# Should I get an oil change now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota\ **Created:** [November 14, 2020, 6:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281 "2020-11-14T06:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/22 "2020-11-16T00:22:24Z")
> [@bing](#): > > 2000 miles in 6 months means short trips so change it. > [@D.J](#): > > I drive it 2-3 times a week for short trips. > [@D.J](#): > > I’ve been driving it between 10 to 30 miles total per trip 2000 miles in 6 months does NOT always mean short trips. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/23 "2020-11-16T02:20:35Z")
2000 miles in 6 months could be: Two 38 mile trips per week, or two 5.3 mile trips each day. ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/24 "2020-11-16T03:44:44Z")
Probably a mixture of both some longer trips some weeks and shorter trips other weeks, If I recall correctly. Sometimes I drive short distances to certain stores and other times longer distances to other stores. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/25 "2020-11-16T14:25:10Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > How do you drive thousands of miles a month on an island ? 50 mile commute (which is not unreasonable) 5 times a week and 4 weeks a month. Plus all the other driving around (kids to school activities, shopping…etc). I had a 40mile commute a few years back. Oldest was still in high-school. I was averaging 40k+ miles a year. ---
**Author:** ![Willy16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@Willy16](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Willy16)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/26 "2020-11-18T21:01:10Z")
You should ABSOLUTELY change your oil ! The owners’ manual for any and all cars call for a certain mileage OR certain period of time, whicever comes first. In your case because the car is sitting you have to follow the time (6 months). If you don’t plan on using the vehicle for another 6 months or more you can get away with replacing the oil while the car is still sitting, but right before you plan on using the car replace the oil !!! ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/27 "2020-11-18T21:14:27Z")
Thanks. I’m getting the oil changed today. ---
**Author:** ![ByronSmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/byronsmith/32/14993_2.png) [@ByronSmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ByronSmith)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/28 "2020-11-19T23:18:37Z")
Oil changes are cheap engine rebuilds are not. I’ve been going with 6 months during the pandemic even though I think I’ve put about 1,000 miles on my car. ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/29 "2020-11-20T00:35:38Z")
Yup, I had my oil changed yesterday, so I’m good for another 3 months. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/30 "2020-11-20T02:25:32Z")
My cars maintenance schedule calls for oil changes every 3,000 miles/4 months. For the last 8 years I have been changing the oil every 5,000 miles. It has been a year since the last oil change, the vehicle was not driven November through April. I’m not concerned about it, I often see cars that go 12 to 18 months between oil changes. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/31 "2020-11-20T14:54:38Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > My cars maintenance schedule calls for oil changes every 3,000 miles/4 months Really? How old are your cars. I haven’t seen a 3k oil change interval in decades. I think my wifes 1996 Accord was the last vehicle I saw that. ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/32 "2020-11-20T21:17:57Z")
My schedule for my 2006 is every 5,000 miles or ever 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_T](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/lee_t/32/86_2.png) [@Lee\_T](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Lee_T)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/33 "2020-11-24T02:42:54Z")
Don’t listen to all these people. Synthetic oil opened up a whole new set of rules. Owner manuals are behind the times. Engines are now sealed systems. No matter how long an engine sits with synthetic oil, it’s not going bad. Short trips, no problem, as long as you make up for it with a longer trip that heats up the oil and drives off the condensation. Synthetic oil is good for 10k miles, premium Mobil 1 and Amsoil are good for 25k miles. These are not your grandfather’s oil. People are slow to adapt and think this is nonsense. I’ve seen people buy a new Toyota and the dealer says come back in 10k miles and we give you a free synthetic oil change and they change it themselves at 5k miles. The oil looks like new and they throw it out. Old habits are hard to break. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/34 "2020-11-24T14:19:51Z")
> [@Lee\_T](#): > > Synthetic oil is good for 10k miles, premium Mobil 1 and Amsoil are good for 25k miles So me these engines that doing a 10k or 25k oil change interval after 300k miles? ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/35 "2020-11-24T14:49:06Z")
> [@Lee\_T](#): > > premium Mobil 1 and Amsoil are good for 25k miles No matter how robust the base oil and additives are it gathers fine particulates that increase wear. Of course some engines run cleaner than others. But would you wear a pair of underwear for a year straight because they’re made of kevlar and don’t wear out? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/36 "2020-11-24T15:55:07Z")
> [@Lee\_T](#): > > Synthetic oil is good for 10k miles, premium Mobil 1 and Amsoil are good for 25k miles. Are you not aware of the time element that is listed in the manual . In one of our vehicle 25000 miles would be 5 years . Lee , this is not a one size fits all. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/37 "2020-11-24T17:39:51Z")
The oils that go to 25,000 miles are in vehicles with large oil sumps, like BMW and Mercedes Benz cars. The huge reservoirs mean that each ounce of oil does less work than in the smaller sumps that most cars in the US have. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/38 "2020-11-24T18:06:52Z")
> [@circuitsmith](#): > > But would you wear a pair of underwear for a year straight As the lawyer would say don’t ask the question you don’t know the answer to. ---
**Author:** ![D.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@D.J](https://community.cartalk.com/u/D.J)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/39 "2020-11-24T18:23:16Z")
I believe my Toyota dealer uses Krex oil in my car. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/40 "2020-11-24T18:30:50Z")
While I don’t agree that you really needed an oil change right now, I do recognize the value of a good nights sleep. You won’t hurt anything by changing the oil more often, the oil is recycled so it is not the environmental issue that it was in the past. Do what you think is best because you are the one who will pay in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281/41 "2020-11-24T18:37:35Z")
> [@keith](#): > > you are the one who will pay in the long run. Not necessarily. When they trade in or try to sell that poorly maintained piece of junk with the underwear in the trunk that was worn for a year straight, somebody else will buy it and pay the consequences. Pay it forward for the next guy/gal/it and change the oil and your underwear. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-get-an-oil-change-now/172281.md?page=3)