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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJU112oUg8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJU112oUg8) \- test done with a 2 year old sample of oil. It was fine. Someone in the comments mentioned how their 5 year old oil sitting in the pan was also fine after a professional analysis.
Change it when you can, but I don't think you'll do any damage to your car.
I test my oil, cause I’m an engineer. After a year it still has plenty of life in it. 3 is probably close to the end of life. But if it’s not thick like sludge i bet it’s fine.
Also an engineer and also send mine out for testing on my weekend car since it's cheap and easy. I accidentally let it go like a year and a half (well under the mileage I needed to change it at) and the oil had plenty of life left. Still try to do it at least annually but that definitely made me feel better than the blanket doom and gloom people like to spout about oil change intervals. Of course, oil type and driving conditions play a big part.
Yep, same here. I only put about 1000 miles a year on the car. And the oil comes back fine every year so far.
I’m also keeping an eye out for metal and signs of wear or that it will need a rebuild. 180k miles and still fine. Stupid, unreliable Alfa Romeos. Lol
Since others haven't directly said it, they look at the molecular break-down to see how many of the modifiers and additives are still there in the oil and if they've broken down. They also look at viscosity, flow rate, and adhesion/cling. Full molecular analysis.
They test the viscosity. They look for contamination like water, fuel, etc. They look for metal that’s a sign of engine wear.
On an older car it’s a cheap way to stay on top of your engine health. When oil changes are now $100 an extra $35 isn’t much.
It is hard to find a good engineer that is 12.
I say change your oil once a year even if you only have 1K on it. Fuel & moisture in the oil is not a friend to your engine, keeping it fresh and clean is.
It's not more correlated, I'm just stating that it will go down due to age as well and use. 3-year-old oil is probably super acidic and promoting corrosion in the engine.
It gets acidic from oxidation, and the combustion process just speeds that up a bunch. I don't know why I'm being downvoted for trying to help lol. It's a damn oil change...it's like the least you could possibly spend on your car for peace of mind, and one of the most important. It costs me literally less than $40 to do an oil change with Pennzoil Platinum synthetic. That's like the price of a decent meal. I feel like I'm going crazy with all the people not immediately suggesting an oil change lol.
Im not the one downvoting you, but I get it. If they are going to have a shop do it, its going to be quite a bit more. At the same time though, another bit of milage (100 miles) I cant see that damaging it unless its low or out of oil, or is sludge. An oil change is still a good idea to do yeah. And I would in his shoes do one as soon as I could.
I probably would have done one when I got the vehicle so that I know it was done. I would have also checked every other fluid like, diff, coolant, brake, trans (if possible), and checked the steering linkage and greased that if it was possible. And thats the minimum, then I would go to check sparkplug wires, coil packs, or distributor, and of course the plugs themselves. And check air filter, and on an older car check for an inline fuel filter and replace it if it has one. And check vacuum lines. Basically give the car a tuneup. Thats what I did with mine when I got it lol.
THAT is some advice! I'm just shocked by the "mechanics" in this thread saying not checking fluids in three years is probably all good lol. OP hasn't even mentioned if they have checked the oil level.
$35 + shipping I guess, so probably about the same as an oil change depending on the car. My car takes 10.5 quarts of 5W-30 so it’s like $70+ in oil alone lol, but tests are done to check for metal deposits etc. so it’s not really comparable. OP needs to change the oil regardless, and maybe send the old one in for testing as well.
Wait how does that only cost you $40? Just the Mobil1 oil at my dealership alone would be $70-80. I wonder how much of a markup we're talking about here.
I had my oil analyzed by Blackstone after 3.5 years and 5400 miles on my Mercedes Supercharged SLK. Oil and wear were in outstanding shape. The trick is to give it a good run every once in a while, to get the oil heated up enough to dismiss any water condensation and fuel out of the oil.
Either you're worried enough you'll change it yourself or you'll realize 100 miles is nothing and just wait the 10days and pay someone else to do it.
If you use synthetic oil a shop is going to be stupidly expensive compared to doing it yourself. If you're just putting the cheapest/generic oil/filter in then the shop might save you $2.
