[ihc95]

It's been exactly 1 year since I last got an oil change and over that year, school and work have limited me to driving the car only 2500 miles. Ideally I'd like to change the oil every 5k miles so that would put me at next summer for the next oil change. I understand that is a lot of time so my question is, would the oil break down and lose its viscosity, potentially causing damage or would the car be fine?

Thanks!

[Eat.Sleep.Race]

curious to know as well, i bought my car about 6 months ago and put 600 miles on it..

[Miller335]

Just my opinion 5k-7.5k miles or once a year whichever comes first.
To get into more detail, 5k on a turbo engine and 7.5k on a NA engine.

[mikex25]

I usually do 5k

[shmorgan77]

I did 5k with stock turbos
3k with rb's and plan to do
3k with a single turbo

[shadow191]

It's not going to break down by just sitting there. But if you take a lot of short trips, then shut the car off which is probably what happens since mileage is so low, it's causing condensation and potential sludge. Having said that, I doubt waiting until next summer is going to cause any real issues. My service indicator says 12/15 for my next oil change. It's said that since I reset it at 11/13 during my last oil change.

So totally up to you, if it's going to bug you until next summer, you might as well change it for peace of mind.

Originally Posted by shadow191

But if you take a lot of short trips, then shut the car off which is probably what happens since mileage is so low, it's causing condensation and potential sludge.

I'd be more concerned with fuel dilution; that will definitely reduce viscosity.

Only a UOA will tell you for sure though.

[EJ_3]

I believe BMW recommends 15k miles or once a year, whichever comes first. I put about 2.5-5k miles a year on my car. Change the oil every 6 months (Jan and Jul) regardless of miles.

[atinybug]

Once a year. Most exotic garage queens like Ferraris that get driven like 1k miles a year recommend changing oil once a year.

[ihc95]

Thanks for the replies guys.

[drewnel22]

I would do an oil analysis and they can let you know what condition the oil is in. The analysis is $25. If it can go another 6 months you will easily make that $25 back from changing the oil when it actually needs it.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Oil should be changed once a year or every 12,000 miles on this car.

I recommend once a year or about 7500 miles for a car driven in extreme/harsh conditions.

Of course an oil analysis is the best way to go about knowing when you should need one but people rarely do it.