Xctguy

I have a 2003 E 500 with 105,000 miles. I last changed the oil myself in Oct. 2009. The car had 100,000 miles when I did my last oil change. My question is this--"Should I change my oil again, after 5000 miles"? The car tells me I am OK regarding the oil level. I use my car every other day, for the past 3 yrs. but have done only 5k miles. I used Mobil 1 synthetic oil and have no issues with the engine. A local mechanic told me to at least change the filter (used a paper filter). Any thoughts, or should I not bother? Its been almost 3 yrs.

listerone

I'd change oil and filter...but that's just me.IMO,an oil and filter change is just about the quickest,easiest and cheapest insurance of longevity for an engine.

Mike_W

I would change it. With that many short trips, your oil has spent a disproportionate percentage of its life warming up. All those cold/hot cycles are unlikely to enhance oil life.
Mike

Efivehundred

Is this the same mechanic that was trying to fix your power steering? Did you ever get that problem resolved?

Change the oil and filter every year if you don't put on 10k miles.

Xctguy

Good memory!! E 500---- That power steering issued cost me $3700. One mechanic started it by putting in a left hand tie rod into the right side. It cause the power steering pump to quit on me, then had it replaced by another mechanic, and didn't fix the issue, then had the rack replaced. That didn't fix the issue. Went to a 3rd guy who replaced the pump and rack, then found the issue, the $25.00 tie rod in the wrong place! 2 pumps and 2 racks and 3 wheel alignments later. Thanks for you input!!

brm

Change it.

amx1397

with such short trips, the condensation,In your oil from you heating and cooling up your engine,I personally change my all every four months regardless of the miles. Both one can go any where from 6 to 8000 miles and 4 to 6 months I prefer to do it every four months, as long as I don't put on 20 or 30,000 miles in the four months that all changes then applies it would be changing it every 6000 miles or less, your car so you do what you want with it with the amount of miles that you have on it I would assume you wanted to last three times that much, good luck jim

Lefix

I also have a 2003 e500, I've been reading and is Mobil 1 0w-40 the oil I Should use?

Sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread but it's a similar topic hah.

Plutoe

We all have different driving habits and have no doubt heard all the low mileage oil horror stories. Those comments are typically finger in the wind estimates.

A cheap sure way to help answer your question is to have the oil tested. You will then really know the condition of your oil----whats another two weeks going to do waiting for the test. Good Luck

PS: Run don't walk away from any billy bob that tells you to put a paper filter element in you car. The specs are synthetic fiber.

Xctguy

Are you talking about a FLEECE filter?? That is what I'm using on my next oil change. I have a paper one in there now.

Plutoe

FLEECE(snythetic fiber) is good, PAPER(cellulose) is bad!!

vettdvr

I change my oil ONLY when the FSS indicates to do so.

Xctguy

Hey Vettedvr: I drive under 3000 miles per year. I did reset my FSS, back in Oct. 09 when I last changed my oil. My FSS has yet to indicate anything to me. Shouldn't it had done this already? In other words, should I trust the FSS? I am not thrilled about having to do a oil change at 5000K.

PS---I have a 05 C6 with the same issue!! Its indicator tells me I'm at 50% life cycle for that oil, and I've only drive 3000K on it. But its been 3 yrs with that as well. I'm ok with it telling me its at 50%, at least its some sort of warning. I don't like the e500's not telling me anything, so far.

Thanks for your informative comments.

vettdvr

The FSS should have in it's algorithm a time function counting starts, run time and time on. I I have been using them both on my C5 (I bought it new) and the MB. The MB now has 121,000 and C5 90,000 and I follow the FSS/and C5 oil monitor. They have worked well. This is why the specifications are so detailed that you MUST use the correct oil and on the MB you must use the high filtration FLEECE approaved filters.

I don't see much difference between oil sitting on the shelf in a container to the oil in you closed up oil pan. Both are sittinhg. Synthetic is required in both and has a different formulation than conventional oils that will have sulphur compounds which react with H2O to produce acids.

I have only driven my c5 about 3000 in the last 12 months and 1000 of that was last week on a corvette trip with our club. I have 20% remaining on it and will change in the fall when wx cools off. My C5 had a shorter interval than the newer C6. I normally get around 7000 miles before it indicates change which now might take 2 yrs to do.

Save $$

I also run full synthetin oil in my diesel truck over 10,000 miles and my airplane does use a synthetic blend but not a full synthetic because the full synthetic isn't apporved in my aircraft engine.