I change the oil and filter on my 99 RL twice a year (April and October). I don’t drive that much. I drive to a park n ride about 3 miles away from home and take the bus to work. So I average about 3000 to 4000 miles between oil change. If I wait for the recommended mileage of 7500 miles, that will take about a year. What do the guys think? Continue with what I am doing or go with the recommended mileage. I am using Mobil 1 synthetic oil.

 

Considering how hard such short drives are on engine oil, I'd stick to the shorter interval...

 

synthetic does not break down like non-synthetic oil, so there is no real time limit on it. However, I also have low miles/year (2 trip / week) and do synthetic changes about twice a year at around 3k.

 

I'd keep on the same interval fresh oil every 3-4k wnt hurt anything n help prolong your engine life

 

Thanks for the replies. Just had the feeling that I may be wasting valuable oil.

 

Since you are using synthetic, you can stick with changing your oil once a year. You can read the information from the oil manufacturers, www.bobistheoilguy.com and other searches from the net. Synthetic oil should last you on avg, close to 10k miles.

You are driving less than that, therefore the once a year recommendation is for you. Trust the MID, it won't let you down. I drive 50 miles a day round trip in DFW and my MID comes on after roughly 7500 miles.

Any questions, let me know.

 

Not sure how sophisticated the oil life monitoring system is in the 1999 RL. Not sure whether it is simple straight mileage or something else.

 

i would just check your dipstick every 2 weeks to a month first thing in the morning to see if you need to add/change your oil

there should be 2 dots on the dipstick, your oil should be somewhere between them, and if the oil is still clear your all good, if its dark then its time to change...

 

The linked oil guy article appears to say once a year (in Spring) or twice a year (add one in Fall) and every 5k should be good if you use synthetic. His number one concern appears to be that you not push the engine until it gets to normal operating temperature because the oil is not lubricating properly until then.

 

As mentioned earlier, I change my oil twice a year (April and Oct.) I'm now ready to change it this April. So far, I have about 1600 miles since the last oil change. I'm think of skipping the oil change this time around. At this rate, there is no way I'm getting close to 7500 miles by Oct of this year. I will definitely change it in Oct.

 

On all my Honda/Acuras I change it once a year or every 7500 miles, whichever comes first.

 

If the oil is still looking clean when you check the dipstick then go for it.

Breakdown depends on so many things, so its alot differnet for every person.

For me personally 5k usually comes around the same 6 month mark, but even if my mileage was nowhere near the 5k id probably change it every 6 months. Im anal like that though. After 5k on my Rl the oil is almost the same shade it went in. (Mobil1 synthetic)