WJBonds

Hi guys - thanks in advance...
A very simple question. My 2014, z51 cnvt is down to about 25% oil life. I will shortly be storing the car for the winter.
Car is stored in a heated garage...
Shall I change the oil now or wait until spring?

JHundertmark

Your choice - & I'm sure you will receive conflicting opinions. I generally change oil after first start-up in the spring. You will probably notice oil life monitor heading to 0% left since the monitor is time based (at least in 2016). I do not start vehicle during the winter unless it will be driven 10 miles or so (5 miles one way to wander into town).

nytrorcr

I change mine before I put her up, BUT this year she will be in a warmer climate and I will drive whenever possible........Tennessee is a better winter driving climate than Ohio.

trivette

Mine get stored on Nov. 1st and I always have the oil changed the week prior. Have used this procedure for 40+ years of Vettes and never had any issues. My garage is heated and I do not start them at all until they're ready to be actually driven sometime in late March/early April.

LIStingray

General consensus of oil experts, especially in the boating world, is to always change the oil before winter layup/storage to get rid of the accumulated acids which reduce bearing life.
In all my boats, and in the Corvette, I change the oil as the last thing prior to storage.

dvilin

I was changing the oil prior to storing my Vette but this past Winter I did it when I put it back on the road. Not sure it makes any difference.

MacMulkin

I posted this in a similar thread, but will post it here:

http://www.CorvetteActionCenter.com/...e/storage.html

Supersonic 427

That is what I do also. I will have the oil changed just prior to storing from November and never start the car till getting it back on the road sometime in April. I will drive with that oil for the new season and change it again next November. I usually drive the Corvette around 3000 miles annually, as it just strictly for pleasure on nice days.

Glennm27

Wait

golden2husky

I change mine in the spring. I stop driving it in December and because the inspection is due in the spring I have done both at the same time. With only 3000 miles (my summer use) on the oil does it really matter? Probably not as long as you actually change it. Garage is heated and I will go for a quick spin once a month as long as there is no salt/sand on the road. The oil life monitor still counts down even as the car sits unused.

JK 23112

I would do it BEFORE you park the car for the winter - so that the amount of "bad stuff" mixed in with your oil will be at a minimum.

You also might want to consider using a fuel stabilizer in the gas tank - especially if you live in an area where they taint the gasoline with ethanol. StaBil & Startron are both good products for that purpose.

You will also find people who will argue about whether to put the car away with 1/2 a tank or a full tank of fuel. Gotta love the Internet!

I live in VA, where we do get very hot and very cold weather. Fortunately, we don't go several months in a row with bitter cold temperatures. The longest period of time it might be "too cold" to drive a Corvette is one or two weeks at the most. After a good snowstorm, we usually will get a day or two where the temperature gets up into the high 40s or low 50s.......which is fine if the roads are dry (don't want winter grime on the car).

RipcordZ51

Same question I asked my dealer last Fall and his recommendation was to leave the oil/filter change until Spring which is what I'll do this year too.

breakskeet

Change the oil now and put it away. Leave yourself a note on the steering wheel to reset the oil life sensor in the spring.

spireland

If it was me I would do both, new oil at storage and when it comes out. Oil is cheaper than engines.

Yes, it's wasteful and overprotective, but it would make me feel better.

Patman

But why do you honestly feel the need to change oil in the spring when it's still perfectly good? It hasn't degraded one bit by sitting in your engine all winter long. That's just like pouring brand new oil right out of the bottle straight into the garbage.

spireland

I said it my post. It's wasteful, but it makes me feel better to do fluid changes and this type of preventative work.

I'ts risk mitigation. The chance that the oil had an issue when it goes into storage is crazy low but to me its not worth the risk of a potential problem, at least with the toys that I store. I've never stored anything as expensive as a corvette, I daily mine, but if I did I wouldn't treat it any different than anything else that sits long term.

dbaker

In the grand scheme of car ownership.....an oil & filter change is cheap.

Why not? One less thing to be concerned about.

\db2

Patman

But when the oil is brand new in the fall when you put the car away, it's still going to be brand new in the spring. There is really nothing at all to be concerned about the condition of that oil once spring arrives.

It's like saying, I changed my oil yesterday but I'm going to change it again today just to be safe because oil is cheap.

millpond

If your oil life is at 25% now, it will probably be overdue in the spring because it is time dependent. Make sure you change the oil at least once every 12 months to keep your power train warranty in effect.

GR Jay

Oxidation and condensation are the reasons I believe some recommend changing at both times. Oil does oxidize and begins to degrade once open to the atmosphere. That is why they say to change every 12 months even if you don't drive many miles. Depending on your climate you could conceivably get some condensation in the engine as well during storage. Draining the oil before you start up in the spring will get the water out. It is likely overkill but for the $30 to $50 it costs who cares?