I've only had the 2005 XK8 for a year. We've only driven it 2500 miles in that year. it now has a little over 30,000 miles on it. I always changed my oil at 5000 or 1 year, which ever comes first. With the price of oil and filters and only 2500 miles, it's painful to change it. If it's going to hurt it, not changing it is not an option. Do any of you go longer than a year when it's not not been driven but very little.

Jack

 

I change oil every two years, both on my 2000 XKR and my wife's 2005 MB SLK. They both is driven 3000-3500 miles per year.
I do not know why you change oil every 5000, are you using very cheap oil?
I only use Castrol Edge. In my mind 10k miles / 2 years is no problem with a quality synthetic engine oil.

 

I change my oil every 5,000 miles, at least. And that’s with a quality synthetic oil. Even though the oil could go longer according to the Mobil1 marketing arm.

At 5,000 miles, a Blackstone Labs oil analysis says that 50% of the oil’s additive package has been used up. In my view, I don’t think it’s prudent to keep the oil in use when the additive package has been reduced beyond 50%.

Maybe not majority thinking, but any car that has 50% of daily driving as stop-and-go is going to be considered by me to be “severe duty”. And thereby benefits from an earlier rather than later oil and filter change.

Z

 

Once a year which is about 5000 miles or so. Oil is cheap, engine work isn't. I would be happy to do more miles on the oil but I don't put much more on it then 5k-7k miles in a year.

 

Mine does less than 2000 miles a year so provided you still use it in the winter to avoid condensation in the sump anything up to 5 years is ok for me.

 

I'd be more concerned whether each time it was driven was it a good distance that got the oil really hot. (At least 20 miles / 20 mins.)

(Though I just change at the make's spec. Oil isn't particularly expensive even now.)

 

£70-80 to change the oil ($100) if its only done 1500 miles does not make sense to me.

 

I never start it without letting it get to full temperature.

 

One aspect of multi-yearly oil changes that I don’t think has been mentioned yet, is the effect of combustion chamber blow-by gases on the engine oil.

Blow-by consists of acidic combustion gases. Once these gases condense and get into the oil it becomes more and more caustic to the bearings.

The main reason for changing engine oil before a winter hibernation, rather than afterwards, is that you do not want the caustic oil eating away at the bearings during long periods of engine inactivity.

Likewise, an oil that has endured numerous short trips that add up to a lessor total mileage can benefit from a yearly oil change vs waiting several years until the mileage on the oil is well
over the 5,000 mile mark.

Oil change intervals are not a clear cut number to be adhered to. There’s more to it than just waiting for the odometer to reach 7,500 or whatever. Time, and especially type of driving, are factors that are of equal importance as the mileage is.

A car that is seldom used, or is used for short durations of less than 20-30 minutes, does quality for the “severe duty” designation.

Z

 

I think your 5,000 mile or 1 year intervals sounds good. I would not want to leave it until 10,000 even though it's acceptable to do so.
If the oil looks fresh/clean at 2,500k I would leave it. If it's starting to get somewhat darker I would change it. I wouldn't bother with the filter until the next change.

Any good quality semi-synthetic will be ok with these reduced intervals, no need to use top of the range synthetics if changing this regularly.

 

I gave my oldest son my 2001 Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 when it had 185,000 miles on it. My 2006 Kia Spectra has 212,000 miles on it. The Ranger now has well over 200,000 miles on odometer and both are still in perfect running condition. Mobil 1 full synthetic at 5,000 mile intervals for both and never missed an oil and filter change.
Every 5000 sure doesn't hurt.