Oil and filter change time

[Belle427]

I have a garage queen, a 2005 Honda S2000 that does around 1000 miles a year maybe a touch more which is a bit sad but that may increase in the future.
Regarding oil and filter changes on a car like this what would you do?
I replaced them last year when I bought it, used a genuine filter and shell helix 5/40 oil.
Would you still do it every year regardless or maybe go every other?
I know a lot of people have weekend cars so just wondered how they treat them.

[xstian]

I have a BRZ that only does about 2k a year. I do 90% of that during the summer, so I tend to change every 18 months either just before or just after the summer if that makes sense. Some people only change the filter every other oil change, but it’s only £10 for the filter so I do it every change.

[E-bmw]

Mrs E has a little Mazda 2 that only does under 4k/year.

The car does not commute & never does short journeys, the minimum being around 20 miles.

I do oil & filter every 2nd year & wouldn't be comfortable with less frequent than that.

When I do change, the oil is still golden coloured if a little darker.

[Pica-Pica]

Every two years would be my take. But a good regular inspection for hoses etc.

[donkmeister]

I'd do it each year; it's a good excuse to have a poke about underneath. However, the S2000 engine is a lot more agricultural than you might think from driving it, and it could certainly stand 2 years at low mileage. I have genuinely had the valve cover off an S2000 engine after it had been several years and something like 30k miles since the previous oil change and it was fine. Clean. No sludge. They thought they'd buggered the engine as it was going into limp home but it actually just needed valve lash adjusting as it had got too tight in that time.

Follow-up question: have you done an S2000 filter before?

There is nothing technically difficult about it, but you absolutely must use an OEM filter AND a torque wrench when putting on the new filter.

Reason; plenty of mechanics who think their experience trumps torque wrenches have fked plenty of F20C engines when the filters shake loose after their rule of thumb didn't work on a 9,000 rpm screamer.

Cox Motor Parts are my go-to in the UK for S2000 parts. Amayama if I am doing a big order. They're decent for oil too (sorry Opie).

Also check out Charm.li for the workshop guide.

ETA just noticed you said you changed them. I'll leave my note there just in case it helps someone else!

[Belle427]

I use a genuine filter but will admit I did not torque it as I was sure the wrench would not go anywhere near it but I will check now you have said that.
Just finished doing all the bushes and geo adjusters on it, what a nightmare job that was!

[donkmeister]

You probably did it tightly enough then, I understand it tends to shake loose quite soon after service if it's going to.

Some will advise only doing an oil filter hand tight, which is fine for some engines. What happened with the F20C is people did that instead of torquing it down. The filter shook loose (4 cylinders, 84mm stroke, 9000 rpm) and the engine lost all oil very quickly.

I need to do the bushes on mine. I'm promising myself a proper garage before I go anywhere near it though (currently only have a yard area for car fiddling).

[richhead]

donkmeister said:

You probably did it tightly enough then, I understand it tends to shake loose quite soon after service if it's going to.

Some will advise only doing an oil filter hand tight, which is fine for some engines. What happened with the F20C is people did that instead of torquing it down. The filter shook loose (4 cylinders, 84mm stroke, 9000 rpm) and the engine lost all oil very quickly.

I need to do the bushes on mine. I'm promising myself a proper garage before I go anywhere near it though (currently only have a yard area for car fiddling).

I have to disagree, a canister filter will have a rubber gasket, so ive never used a torque wrench in thousands of oil changes, never had one come loose.
a cartridge in a fixed housing, then yes always use a torque wrench.

[E-bmw]

^^^^Wot 'e said.

Cartridge - hand tight
Open filter in housing with cover - torque up.

BMW/Pug/Volvo.......... Many many manufacturers use them, they almost always have a torque figure on the lid & they should always be torqued.

[donkmeister]

You two above... In general, yes. But not on a Honda S2000, and the OP is asking about an S2000.

As I stated, people thinking "I know better" have resulted in filters vibrating loose and the engine dumping its oil.

Don't believe me, Google "honda s2000 oil filter vibrate loose". Alternatively, here is a picture of a genuine S2000 oil filter; note the torque value!

[Belle427]

I have read its quite important on this particular engine, im a bit of a gorilla when it comes to tightening things anyway!

[Leveret]

I have owned a 1980 TR7 since 1981. The manufacturer recommended an oil and filter change every 6K miles. I have sometimes done it more frequently, especially since I 'semiretired' it (and changed the oil) at 56,000 miles in 1993, since when it has only done a few hundred miles a year. My records show changes at 58k (1997) 61K (2002) 67K (2013) 71K (2019. I shall probably change it this year. The engine runs just fine, using very little oil. The ATF in the LT77 box is mostly original (it leaks a bit and gets a top up every few years), as is the gear oil in the diff.
Many years ago on another motoring forum I took issue with so called self styled 'experts', no doubt associated with the motor trade, who insisted that oil must be changed every year, no matter what the mileage. This nonsensical dogma, presumably propounded by people with few or no qualifications in physics and chemistry and unsupported by any scientific evidence (oil doesn't 'go off' after 365 days, especially in a modern car where the sump is virtually airtight and the oil always gets hot enough to eliminate moisture and oil-degrading bacteria), apparently still persists in some quarters.

[T5SOR]

I change mine every year and do a similar mileage to you. It’s not difficult and cheap enough that there isn’t really a reason not to do it.

I echo the torquing comments too. I also mark the filter, so I can visually check if it has moved over the year.