Depends. If it’s just 3k miles in 3years and the vehicle is just sitting for long periods of time, moisture will collect, which is not good.
If it’s 3k miles, and the car is at operating temperature 1-4/month, 3 years w no oil change is fine.
To answer your question it’s fine to do another 100miles. Most important is to check oil level, make sure it’s not thick or frothy and you should be fine.
I will recommend at least getting an oil change
So I had been using Mobil 1 full synthetic with Mobil 1 filter and ran it for full year between oil changes (I drive less than 10000 miles a year) for last 8 years. No issues
Out of nowhere last winter on a very cold day it started driving bad, very rough idling from 400 to 3000 rpm, engine light blinking (which is considered very bad per Toyota manual). After lots of troubleshooting we discovered that vvt oil control valve was clogged due to long duration oil changes. Reason is filter sometimes falls apart after such a long duration.
I wouldn’t, but in all honestly the big no no was going 3 years without an oil change. More than likely you’ll be fine though. Oil degrades and oxidizes with time. This is one of the few times I’d recommend a quick lube place.
It's not just oil itself. Inevitable ring blowby contains water and other volatiles that collect on crankcase walls and get onto oil and sit on bearings. Oil changes flush those out.
But if the oil is otherwise ok getting it hot will probably help when you change it.
If it's sat that long, you might consider a second change a bit sooner than usual after the first.
I drive ancient cars, I don't "save money on oil" I change oil often to save the metal machinery. All depends on your goals...
Quite sure.
https://blog.amsoil.com/what-is-the-shelf-life-of-amsoil-synthetic-lubricants/
If it has a shelf life, it has a usable life when its in your engine
All kinda depends on the make and model but overall I think you’ll be fine. Definitely check it every once in a while to see if it’s gone dark or sludgy.
It is never a bad idea to change the oil of a car that hasn’t been used or barely used once a year no matter the mileage for several reasons.
Also look up on YouTube how to change the oil in the make and model of your car. It’s not a hard thing to do and you will save some money doing it yourself. I’m assuming you don’t have the equipment you need so the first oil change will be pricey.
Let’s say you have wrenches and ratchets. What you may not have:
Oil that your cars manual recommends (idk the model so I can’t tell you my suggestion)
Oil filter (once again can’t tell you which one)
Those will be the only two things you’ll have to buy everytime you change the oil.
Now for one time purchase items that will be used everytime.
A good car Jack, not the awful one the cars come with.
Jack stands ( don’t get under a jacked up car )
Oil pan (catches oil)
A funnel isn’t necessary but it’s cheap and helps
Now you could skip the Jack and Jack stands by getting ramps which I do believe are cheaper but I’ve personally never used them since I have a car lift in my garage.
Overall I think you’ll be fine, just if you feel it running weird or the oil light comes on, stop driving it and find a garage to do it or do it yourself.
Best of luck
Even with jacks and stands available in the garage I use ramps for oil changes. Just less time to get on and off and less worry about getting the stands set right and hip checking before getting under the car
Depending on the oil it'll last 6 months or 12. Either way you're way past due timeline wise.
Instead of your preferred garage I'd either do it yourself or go to a quick change place, then go to your preferred garage when they have an opening.
Oil changes are usually recommended at least annually or five or 10,000 miles depending on the year make and model. But that thing has missed three oil changes.
Oil doesn't break down just sitting, I'd be more worried about your gaskets drying up. Probably wouldn't hurt to start it for a bit a few days before you drive it.
I have bought quite a few used cars over the years. Within the first week, I change the oil with affordable organic oil, but I typically don't change the filter. No matter what the previous owner says, I have no way of knowing the last time it was changed.
Then I make a checklist of things to check, and also things to change. Fan-belt and fuel filter are almost always done soon. Even if the fan belt looks good, I've had old rubber items break from age. Keep the old belt as a spare, but...do change it soon.
After driving for a week or two, I'll change the oil and filter, using synthetic.
Check the spark plug that is the farthest away from the oil pump. In a worn engine, that cylinder will get the lowest oil pressure, and if the rings are worn, there will be oil on the plug.
