I know the manufacturer recomends changing your oil afterI think every 12 months even if you dont meet the mileage requirement but on a couple of my carsI only drive them about 200- 300 miles a year so it seems silly to change the oil when it is hardly ever used. Does anyone know if oil breaks down simply by sitting in the engine or amI ok to wait a couple of years or so? Thanks a lot

 

I don't think it is a problem with the oil breaking down as much as the oil being contaminated with condensation from sitting. What little you do drive the vehicle will only contribute to contamination with blow-by gases and not running long enough to burn off the moisture.

 

I recently had this same question and asked a technician at a "oil anylisis lab" and he says there is no problem and you can leave it in there a long time. Even though I still start it once in a while just to keep things lubricated and also to burn off condensation.

 

Thanks guys - I did not really think about condensation because I live in Phoenix so it is pretty dry. However I do try to start them at least once a month just to keep things going and every time I pull the dipstick it still looks clean so I feel pretty good about every two or three years with regular starts....