Jeff 97 Formula

Like the title says, how long can an oil filter stay on the car before replacing? (I always replace every time I change my oil, but I tend to put on average only 1500-2000 miles per year therefore my oil changes are typically once a year).

Mobil1 5w30 w/Napa Gold 1069 oil filter

Firebrian

Since you're on the annual oil/filter change already, the question really doesn't need an answer. But, I think the oil itself can outlast the papered oil filter. For a minimally driven car maybe the filter can last several years. It's not something I would risk though when a $4 to $12 oil filter is cheap insurance. With these new cars suggesting 25K mile oil changes, that might mean 2-3 years on oil and filter. Once per year oil and filter changes for me on my toy, and twice per year on my daily driver. I've read some posts here where some owners with trucks or collector cars in the barn might go 3-5 years without an oil/filter change. I recall one post where the owner said they've gone 10-15 yrs on the same oil for an old work truck just driven on their spacious property. So who knows?

Napa gold/Wix are some of the better filters too. I still wouldn't push them. There's probably no right answer to the question since it's heavily dependent on one's driving style, high way vs around town miles, and type/age of engine. The more sludge and particulate you accumulate the more often the filter change. Some cars might generate near zero of both. The filters could last as long as the paper elements remain intact.

hrcslam

When the oil is no longer clean. If you're draining clean oil out the engine it is too soon to replace the oil and filter.

Oil gets contaminated by blow by and water moisture. That is why an engine that is rarely ran or stored should be ran to operating temps every week or so. The oil needs to lube and coat the system to prevent the bearing and rings from going bad from corrosion and it also needs to get hot enough to remove water from it (via evaporation and the pcv system).

If the oil looks and feels good, don't replace it or the filter. If it looks or feels bad then replace them.

New vehicles, with the oil life meters, measure oil for viscosity and contamination and tell you when to replace the oil based on those attributes plus driving conditions and time cycle. Mostly based on oil condition though and less on time. The increased engine temps of modern engines keep the water vapor in the crankcase from forming in the oil and the PCV system sucks it out. Tighter tolerances and thinner oils allow better filtering and less blow by, that is why modern engines oil change intervals are so much longer. That and we, as a society, were tricked into thinking the oil should be changed every 3k or 3 months.

The only time I have ever changed my oil in less than 6k miles was right after I rebuilt my engine during the first 1500 miles of break in. Since then, I do it based on oil condition and that is all.

It should be noted that oil condition should be checked at operating temperature (engine running or just after shut off). Oil level should be check 10-30 minutes after shut off.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I agree. Too many variables for a single answer or even a small range, I think the actual range would be pretty wide depending on various details of a given application.

As a long time owner of seldom used engines in collector/antique/show vehicles, I have to disagree with the bolded sentence based on personal experience (speaking specifically of engines that have already been broken in.)

Using my current cars as an example, the engine in my Nova was last rebuilt about 20 years ago. It often sits for many weeks or months at a time without being started, same for the 17 year old original engine in my Camaro, this has caused no issues at all (this has also been true for engines I've owned that were even older than these.) I have previously pulled the valve covers off after winter storage and found a nice film of oil still coating the upper valve train - I'm sure this is the case for the rest of the engine as well. Blow-by is a non-issue for an engine that hasn't been running, and assuming the engine is stored indoors then moisture won't be much of a concern (unless perhaps ambient humidity is extremely and continually high for some reason) as long as the engine isn't ever run for short periods during storage.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend letting an engine sit unused for ~30 years, but they certainly don't need to be started weekly either. A typical street engine sees greatest wear during a cold start, so unnecessary cold starts aren't doing the engine any favors, and you simply can't get them hot enough to burn off all moisture in the oil with basic idling in cold weather. So really, you're better off NOT starting the engine if you don't plan to drive the car.

hrcslam

Valid points. However, rust from the cylinder walls will form in time (depending on relative humidity of the storage environment, of course). That rust will scrape off the cylinder walls, into the oil, then the pump, then filter. But, if observed properly should be a non-issue.

When I start the car for a heat cycle, I drive it. That works the trans, brakes, suspension, steering, electrical, and battery too, and gets it to operating temp regardless of ambient conditions (cooling systems are designed to warm up the vehicle too, for those cold weather environments).

Long term storage should be treated for storage not just parked there either. When properly treated for long term storage, you don't just start it as usually there is no motor oil. Vehicles in storage without treatment should be driven weekly (IMHO), but at a minimum monthly (may need a jump start).

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Based on your location (AZ) I think we have very different perspectives. Not sure if you have always lived in a relatively winterless land (haha....I say that with envy, not spite) but things for those of us in the north and northeast are a bit different.

Cold temps and relatively low humidity during our winter months greatly reduces the development of any rust in a dry storage environment. These cold temps also increase the amount of wear during a cold start relative to a much warmer climate.

Driving the car is not always an option here, as some winters are so foul that the roads aren't nice enough for such activity (specific to garage queens/show cars) for 2-3 months or more. And you can't count on the cooling system to properly heat engine oil under idle-only conditions when it's well below freezing, at least not within any reasonable period of time, the engine would need to be under load or at least idled in a heated environment.

