# Right oil for old, low-mileage car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 30, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044 "2013-01-30T11:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahoona](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/big_kahoona/32/2627_2.png) [@Big\_Kahoona](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Big_Kahoona)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/1 "2013-01-30T11:41:55Z")
I’ve got a 1999 VW Lupo 1.4 with 30,000 miles on it. Mostly I use it for short hops in the city. My mechanic says half synthetic oil will work better than all-synthetic oil in my car? True or false ? ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/2 "2013-01-30T16:25:19Z")
False. But either oil will work just fine as long as you don’t have a turbo. If you have a turbocharged engine, I’d go with full-synthetic. And it’s just me, but I’d probably use full-synthetic anyway, especially if you’re only going to change the oil once a year or less and with your driving habits. What is your mechanic’s rationale for his opinion? ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/3 "2013-01-30T16:49:07Z")
If you are using it daily for very short hops, I would change oil more then once a year…perhaps 9 months with regular oil. If the car is not running but say once a week, then yearly changes would be fine for me. If you are using synthetic, yearly seems fine in either case. IMO, frequency of use for short trips would be a factor. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/4 "2013-01-30T20:38:45Z")
@dagosa I agree that with this type of use, two oil changes per year make more sense. A non-turbo car that age can use a good mineral oil and live a long truoble-free life. This driving pattern is prone to sludge formation; the oil will not be subject to extreme stresses as with high speed driving. My late mother-in-law had a similar driving pattern and we changed oil and filter twice a year. ---
**Author:** ![baby\_cakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@baby\_cakes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/baby_cakes)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/5 "2013-01-30T20:40:42Z")
i have a 2007 honda cvr and the drivers manul says nothing about a timing belt absolutely nothing, every one says it needs to be change but the book don’t have a thing ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/6 "2013-01-30T22:03:02Z")
baby cakes…I think your CR-V 2.4 engine has a timing chain. No need to change it since it should last for the life of the engine. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/7 "2013-01-31T03:30:28Z")
Big Kahoona, is your engine the petrol or diesel version? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/right-oil-for-old-low-mileage-car/77044/8 "2013-01-31T04:11:34Z")
Car never sold in U.S. What country do you live in?