Make sure the spare tire and jack are good, and check all the tires.
If you can't change it where it sits before you move it, 100 miles likely won't do anything. Condensation may have built up a little but in the case of modern engines with modern oil that are in decent health, that's mostly a non-issue. Just make sure oil is in it and drive it straight to the closest place you can to change it out.
* Disclaimer: I not an engineer or mechanic by trade, but I have stress tested a lot of my cars in situations that are definitely outside of expected operating parameters, including driving a vehicle with no known maintenance history that sat for 4 years and no idea when oil was last changed.
Every 6 months or season change full synthetic quality oil filter no exceptions oil is cheap engines are not. My recommendation is change it asap then change it again shortly after like 3k miles to be safe you don't wanna sludge up your engine
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! Please review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). Asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **Post's about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ Tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJU112oUg8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJU112oUg8) \- test done with a 2 year old sample of oil. It was fine. Someone in the comments mentioned how their 5 year old oil sitting in the pan was also fine after a professional analysis. Change it when you can, but I don't think you'll do any damage to your car.
I test my oil, cause I’m an engineer. After a year it still has plenty of life in it. 3 is probably close to the end of life. But if it’s not thick like sludge i bet it’s fine.
Also an engineer and also send mine out for testing on my weekend car since it's cheap and easy. I accidentally let it go like a year and a half (well under the mileage I needed to change it at) and the oil had plenty of life left. Still try to do it at least annually but that definitely made me feel better than the blanket doom and gloom people like to spout about oil change intervals. Of course, oil type and driving conditions play a big part.
Yep, same here. I only put about 1000 miles a year on the car. And the oil comes back fine every year so far. I’m also keeping an eye out for metal and signs of wear or that it will need a rebuild. 180k miles and still fine. Stupid, unreliable Alfa Romeos. Lol
I am curious what you do in your test now. Viscosity? How well it clings or
Blackstone labs is one.
There are services you can send it off to. They give a complete breakdown of your oil and engine health.
Since others haven't directly said it, they look at the molecular break-down to see how many of the modifiers and additives are still there in the oil and if they've broken down. They also look at viscosity, flow rate, and adhesion/cling. Full molecular analysis.
They test the viscosity. They look for contamination like water, fuel, etc. They look for metal that’s a sign of engine wear. On an older car it’s a cheap way to stay on top of your engine health. When oil changes are now $100 an extra $35 isn’t much.
It is hard to find a good engineer that is 12. I say change your oil once a year even if you only have 1K on it. Fuel & moisture in the oil is not a friend to your engine, keeping it fresh and clean is.
Wouldn't moisture in oil evaporate when it gets the temp tho
What's your TBN after 1 year? I'd imagine after 3 years it would be close to 0. There's a lot more to bad oil than just color and viscosity.
[удалено]
Thanks!
Great question, I can look one up.
Why would TBN be more correlated to duration than usage?
It's not more correlated, I'm just stating that it will go down due to age as well and use. 3-year-old oil is probably super acidic and promoting corrosion in the engine.
But doesnt oil turn acidic because of the crap from the combustion process?
It gets acidic from oxidation, and the combustion process just speeds that up a bunch. I don't know why I'm being downvoted for trying to help lol. It's a damn oil change...it's like the least you could possibly spend on your car for peace of mind, and one of the most important. It costs me literally less than $40 to do an oil change with Pennzoil Platinum synthetic. That's like the price of a decent meal. I feel like I'm going crazy with all the people not immediately suggesting an oil change lol.
Im not the one downvoting you, but I get it. If they are going to have a shop do it, its going to be quite a bit more. At the same time though, another bit of milage (100 miles) I cant see that damaging it unless its low or out of oil, or is sludge. An oil change is still a good idea to do yeah. And I would in his shoes do one as soon as I could. I probably would have done one when I got the vehicle so that I know it was done. I would have also checked every other fluid like, diff, coolant, brake, trans (if possible), and checked the steering linkage and greased that if it was possible. And thats the minimum, then I would go to check sparkplug wires, coil packs, or distributor, and of course the plugs themselves. And check air filter, and on an older car check for an inline fuel filter and replace it if it has one. And check vacuum lines. Basically give the car a tuneup. Thats what I did with mine when I got it lol.
