Suzy S2000

Everytime I ask this question, everyone has a different response. I want to get to the bottom of this.
What is more critical for oil changes?
Are they to be performed every time that you reach 5,000 miles or is timing more critical and you are to have the oil change performed at every 3-4 months?

I drive less than 9,000 miles a year and I want to know if its best to perform the oil change driven by mileage as opposed to a quarter-month timing.

Any thoughts?

DeeDubya

The service manual says to watch the maintenance minder (push the trip button until the oil life displays) on your '07. However, if you have very low mileage (like me) to change it every year. That's it, maintenance minder or every year. I,ve got 3k on my '07 and it will soon be at a year.

Rodney

all depends on how you use the car. for instance, my daily driver i change the oil every 2500 (50/50 mix of highway/town) lots of short trips (1/2 mile). the wife's daily i swap every 5k (all highway, 100 miles a day). my race car i change every 100 miles or so.

the 9000 miles you drive, does it happen consistantly? 25 miles a day? or does it sit all week, then you put 150 miles on it during the weekend? that needs to be determined so you can tailor your maintainence schedule to you.

Suzy S2000

I take it to the dealer so they reset my maintenance minder each time. They keep the oil change sticker on my window at 15%; however, I've been taking it in at 40% just in case.

Suzy S2000

I use my car daily and put on about 20 miles per day (more or less). I have a small commute from home to work. And on a few (very few) occasion I will take a longer drive about 100 miles in the weekend.
Based on my commute what are your thoughts about the maintenance?

INTJ

Just use the MM. That is what it is there for, exactly your condition.

INDYMAC

Assuming that you will continue the same driving habits and use the dealer to do the maintenance with whatever bulk oil and filter (he should be using the PCX-004 filter), then 5000 mile servicing would be a good idea. If you switch to synthetic or synthetic blend you would be fine going to 7500/1 year maintenance. Doing a used oil analysis would help you find out for sure what works best though.
I'm not familiar with how accurate the oil life monitor is, so I can't recommend it. Sorry.
I hope this helps.

Suzy S2000

Thanks for the tip, it was helpful.
I do and will continue to take the car to get serviced to the same dealership... in the end it weighs in my favor.

Also, dyno oil works for me, I don't do enough performance driving to consider synthetic. Thanks for the tip on this as well

Rodney

personally, given those driving habits, i would do an oil change every 3k~3500 or so. that works out to to oil changes every 4 months, 3 oil changes a year.

some will say this may be overkill, but imho it is not. short trips need higher maintainence. if you were to do it every 5k, or even the recommended 7500, that would be one oil change a year.... not worth it if you want to keep the car. if it is a leased car, and you are selling/trading it ina few years, then by all means do what is cheapest for you. but, if you are keeping it, oil changes every 3k will work out just dandy...

Blacknot

I run Mobil1 and change mine every 4-5k. I drive close to 20k a year. 7,500 miles seems long on a sports car