[BALLSS]

I have 5 cars and the SS and 4x4 truck see very little use. I notice on both, maybe more on SS, that after 3 months when I may only have driven 500 miles the oil level reads full but months 3-6 when I drive another 5oo miles +/- I use about 1/4 - 1/3 qt.

?

is the oil breaking down because of time or short drive intervals?

done a few searches and checked out bobistheoilguy but nothing specific on my ?

 

[RDW]

I would also like to know. I only drive my 96 9C1 about 7 miles a day.

 

[Fred Kiehl]

The reason there is a time between changes is because the blocks sweat on the inside, and water can accumulate in the oil. If you do not drive the car (much), the water does not get a chance to boil off. It can make the oil viscosity vary, and consequently damage the bearings, etc.

 

[kiddpitt]

Would the 160 degree thermostat keeping the engine cooler affect its ability to boil off the water?

 

[Fred Kiehl]

For normal daily driving, the recommendation I have heard is that you run the car for at least 5 minutes after the engine gets up to operating temperature. I would suppose that you would have to run the engine a little longer to get the same amount of water to evaporate with a 160 degree thermostat.