I don’t drive a lot and wonder if it’s time to change my oil yet. I’m in Canada, and most of my drives are very short, just a few kilometers at a time. I’ve heard that short trips are harder on the engine. Should I go ahead and change it now, or is it fine to wait longer?
Edit: Thanks, everyone! I’ve decided to change it ASAP based on your advice.
You should change it. Oil can lose effectiveness over time, and it’s better to change it at least once a year. Spending a little on maintenance now can save you from big engine problems later.
Kelly said:
You should change it. Oil can lose effectiveness over time, and it’s better to change it at least once a year. Spending a little on maintenance now can save you from big engine problems later.
Completely agree. It’s not expensive, and it should be done regularly based on time or mileage. Better safe than sorry.
Kelly said:
You should change it. Oil can lose effectiveness over time, and it’s better to change it at least once a year. Spending a little on maintenance now can save you from big engine problems later.
Good point! Thanks for the advice.
Oil changes are cheap compared to engine repairs. Once a year minimum if you don’t drive much. Nobody’s ever damaged their car by changing oil too often, but skipping it can cause real problems.
The general rule is every six months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first. It’s worth sticking to that.
If you mostly do short trips, you should still change your oil regularly. Short trips don’t let your engine warm up enough, so gas can mix into the oil, and that can lead to issues like damaging seals or even a head gasket in extreme cases. I stick to 5000 km or one year, whichever comes first.
Just change it. Oil changes are inexpensive compared to what engine repairs would cost. I do mine every 3-4k miles or every 4-6 months. Old oil gets full of deposits and contaminants over time.
Instead of guessing, get your oil tested by a lab like Blackstone. They’ll tell you how your oil is holding up, the condition of your engine, and how long you can go before a change. It costs around $30.
@Rey
Or you could just change it for $40 and be done in half an hour.
Bennett said:
@Rey
Or you could just change it for $40 and be done in half an hour.
Testing isn’t a waste of money. It tells you exactly what’s going on with your oil and engine. Also, don’t forget the time spent recycling oil and cleaning up after the change.
@Rey
Normally, I’d agree, but with the short trips and 13-month-old oil, it’s a good idea to just change it.
Florian said:
@Rey
Normally, I’d agree, but with the short trips and 13-month-old oil, it’s a good idea to just change it.
Short trips might not heat up the engine enough, but modern engines warm up pretty fast. Still, a test would confirm the actual condition of the oil.
If you’re using regular oil, change it. Over time, it can become acidic, and short trips don’t let moisture burn off, which speeds up breakdown and corrosion. I switched to full synthetic, and even though I don’t drive much, I do 1-2 changes a year. I had my oil tested once, and it was fine.
@Rowan
Synthetic oil is great, but even with that, moisture build-up can still be a problem if you’re not driving long enough for it to burn off.