why87

Do you guys normally change the oil before you park it, or wait until the spring and change it then? I've normally just parked it and waited til spring to change it, but I only changed the oil twice this past year (Amsoil synthetic roughly ~3200 miles on last change).

Beck2013

I just change it in the spring. I am at 5,000 on synthetic and when it was changed last the oil wasn't even dirty or discolored. I do a lot of highway miles.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I always do this in the spring. I wouldn't bother doing it before storage unless the oil is already at the end of it's normal change interval.

StoopidOme

wait until spring ...just in case you tear into your motor to replace the cam and heads santa brings you for christmas

egott_91

iTrader: (1)

I only change the oil in the SS once a year with synthetic and that's in the spring. Just wait till the spring. Especially with only 3200 miles on AMSOIL.

Camaro_94

iTrader: (5)

I would wait for the spring.

01 ss vert

iTrader: (1)

Waiting till springs prevents exposure to moisture....wait it out.

Chevyguy2001

Change it

FryZ71

I change the oil once a year, in the spring when the cars come out of storage...unfortunately nowadays I only get to put @1k miles between the 2 cars per season.

DuronClocker

iTrader: (25)

I was also changing the oil once a year in the wife's T/A when we lived up north and parked it for the winter. Do it in the spring to get any moisture accumulated over the winter out of there.

Changing the oil now isn't going to do anything beneficial.. its just sitting in the bottom of the pan anyways.

cranny

My LS1 consumes so much oil I don't even have to change it. I just add a quart every couple hundred miles. I also did the LS6 valley cover and added a catch can to no avail.

Bocefus

iTrader: (17)

I can't believe almost everyone is saying to wait until Spring. I don't agree with that at all but to each their own.

The last thing you want is dirty, used oil sitting in your engine all winter with the acidic combustion byproducts eating away at your metal. You want fresh, clean oil sitting in there, and I do a fresh oil change for my TransAm and my lawn mowers before storage every year. Any minor moisture incurred over the winter will be quickly burned off after a good long drive in the Spring. A quick google search on winter storage preparation will find this is pretty much a universal recommendation.

http://www.porschenet.com/winter.html
http://www.miata.net/garage/winterprep.html
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...Number=1255667

NDFORSPD

^ this. It is better to coat the cylinder walls in CLEAN/NON ACIDIC oil before storage than to do it in spring. This practice is especially followed with marine engines but the principle applies the same to cars/vehicles.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Changing it prior to storage is only necessary if the oil is already at or near the end of it's change interval/service life. For those of us only driving our cars about 1k miles per year or less, the oil is still freash enough that it's simply not necessary to change it prior to storage (unless said mileage was accumulated only in short trips or under other severe conditions).

Do what you like, but I've been following the spring-only change pratice now for over a decade with my garage queens to no ill effects whatsoever. Actually, sometimes I even skip a year when I've only put ~300 miles or so on a car with synthetic oil in it.

Bocefus

iTrader: (17)

Yeah, if you are talking about super low miles on the oil like less than 1,000 in your case, then you would most likely be ok, but in the OP's case of 3,200 miles, I would change it.

bayer-z28

iTrader: (14)

I change my oil once a year in the spring with Amsoil signature blend. I only drive it on the weekends and the car may only see 5k miles a year.

Mr Incredible

I change every 2.5 years or 3k miles, whichever comes first.

green28

iTrader: (8)

I've always changed mine in the spring. Used to be where I would drive enough miles to where I was changing it twice a year. Lately though I've been in the 1-3k mile a year range and will just put some fresh oil in come spring time.

Rated Z

I put about 1-2k on my car a year. I change it when it comes out of storage in the spring. The oil is typically still very fresh when I store it. I use Mobil 1 synthetic.