Low miles, but elderly synthetic oil. Would you change it?

[LeeH]

My girlfriend has been working at home for over a year. We rarely drive her 2016 Corolla. The oil in the car probably has less than 1000 miles on it, but it's been in the car for well over a year. It's full synthetic, and we are in Phoenix (super dry air). Would you change it or leave it alone?

[pwd72s]

I'd probably opt for the change, under the better safe than sorry thinking. Even being full synthetic, can't cost all that much to do. This despite odds being heavily in your favor that it would be okay to keep driving on the year old oil.

[masraum]

low miles synth that's a year old, I wouldn't worry about it. If it was 10 years old, then I'd be concerned.

[RANDY P]

Are we dating the same girl?

(white 16 corolla, curbed wheels)

rjp

[GH85Carrera]

Water via condensation is the biggest concern. Does the oil cap have a milkshake look to it? Water inside the engine tends to do bad things, and is never a good thing. At the very least, go drive it on a one hour trip this summer and get the engine fully heated and heat soaked.

For the price of an oil change, personally I would change it, but it is just the Toyota, and it ain't my car.

[BK911]

I am pretty sure that oil is more than 10 year old. Maybe millions of years old? Get it up to temp and all the water will boil out of it.

[stevej37]

I would not change it.
My Honda Fit goes over 10k miles before the minder says it's time for a change.

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Are we dating the same girl?

(white 16 corolla, curbed wheels)

rjp

Years later... same girl. Her old car was a 2004 (i think) Camry. Current car is the '16 Corolla. The Corolla has nice wheels instead of hubcaps. She's a lot more careful with this one! 😁

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by BK911

I am pretty sure that oil is more than 10 year old. Maybe millions of years old? Get it up to temp and all the water will boil out of it.

^^^^ This. But I sleep on a mattress longer than 8 years too

[Nostril Cheese]

It will be fine.

[Bill Douglas]

It's only a Corolla, why bother.





Haha, just joking. I love Corollas, have always had a Corolla since 1985.

My opinion is the oil will be fine. A nice tight, low miles engine isn't going to dirty the oil and it won't have aged in that amount of time

[Superman]

It may be possible to wear out a Corolla engine, but no one has yet proven this theory. Even using oil that is more than a year old.

[sc_rufctr]

I'd change it only because oil is the cheapest engine part.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Are we dating the same girl?

(white 16 corolla, curbed wheels)

rjp

As it's Phoenix. I wouldn't be surprised

[speeder]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that oil. It's exactly the same as if you had changed it 2 weeks ago and driven 1000 miles. I sometimes can't believe that guys on a car board would not know this.

I just bought a car that has been sitting for ~22 years and the oil is fine in it. I will change it at some point soon in order to get a new filter in it but I could probably get away with just changing the filter. Nothing happens to oil sitting in a closed crankcase in a dry climate.

Now the 22 year old gasoline in the tank is another matter.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by LeeH

we are in Phoenix (super dry air). Would you change it or leave it alone?

Leave it alone. Chevy Volts are supposed to have an oil change every 2 years whether or not you ever use the ICE. Based on that logic (the oil is still good after sitting in an unused engine for 23 months) your year-old oil should be fine.

[thor66]

just for fun get it tested

[Rusty Heap]

just leave it.

[rusnak]

Tell her that you have underwear older than her, so why should she need new oil?

Just kidding. I'd change the oil and filter both. No brainer.

[Zeke]

No.