jbl-1985

OK Guys - we all have 'em...Opinions that is...and I'm looking to get a consensus on the following:

99 has been sitting for 6 months and soon to be launched into action again. Before I left her, I changed the oil - current oil has about 100 miles on it and 6 months of sitting.

Change the oil or not??

Dawa

iTrader: (5)

seeing as how youre already considering it, go ahead and do it.

hypervish

Since you replaced the oil before putting it into "storage", it should be fine. Just run the RX enough to burn off any condensation, and you should be good to go.

How much are you planning on driving before changing the oil again?

mckellyb

It'll be fine.

When we stored Princess for a couple of years, inside, at my mother's place, I changed the oil, Mobil 1, put stabilizer in a tank of fresh fuel, put it on a battery tender, and left it for 12 months at a time.

Once a year, we'd come to Texas, visit, drive the old fuel out of Princess, refill, repark.

The car is absolutely none the worse wear for it, now 5-7 years later.

The time oil change recommendation is because of blow-by gases in gasoline being acidic. Oil can hold it in suspension for only so long. Once it starts roaming freely, it eats into metal. Slowly, but in certain areas, it doesn't take much*.

*connecting rod bearings are a good example

carguy07

Oil is still brand new, just drive it and change as you normally would. IMO

jbl-1985

I was planning on running her for a few hundred miles (Phoenix to Palm Springs and back) and then swap it out.

I was headed towards the advice of you, mckellyb and carguy07 in that my thinking was yes, the oil is basically new and just out of the bottle.

mckellyb: I did exactly what you did! Fill her with gas and the related Sta-Bil, hooked up a BT Plus, and changed the oil (used PYB 5w-30 not synthetic). I also put her on jacks...wheels not off the ground but just so the full weight was not on the tires. Also used the Battery Tender Plus as it is temperature compensated, and I guess every little bit helps when the car is sitting in a garage in 115 degree heat.

Question for you - did you jack up the car at all during the year you would store yours?

mckellyb

Actually, now that you mention it, the BT I have is a "+" model. Yay for electronics!!!

I didn't jack it up. Too much work, and I wanted my mother to be able to drive it, or my wife to fly to Texas to get it, and have it be unplug-this-and-go simple.

code58

I know a lot of people subscribe to that standard, but I'm not one of 'em and it's not because I'm tight, I'm not. It is important to not run it short runs and not give the condensation an oportunity to burn off. But having said that, I would not personally change it. That's up to you.
I sold our Class a motorhome recently that had not been driven for over 5 years (long story). We always filled up a mile from home when we returned from a trip. When I went to start it for the buyer, it wouldn't start. (Always kept it in outstanding condition). When checking it to see what was wrong, found that the rubber elbow going into the tank was eaten away by the ethenol in the BP fuel. Replaced that and still no go. Buyer bought it that way and sent mechanics to change the fuel pump. When they pulled it out, found the pump was fine but the small thick rubber connector hose fron pump to tank outlet was destroyed by the ethanol also. They had to drain at least 30 gal. of fuel to drop the tank. Fuel looked perfect and smelled just fine. When they were finished they turned the key and it started and ran like a top as it always had. I had not put stabilizer in the tank because we didn't expect the circumstances that cause it to set. Even with the tank fuel exposed to outside air and humidity from the gapping cracks in the rubber fill hose and sitting for a minimum of 5 years, there was no sign of water or sediment in the bottom of the tank, and it's a metal tank. I might not have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. Just gives you something to think about when you are told absolutes about fuel (and oil).

jbl-1985

Code58: I fill up with Chevron anytime I can as I love the Techron Additive in their gas. I'm pretty sure they add ethanol too, and so my question to you is, wouldn't the rubber connectors in your motor home have been eroded anyway, since even when you are driving the vehicle, it is always subject to and in contact with the fuel? I'm just wondering would this have happened anyway in the 5 years you had it sitting whether you were driving it or not.