Service intervals for weekend car

[Jesterarts]

Just about to book my car in for a service and I got thinking.

Standard intervals are 6 months or 5000km, whichever comes first.

In my case, the 6months ALWAYS comes first as I think I've only covered about 2000km since my last service.

Given this, would I be fine to extend my intervals to 12months or 5000km?

Just seems like a waste of time and money to service a car every 6 months if it's covering bugger all km.

Thoughts?

[Peter B - CV8]

I would agree. However you should change coolant & brake fluid at the recommended intervals - as these both degrade regardless of use. Dirty & contaminated oil can also acid etch bearing surfaces - but if you're changing it at 5,000 k's you will be fine.

[V8_Power]

What oil are you using? If its a fully synthetic then should be fine to leave for 12 months. Not sure if mineral oil breaks down whether the engine is running or not? anyone?

[Jesterarts]

Full synthetic oil. Not sure what brand, whatever Chev's usually puts in. :p

[V8_Power]

Should be no problem then :)

[whitels1ss]

Full synthetic oil. Not sure what brand, whatever Chev's usually puts in. :p
Buddy, I reckon it depends on what sort of "weekend car" you have, what it is used for and how hard it gets driven?
I think you should make a phone call to Chev and ask him if you are not sure.

[Jesterarts]

Buddy, I reckon it depends on what sort of "weekend car" you have, what it is used for and how hard it gets driven?
I think you should make a phone call to Chev and ask him if you are not sure.

Gets used to drive from A to B whenever the weather allows it. The hardest driving it see's is when in a 100kmph zone I crawl through roundabouts to I can give the throttle a 5sec stab on the way out.

Doesn't see the strip or the track.

Yeah, the oil is listed on my last invoice from Chev... but that's at home... I THINK it was like a 10w-40 Oleon FS...

[Woodchukka]

Whether you make short or long trips will make a difference. If your trips are less frequent and longer and the engine spends a most of its of time at operating temp 12 months would be fine if it is a larger number of small trips where the engine is not getting up to temp (I am talking engine oil not coolant) then moisture in the engine may not completely burn off shorting the service life of the oil and a shorter interval may be better however I would suggest the benefits might be marginal if using a good quality oil.

[XUV]

i do about the same kays as u a yr ,last oil change was about 3 yr/5000 km ago ,
and just put the 10-60 fully syn and fancy filter in on sunday , it had a val 10w-30 semi syn GF-3 OIL .
it's fine , will look at changing all the other fluids , auto , power steering , diffs and trans case to fully syn in the next 6 months .
and just do the oil every 5000 kays .

[5.7heaven]

so if everything is filled with fully synthetic fluids (minus cooling system) its ok to skip timeline intervals and focus on km intervals?

[XUV]

so if everything is filled with fully synthetic fluids (minus cooling system) its ok to skip timeline intervals and focus on km intervals?
my car was serviced regularly for the first 4 yrs , it was the Pirelli staff car ,
I did a 50,000 km Holden service , bought the car at 48,000 , service b4 that was at 45,000

So to answer your question , and considering the kays it does , I'd say yes , after the warranty period , but each to there own .
and new cars with newer oils are pushing service intervals to 12 months 15,000 kays

[5.7heaven]

new cars with newer oils are pushing service intervals to 12 months 15,000 kays

hence the cheeky b@stards doing free 3 years servicing, its only 3-4 services!!

[timbo888]

and new cars with newer oils are pushing service intervals to 12 months 15,000 kays


hence the cheeky b@stards doing free 3 years servicing, its only 3-4 services!!


but now they want you in for an 'inbetween' service.. my wife's diesel hyundai has 12 month/15k servicing, but they want it for 6 month/7.5k services, and the logbook even has pages for the extra services. so if you only do the required servicing every 12 months the logbook makes it look like you have skipped services...