Welp I have skipped 3 oil changes, how bad is the resulting damage likely to be?
Posted by Rahodees@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 32 comments
2022 Kia Rio, supposed to be changed every 8000 miles, the last oil change was at about 30,000 and it's now at 52000 so two changes skipped and basically time for the third. You are wondering how this happened, and the answer is via foolishness, absentmindedness, and a big change in routine in terms of how much the car was being driven per day.
I just figured this out today, car is currently out on a 200 mile road trip but I plan on getting the oil changed in the morning and the rest of the scheduled maintenance updated shortly thereafter.
Just wondering about opinions/predictions, have I essentially already damaged my car probably? Like how bad is this realistically? If it means anything I haven't experienced any issues at this time.
Golf-Guns@reddit
You gonna get the 5k oil change boys screaming.
Unfortunately you have a generally shit engine in the Kia. Hopefully they got it figured out on your specific engine.
Long story short from my opinion. It depends on 3 things. Was it synthetic? Did it have the proper level the whole time? How do you drive?
If it's synthetic that's a huge plus.
Level is obvious. Less to cycle around, dissipate heat, or work in general.
Biggest one is how you drive. I drive 35 miles each way to work, all highest. I go 13k. My car just turned 200k today. I have zero concerns. If you do 30k a year with a lot of highway you'll be good. If you do a ton of 5 mile trips, and haven't done it in 2 years not so good. Short trips tend to add heat cycles and shorten oil life.
Rahodees@reddit (OP)
That's good to hear, the big change in driving routine I mentioned is my wife now does a very long highway commute to work now, and that's the best majority of miles currently put on the thing.
In any case will get it caught up tomorrow and will not count on hearing 'yes' to warranty questions if the engine fails in the next 7 years. Sucks because that 10 year warranty was a nice thing to know was in play.
idownvoteanimalpics@reddit
Was it synthetic oil you had in there? That's what the car manual calls for. If so, the 20000 mile interval isn't great, but much better than if you had conventional oil in there.
Golf-Guns@reddit
You might ask the person doing the change to capture an oil sample from the middle of the drain. You only need 1/2 to 1/2 cup. Just give them a mason jar and figure out how to get it sent in later. The $40 analysis might give you something to stand on or give you a definitive idea on how much damage.
revocer@reddit
I would personally do more frequent oil changes from here on out. At the bare minimum every 5,000 miles. But really, I’d probably put it on a 3,000 mile schedule. And check it frequently after the first oil change to make sure the oil is topped off correctly.
Efficient-Couple9140@reddit
I have a Tundra at 250k. I’ve been doing an experiment since 150k, for science. Can you guess what my hypothesis is?
Rahodees@reddit (OP)
That cars don't actually need oil?
Efficient-Couple9140@reddit
Nah. I just haven’t changed it. It’s running fine! Full synthetic. Doesn’t seem to have lost compression at all 🤣
Rahodees@reddit (OP)
If and when it ever does fail come tell me lol
PandaKing1888@reddit
Will it catch on fire?
laborvspacu@reddit
It's a throwaway car anyway, just change it now at a 10 min place and move on with life .
sps49@reddit
How often did you have to add oil to it? Or were you checking the oil level?
CPT_BEEMO@reddit
Just go get it changed as soon as possible man, and stop neglecting it. Hypothetically, if you were to have your engine fail and Kia was to ask for service records, if they see this gap in maintenance then they may refuse to cover the engine under warranty. The sooner you stop shooting yourself in the foot, the better.
MutedSugar3983@reddit
You just tell them you changed the oil yourself?
Sweet-Gushin-Gilfs@reddit
They’ll ask for receipts for the oil and filter.
MutedSugar3983@reddit
No they won’t
Sweet-Gushin-Gilfs@reddit
This is Kia we’re talking about. They’ll use every excuse to get out of it. And funny enough, they’ll actually be justified in this case
I_Have_Unobtainium@reddit
Ya but you gotta prove it.
whiskeytangocharlee@reddit
Who knows, just get it done.
