Oil Change question?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,233
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From: Hyde Park New York
Oil Change question?
So I change my Oil before putting the Vette away for the winter and usually change it in the spring. I uses all sorts of dry bags around the car in the garage and the moisture is almost nil. Do I really need to change it in the spring? Opinions please!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Brighton MI
No, it will be fine. I usually wait and change mine in the Spring, but you shouldn't have any issues. Just make sure you take a nice long drive and get 'er up to operating temp for awhile and that will boil off any moisture that has accumulated.
Team Owner
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Bill aka ET
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Jan 13, 2014 at 06:56 PM.
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Race Director
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From: SE Pennsylvania
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Oldtimer
yup, what he said !
There is no reason to change the oil before you put it away as long as the down time does not fall after the total time the oil has been in the car since the last change. the oil can not exceed 1 year. The PH starts to creep up after a year and turns the synthetic into an acidic state. The one year is just a rule of thumb you do not want to exceed.. its a benchmark.. I've already had some giant of auto technology argue with me that what I said and what we put into the owners manual reads as if magically after 1 year ( 365 days ) the oil will turn acidic, which is doesn't. With minds sets like this, all I can tell you is to be careful who you listen too on this forum.. Use the Oil Life monitor, it works, you can take it to 0 oil life or 0ne year which ever comes first. At 10 % oil life remaining you will get a message saying 10% oil life remaining, at thi9s time you need to get an appointment or buy oil and a filter so when the oil gets to 0 you can get the oil changed or do it yourself. Don't forget to reset the OLM.
Bill aka ET
Bill aka ET
You can't get a better endorsement than this ! The oil life monitor is never wrong ! I do mine every August with the sate inspection. It takes awhile, but sooner or later, you have to sit back and let the folks who engineered the car to advise you how to feed and rest your baby.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
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If it was changed in the fall right before being tucked away for the winter, wouldn't it still be fresh when you start driving in the spring? After all, what's the difference between fresh oil in the crankcase and fresh oil in plastic jugs on the shelf?
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
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You can't get a better endorsement than this ! The oil life monitor is never wrong ! I do mine every August with the sate inspection. It takes awhile, but sooner or later, you have to sit back and let the folks who engineered the car to advise you how to feed and rest your baby.
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04
the difference is in the hydro carbon atoms that are part of the internal combustion . This is why the shelf life " In the jug " is much longer than the oil in the crank case. IN reality people, tend to over think things. either way works, but the secret is consistency. Do it in the spring or do it in the fall, and do not deviate.
Instructor
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From: ct
UOTE=Evil-Twin;1585913609]the difference is in the hydro carbon atoms that are part of the internal combustion . This is why the shelf life " In the jug " is much longer than the oil in the crank case. IN reality people, tend to over think things. either way works, but the secret is consistency. Do it in the spring or do it in the fall, and do not deviate.[/QUOTE]
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Since you changed it right before you put it in storage, there is no need at all to change it again in the spring. Just a waste of money to do so.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
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the difference is in the hydro carbon atoms that are part of the internal combustion . This is why the shelf life " In the jug " is much longer than the oil in the crank case. IN reality people, tend to over think things. either way works, but the secret is consistency. Do it in the spring or do it in the fall, and do not deviate.
Last edited by thisMSGgood4me; Jan 13, 2014 at 11:39 PM.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 261
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From: Appleton WI
I'm not a chemist nor a engineer. If I run my car all summer and track it a few times, I will change the oil at the end of the season. A car with new oil will not go bad next Spring. Yes it may have moisture in it but so will a car that sits in the Summer. Let her warm up and all is good.
I welcome a chemical engineer's input.
I welcome a chemical engineer's input.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,284
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From: Rockledge FL
I love science. To definitely answer your question take a sample and send it out for an oil analysis after it sits over the winter. Before a year long deployment I took a sample of my mobil 1 that was in the crankcase and sent it in then a year later when i came back sent in another sample and it came back with the same results. All of the numbers were the same. Disclaimer. The files are on a long lost hard drive so believe my claim or not.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
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From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
It is more likely to get more condensation in the oil sitting in the engine during the winter than sitting in sealed containers , but I think it is just stupid to even make it such a big topic. It's not that critical for most of these cars since they are not driven much in the summer anyway and they use synthetic oil .