# Oil changes

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 30, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642 "2008-05-30T17:25:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![suzie\_Q\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@suzie\_Q\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/suzie_Q_2)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/1 "2008-05-30T17:25:09Z")

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I have synthetic oil in my car which is 3 years old. I only traveled 1350 miles in the last 6 months when my oil was last changed. I checked the oil and it is a golden color. How often should I change the oil considering the car isn’t used very much. It is stop and start driving.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/2 "2008-05-30T18:03:44Z")

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Once a year with synthetic should be fine.

If that’s all you drive every year…I’d reevaluate even owning a car.

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/3 "2008-05-30T19:17:34Z")

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Agree! If the oil stays golden like corn oil, it can’t be getting contaminated very much. A once a year oil change is suffucient if you have the right grade for summer and winter , such as 5W30. Agree that you could probably rent a car for those few occasions you use it and come out ahead.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/4 "2008-05-30T19:23:26Z")

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You may also want to add stabilizer to your gas tank.

As to reconsidering ownership, guys…for all we know the car is a Maybach or Maseratti!

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/5 "2008-05-30T20:13:06Z")

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> As to reconsidering ownership, guys…for all we know the car is a Maybach or Maseratti!

Then he should give it to me.

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**Author:** ![suzie\_Q\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@suzie\_Q\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/suzie_Q_2)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-changes/14642/6 "2008-05-30T22:15:27Z")

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Thanks everyone! It’s not a Maybach or Maseratti!