20ish year old kid came into my dealership a few years back. He had a 2018 Tundra with 60kish miles on it.
Low oil light was on. Long story short, we discovered he had not changed the oil since 20,000 miles. The motor was seized, and the engine needed to be replaced.
He literally said "You guys are always so busy, and I am too and I couldn't bring it in." Depsite him buying a program that pays for his oil changes from my dealer. He could have got it done for free.
Then he asked "Well can't I just get it covered under my warranty?"
This guy, knew he was destroying his car due to sheer careless negligence, and expected someone else to pay for it.
So while you might have a hectic life, and people beat you up in the comments,
You'll never be that laughable.
Sweet-Gushin-Gilfs@reddit
Normally, if you had synthetic oil I’d say it’s bad but not too bad. I’d be more worried about the filter.
But it’s a Kia. They burn oil. They NEED periodic oil checks and top offs. It could be real bad.
Oil is so cheap and easy to change. You turned $100 at most at a shop to $10,000 down the road.
Remarkable-Jaguar938@reddit
Could be pretty bad, or it could just need a cleaning. I wouldn't get it changed while you're in the middle of a trip regardless of how long it's been. I'd wait until you're back home to do proper maintenance. For now pop the hood check the dipstick 5 - 10 minutes after you shut off the engine. And add the correct oil as specified on your oil cap as needed if it's low. Once you're back home in a familiar setting if you can't do the work yourself go get the car oil changed so that if something were to go wrong you wouldn't be stuck in an unfamiliar town or city.
MutedSugar3983@reddit
Every car is different. If I was you, I would sell it and buy something else.
Proper_Cry1479@reddit
Do you live in a cold weather climate?
Realistically, none you will notice. You are adding a lot of wear and tear to your engine by not changing the oil. Oil lubricates your engine and engine parts and the longer you go without changing it. The more sediment is added to it and additives that give the oil its lubricating properties lessens.
The oil is going to look really bad when they clear it out. and they're going to tell you to get it changed regularly. And I encourage you to make this a priority before you siege your engine
Rahodees@reddit (OP)
Not generally super cold, but has been below freezing for the last two weeks. (Prior to that, never below freezing since early 2024.) Indianapolis.
What's the effect of that?
Proper_Cry1479@reddit
Colder weather will effect your oil more. It becomes thicker and while it would have been more important give or take 10,000 miles ago. Colder weather and older oil is not a great combo. But you can deal with it by letting your engine run for a few minutes before driving it (1,000RPM vs 3,000RPM)
This isn't the case with oil within its intended use range or few hundred to a few thousand over. But being this far over. Your oil being old and thick. Slightly more wear on the engine.
Hope it all looks ok tomorrow!
dragonmermaid4@reddit
As someone who used to not give a damn about his car I'd like to say not to worry about it and just make sure to keep up in it in the future.
I had a Ford Mondeo for 8 years, put 50k on it in that time and only changed the oil once the year before I hit rid of it. Never had any issues with it. The only reason I ended up getting rid of it is because the exhaust fell off and it was already beat up to hell.
Not gonna do that again though.
LongjumpingRespect96@reddit
Don’t you realize that the exhaust fell out because the muffler bearings were being lubricated by your old motor oil??? /s
blizzard7788@reddit
Get it changed ASAP. Then, get another one 2K-3K miles after that. If there is any sludge or buildup in there, fresh oil will loosen it up. You want to get it out of there.
joncaseydraws@reddit
Voiding your warranty is probably the biggest issue here, those engines routinely fail and it's possible they'll deny a claim if they suspect a 22k mile oil change interval.
Pimp_Daddy_Patty@reddit
That's a brand that is already notorious for failures in the bottom end, you just sped up the process. Just have $12,000 saved up for when the engine eventually fails.
benmarvin@reddit
Def took some life off the engine, but not really the end of the world. Hard to say exactly how much life. If you're really curious, you can send off a sample of the used oil to get analyzed in a lab and they can tell you the levels of extra particulates in there.
SquallZ34@reddit
Just skip a few more, what could possibly go wrong?
/s