For two decades I've been storing cars for the winter here in the Great Lakes region, often letting them sit for 5-6 months or more without being run. I don't do any of the extensive prep (such as draining various fluids, etc.) that would be better suited for multi-year storage. This would be extreme overkill for storage periods of ~12 months or less IMO. I have never had a single issue with transmission, brakes, suspension/steering or electrical after any winter storage period on any vehicle - that includes my '98 Camaro which currently still retains all original components in all those categories (other than the battery). In fact, even the tires don't develop any permanent flat-spotting as I always inflate them to max rated PSI and park on rubber mats prior to storage. Batteries can be removed during storage periods, or maintained with a tender or smart charger (every 3-4 weeks I hook up the smart charger until completion - I've had no trouble getting 6+ years out of batteries with this method.) Additionally, I always use fuel stabilizer and have never had any issues with fuel systems on my carb'ed or FI engines after ~6 month periods of annual winter storage - the Holley on my '71 is now 8 years old without a rebuild and still runs perfect, and the entire fuel system on my '98 is assembly line stock (other than the filter) and operates flawlessly.

I also hear people sometimes claim that storage, even short-term storage of 6-12 months or less, and limited use will cause accelerated gasket leaks. This has not been my experience. For many years I owned a daily driver LS1 F-body ('02 Z28) right along side a garage queen LS1 ('98 Z28). The stresses of daily use/mileage/heat cycling caused exponentially more leaks/seeps/weeps and deteriorated engine bay plastics and rubber on the '02 car than sitting ever did on the '98. Both were maintained properly for their respective roles, and even though the '02 was four years newer it still saw much greater deterioration from regular use than the '98 did from limited use/storage.

Overall, I think there is a lot of incorrect/incomplete/misunderstood/sensationalized information regarding storage and limited use. Daily/regular use rarely reduces wear or increases lifespan, more often (with few exceptions) it's the other way around. Sometimes (probably most times) the issue has more to do with improper treatment/maintenance of a limited use vehicle, but details of the situation are lost as the story is retold from person to person - or an ignorant/inexperienced owner wasn't aware of mistakes he may have made that lead to certain issues, etc.

Chevyguy2001

I change my Camaro oil the day i tuck it away for the winter in the garage. I only put on like 2500-3000 miles in a summer.

hrcslam

Agreed. Must issues arise not from storage, but from other maintenance or use related causes.

Location is an important factor to consider. I will say that winter in Colorado (even snow and ice covered roads) never stopped me or my brother from driving his Vette; the nannies on that car made it possible, no way I'd do that in my Camaro.

That being said, for real winter storage I'd likely just stick the car in the garage with some fuel stabilizer and fully inflated tires. Then a few days or so before I am ready to drive it again, hook up a trickle charger and check all fluids and a good walk around.

But, my procedure would change if I were in a coastal city. When I would watch my friends cars while they were deployed I used the method I described in my first response here, but that was here in AZ.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

It's really no problem to drive these cars (4th gens) in snow and ice, it's just a matter of the proper tires and weight, and sensible driving. I never once got stuck or lost control even in the harshest of urban winter conditions when I daily drove my '02 Z28. Unplowed lots with several inches of snow, packed ice/snow on poorly plowed roads, and even some icy minor uphill grades (highway ramps) were never an issue with dedicated snow/ice tires and ~100lbs of extra weight in the trunk. Granted, it would be different in a mountainous region or an area with rural roads that aren't always paved and sometimes never plowed.

Point being, my reason for not driving the garage queens in the winter isn't about lack of ability, but rather lack of desire. They are used as show cars, so exposure to harsh winter conditions is not acceptable. Some winters we get lucky and the weather is mild enough for an occasional drive. On the other hand, the last two winters have been very harsh, with near constant snow/salt/slush/ice and extreme cold.



Things definitely change in a super humid environment. A good friend of mine moved to FL about two years ago. He has a '66 Nova that he'd owned for nearly 12 years here in IL - in all that time he never had a single storage related issue with rust/corrosion/etc. while keeping it in his home garage. But after less than a year living in Florida, humidity had caused considerable rust in the distributor and resulting driveability issues - even though the car was stored inside and not driven in rain. One typically wouldn't think of FL as being a place that's more harmful to cars than Chicago, but really the Great Lakes region is pretty easy on cars that are spared of any winter driving.

For those living in a very humid environment, I do agree that special attention needs to be taken for limited use/stored vehicles. I've heard people in the deep south mention that rust will form on their brake rotors during storage periods even while sitting in their garage. I've had cars sit in my garage for as long as 7 years, unmoved, without any rust forming on the rotors. Unless one has access to climate controlled storage, conditions and concerns will vary from region to region.

hrcslam

I get rust on my rotors after an overnight rain! Minor surface rust of course, but it's pretty ridiculous to form that fast!

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

This would be the case for any region, in fact you'll get flash rust like that even from just washing the car if you don't drive it immediately.

What really surprised me was some members from Louisiana reporting that they get rotor rust like this even from just sitting in the garage for extended periods (sort of like the distributor rust my friend developed in Florida). That's a lot of indoor humidity. We just don't have those sorts of problems in my area.

hrcslam

Oh yeah, I know what you mean. Luckily that much moisture doesn't usually make into an engine. Unless it's hot and super humid and salty, like Miami or another costal city.