard.

My opinion is that a lot of perfectly good oil gets thrown away every year. Don't get me wrong, I am a big believer in maintenance, I just do not buy into the theory about oil going bad sitting there,, especially synthetics.

A lot of good info on stuff like this on the "Bob is the oil guy" forum.

 

[5030]

None have crashed. Turbines do burn some oil, so we top it off all the time. But we don't change it. We used to take regular oil samples, but the reliability proved that is not needed.
hugs, Brandi

Keep in mind that I own a waste oil furnace so it alters my opinion somewhat.

 

[Baby Grand]

If the vehicle is stored inside where it does not see repeated temp/humidity changes everyday I would not worry about it.

<<<snip>>>>

My opinion is that a lot of perfectly good oil gets thrown away every year. Don't get me wrong, I am a big believer in maintenance, I just do not buy into the theory about oil going bad sitting there,, especially synthetics.

A lot of good info on stuff like this on the "Bob is the oil guy" forum.

I'm inclined to agree. When oil was cheap I think the die was cast with the habit of changing oil every 3000 miles, whether it was still good or not. That habit has carried over thru several decades despite advances in filtration, engine quality, and the oil itself. The only caution I would have about running the oil without change for extended periods is to make sure you get the moisture out of it on a regular basis and check that it's still clean. The typical 737 doesn't sit around much - they are always moving; making money for their owners. The bypass filter sounds like a great idea and I didn't know they were even available for smaller engines.