Low mile year, should I still get annual oil change? (out of warranty)

[ktm525]

time is only a real consideration if the add pack can't deal with any corrosives suspended in the oil. As long as the oil is not corrosive should be fine.

 

[GaryLR4]

That’s every 6,000 miles or 12 months which ever first

 

[disco-stu]

More frequent oil changes seem cheap to me compared to the potential expense of not doing them.

 

[Quijote]

This year, thanks in part to COVID, I am likely to be at under 4k miles at the 12-month mark. I'm still planning on changing the oil then.

 

[PoppyAnn]

4.5k miles is not THAT low - especially with 1k of towing. Many here regularly change the oil at around 5k miles regardless. I change mine yearly and I've had one year with 3.5k miles. If you had said under 2k miles, I'd say maybe consider skipping.

The bigger question is, if you were to skip this one, when would you perform the oil change instead?

I'd just go ahead and change it if I were you.

I only have driven roughly 4.5k in the last 12 months due to the pandemic. Should I still get the annual oil change? My service reminder on the dash just popped up. I have 54k on the car. My last change was at 49.5k.

I do tow about 1k of those miles.

Thanks

Hi there, I spent all of my working life as an engineer and for me I get the oil and filter changed every 12 months no matter what milage I do in the past I use to cover at least 50.000 miles a year and would have it changed every 3 months now I have retired on a high milage year I only do 3000 miles but more like 1500 to 2000 miles but I stick to a 12 month limit the oil still suffers even with low milage or no milage as the engine breathes each time the temp drops it pulls in more air and as it heats up it breathes out and with each breath in the air carries water vapor which condenses inside the engine and it is this water which can break down the oil and as the oil breaks down it does not do its job as well as it should.
Last year I doubt I did a thousand miles but still had it changed, the cost of doing a yearly oil change is much cheaper than having to carry out costly repairs to the engine and do not think that as you do your own work on the car that repairs don't cost that much the time you spend working on the car is time you cannot do other things that you enjoy time is expensive so don't waste any if possible.

Regards Poppy Ann.