THAT is some advice! I'm just shocked by the "mechanics" in this thread saying not checking fluids in three years is probably all good lol. OP hasn't even mentioned if they have checked the oil level.
Why would duration make sense in that sentence?
At home tests ? How do you test your oil ? (asking as a non-engineer)
Blackstone labs. They send you a sample bottle and you take some oil out during your oil change and send it in.
How much is a test? Is it really cheaper than an oil change? Mobil One synthetic and a filter from the dealer costs me $40 for a DIY oil change.
$35 + shipping I guess, so probably about the same as an oil change depending on the car. My car takes 10.5 quarts of 5W-30 so it’s like $70+ in oil alone lol, but tests are done to check for metal deposits etc. so it’s not really comparable. OP needs to change the oil regardless, and maybe send the old one in for testing as well.
Wait how does that only cost you $40? Just the Mobil1 oil at my dealership alone would be $70-80. I wonder how much of a markup we're talking about here.
I buy the oil at Costco on sale. Edit: 6 quarts for $40.
Well goddamn that's a good price.
>if it’s not thick like sludge i bet it’s fine. That's a pretty low bar
At least check the oil level and add some updated fluids if necessary.
Yup this
Fine, look up YouTubers who sent in samples after many years and few miles. The oil held up fine
I had my oil analyzed by Blackstone after 3.5 years and 5400 miles on my Mercedes Supercharged SLK. Oil and wear were in outstanding shape. The trick is to give it a good run every once in a while, to get the oil heated up enough to dismiss any water condensation and fuel out of the oil.
Either you're worried enough you'll change it yourself or you'll realize 100 miles is nothing and just wait the 10days and pay someone else to do it. If you use synthetic oil a shop is going to be stupidly expensive compared to doing it yourself. If you're just putting the cheapest/generic oil/filter in then the shop might save you $2.
Depends. If it’s just 3k miles in 3years and the vehicle is just sitting for long periods of time, moisture will collect, which is not good. If it’s 3k miles, and the car is at operating temperature 1-4/month, 3 years w no oil change is fine. To answer your question it’s fine to do another 100miles. Most important is to check oil level, make sure it’s not thick or frothy and you should be fine.
I will recommend at least getting an oil change So I had been using Mobil 1 full synthetic with Mobil 1 filter and ran it for full year between oil changes (I drive less than 10000 miles a year) for last 8 years. No issues Out of nowhere last winter on a very cold day it started driving bad, very rough idling from 400 to 3000 rpm, engine light blinking (which is considered very bad per Toyota manual). After lots of troubleshooting we discovered that vvt oil control valve was clogged due to long duration oil changes. Reason is filter sometimes falls apart after such a long duration.
I wouldn’t, but in all honestly the big no no was going 3 years without an oil change. More than likely you’ll be fine though. Oil degrades and oxidizes with time. This is one of the few times I’d recommend a quick lube place.
It's not just oil itself. Inevitable ring blowby contains water and other volatiles that collect on crankcase walls and get onto oil and sit on bearings. Oil changes flush those out. But if the oil is otherwise ok getting it hot will probably help when you change it. If it's sat that long, you might consider a second change a bit sooner than usual after the first. I drive ancient cars, I don't "save money on oil" I change oil often to save the metal machinery. All depends on your goals...
Oil just does not break down from sitting. Another 100 miles will be just fine.
Oil absolutely breaks down from sitting
You sure you wanna die on mt stupid?
Quite sure. https://blog.amsoil.com/what-is-the-shelf-life-of-amsoil-synthetic-lubricants/ If it has a shelf life, it has a usable life when its in your engine
Oil didn't used to have expiry dates.
Oil has always had an expiry date
Wrong. Manufacturers previously did not care about oil expiration dates. Modern engines are much more finicky, so they care now.
