Should I Change My Oil After My Vehicle is in Storage?

When someone comes to get their vehicle from storage, they often ask if the oil in the car is good to be driven on or if they need to change the oil before driving the vehicle regularly.

It really depends on the car, the oil, and how long it has been in storage.

Generally our rule of thumb (and most manufacturers’ rule) is that the oil in your car should be changed every six months if you haven’t met the mileage requirement.

For example, lets say that your car requires oil changes every 5,000 miles. If you change your oil, drive it 2,000 miles, then put the vehicle into storage for 6 months, when the car comes out of storage, you should change the oil before driving the car regularly.

Some vehicles, like BMWs, have much longer oil change service intervals. Some are 15,000-20,000 miles. Their time based oil requirements may be different per the manufacturer.

The best advice would be to check your owners manual or with a service writer at your dealership. They’ll give you good advice!