Oil change after just 3800 miles?

[geoffus]

My E250 is telling me the A service is due, the car has done just 3800 miles in the last 12 months. Is it worth doing an oil and filter change after such little miles ?
Whats the point of using fully synthetic oil ( Fuchs GT1 Flex 23) and then chucking it out when it’s done very little, maybe just change the filter ?
I know several will say piece of mind and all that but on a mechanical viewpoint shouldn’t the oil be as new ?

 

[DrNick]

Depends if you have any warranty that requires the regular servicing.
The oil will be fine and will easily last much longer mileage. It wasn't long ago that MB servicing was done on miles done rather than time and regularly mine would not ask for a service for 2 years. I don't see much has changed except that more servicing means more ££ for MB.
Of course if you've ragged it for those 3800 miles then its a different story. Even so, fully synthetic should last more than 3800 miles, especially if you are not hooning it.

 

[markjay]

It's an old question and I don't have a definitive answer. A few thoughts:

1. Obviously, if you are looking to keep FSH to maximise resell value, than you don't really have an option.

2. I would ignore the high mileage claims for full synthetic oil, some claim up to 25,000 miles between changes, but they are applicable only to cars that do high mileage between services, and do not override the time limits set by manufacturers.

3. John Cadogan from AutoExpert.com.au (not everyone's cup of tea, I know), argues that cars that cover low annual mileage should in fact have an additional service at the 6 months point - an interim oil change. He explains that when the engine is running cold, the oil gets contaminated with petrol and absorbs moisture. This contaminants will evaporate over a good motorway drive when the oil reaches 100+ degrees for a prolonged period of time. But on cars that only do short journeys, and without having the opportunity to get rid of the contamination, the engine oil will get diluted with petrol very quickly, and the water content will cause 'mayo', blocking EGR valves and engine breathers. Which is an interesting point, I thought. But certainly if you are doing it DYI, for the cost of the oil it seems like worth doing.

 

[190]

Mine is also due for a 12 month service after only 2000 miles, the bike is worse with only 500 miles. Both are less than half of their usual annual miles. Neither really need to be done because I have avoided short runs of less than 10 miles. I will probably wait for another 2000 miles on the car which will be approx. 6 months time. The car is 12 years old and the bike 42 years old so it doesn't much matter as long as I'm happy that I'm doing the right thing.

maybe just change the filter ?
I know several will say piece of mind and all that but on a mechanical viewpoint shouldn’t the oil be as new ?

Changing only the filter makes no sense as you wouldn't be improving anything, in fact you would be making it marginally worse. The filter will last 4 times your current miles and a slightly dirty filter is more efficient than a new one. If you must do something better to change the oil and not the filter.

From a purely mechanical view point leaving the oil change for another 3800 miles would be fine provided it hasn't been mostly short runs. An oil analysis would almost certainly confirm that but actually costs more than a DIY oil change.

 

[geoffus]

Mine is also due for a 12 month service after only 2000 miles, the bike is worse with only 500 miles. Both are less than half of their usual annual miles. Neither really need to be done because I have avoided short runs of less than 10 miles. I will probably wait for another 2000 miles on the car which will be approx. 6 months time. The car is 12 years old and the bike 42 years old so it doesn't much matter as long as I'm happy that I'm doing the right thing.



Changing only the filter makes no sense as you wouldn't be improving anything, in fact you would be making it marginally worse. The filter will last 4 times your current miles and a slightly dirty filter is more efficient than a new one. If you must do something better to change the oil and not the filter.

From a purely mechanical view point leaving the oil change for another 3800 miles would be fine provided it hasn't been mostly short runs. An oil analysis would almost certainly confirm that but actually costs more than a DIY oil change.

My bike only ever does 500 miles per year and oil maybe changed every 3 years, its only used for 6 months of the year and now 21 years old with 17.000 miles. It will not work with fully synthetic oil as it has a wet clutch, but it runs as new.

Not sure what you mean about a dirty filter is more efficient than a new one ?

 

[AMGeed]

For the cost of an oil and filter change, I'd just have it done and preserve the full and correct service history.
If you supply the oil yourself as well it's going to be a cheap service.

 

[Will]

My bike only ever does 500 miles per year and oil maybe changed every 3 years, its only used for 6 months of the year and now 21 years old with 17.000 miles. It will not work with fully synthetic oil as it has a wet clutch, but it runs as new.

Not sure what you mean about a dirty filter is more efficient than a new one ?

Filters get better with use. They trap slightly more debris. Up until the point where they become blocked and too restrictive of course, but that’s not the issue here.

Every time you remove and replace any filter there’s also a very small chance of stuff going wrong - contamination being introduced, human error, damaged seals, faulty/incorrect spec filter being fitted etc. On some cars you would be running for a few seconds with no oil pressure until the filter had primed etc. All hypothetical of course...!

The point 190 was making - there’s no point replacing a filter with 3800 miles and not the oil. The concerns mentioned in this thread don’t really apply to the filter.

 

[geoffus]

Filters get better with use. They trap slightly more debris. Up until the point where they become blocked and too restrictive of course, but that’s not the issue here.

Every time you remove and replace any filter there’s also a very small chance of stuff going wrong - contamination being introduced, human error, damaged seals, faulty/incorrect spec filter being fitted etc. On some cars you would be running for a few seconds with no oil pressure until the filter had primed etc. All hypothetical of course...!

The point 190 was making - there’s no point replacing a filter with 3800 miles and not the oil. The concerns mentioned in this thread don’t really apply to the filter.

Surely the filter is keeping the oil fresh and clean trapping any contaminates, so by replacing it is prolonging the quality and life of the oil.
It takes only minutes to change and is greener than chucking away good oil. Still don't understand the logic of filters getting better as they get dirtier.
Maybe it wont harm to leave the oil change for another 6 months as the car is way out of warranty.

 

[Will]

Surely the filter is keeping the oil fresh and clean trapping any contaminates, so by replacing it is prolonging the quality and life of the oil.
It takes only minutes to change and is greener than chucking away good oil. Still don't understand the logic of filters getting better as they get dirtier.
Maybe it wont harm to leave the oil change for another 6 months as the car is way out of warranty.

Nope, a new oil filter won’t make the existing oil any cleaner, prolong its quality or life.

Filters work by trapping particles, a sieving effect. They’re designed to be restrictive to certain sizes of particles.

At the end of the day we all do what we’re comfortable with but replacing the filter on old oil is a pointless exercise and has no technical merit IMHO.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Silly post. You already know your plan of action.

 

[geoffus]

Yes your correct, I will leave it for another 12 months.