Retired - Maintenance ??

3 month oil change interval seems excessive unless you are using a vehicle as a taxi around town 4+ hours a day 20 days a month.

It's normal to have a trace amts of gasoline in oil. <= 1% is a typical spec according to Blackstone oil analysis. My oil always smells slightly gassy, regardless of whether the miles I put on it are around town or long (>200 mile) highway drives.

It is important to get your engine up to operating temp occasionally and keep it there for a good 25-30 minutes or longer to gradually boil any accumulated water out of the engine oil. Takes some time to do that. Just go for a long drive to nowhere and back if that's what it takes. In my case, in winter/wet months I will do that at least once every 10-15 short around-town trips.

 

Thanks - sounds like we could be twins - Tacoma use wise !

 

"It is important to get your engine up to operating temp occasionally and keep it there for a good 25-30 minutes or longer to gradually boil any accumulated water out of the engine oil." I do what I'd consider a short trip once in a while of 25-30 minutes so I guess according to your guide line I'm A OK. Thanks.

 

"I leave it in a lower gear to get the rpms up to help get the engine hot'' Sounds like the old Italian Tuneup.

 

Taking a 25-30 minute drive on an interstate makes a lot more sense than oil changes every 3 months, sometimes you can’t see the forest from the trees. Thanks

 

Thanks for all the replies - to each his own I guess - lots of opinions.

 

I thought the industry standard for synthetic was 1 year if you don’t hit the recommended mileage, with most folks understanding that the oil can safely last longer than that depending on the climate and type/amount of driving?

I think I saw a couple comparisons between a non-driven vehicle and oil sitting in the original sealed container, meaning packaged shelf life should equal non-driven life. We’re talking about a sealed container with exposure to only the oxygen and moisture that was in the container when it was sealed. Oil in an engine is exposed to an open environment with the moisture and oxygen it contains, which means oxidation and the production of acids, both of which break down the oil. So, assuming you believe the shelf life of a sealed bottle of oil is legitimate, oil in an engine, even a car this is never driven, will not last as long as the sealed container’s shelf life.