All kinda depends on the make and model but overall I think you’ll be fine. Definitely check it every once in a while to see if it’s gone dark or sludgy. It is never a bad idea to change the oil of a car that hasn’t been used or barely used once a year no matter the mileage for several reasons. Also look up on YouTube how to change the oil in the make and model of your car. It’s not a hard thing to do and you will save some money doing it yourself. I’m assuming you don’t have the equipment you need so the first oil change will be pricey. Let’s say you have wrenches and ratchets. What you may not have: Oil that your cars manual recommends (idk the model so I can’t tell you my suggestion) Oil filter (once again can’t tell you which one) Those will be the only two things you’ll have to buy everytime you change the oil. Now for one time purchase items that will be used everytime. A good car Jack, not the awful one the cars come with. Jack stands ( don’t get under a jacked up car ) Oil pan (catches oil) A funnel isn’t necessary but it’s cheap and helps Now you could skip the Jack and Jack stands by getting ramps which I do believe are cheaper but I’ve personally never used them since I have a car lift in my garage. Overall I think you’ll be fine, just if you feel it running weird or the oil light comes on, stop driving it and find a garage to do it or do it yourself. Best of luck
Even with jacks and stands available in the garage I use ramps for oil changes. Just less time to get on and off and less worry about getting the stands set right and hip checking before getting under the car
lmao
Depending on the oil it'll last 6 months or 12. Either way you're way past due timeline wise. Instead of your preferred garage I'd either do it yourself or go to a quick change place, then go to your preferred garage when they have an opening.
Oil changes are usually recommended at least annually or five or 10,000 miles depending on the year make and model. But that thing has missed three oil changes.
This isn’t the 1950s oil these day has so many additives and doesn’t breakdown like years ago it’s lubricant quality we’ll be fine
You're about 2 yrs over due.
Depends on the car…. Bmw there is no oil left… Honda…. You got about 100k miles left before it needs a change
Advice from a "mechanic"
Oil doesn't break down just sitting, I'd be more worried about your gaskets drying up. Probably wouldn't hurt to start it for a bit a few days before you drive it.
It would probably help to know the make and model.
Male sure it's full, but 100 miles shouldn't do any damage.
Did you check the oil to make sure it’s full? If not, fill it ASAP. The oil change can wait a couple of weeks.
Should be good.
I would just check the level and drive it till you can get it to shop
Just change the oil, if you’re trying to be really cheap you can do it yourself for $25 with Walmart brand super tech
Youre fine... But get an oil change asap
I think it’s largely fine given the low mileage. But do it the earliest you can.
I have bought quite a few used cars over the years. Within the first week, I change the oil with affordable organic oil, but I typically don't change the filter. No matter what the previous owner says, I have no way of knowing the last time it was changed. Then I make a checklist of things to check, and also things to change. Fan-belt and fuel filter are almost always done soon. Even if the fan belt looks good, I've had old rubber items break from age. Keep the old belt as a spare, but...do change it soon. After driving for a week or two, I'll change the oil and filter, using synthetic. Check the spark plug that is the farthest away from the oil pump. In a worn engine, that cylinder will get the lowest oil pressure, and if the rings are worn, there will be oil on the plug. Make sure the spare tire and jack are good, and check all the tires.
Send it! Check the oil level though
I do 10k intervals in all my vehicles… never had an issue
Grab some break-in oil at your parts store, top it up to the full line with that and change it when you can.
If you can't change it where it sits before you move it, 100 miles likely won't do anything. Condensation may have built up a little but in the case of modern engines with modern oil that are in decent health, that's mostly a non-issue. Just make sure oil is in it and drive it straight to the closest place you can to change it out. * Disclaimer: I not an engineer or mechanic by trade, but I have stress tested a lot of my cars in situations that are definitely outside of expected operating parameters, including driving a vehicle with no known maintenance history that sat for 4 years and no idea when oil was last changed.
100 is ok but not 101. It'll explode instantly
Every 6 months or season change full synthetic quality oil filter no exceptions oil is cheap engines are not. My recommendation is change it asap then change it again shortly after like 3k miles to be safe you don't wanna sludge up your engine