I was wondering, since I don't put much mileage on my coupe, how important is it to change the oil on a time period rather than mileage.

 

thoughts vary, but....

If you are really low miles driver, I'd change it every 3 - 4 months... absolutely no more than 6 months between changes.

 

Why do you not have much mileage on your car? This needs to be considered. If you are driving the car everyday but make short trips, then you should be changing the oil at a lower mileage interval as you vehicle is being operated under a more adverse condition.

If your car is sitting around a lot, then what may happen is condensation in the air can drop moisture into the oil. If the car isn't driven enough to evaporate this condensation, then it cas start accellerating wear on the lubricated parts. Keep in mind the service schedule is a guideline and needs to be adjusted for conditions.

 

The wife drives the car and her work place is only 5 - 7 miles away. She drives everyday, and she was bugging me to change the oil since its been about 6 mos.

 

i am in the same boat. i took my g in and asked for an oil change. they changed it and told me to come back in 3k miles... but i thought the intervals are 3750??? on dyno. thoughts?

 

3750 is the recommended interval on average driving.

You really must consider your driving habits.

i.e. if it only gets 50 miles a week, certainly make sure it never goes more than 6 months without a change, even though it is only 1300 miles....
Oil degrades for many reason, miles is only one of them

 

I've found that engine oil actually lasts a lot longer than the recommended 3,750 mile mark. I still change the oil in my G35 at 3,000 because I care about the car a lot since I've owned from when it was new. I also try to change the oil in my Sentra every 3,000 miles, but sometimes I just forget because it's my beater car. But the Sentra still runs good and has 190,000 miles on it. I personally think that it's best to change the oil in intervals recommended by the automaker so you can't be blamed for any problems associated with the oil. If you only drive a couple thousand miles a year and don't want to go with Infiniti's recommended intervals, then I would recommend changing your oil seasonally. You can even use different oils for winter and summer to try to take advantage of different oil viscosity ratings. Generally, thinner oil provides improved cold-engine starting and improved fuel economy while thicker oil gives better protection at higher temperatures but reduced fuel economy. You also need to consider special conditions that you operate the car in, too. If any of the following conditions is present, then you should probably consider changing the oil every 2,000 to 3,000 miles or every 3 months. Operation in dusty conditions, towing or heavy loads, short trip driving especially during cold weather, operation in temperatures below freezing, or extended idling time. And the definition of a short trip varies, but is usually defined anywhere between 4 to 15 miles each time the engine is started.

 

tjkjunior, thanks for the write up. basically the only thing i am worried about is that my manual says ever "3750", and then the dealer tells me every "3000". i just want to avoid what you are talking about... the dealer blaming me for anything. i dont mind going in every other day if i have to. i just dont want the dealer making excuses.

 

You're welcome. If you have any more questions just ask. I'm in college for High Performance Automotive Technology so chances are good that I have a book somewhere with answers to almost any question.

 

I live in SoCal, so the weather is mostly mild. It looks like, since I am going to change every 4 to 5 mos., then there is no need to go with the more expensive Mobil 1. If I don't change the oil on the 4 to 5 mos. schedule, isn't the dealership going to give me a hasle if I have problems with the engine compartment?

 

You can call them and ask, but I would say that as long as you change the oil within a reasonable amount of time, like 4 to 5 months or every 3,750 miles, then they probably won't hastle you. But you probably won't have problems relating to oil changes if you use common sense and take care of your car. Pull your dip stick out every couple weeks or a month or so and just check the condition of the oil and its level. If your not comfortable with its condition, then change it. The oil in the engine can never be too clean or new.